Towering Voices Of Theremin: Hekla Releases Turnar

Theremin master Hekla opens up a new dimension with Turnar

A spectral pitch opens theremin-master Hekla’s latest album Turnar. Reverberating the ghostly wails of what once was, a loud, nerve-shaking sub-bass tilts the listener out of their comfort zone.

It’s a powerful opening to a subsequently immersive album, one that goes an extra step to showcase Hekla’s brilliant aptitude for her specialty instrument — however unique it may be.

For more than 10 years, Hekla has made herself known as the best — possibly the only —  theremin player in Iceland. Inspired by the hauntingly beautiful sounds of 20th-century theremin virtuoso Clara Rockmore, Hekla’s interest in the sci-fi-looking instrument piqued during her teens.

“I just saw it for sale at Tónastöðin this one time, and decided to buy it,” Hekla explains while her cat meows in the background. “At the time, there were no YouTube tutorials or access to teachers, so it was mostly trial and error,” she opines. “Making short hooks, adding a lot of guitar pedals and experimenting with my theremin sound.”

Everyone gets a theremin

At this point in her life, Hekla owns nine and a half different theremins (“one lost an antenna”) which all imprint their own, unique flavour on Hekla’s music. Educated as a music teacher, Hekla finds time alongside her flourishing career to spread the theremin’s message — specifically to children. Owning a record-number of theremins aids Hekla in teaching others about the instrument’s fragile beauty.

The theremin, when you listen to it, holds this ancient world of music, but at the same time it’s a very futuristic instrument.

“I have a lot of kids in groups, so they get their own theremin,” she explains, highlighting the theremin’s advantage in teaching music to children. “It’s such an accessible instrument. You don’t have to touch anything. You don’t need any music theory. You’re just using your ears and body,” she says.

Over the course of three releases — Turnar is her fourth — Hekla has honed a personal style, mixing elements of her classical background as a cellist with gothic connotations. She has made some heavy music, but her most recent output is probably her heaviest work yet.

“[The album] is demanding,” Hekla says playfully. “It’s not light. And I want to listen to it loud. Playing it so loud that your ears hurt. That’s how I hear the album. That’s how I think it sounds best.”

Comparing Turnar to her other albums, Hekla finds it lacks her work’s pervasive melodical component. “I think it’s more dynamic and demonstrates the theremin’s breadth more and better. Creating a new type of aural dimension with it and transporting it to a different place.”

A bit of the past, a bit of the future

Drawing on the influences of all things esoteric, Turnar’s album title derives from Hekla’s residency in a French castle (Turnar means “towers”). In fact, it’s almost as if Hekla’s music was somehow destined to be composed in a dilapidated, spooky chateau. Aside from the spectacle, the location was a pivotal point of inspiration for the artist’s reinvigorated direction.

“I travelled there to gain a certain mindset and seek inspiration,” Hekla shares about her decision, keeping mum about the circumstances conceiving the idea.

“A bit of isolation and a sense of permanence. I wanted to create a kind of past-future music,” she says. “So I thought being in that kind of place — a historic place — could situate me in futuristic, sci-fi, theremin music. Not this kind of traditional theremin music,” she reasons,

“The theremin, when you listen to it, holds this ancient world of music, but at the same time it’s a very futuristic instrument,” Hekla muses profoundly, attributing feelings of timelessness and glimpses into the past to her record.

Adding to the eeriness of the album’s soundscape, Turnar benefits from the acoustics of several churches. Employing organist Kristján Hrannar Pálsson, Hekla’s limited arsenal — consisting of theremin, organ, cello, and voice — seems unbelievably consolidated, with new frequencies to discover at every corner.

“Kyrrð” starts off like you’ve just walked into a small congregation attending some sort of twisted religious mass, slowly becoming more intense as the scene unfolds. “Var” is almost an exact counterpoint, brilliantly utilising textural sounds which seem to culminate in a fiery cleansing. Turnar presents a magical, albeit dark, universe, showcasing Hekla’s masterful talent in composition.

Invisible notation

Starting work on Turnar right after the release of her acclaimed 2022 album Xiuxiuejar, Hekla began working on the album by composing the music through her own style of graphic notation — representing her music via illustrations and patterns on a piece of paper, as opposed to writing down notes on traditional sheet paper.

It’s not light. And I want to listen to it loud. Playing it so loud that your ears hurt. That’s how I hear the album.

“On the theremin, you’re very often drawing invisible pictures in the air with your finger, so I started illustrating a lot of the patterns. Then in 2023, I started recording and had not thought of any melodies except in abstract forms — in patterns and drawings,” she states.

Then, Hekla improvises.

“I improvise for many, many hours,” Hekla explains, looping her music until she feels she’s on to an idea. “I have a few loopers which I use to construct the various Theremin voices, which is indicative of this album,” she says.

“Personally, I love hearing music I’ve never heard before, and I enjoyed improvising,” Hekla continues, saying that she let the songs guide her to complete the album.

“I started working on the album without having written a single song. I just improvised a lot and looped until I arrived at a place where I thought everything clicked. I also like making it uncomfortable. Nothing needs to be perfect,” she admits, commenting on the physical demands the instrument puts on its players. To reproduce a consistent sound throughout each performance and rehearsal, a theremin player needs to replicate their entire body language — down to their choice of footwear.

“You need to be conscious of the breath,” Hekla describes. “The beautiful thing about the theremin is how fragile it is. It’s always a millimetre from falling apart. But it’s still beautiful in a vulnerable way.”

Hekla’s latest album Turnar is out via Phantom Limb. Listen to it on available streaming platforms, and catch Hekla performing at Port 9 wine bar on April 11.