Skinner som kviksølv

Anders Vestergaard: »Propeller«

Jeg blev for alvor bekendt med perkussionisten Anders Vestergaard, da han sidste år, sammen med Marcela Lucatelli og Lars Pilgaard, stod bag en af årets allerbedste plader, Necromancy. Af den årsag var det med høje forventninger, at jeg første gang lyttede til Vestergaards nye soloalbum, Propeller – og kan med begejstring meddele, at det netop er den ildfulde ritualistiske stil, der kendetegnede hans arbejde på Necromancy, som på Propeller fås i sin mest destillerede form.

»Pulse« og »Reflex« hedder de to kompositioner, der udgør albummet, og der er netop en slags basal fysikalitet over de cirkulære rytmiske strukturer, som var de en direkte forlængelse af kroppens puls eller et produkt af nervesystemets reflekser. Her er tale om rytmer, der føles naturlige, nærmest selvfølgelige, som om de har eksisteret siden universets begyndelse og bare ikke er blevet indspillet før nu.

I så fald er det heldigt, at det netop er Vestergaard, der indspillede dem. Hans virtuose brug af rumklang og subtile elektroniske manipulation tilfører indspilningerne en overvældende detaljegrad, der åbenbarer sig mere og mere for mig ved hvert lyt: De skingre, metalliske overtoner, der pludseligt flænser lydbilledet; rytmernes forvrængede ekko, der konstant tiltager i styrke og fremmaner en sfærisk, nærmest psykedelisk karakter, som kontrasterer smukt med slagtøjets materielle tyngde. Det er denne kontrast mellem rytmernes nærmest naturgivne kraft og selve indspilningens aura – skinnende kemisk som kviksølv, sitrende som elektricitet – der gør albummet så stærkt.

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.

Skinner som kviksølv

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?