Name: Bendik Giske
Brand: Bendik Giske

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

STS417LP

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-06-23

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

7072822417109

Total Cap

Black LP

Artist

Bendik Giske

Genre GB

Alternative / Modern

Label GB

Bendik Giske is a Norwegian saxophonist and performance artist, currently residing in Berlin. His unique sound is influenced by his background in dance and his sense of queerness, resulting in captivating performances that showcase the importance of the body. With circular breathing on the saxophone and a striking stage presence, Giske's music transcends traditional boundaries.
Through his music, Bendik Giske explores the connection between body and sound. Drawing from his experience in dance as a child, he brings an embodied approach to his saxophone playing. This physicality extends beyond technique; it is also reflected in his sense of queerness, which has shaped his own distinctive sound.
Bendik Giske's artistry can be experienced not only through recordings but also through live performances. His stage presence is mesmerizing as he immerses himself fully into each piece, creating an immersive experience for the audience. Whether you are listening to one of his albums or witnessing him perform live, Giske's music will leave a lasting impression.

Now on the cusp of his third solo album, Norwegian saxophonist Bendik Giske knows himself well. With his new, self-titled record, he is in his prime as an artist: confident in his voice and abilities, buoyed by critical acclaim from all corners – including two Norwegian Grammy nominations – and a surge in audiences everywhere. With the intriguing choice of Beatrice Dillon as album producer – clearly the British electronic musician is a fellow traveler in the practice of original aesthetic expression – her influence is immediate and keenly felt. Together, they strip away a layer of melodicism, honing in on pattern and rhythm to bring out a different dimension of his mesmerizing sound.

While again working with single-take recordings, no overdubs, only saxophone and his body, gone is the reverberant space and mellifluous glamor. Giske finds the result akin to musical full-frontal nudity – every detail, every huff and puff audible, no obscuring, no aestheticizing. People may look away when it’s not as pretty, but what’s left feels more present and potent. Confrontational, it demands greater attention, but through its physicality – you can hear and feel his body in the music – it takes you to a flow state, somewhere between ecstasy, elation, and spiritual awakening.

Intensely human, there’s stark tension there, too – there always will be when fighting for existence and validity – elegantly illustrated by Florian Hetz’s striking photographs of the artist on the covers of the release. In part, Giske is inspired by Judith Halberstam’s The Queer Art of Failure. As much as he has benefitted from his training and participation in the environment of the jazz conservatory, his path took him far outside its confines. Working these new explorations with his instrument has been a ten-year process of peeling away what he knew ultimately didn’t fit, finding the sonic territory of his lived experience. What emerged were systems that allowed for studies of tempo and proportion, a starting point for an immersive improvisatory approach, mapping years of musical probing.

It’s the sound of social emancipation through the meditative pulse and velocity of circular breathing and the dance of the body, especially fingers, tongue, and lips. Giske knows that music can be a powerful tool in bringing people together to find ideas, and the longevity of his project is at its utmost a call for care, togetherness, storytelling, and the ability to gather for a shared cause. In all earnestness, Bendik Giske is a proposal for truthfulness and existence, a space for one to express their most profound self.

Music GB