#kristofer svensson

[sinceileftyoublog]

BCMC & andplay Live Show Review: 2/20, Constellation, Chicago

BCMC

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Tuesday night marked the beginning of the Peter Margasak-curated Frequency Festival, an annual event hosted by Constellation that focuses on contemporary classical and experimental music. Though this year's lineup is heavy on microtonal music, specifically string players, the headliner of night one was a guitar-and-synth-wizard supergroup. BCMC is guitarist Bill MacKay and Cave/Bitchin Bajas multi-instrumentalist Cooper Crain. They had been playing live together for a few years before releasing their debut album Foreign Smokes last year via Drag City. Unlike what I imagine was the experience of many folks in the crowd on Tuesday, this was my first time seeing BCMC live. Witnessing their performance after their album was released, meaning I had a number of months to digest it, gave me a greater appreciation for how the duo was able to, live, build off of their compositions.

BCMC started off with abstract sounds, gradually becoming more concrete before reverting back to rounded noise. MacKay's bluesy guitar riffs embedded within Crain's synthesizer hum, replete with a sense of motion akin to a chugging train, simultaneously swirling and gentle. At times, the songs turned percussive, via pulsations, as MacKay either meandered or ripped slide guitar licks. Even Crain got an opportunity to solo on the keyboard on "The Swarm". Simultaneously tactile and droney, BCMC were able to lull you into hypnosis and suddenly capture you at the command of their instruments.

andPlay

The opening set from NYC-based string duo andPlay, meanwhile, set the tone (no pun intended) for the rest of the festival's ethos. Violinist Maya Bennardo and violist Hannah Levinson performed the two pieces that make up their latest album Translucent Harmonies (Another Timbre), both of which use just intonation. Kristofer Svensson's "Vid stenmuren blir tanken blomma" (“By the Stone Wall, Thoughts Become Flower”) emphasized extremely short strokes of different lengths and volume, using pauses and ultimate silence to create a sense of tension and disintegration. At times, one player would play a note--a mere pluck--and the other would continue their stroke, resembling a sort of synaptic process. Ultimately, the piece was paradoxically meditative, consistent in its lack of consistency. Their second piece, Catherine Lamb's "Prisma Interius VIII", was comparatively deliberate, the players playing in tandem at times and not just off of each other. As a duo, in contrast to larger ensembles who have played on other recorded versions of the piece, Bennardo and Levinson were able to strip "Prisma Interius VIII" down to its essential elements. Though there were many contrasts between andPlay and BCMC--in instrumentation, in groove (or lack thereof), in space--the two acts shared a common desire to hold your patience and deep attention, toy with your expectations, and make you reflect.

[evscomposer]

I am deeply honoured to have been performed by the amazing musicians in MalvaKvartetten, who filmed and recorded my piece "The Immortal Beloved" for String Quartet earlier this year!

The video has finally been made public by FST - Föreningen Svenska Tonsättare who uploaded it along with four pieces by my fellow colleagues Molly Kien, Jonas Valfridsson, Linnea Landström and Kristofer Svensson. I strongly suggest that you go and check out their pieces as well!

Thank you to Malvakvartetten for including my music in this project and to FST who helped with organizing everything!

Please leave a like and/or comment and feel free to share!

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[garadinervi]

XKatedral Volume II: Isak Edberg ('Lamé'), Kali Malone ('In Light of Marwa'), Kristofer Svensson ('Ir Himinn, Grœnn'), Marta Forsberg ('Disquiet (Heart)'), Ellen Arkbro ('For Disklavier and Tape'), XK03, XKatedral, 2016

[turangalila]

Kristofer Svensson

Quoniam Si Reprehenderit Nos Cor, for clavichord and guqin (2014)

Quoniam Si Reprehenderit Nos Cor was written in 2014 when living in Hong Kong, studying the guqin with Yong Hak-chi of the Rongshi Jiazu. I had long been wanting to couple the guqin with the clavichord; despite originating in such different cultural environments, they share a similar pathos.

I believe this is the first piece written for this combination of instruments.

The clavichord was tuned to Pythagorean tuning.

recorded by the composer 10/2015 (Music for the movie GRADE 9 by Jiang Nengjie)

[antibok]

Sentimentaliteten: Kritiker #43 - releasefest 3 juni kl. 17

Välkommen till säsongsfinal: firande och presentation av ett Kritikernummer kallat Sentimentaliteten, som redigerats av Kettil Kasang & Johanne Lykke Holm! Läsningar av medverkande stjärnan Lone Aburas och redaktörerna.

"Jag är den ihållande tonen och dess fall utan slut. Jag är drömmen om ett allt, jag är alltets själva mönster och ser mönster överallt. Jag håller upp känslan mot ljuset och betraktar den som klar. Jag är det koketta i indignationen och hatet mot ilskan, jag är hatet mot ironin och hatet mot humorn. Ett milt och vänligt hat. Jag ger dig den självbespeglande uppriktigheten och dess hettande svada. Jag är din icke-redigeringsprincip, darling. Du känner väl igen mig." Medverkande:  Lone Aburas, Jourdon Anderson, Siri Areyuna Wilhelmsson, Sara Edenheim, Kristofer Folkhammar, Elisabeth Hjorth, Lars TCF Holdhus, Leif Holmstrand, Carsten Juhl, Kettil Kasang, Johanne Lykke Holm, Olga Ravn, Burcu Sahin, Aron Skoog, John Skoog, Lucas Svensson, Jørn H. Svaeren

[ufmailorder]

Now Available_V/A “XKatedral Volume II’ CS [XKatedral]

"A compilation of spectral monoliths for baroque organ, disklaviar, string trio, and hand crafted gamelan instruments.

A1 Isak Edberg - Lamé A2 Kali Malone - In Light Of Marwa B1 Kristofer Svensson - Ir Himinn, Grœnn B2 Marta Forsberg - Disquiet (Heart) B3 Ellen Arkbro - For Disklavier And Tape"

[garadinervi]

XKatedral Volume II: Isak Edberg ('Lamé'), Kali Malone ('In Light of Marwa'), Kristofer Svensson ('Ir Himinn, Grœnn'), Marta Forsberg ('Disquiet (Heart)'), Ellen Arkbro ('For Disklavier and Tape'), XKatedral, 2016