Wayne Siegel 'Swarms and Solos' feat. Kasper Tranberg & Julie Kjær (DK/US)

Swarms and Solos: Generative Sonic Art and Jazz in Motion

As part of the "New Horizons" concert series, Aarhus Jazz Festival has arranged a musical encounter between electronic composer Wayne Siegel and two improvising jazz musicians in a very special setting at Kunsthal Aarhus. They will perform new music inspired by the exhibition "Bugs and Metamorphosis", which features works by a number of high-profile artists who all work with the term "bug", which in Danish can mean both error and insect.

Swarms and Solos combines Wayne Siegel's multi-channel generative music with live improvisation. The concert unfolds over a fixed compositional framework with room for free improvisation. Using specially developed software, Wayne Siegel controls the sounds and their placement in space by moving his hands in front of the computer camera. Siegel's generative sound installation Himmelmekanik creates a sonic background with which the three soloists interact.

Himmelmekanik was created as a permanent sound installation for The Black Diamond in Copenhagen. Siegel's computer program continuously retrieves data about the position of the sun, the phases of the moon, and local weather data - such as temperature, wind speed, air pressure, and humidity - from an online weather service. This data influences the composition, creating an unpredictable and constantly evolving soundscape.

For more than two decades, trumpeter, cornetist, composer, and bandleader Kasper Tranberg has been a force to be reckoned with on the national and international music scene. His extensive curriculum vitae testifies to an exuberant and open approach to music, which has brought him into numerous bands and constellations, where his heartfelt playing has caused a stir. Kasper Tranberg is a member of leading bands in Europe and Japan. He has released 10 albums, performed and recorded with Marc Ducret, Tyshawn Sorey, Jesper Zeuthen, Jacob Anderskov, and Tim Berne, and been featured on two albums with Yusef Lateef.

With her raw, edgy and thoughtful playing, Julie Kjær has established herself as a sure bet on the Danish and European jazz and new music scene. She plays with the London Improvisers Orchestra and Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit, and has recorded and toured with Django Bates. She also leads her own bands, including Julie Kjær 3 with bassist John Edwards and drummer Steve Noble. She has also released a live recording of her duo with Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth).

Before the concert, there will be an opportunity to learn more about the music and the composer in a talk with Wayne Siegel at 3 pm in the same venue. The event is free.

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The concert is part of the concert series "New Horizons" during Aarhus Jazz Festival, where new jazz music is presented in special venues. 

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