RA Sessions: Bendik Giske

The latest RA Sessions is a portrait of an artist in his prime. At our London HQ earlier this year, critically acclaimed composer and Smalltown Supersound favourite Bendik Giske wove together old and new material in a mesmerising performance.
Showcasing two tracks from his upcoming third album-which was produced by Beatrice Dillon-and a track from his 2021 album, Giske drove his saxophone into the future, combining his hypnotic, otherworldly production with Dillon's electronics.
Producer - Sophie Misrahi
Director of Photography - Will Hazell
Camera Operators - Sophie Misrahi, Will Hazell
Editor - Jerry Dobson
Sound Technician - Charlie Clark (Sound Services)

[@haleinlein26]

saw him yesterday in Amsterdam. Amazing. Elegance, pain, beauty. What a trip

[@amai_rodriguez]

Welcome to the future 💥💥💥🖤🖤🖤

[@peladoclaus]

Looks like mad max or Schwarzenegger goes to mars

[@deevsaal]

His performance in Berghain for new years party was amazing, heaven…

[@blond7899]

I used to play Alto Saxophone. I never realized how well it could sound when enough emotion is given

[@mr.hashundredsofprivatepla3711]

0:00 Start 12:17 Rhizome

[@MrAll300]

love it ...wonderfull

[@gonzaloz1987]

absolutely fabulous

[@peladoclaus]

Hope the remixers come for him. Thisbstuff could be super dope

[@Zinny.]

Laurel Halo has a pretty nice one of the second track in this performance

[@Cre8iveReform]

I die now 😢❤

[@Waltzhybrid92]

Impressive use of breath control.

[@kookaone]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@dawisdead]

존나 좋아..

[@deevsaal]

مطرب مهتاب رو آنچه شنیدی بگو ما همگان محرمیم آنچه بدیدی بگو ❤ روح نواز

[@vampiresforesl]

HE sounds a lot like Colin Stetson!

[@a.nobodys.nobody]

Good. Everyone should play sax like Colin 😂. I always assumed he came up w it but maybe it was this guy 🤷‍♂️. Edit: Colin's album using these techniques came out 2 years before this guy's. But in an interview about his sound, Bendik doesn't even acknowledge Colin. That said, I had the idea to use contact microphones on my guitar to pick up all the extra overtones, squeaks and fret noises back in 2001 when i heard Matmos used them to turn plastic surgery sounds into groovy music concréte. So i don't think it's out of the realm of possibility two guys found the same nut

[@pizzarsvideo]

To my knowledge, Colin Stetson started doing this 10 years earlier at the very least, on New History Warfare Volume 1 (2008), whereas Bendik Giske first LP release was Surrender (2019), with previous compositions released as singles in 2017 on Apple Music. Their back catalogues could go deeper, like obscure GY!BE cassettes. After all, Stetson’s label on his trilogy was Constellation Records. Obviously, both would have perfected the techniques beforehand. Stetson studied/collaborated under avant-garde sax legends like Roscoe Mitchell & Anthony Braxton. Giske apparently spent some childhood/teenage years in Indonesia,learning circular breathing there. However, he exists in a post-Stetson world, so it would be a huge coincidence that his sound emerged completely independently. Stetson himself has stated that he didn’t invent anything, he just synthesized different techniques from the avant-garde jazz scenes & circuit. Their lineage can be traced back to The Topography of the Lungs (1971) by, among others, Evan Parker, Stetson’s primary reference point. Being from Montreal, where Colin was based for a while (not sure if he still is), I recall hearing that he was very appreciated by jazz students close to his claim to fame (say 2008-2015). As the Quietus review of Bendik Giske (2023) states, the similarity is only brought up on KZbin and Giske hasn’t stated anything. From previous press releases, Berlin Techno, Queer Theory & deconstruction of the sax were/are is guiding principles.

[@a.nobodys.nobody]

@@pizzarsvideo thank you for all the information and insight. I was especially intrigued to hear that Colin studied under Mitchell and Braxton - very cool. Now I have to go listen to The Topography of the Lungs 👍👍

[@kuba-cg5js]

First one - no. Second - nice

[@alexbarnet6982]

thanks for your opinion bro

[@hoovesandpawsanimalrescue]

When I pick up the sax for the first time....