Bendik Giske (NO/DE) is an artist and saxophonist whose expressive use of physicality,vulnerability and endurance have already won him much critical acclaim. You can hear allof this in his debut album Surrender, released at the start of 2019 on SmalltownSupersound, which can be described as Giske stripped to the core: no overdubs, looping,or effects. Just his body, breath, the saxophone and a resonant physical space, plus lotsof microphones.The body is important for Giske, even more so than as an acoustic musician. Not just inthe strength and muscle control required to accomplish circular breathing on thesaxophone, the unusual technique he employs to mesmerizing effect. It's also reflected inthe tradition of dance he practiced as a child in Bali - where he split his time betweenOslo with his artist parents - and enjoyed as part of an electronic music epiphany in hisadopted hometown of Berlin. And body is implied in his sense of queerness, which hashelped him create his own sound, blossoming luxuriantly not only on record but also inhis striking, embodied performances.As such, in the past Giske has likened his performance to transmuting electronic musicthrough all of his human faults, akin to becoming a machine. And with second albumCracks he introduces a new set of parameters for the automated processes of his musclememory to work against. His decision to collaborate with producer André Bratten and hisextensive studio of electronic machines saw Giske play in the new 'resonant' space ofBratten's reactive studio tuned to his original sounds.In a sense, you could call it generative music - a term coined by Brian Eno to describemusic made within a set of rules that can constantly evolve within that system. But herethe only algorithms at work are responding to Giske's self-imposed constraints (orparameters) - like the afore-mentioned circular breathing. As a practice, it induces in theplayer - and perhaps the listener, too - a kind of altered state, more open to discovery,and as a cycle of sound it defies time. This atemporality, or out-of-timeliness, hints attheorist José Muñoz's notion of "queer time", which is a chronology wholly other thanthe default.If this new studio-as-an-instrument process has brought Giske one step closer to theman-machine, it's also a way to bridge the separation - or crack - between the two. Thiskind of liminal space, according to Giske, is to be treasured: "The tracks wedgethemselves into the cracks of our perceived reality to explore them for their beauty. Acelebration of corporeal states and divergent behaviors," he explains. He cheerfullyadmits to mining the thought universe of Muñoz - especially his book Cruising Utopia- asinspiration, and the resulting Cracks have a sensual, deeply-felt and lingering beauty witha touch of the superhuman.
Release date:
August 27, 2021
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
-
Audioengine A2 Plus
Precision-engineered 2.75-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, featuring built-in DAC and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless integration.
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
HumminGuru: Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
Advanced ultrasonic technology with customizable cleaning cycles and a large tank capacity to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, and contaminants
-
Phono Preamps - Top Picks
A selection of the best phono preamps for your turntable setup
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Burna Boy No Sign Of Weakness
Atlantic
July 11, 2025 -
Alestorm The Thunderfist Chronicles
Napalm Records
June 20, 2025 -
Three Days Grace Alienation
Rca Records
August 22, 2025 -
W.A.S.P. THe Headless Children Half-Speed Master
Madfish
August 8, 2025 -
Billie Marten Dog Eared
Fiction Records
July 18, 2025 -
LARC?NIA RO? Extraction
Unique Leader Orch
June 13, 2025 -
Debby Friday The Starrr of the Queen of Life
Sub Pop
August 1, 2025 -
Ella Hanshaw Ella Hanshaw's Black Book
Spinster
June 13, 2025 -
Hebi Katana Imperfection
Ripple Music
July 25, 2025 -
Barbara Hannigan Electric Fields version [2xLP]
Alpha
June 6, 2025 -
Annahstasia Tether (Red)
Drink Sum Wtr
June 13, 2025 -
Brian Eno/Beatie Wolfe Luminal (BioVinyl)
Verve
June 6, 2025 -
King Parrot A Young Person's Guide To
Housecore Records
June 6, 2025 -
Metallica Load (Remastered) [2xLP]
Rhino / Blackened Recordings
June 13, 2025