kortkritikrelease

16.08.2024

Årets symfoniske statement

Søs Gunver Ryberg: »Coexistence«

Sune Anderberg. © Alexander Banck-Petersen

Min oplevelse af Coexistence, Søs Gunver Rybergs ti minutter lange værk for orkester og elektronik, falder i to etaper. Først er jeg lamslået: over den naturlighed, hun behandler det symfoniske materiale med, så orkestret bliver til en potent hybrid mellem akustik og syntese. Sikket bid i klangen, sikken ørkenstorm af kornet tekstur, der rumsterer videre bag instrumenterne.

Her realiseres det klanglige potentiale for det 21. århundredes orkester, tænker jeg begejstret. Men så melder tvivlen sig i næste etape. For sker der i realiteten det samme som i svenske Jesper Nordins timelange Emerging from Currents and Waves (2018): et teknologisk kvantespring for symfonisk klang, der imidlertid stivner kompositorisk i et stop-and-go mellem bulder og stilhed?

Udbuddet af dramatik er næsten vulgært i Coexistence: ustabile islandske mørkedroner, harske messingdrøn, skælvende strygere, tordenpauke, hårde opbremsninger som i actiontrailere fra Hollywood – og meget mere. Det er et himmelsk kaos. Kontrasten: dæmpede alarmer af strøget metal, opsamlet støj og udstrakte toner som et skrøbeligt jernstativ, der skælver efter stormen.

De to temperamenter afløser hinanden på skift, og det lyder fænomenalt under Dalia Stasevskas ledelse af BBC Symphony Orchestra. Værkets kerne er vel katastrofen – kollaps og efterspil – og i den optik giver de sort-hvide ekstremer mening. Musikken er brutal, nådesløs. Men kunne den have været mere: i farver, hinsides tvekampen? Måske, døm selv – Coexistence er så afgjort årets mest opsigtsvækkende symfoniske statement.

playliste

25.11.2023

My name is Iku Sakan – would you like to see my playlist?

Iku Sakan is an electronic musician from Osaka, Japan. his music focuses predominantly on the potential of emotional developments through the repetitive rhythmic patterns, rotating harmonics, and resonating melodies. The decades of collecting constantly shifting sound materials, melding improvisation, and DJ'ing practices, has led him to create his own unique niche of organic music in the late 2010s. His most recent works incl. a remix for the French composer Yann Tiersen (via Mute Records) and the forthcoming musique-concrete-inspired tone poem LP OMNITOPOEIA. When you ask Sakan what music is the answer is short: »Music is the healing force.«

playliste

18.11.2023

My name is Mike Sheridan – would you like to see my playlist?

»To me, music is about everything else.«

Mike Sheridan has been a part of the Copenhagen electronic musicscene since the mid 00’s. He entered the scene, barely in his teens, with his landmark debut album I Syv Sind (In Two Minds, 2008). Sheridan traced an ambient and dreamy approach, and with limited tools at hand, he constructed a teenage masterwork that few could have predicted. Among the first in his generation, Mike Sheridan launched his career to high acclaim, effectively crossing over to mainstream audiences.

Recent projects includes featuring on techno artist KÔLSCH’s album Isopolis (2021) and performances in Nicolai Howalt’s exhibhition A Journey: The Near Future at Gallery Martin Asbæk (2022). Yesterday Sherian released the album Atmospherics.

kortkritik

09.11.2023

Voldsomt charmerende Volvo

Kresten Osgood: »Kresten Osgood & De Udeboende«

ILK, 10. nov.

Kristoffer Møllegaard

Danmarks måske mest produktive musiker Kresten Osgood og hans 20 medlemmer stærke ensemble De Udeboende præsenterer med dette selvbetitlede album en liveoptagelse fra den aarhusianske Spot Festival. Koncerten er helt tilbage fra 2008, men det var øjensynligt en koncert, der – ligesom Osgood selv har ry for – stak i alle retninger.

Først fire covers. En skramlende, percussiontung version af »Voldsom Volvo«, så Gary Bartz’ »Celestial Blues« med Osgood på charmerende danglish-vokal og hvinende saxofoner, der i et spændende midterstykke truer med at få det hele til at falde fra hinanden, indtil en rytmisk elguitar trækker nummeret tilbage fra afgrunden. Bill Fays »I Hear You Calling« sætter tempoet ned, indtil »In the Army Now« skaber fællessangsstemning med kor og akustisk instrumentering.

Herefter begynder de originale kompositioner. En fortælling om Edalf, der på sin løbetur i middelklassedanmark anno 19XX er ved at skide i bukserne, dernæst »Det betyder jo så meget«, en sjov, men i virkeligheden også trist ode til dem i Osgoods omgangskreds, der måske tager en kende for meget coke. Sidst, men på ingen måde mindst, kommer »Deportivo La Coruña« med ultrakiksede synths, trommemaskiner og lyrik, og, som glasuren på kiksekagen, hammondorgelsolo.

Osgood og De Udeboende kommer således virkelig vidt omkring både genrer og stemninger med en sprudlende livs- og spilleglæde. Det er befriende rodet, kaotisk og fuldt af gode vibes. Hvad der mangler af rød tråd, kompenseres der mere end rigeligt for med ubestridt charme.

playliste

06.11.2023

My name is Lucky Lo – would you like to see my playlist?

»I play music to connect people and I sing melodies to encourage community. I believe in the transformative power of music and love.«

Lucky Lo's (Lo Ersare) mission is to unite people through music by shining a light on the dark sides of life and transforming our struggles and worries into joy and hope. In a time where mental illness is described as Denmark’s biggest public disease, Lucky Lo sees music as a vital tool for processing the challenges we face throughout life.

She was awarded Talent of the Year at the Danish music publisher’s awards, Carl Prisen, and the Swedish music critic's award, Skaps Prisen. Her recent album bears the title The Big Feel.

playliste

30.10.2023

My name is Johannes Sigurdsen – would you like to see my playlist?

»For me music is emotions, life, love and language. Food is like music, we can't avoid it, we strive for it because we need it. Music is art in past, present and future, it will always evolve in time – but at the same time timeless as well. Music stands where words fail.«

Johannes Sigurdsen is among the 13 artists nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize 2023. Sigurdsen is from Nuuk, Greenland. Raised in Ikerasak. Self taught musician, guitarist, singer songwriter and music teacher. His nickname SIGU is also his artist name. SIGU is abbrevation of his last name: Sigurdsen. SIGU published his debut album Ujartaraat Qaamaneq in May 2022. He is recently student in Master of Music in pedagogical developement in RMC, Copenhagen.