Anders Vestergaard - Prime Float / Unitary Perfect (2019)

“prime float//unitary perfect” is the second solo album by Danish drummer Anders Vestergaard crystallized as two long pieces of hypnotic and ceremonial beats, accompanied by a handmade incense made by Korean artist Dambi Kim.

1989-born Vestergaard’s background lies primarily in experimental jazz and improvised music ranging from hard- hitting groups Yes Deer and Laser Nun to more dynamic explorations with Evan Parker, Jacob Anderskov and Finn Loxbo. Now following his intense and somewhat introvert solo debut “eel” from 2016 the two new pieces “prime float” and “unitary perfect” comprise a very different approach to percussion music. With their duration of 18 minutes each and a mesmeric motion, the music moves slowly through different states of equilibrium, leaving space for mind-and-body experiences rather than forcing an emotional reaction.

The music recalls both traditional African drum music as well as club music, but the creational baseline was the artists own practice of the Chinese standing meditation Qigong. He explains about the music that “Though some of the beats are fast, the inner pace of the music is slow. That slowness and intensity derives from Qigong” and elaborates “I use the beats as a filter for my mind and to obtain a bodily momentum. It’s a kind of ceremony of physical presence.”