It is difficult to comprehend that Andreas Engström is no longer with us. Just a couple of months ago, he wrote – as he had done so many times before – with an ambitious proposal: he wanted to review a box set of twenty releases by Dror Feiler. In the same message, he mentioned plans to come to Aarhus for the recently concluded Spor Festival.
We often encountered Andreas at festivals. He travelled far and wide in pursuit of music – always moving forward, always searching, always attentive to what remained to be heard, understood, and shared. Some of us remember how he once came to Aarhus to review the sound artist Florian Hecker – and ended up hammering nails into a tree trunk at a German beer bar. Andreas was good company; he carried his curiosity lightly, with a sense of play.
Some of us got to know Andreas as early as twenty years ago, when he became editor of World New Music Magazine, published by the ISCM. Already then, he stood out as a young, quick and remarkably talented editor. Over the years, he would return to editorial roles in times of need – most notably at Positionen, the legendary journal founded by Gisela Nauck, which he later shaped together with Bastian Zimmermann.
Andreas was a sharp and critical thinker who consistently dug beneath the surface. A natural-born editor, he was deeply devoted to the processes of commissioning, refining, and publishing texts. He was involved in numerous publications and generously shared his knowledge of music criticism through teaching and mentorship.
Over the past five years, our three journals – Glissando, Positionen, and Seismograf – have collaborated closely, forming a network in which Andreas played a vital and inspiring role. Together, we initiated projects such as the article series Ukrainian Corridors. As recently as February, Andreas spoke enthusiastically about plans to launch a new music journal with Swedish colleagues.
Even during the series of Zoom meetings we held while he was living in Berlin, it became clear that his health was declining. Yet his commitment never faltered. He remained present, engaged, and curious. He fought his illness with courage and humour, and we remember moments when he would rejoin our meetings after treatment – refreshed, attentive, and ready to continue the conversation.
Andreas Engström was not only an exceptional music critic, but also a generous and deeply engaged human being. He never ceased to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, and to open spaces for reflection.
Fortunately, he leaves behind a substantial body of writing on sound art, music, and music theatre.
May his memory be honoured.
Andreo Mielczarek (Seismograf), Jan Topolski (Glissando), and Bastian Zimmermann (Positionen)