Bendik Giske plays the saxophone in a highly physical manner, employing circular breathing techniques and using his body as a vessel to channel unseen forces. While his music is impressive, it's hard to hear it without being reminded of
Colin Stetson's solo work, as he's been exploring a similar path since his
New History Warfare releases.
Giske's playing doesn't get quite as abrasive, however -- there's something about it that seems more intimate, and perhaps more vulnerable. His pieces are also more informed by dance, from the traditions he practiced growing up in both Bali and Oslo to the club culture he encountered in his adopted home of Berlin, particularly when he first visited techno institution Berghain. The ten-minute "Cruising" has a circular rhythm shaped by the clacking of
Giske's keys against his instrument, but otherwise fluidly shifting without bounds.
André Bratten's spacious production leads the sound into different corners of the speakers, creating audio smoke trails. He seems to dissolve
Giske's playing altogether on "Cracks," a stunning dark ambient drone that seems to emanate from the far corners of a cave. "Matter (Part 3)" is more direct, with
Giske creating an unsteady pulse and wheezing out heaves of breath, and
Bratten slightly drawing out some of the notes with delay effects.
Cracks is an illuminating exploration of cyclical energy, both inside and outside the body. ~ Paul Simpson