more info coming but these guys really create magic.
Lars Bröndum / Per Gärdin duo
Lars Bröndum and Per Gärdin works with integrating saxophones with live electronics in improvisation. They have released five albums so far (Adhara (2019), The Tail of the Snake (2020), A Matter of Time (2021), Fractal Symmetry, Hum and Toot (2022) and Live at Fylkingen (2024)), and have performed in Berlin, Vienna, Uppsala and extensively in Stockholm.
Reviews:
"Those who like an audible musical voyage of discovery have come to the right place at Bröndum and Gärdin. On Adhara something is constantly going on, new paths are being explored and the musical possibilities seem almost limitless. The paragraphs above must be regarded as inadequate sketches of what is happening in the music of the two artists, who have the necessary musical experience and who, above all, put them to inventive use. Bröndum and Gärdin do not exhaust themselves in a musical display of power, but bring their two musical spirits together in a playful and imaginative way, without denying their individual voice. The result is impressive, even after several turns."
opduvel.com/2019/06/08/lars-brondum-per-gardin-adhara/
"This is music for both an inward listening and the entire universe, which can be accommodated in one's head with the help of mere thought."
Roger Bergner OJ Orkesterjournalen #4 2019
"It’s really a high caliber performance. The duo delivers substantial improvisations and their collaboration in the moment takes up the challenge of being listened to with attention and being scrutinized from every angle without having an instant feeling of repetition, or wanting to go to the next song . There are six tracks of which two are 15 and 20 minutes long. The constant challenge of the electronics operator's very wide registers pushes the saxophonist to go further to exceed its limits. The alto articulations is convincing when it methodically / spontaneously crushes the curls. From his efforts, a lyricism is expressed which illuminates their duo with a human, earthy, carnal dimension to which his partner responds with an increased sensitivity. It shows through as they progress. Remarkable."
Lars Bröndum, PhD, is a composer, musician, and professor of music at the University of Skövde in Sweden. His work spans between electroacoustic music, chamber music, and orchestral music. He frequently performs improvised live electronics—both as a soloist and in ensembles. With over 20 published albums and scores, Bröndum has also performed in more than 500 concerts throughout the world. Three of his albums—Fallout (2015), Phaethon - Music for Instruments and Electronics (2019), and Aleatoric Anthems and Palindromes (2021)—were awarded "Best Experimental Album" by the Swedish Independent Music Producers (SOM). He also runs the independent record label Antennae Media. He is currently working in ensemble configurations, such as The Aleatoric Chamber Ensemble, the duo Brytpunkt 2 and the Gärdin/Bröndum duo. Bröndum’s research focuses on composition, the interplay between acoustic and electronic instruments, and experimentation with graphic notation and improvisation within open and closed structures.
More info here: antennaemedia.se
Music at bandcamp: https://larsbrondum.bandcamp.com/
Per Gärdin, soprano and alto saxophones. Initially self-taught, later studied saxophone, music theory and musicology. Collaborations at EMS, the electronic studio in Stockholm, ca 1979-1982 and worked in jazz/impro sessions following this. From the 90s onwards mostly small temporary groups and solo saxophone recordings. Played scores by among others Cornelius Cardew, Jan Bark/Folke Rabe, Terry Riley and participated in conduction performances led by Gino Robair, Adam Rudolph, Ricardo Tejero, Terry Day Played at concerts and festivals in Sweden, Portugal, Spain, England, Germany among other places. A member of the group Total Vibration, a group based in Spain, 2009-2010, playing mainly Don Cherry compositions. Playing and recording with members of RED trio and other members of the Lisbon scene in Portugal 2013-2014 and 2016. Since 2018 playing in a duo with Lars Bröndum integrating saxophones with live electronics, also a member of Bröndum's Aleatoric Chamber Ensemble since 2020. In 2025 playing duo/trio with Willi Kellers and Simone Weissenfels during a small tour in Germany.
https://pergrdin.bandcamp.com/
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