in brief

13.03.2021

Forsigtigt, vildt forsigtigt, fremad

Pulsar Festival: »2-3-4-5-4-3-2«

Sune Anderberg. © Alexander Banck-Petersen

De to violiner i Frej Wedlunds skrøbeligt langsomme Morning Lights er på randen af slet ikke at eksistere. Sammen tøver de fra start til slut, mens de sniger sig ind på en fælles tone og sender små lyn ud fra den i hver sin retning. Som et vindpust er værket pludselig forbi; måske har det efterladt kimen til noget større.

I Zechen Hus klavertrio Qin Xiang ligger noget også og ulmer. Pianisten hamrer undervejs i flyglet. I frustration? Over sine arkaisk drømmende skalaløb, over de romantiske impulser? Jeg fornemmer en lille modstand, der kan vokse til monsterstørrelse.

Anderledes velvoksen virker Philip Clarkes Spejlkvartet. Mørke bølger, der rejser sig fra celloen og forplanter sig langt op gennem strygekvartettens palet. En moden elegance, der står sig godt til de humørfyldte melodilinjer. Ingen tvivl om håndværkets niveau og evnen til at strukturere et langt forløb. Friskfyragtigt kunne jeg måske – hvis jeg lige ignorerer, at jeg ret godt kan lide værket – spørge: Men er det ikke for meget pastiche, for meget bakspejl, ikke mindst med den guldalderagtige afslutning?

Let er det ikke at følge op på et sådant epos. Det lykkes nu alligevel ret godt med Emil Johanssons korte, friskt boblende Cinq Ventilateurs for blæserkvintet, et velinstrumenteret humørstykke. Imens kan man sidde og spekulere over festivalen indtil nu. Det virker som en evighed siden, at Jeppe Ernst, Bára Gísladóttir, James Black og Marcela Lucatelli vendte vrangen ud på Pulsar. Men der er måske også nogle andre ting i spil nu, noget med en ny konstruktivitet og, tja, en forsigtighed, som ikke er uden potentiale.

Lasse Winterbottoms alvorsdrømmende Earwig, Twig, Jig and Whirligig for fløjte, klaver, bratsch og kontrabas slutter sig til det velskrevne, men også lidt høflige. Omvendt er der masser af musikdramatisk udforskning og dramaturgi i Matias Vestergårds firdelte My Hope Is Decayed for klarinet, slagtøj og klaver med værkets små musikalske samtaler.

Og så en enkelhed i vippefigurerne og de langsomt tegnede linjer i Evagoras Solias Apokidis’ afsluttende Less for to celloer, som udvikler sig til en voldsom tonejagt og sætter det punktum, Wedlunds indledning kastede op i luften.

playlist

05.07

My name is Mark Solborg – would you like to see my playlist?

»For me, music is the light that streams in through our windows and touches the human mind. Music is community – something we create together. Music is the other language – the one that can be spoken when all words and conversations have been worn to pieces.«

Mark Solborg is a Danish-Argentinian guitarist, composer, and improviser, educated at institutions including the Rhythmic Music Conservatory and New School University in New York. He has released 28 albums of his own works and collaborated with figures such as Evan Parker, Susana Santos Silva, and Herb Robertson – often on the artist-run label ILK, which he co-founded. His music has been performed in 23 countries and involves musicians from 15 nations. Projects such as TUNGEMÅL and BABEL explore the role of the electric guitar in acoustic spaces, and his practice also includes collaborations with theatre, film, and visual art. Solborg is a recipient of a Reumert Award, has been honored by the Danish Arts Foundation, and in 2024 was nominated for a Danish Music Award as Composer of the Year. He is currently releasing the album Confluencia.

in briefrelease

04.07

When Machines Dream: The Electronic Poetry of Oh No Noh

Oh No Noh: »As Late As Possible«

TELESKOP, 04.04

Martin Funder

There’s something distinctly mechanical about Oh No Noh’s album As Late As Possible. Like a warped, crumpled tape, melodies bubble to the surface, and the offbeat rhythms repeat with the halting tempo of a scratched LP. It’s easy to place Oh No Noh within the esteemed German tradition of blurring the lines between human and machine, but on As Late As Possible, the machine sounds more like a distant relative than a deliberate artistic objective.

Behind Oh No Noh is Leipzig-based guitarist Markus Rom. In addition to a wealth of synthesizers and tape loops, the album’s 11 tracks are performed using guitar, drums, banjo, clarinet, and organ. The absence of vocals sets the album in a subdued, cinematic mood, and the music feels like a nostalgic inner monologue, told with a warm affection for the melancholy of outdated technologies.

Although mechanical sensibilities are prominent throughout the album, several tracks are driven by more melodic band arrangements. But to me, As Late As Possible is clearly most compelling on the less melodic pieces. The crooked and noisy »Fawn« or the hesitant closing track »Ore« are moments where the dialogue with the machine elevates the music in ways that the more melodic, band-oriented pieces don’t quite reach. These are places where the machines sigh nostalgically and form small, imperfect thought bubbles that cut off and restart again.

English translation: Andreo Michaelo Mielczarek

playlist

03.07

My name is Halym Kim – would you like to see my playlist?

»Music for me is like a sourdough. If you don't feed it right it is going to die. If you feed it correctly a lot of people can benefit from it.«

Halym Kim is a drummer, composer and project coordinator based in Copenhagen. His music is mainly based in free improvisation and experimental music but performs also as a traditional Korean percussionist. He has a Master and an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Music Performance from RMC in Copenhagen. Together with Nana Pi he organizes Impro Camp which is a music camp for free and structured improvised music that is happening every year in Fredericia, Denmark.

playlist

03.07

My name is Nana Pi – would you like to see my playlist?

»Music for me is a tool of infinite expression. It’s where I’ve had the most complex conversations and open-minded experiences. It is the highest form of energy I know.«

Nana Pi is a saxophonist, composer and conductor working within the experimental music scene. She has developed a unique musical vocabulary on the saxophone by incorporating objects and extended techniques, pushing the boundaries of sonic expression. Beyond her work as a saxophonist, she is known for conducting improvisation using her music sign language, Extemporize, for which she received the P8 Jazz Award Årets Ildsjæl in 2020. She is a member of the well established record label Barefoot Records. In addition to her musical career, Nana Pi is organizing events such as Impro Camp and FredagsJAM that focuses on creating networks and inspiring music environments between musicians.

playlist

20.06

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

»For me, music is an emotional refuge. When I sit at the piano I feel safe, it's where I can release everything I carry inside. It's not about performing, it's about being honest, vulnerable and free.«

Samanta Yubero, known artistically as Samyula, is a composer, pianist, and neuroscientist based in Barcelona. Trained as a classical pianist and holding a PhD in her scientific field, Samyula bridges the worlds of art and science in her work. Her music – often within neoclassicism – blends both serene and intense piano melodies with vivid, dynamic string arrangements, creating emotionally resonant and immersive soundscapes. With a deep passion for both composition and performance, Samyula offers audiences a uniquely powerful and moving experience.