Siril Malmedal Hauge

STUP

Malm & Eng is a duo collaboration between Siril Malmedal Hauge and Marte Røyeng. They both are musicians, composers and lyricists. Together they have playd concerts in Norway and Europe with their concept "two mandolins - two voices". In 2022, they made their first longer collaborative piece of music called "STUP" . An exploration of paper and music.

On "STUP" Malm & Eng collaborated with director and dramaturg Ellen Jerstad and scenographer Vega Drake to create a performance with a scenic exploration of the combination of newly composed music and paper as material. "STUP" was a 25-minute performance with music and visual theatre, played at the "Collective Illusions festival" in Oslo. The musical and visual related to a common score, and we wanted to develop attentive listening between musicians, manipulators and an audience in free movement. A large sheet of paper hanging from the ceiling, which was gradually set in fiercely motion by three stage workers/manipulators, became an instrument. Music by Malm & Eng (Marte Røyeng and Siril Malmedal Hauge) and visual theatre by Ellen Jerstad & Vega Drake Carlsson. Featuring the percussion duo Rattlebelles (Nora Sjøgren and Ylva Bråten Rian) and performer Victoria Gulliksen. «STUP» is about the high-intensity sensation of standing on a diving board. Will you jump?

The lyrics goes around the idea of ​​a fragmented self that restlessly searches for answers outside of itself as to what is the right choice. While thousands of voices from outside eagerly convey their rambling opinions, there is also an effortless inner voice that floats quietly in the depths as it waits to be sought out. A person on top of a high diving board is the starting point for the album "STUP - skal, skal ikke?", in the moment that determines whether we follow the impulse to dive, or not. What lies in this small second that is felt to be so thrilling, rich and decisive? Internal and external factors strike from all sides at the same time at the moment of decision, and thousands of thoughts and feelings about the past, present and future merge with the coincidences of the moment. Some have to fight an intense inner war of not to freeze on the edge of the diving board. 

The duo is currently working with recording the music from "STUP". The all-acoustic expression from the stage version is expanded to include electronic and electroacoustic sound. For this new musical dimension, they bring in musician and producer Jonas Røyeng. : "Malm&Eng Vs. Jonas Røyeng" coming up....