07/08/2021

Bendik Giske, a queer artist, and saxophonists performed at Lumbardhi open air stage after the grand opening of the twentieth edition of DokuFest. 

Added to this performance, in perfect syntony, were shown the visuals created by Florence To and the live sound fx by Bridget Ferill.

While the audience rushed to get inside Lumbardhi, experiencing the unparalleled feeling of listening to live music on site, here at Dokufest, the performer waited until it was quiet, so he could take us on a musical journey.

The Norwegian artist, based in Berlin unchains the limitations of the relation between body and instrument. Sounds were flowing, creating an atmosphere of calmness seconded by a sense of rush and dynamicity.  Mixing sounds equals experiencing a different set of combed feelings indulging an otherworldly performance. 

He is inspired by electronic music and jazz, perfecting this musical blend with the capacity of the human being of carrying on the performance. 

Giske uses physicality and explores the limitations of playing the instrument while using the body as a guiding sign of when a performance can reach its peak and its end. Spontaneity and vulnerability are key themes of his presentation.

Playing on electronic blocks without the need to layer or loop sounds but rhythmically building a raw feeling and an immediate connection, really spoke to the audience. It truly was a movable feast.

Using the body as a corporal unit of the performance is crucial to better understand the artistic choice of Giske. It brings a whole new perspective of how music can be produced, created, and performed for audience. It is an exercise of muscular memory, the liberty to interpret cherishing every ‘mistake’ and letting the human side flourish through electronic beats, microphones, and synthetic sounds.

The playful and ecstatic vibe brought while a set of astral visuals accompanied the performer, added a tone of levitation while embracing the peculiarity of the journey.

The audience felt like they were in different places at the same time through sound: from the jazz bars to the core of the electronic scene and from then straight to another world where sound can be reinvented again and again.

 It is not enough to say that the hype met its expectation when the audience at the end of the performance cheered and clapped and kept asking for more.

 

The night ended while bits and pieces of sounds remained in the air matching to the windy stage of Lumbardhi in Prizren.