Music & Bands
Marielle V Jakobsons
Oakland-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Marielle V Jakobsons creates work that investigates how sound shapes our experience of time and space. Her post-minimal compositions weave together Fender Rhodes piano, violin, voice, and synthesizers into enveloping polyrhythmic landscapes.
“The minutest vibrations are as expressive as the most sweeping gesture… Star Core’s mood exquisitely balances melancholy and hope.”
“The astral elegance of Alice Coltrane’s most sacred works.”
As a classically trained musician, she brings technical precision to experimental territories. Her latest record "Star Core" (Thrill Jockey) exemplifies this approach, revolving around minimalist synthesizer layers with melodic violin, flute, and vocals over elongated bass grooves. The songs on the album are Jakobsons’ version of devotional hymns, and they create a cosmic yet personal environment to slow down with and to get lost in.
“Glass Canyon,” her second solo album of analog synthesizers and violin, was hailed as “carrying the optimism of the natural and the breath-light touch of the beautiful” by Dusted Magazine. Her first solo albums were released under the moniker “darwinsbitch” including her full-length record “Ore“ released on Digitalis.
For more info, see Press Kit
Listen & Watch:
Bands and Collaborations
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Saariselka
Saariselka There is an old Norse myth that says the great northern glaciers stored energy until they burst with fluorescent light, creating the Aurora Borealis. Saariselka is inspired by the meeting of earth and light, where slowly moving land masses merge with enveloping light fields.
This sonic collaboration is between composers Marielle Jakobsons (Fender Rhodes, organ, synthesizers) and Chuck Johnson (pedal steel guitar and treatments.). Our debut Ceres was released by Longform Editions, and full-length record “The Ground Our Sky” is out on Temporary Residence Ltd.
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Date Palms
Founded together with Gregg Kowalsky Date Palms (datepalmsofpsalms.com) is violin, flute, Fender-Rhodes, and synthesizers with Ben Bracken on bass, Noah Phillips on guitar, and Michael Elrod on tanpura.
The music is influenced by hot summer nights, classical Indian carnatic music, dub, Miles Davis. In Summer 2013, The Dusted Sessions was released by Thrill Jockey. Our debut LP Of Psalms was released on Root Strata. Our second LP Honey Devash was released by Mexican Summer August 2011.
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Myrmyr
Together with multi-instrumentalist Agnes Szelag the electroacoustic duo myrmyr (myrmyr.net), has toured the US with its electronic ambient folk. “The Amber Sea” album was released by Digitalis (2009), and our second album ‘Fire Star’ by Under the Spire Recordings (2011). We compose often for ensembles, performing with the SFSound Group, Unweathered Embers Ensemble, Helena Espvall, Derek Johnson, & Noah Phillips.
Listen to our albums and our EJS collaboration with Helena Espvall of Espers on the Myrmyr Bandcamp.
Discography
Saariselka - The Ground Our Sky - Album on Temporary Residence Ltd.
Saariselka - Thousand Eyes in the Dark Compilation on Ghostly Intl
Marielle V Jakobsons - Star Core - Album on Thrill Jockey Records
Date Palms - The Dusted Sessions - Album on Thrill Jockey Records
Date Palms - Honey Devash - Album on Mexican Summer
Date Palms - Of Psalms - Album on Root Strata
Portraits - Portraits - Album on Important Records
Espvall / Jakobsons / Szelag - Improvisations for Strings and Electronics
Myrmyr - Fire Star - Album on Under the Spire Recordings
Myrmyr - Fire Star - Digitalis Records
darwinsbitch (aka MVJ) - ORE - Album on Digitalis Records
darwinsbitch (aka MVJ) - Steel Hum - Released on cassette by Digitalis Ltd
darwinsbitch (aka MVJ) - Induction EP