Meinild/Anderskov/Tom - Spectral Entanglements (2023)

When Sven Dam Meinild, Jacob Anderskov and Kasper Tom first performed together at an intimate show at a gallery in Copenhagen, they didn’t expect to stumble upon a musical union that felt so free, interconnected and special. Their debut recorded statement ‘Spectral Entanglements’ is set to release on November 24th on Barefoot Records.

With an ensemble approach defined by listening and interactivity, the album’s five tracks are completely improvised while retaining a strong, albeit abstract compositional backbone.

Evoking imagery of the coming together of different liquids or smoke dissipating into air, the trio employ the overtone series and natural harmonics to navigate their music by ear, moving between stability and feedback loops of tension.

The title of each piece brings forth an insight into the inspiration and mindset behind each performance: ‘Thistle Root’ contains a sense a of a deep underlying musical grid through which new ideas sprout, ‘Marbling’ is inspired by a visualisation of flow and disturbance, and ‘Zostera Marina’ is named after a type of sea grass that completely changes appearance at the mercy of the rising and falling of the tides.

Featuring an atypical bass-less trio lineup, the record’s sound is delicate, sparse and dynamic. Untethered by tonality and functional harmony, the listener is given a personal front seat to a conversational exchange of ideas and energy, underpinned by an aura of open-ness, emptiness and loneliness.

Each member of the trio is a respected name in the European jazz scene: Jacob Anderskov has over 20 albums to his name, is the recipient of numerous awards and is acclaimed internationally as a leading voice in contemporary music. Kasper Tom has spent the last 10 years making a name for himself in contemporary composition and free improvisation, having performed with the likes of Tomasz Dabrowski, Olaf Rupp and Rudi Mahall. Sven Dam Meinild is a highly versatile saxophonist who moves effortlessly between musical situations including Balkan music, Pop and avantgarde jazz, and is a key member of acts including Guldimund, Astrid Engberg, Sidechains and Ocean Fanfare.