Selma Savolainen & Helen Svoboda
Selma and Helen met at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in 2019, and have since become close friends and collaborators. They have worked as a duo across various iterations, and “We Make Sounds This Way” forms an exciting arrival point of their evolution as a two-piece.
The songs are short, playful, strange, and beautiful, and were developed at the Helsinki International Artist Programme as part of a three-month residency which Helen was undertaking in the winter of 2023.
The sounds and “words” which we explore on this EP are often built upon a made-up language, with a focus on syllabic rhythm and articulation. Quite often, the listener may wonder who is who; at certain points, both voices seamlessly blur into a rich and singular sound source (e.g. Low Kuu). At other times, Savolainen and Svoboda each feature their own distinctive voices, also incorporating the double bass as a third group member on the odd occasion.
Selma Savolainen (vocals, composition)
Helen Svoboda (vocals, double bass, composition)
Selma Savolainen
Selma Savolainen, recognized as one of Finland’s most innovative vocalists and composers, has garnered critical acclaim for her distinctive blend of jazz, experimental music, and contemporary classical. Her performances at high-profile events such as the EFG London Jazz Festival and Flow Festival have cemented her reputation as a leading voice in modern Finnish jazz. The Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat has praised her for elevating Finnish vocal jazz to new artistic heights. The London-based label Whirlwind Recordings released her debut solo album, “Horror Vacui”, in 2023, which recently won the Jazz Album of the Year award at the Finnish Grammy event Emma Gala.
Helen Svoboda
Helen Svoboda is a double bassist, vocalist and composer. Her work explores the melodic potential of the contemporary double bass, intricately weaving extended techniques and overtones with vocal tessiture amidst abstract song-writing and vegetable-themed compositions. “A musician who absolutely defies categorisation” (Andrew Ford – The Music Show, ABC), her performance practice emits a childlike, quirky energy, with a flair for “allowing difficult ideas to sound whimsical and free” (Kristin Berardi, AUS).