Postcard From the Borderlands of Sound

Maria Laurette Friis & Thomas Morgan: »Colors«

In the world of experimental music, it now takes quite a lot to be truly surprised – it’s a space where both treasures and old debts are often revisited. That’s why listening to Colors, the improvised duo album by Maria Laurette Friis and Thomas Morgan, feels like a fresh revelation. Pairing an experimental vocalist and composer (Friis) with an experienced double bassist (Morgan) and letting them improvise for three hours may not sound groundbreaking at first. Yet somehow, a rare and unique symbiosis arises between voice and double bass – a connection so special that one rarely hears anything quite like it.

Friis is a dazzling singer, and her wordless expressions draw on everything from Mongolian throat singing and jazz to Nordic darkness. She shifts effortlessly between pure singing and guttural sounds within a single improvisation. Morgan’s double bass provides an intriguing contrast, exploring the instrument’s outer edges without ever becoming unpleasant.

The three-hour recording session has been distilled into nine tracks spanning a total of 45 minutes, and the concept of using only voice and double bass is maintained throughout – despite both musicians’ backgrounds in vastly different musical expressions. The unique language that emerges is often both unsettling and deeply beautiful. When they give each other space – as in the seven-minute »Eight« – and when the bass plays alone, it’s impossible not to sway along, even without a proper beat. Colors proves that great art can still arise from nothing – in both the strange and the more familiar dialogues. That is exactly what Friis and Morgan achieve on this captivating postcard from another world.

English translation: Andreo Michaelo Mielczarek

playlist

22.10

My name is Kaspar Kaae – would you like to see my playlist?

»For me, music is about curiosity and surprises – yet it’s also something in which you can feel right at home. Music resides within us all, in a physical way that sets it apart from any other art form. To me, music is something greater than the individual – something that will always outlive the individual. The good stuff, in other words ;) «

Kaspar Kaae is an award-winning film composer, music producer, and songwriter, known for his work with bands such as CODY and Bug Chaser. He holds a Master’s degree in film composition from SDMK. He has previously been a guitarist in a number of bands on the Danish indie scene, such as CODY, Broken Twin, and Bug Chaser. The latter is releasing the album My First Crippled Love in November. He was born in 1983 on Bornholm, but has lived in Copenhagen and Berlin throughout his adult life.

playlist

21.10

My name is Francesco Rista – would you like to see my playlist?

»Music is like a black hole that sucks you in and shoots you out on the other side of the universe.«

Francesco Rista is a guitarist working across classical and electric guitar. His recordings have been reviewed by international music magazines and broadcast on BBC and RAI Radio 3. After studying at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and Lund University, he focused on studio recordings, exploring guitar repertoire from the Baroque and Romantic periods to contemporary music, as well as the instrument’s varied tonal possibilities. Rista is currently based in Iceland, where he teaches guitar, composes music, and collaborates with contemporary composers.

news

21.10

David Hildebrandt Receives Award From the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation

Percussionist and composer David Hildebrandt is honoured for his virtuosic work with new music and his efforts to push the boundaries of what rhythm can be.

David Hildebrandt is among the recipients of this year’s honorary awards from the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation. He receives DKK 200,000 in recognition of his uncompromising work with new music and multi-percussion, as well as his ability to challenge conventional ideas about rhythm.

playlist

20.10

My name is Henrik Marstal – would you like to see my playlist?

»Who ever said that music is ‘just’ music? To me, it is anything but that: an urge to understand and explain it all. A piece of jewelry I wear every single day. A joy that can, at times, run deep. An ever-changing imprint of millions of stitches in my heart. A longing to disappear.«

Henrik Marstal is a musician, author, and music researcher. He holds a PhD in musicology, is a senior lecturer at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, and frequently appears in the media as an expert source on music. His areas of interest include contemporary music, such as electronic music. This winter, he will release both a new album with the pop group ibens and a book about Else Marie Pade, published by the British publishing house Bloomsbury.

Postcard From the Borderlands of Sound

My name is Kaspar Kaae – would you like to see my playlist?

My name is Francesco Rista – would you like to see my playlist?

David Hildebrandt Receives Award From the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation

Winners of the 2026 Nordic Council Music Prize announced

My name is Henrik Marstal – would you like to see my playlist?