Trondheim Voices + Asle Karstad - Sobre Las Olas (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Trondheim / Madrid, May 2025 — Norwegian vocal ensemble Trondheim Voices + Asle Karstad have achieved a remarkable cinematic milestone by creating a completely improvised vocal soundtrack for a feature film, representing a highly innovative approach to film scoring. Their collaboration with Mexican-Spanish director Horacio Alcalá on "Sobre las Olas" represents five years of artistic development that has culminated in a revolutionary approach to film scoring.

ABOUT THE COLLABORATION

The Innovative Concept
This highly innovative approach to cinema sees an entire film's musical score composed exclusively through vocal improvisation techniques. The 5 female voices of Trondheim Voices recorded in Norwegian studios, working with live electronic processing of the voices, creating spontaneous compositions that became the emotional heartbeat of "Sobre las Olas."

Five Years in the Making
Director Horacio Alcalá describes his collaboration with Trondheim Voices as transformative: "These female voices are not just a soundtrack; they are the genesis of everything. Their harmonies form the true beginning, the foundation from which the entire narrative develops. This music is not an accompaniment—it is a primordial force, as if the voices existed before the film itself, with the story emerging organically from their resonance."

The Creative Process
Each scene in "Sobre las Olas" was born through live recording sessions in Norwegian studios, where improvised compositions became the film's emotional pulse. The ensemble's voices transcend traditional film music, becoming a guiding presence that shapes the hidden intentions of the inhabitants of the fictional island of Magdala.

The Sound Design has been in charge of Asle Karstad, who together with Arnvid Lau Karstad has developed the unique effect controllers “Maccatrols”, especially for Trondheim Voices. These devices enables each singer to process their voice in real time with effects and loops, resulting in ambient and otherwordly soundscapes.

ABOUT TRONDHEIM VOICES

Trondheim Voices is Norway's prestigious 12-voice female vocal ensemble, internationally renowned for their groundbreaking work in experimental jazz and contemporary vocal music. Based in Trondheim, the ensemble has built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of vocal expression through innovative improvisation techniques and genre-defying performances.

Artistic Philosophy
The ensemble specializes in creating spontaneous vocal landscapes that explore the depths of human emotion and experience. Their work with "Sobre las Olas" represents their most ambitious cinematic venture, where their improvisational mastery serves as the foundation for an entire film narrative.

International Recognition
Known throughout Europe and beyond for their contributions to experimental jazz, Trondheim Voices has established themselves as pioneers in contemporary vocal music. Their collaboration with Horacio Alcalá marks their entry into the film music world with unprecedented artistic impact.

THE SOUND OF MAGDALA

Voices as Characters
In "Sobre las Olas," the 5 voices function as more than musical accompaniment—they become characters themselves. These ancestral voices narrate, envelop, and guide the story of the fictional island of Magdala, where protagonists Gloria Zamora and Rocío Aldama face their ultimate destinies.

Universal Internal Thoughts
The vocal ensemble represents the universal internal voices that drive, haunt, and sometimes imprison us all. Their improvisations capture the essence of human consciousness—our desires, fears, and hidden motivations made audible.

Magical Realism Through Sound
The ensemble's work perfectly complements the film's magical realism, creating an ethereal soundscape where reality and fantasy merge. Their voices become the breath of the island itself, making the invisible visible through pure vocal expression.

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

Recording Process

• Location: Professional studios in Trondheim
• Technique: Live improvisation sessions
• Approach: Organic composition emerging from spontaneous vocal creation and live electronic processing
• Integration: Each musical piece specifically crafted for corresponding film scenes

Artistic Achievement

This collaboration represents an innovative paradigm in film scoring, where traditional composition gives way to pure vocal improvisation. The result is a soundtrack that feels both ancient and contemporary, rooted in human voice yet transcendent in its emotional reach.

DIRECTOR'S VISION

Horacio Alcalá emphasizes the ensemble's central role: "This music is the most ambitious element of the film. Each scene was born through live recordings, where improvised compositions became the emotional heartbeat of the movie. These voices transcend their role, not simply establishing mood but becoming a guiding presence, shaping the hidden intentions of Magdala's islanders.“

"My collaboration with Trondheim Voices spans five years, but 'Sobre las Olas' is the deepest culmination of our work. The voices are the film's soul, the pulse of the narrative, the force that reveals both our potential and our vulnerability.“

Biography

Trondheim Voices is a Norwegian cutting edge ensemble of improvising vocalists, constantly challenging and changing the framework for how a vocal ensemble can produce sound art. Since 2001, they have made solid statements as developers within improvised vocal music, expanding the traditional concert format, searching for new listening experiences in the interaction between the singers, the audience, the surroundings and new technology.

Through their many collaborations with internationally acclaimed composers and stage artists, Trondheim Voices has reached a whole new level of improvising, both through music, movement, new technology, space, and time. The subtle interaction between the singers, the sound-designer, the audience and the moment, is their point of navigation – making new music through listening and letting go.

Trondheim Voices is a pool of 12 soloist singers, who all have specialized in different types of improvisation. Each singer’s individual musicality and timbre results in a unique quality to the groups collective tone.

Trondheim Voices is a part of Mid-Norway Center of Jazz.