Bendik Giske

Bendik Giske is an artist and saxophonist whose expressive use of physicality, vulnerability and endurance have won him much critical acclaim.

With his latest, self-titled record (his third for Smalltown Supersound), Giske is in his prime as an artist: confident in his voice and abilities, buoyed by critical acclaim from all corners – including two Norwegian Grammy nominations – and a surge in audiences everywhere. With the intriguing choice of Beatrice Dillon as album producer – clearly the British electronic musician is a fellow traveler in the practice of original aesthetic expression – her distinctly spare influence is immediate and keenly felt. Arrangements are decluttered, reverb stripped back and layers of melody peeled away while honing in on pattern and rhythm to bring out a different dimension of his mesmerizing sound.

With his live performances, Giske draws his audience into an arresting display of musicality, physical stamina and rich, unfettered humanity. Every element – be it microphone placement, light arrangement or creative sound design – is carefully considered for maximum resonance.

‘Giske…operates with the mindset of a conceptual artist, equipped with the intellectual tools of queer theory and dancefloor workouts from the Berlin techno scene’ – The Quietus