Dans les arbres: French and Norwegian Ensemble

French and Norwegian improvising ensemble Dans les arbres will perform at Tuggeranng Arts Centre on Friday 5 June.

On the cusp of its 20-year anniversary, the French/Norwegian ensemble Dans les arbres knows itself better than ever, even as its work continues to dodge definition.

Since its acclaimed self-titled ECM debut in 2006, the all-star quartet—French clarinetist Xavier Charles and guitarist Ivar Grydeland, pianist Christian Wallumrød, and percussionist Ingar Zach, who are all from Norway—have established a laureled international career based on a singularly minimalistic, improvisation-based musicianship.

Spacious, strange, and sly, their work, short-listed for the Nordic Music Prize in 2015, regularly accumulates such accolades as “magical” (The Wire), or manifesting “impossible [sonic] objects” (Nowhere Street).

Honed over two decades in the band’s creative laboratory, is an idiosyncratic, continually developing litany of organic sounds and atmospheres. It’s attributable to the musicians’ native instruments, but just as likely to have been sourced from parts unknown.

Dans les arbres has made itself at home in countless different contexts, from the gleaming halls of the Oslo Opera House and Philharmonie Luxembourg to some rather less gleaming underground clubs of Osaka and Mexico City.

On occasion, they’ve joined forces with the likes of Otomo Yoshihide, Jim O’Rourke, Vilde&Inga, and Oslo Sinfonietta for projects and tours. As Grydeland says, their music is for everywhere and nowhere, for a way with sound that is both instantly recognizable and unplaceable.

From 2019, Dans les arbres has initiated a series of self-releases on Bandcamp of lauded performances, including Live in Tokyo (a collaboration with shamisen player Yumiko Tanaka) and Mausoleum, documenting their residency in Oslo’s famously resonant Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum. In addition to their ECM releases, the band has titles on Hubro, SOFA, and Aspen Edities.

Reviews

“This unique improvising quartet continues to fine-tune its artistic concept with a rare sense of accord, and shared responsibilities.” (ECM Records)

“There’s no end to the delights of this quite magical disc. The 7inest composition, like improvisation, ultimately relies on intuition, and these players seem to have an innate grasp of the right combination of sounds and textures. Dans les arbres must be one of the 7inest ECM Improv releases – indeed, releases from any label – in recent years.” (The Wire)

About the Artists

Christian Wallumrød is a highly acclaimed Norwegian pianist and composer, recognized as one of the most influential musicians of his generation. Since debuting on ECM Records in 1996 with the album No Birch, he has released numerous critically acclaimed works, particularly with the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, which earned a Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannsprisen) in 2013 for the album Outstairs. His music seamlessly blends jazz, contemporary classical, and traditional Nordic influences. Wallumrød is deeply engaged in improvisation, most notably through his long-standing collaboration in Dans les arbres, which has produced albums on ECM and Hubro Music. Over the years, he has performed at prestigious festivals such as the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, and Berliner Festspiele. Wallumrød has also composed commissioned works for ensembles like the Oslo Sinfonietta, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. His artistry is renowned for its understated elegance, attention to texture, and innovative use of space.

Ingar Zach, born in Oslo in 1971, is a Norwegian percussionist celebrated for his experimental approach to rhythm and sound. He is a master of extended techniques, utilizing objects, electronics, and traditional percussion instruments to create immersive textures. In addition to his role in Dans les arbres, Zach collaborates with various international ensembles and is a co-founder of the experimental music label Sofa Music. As a percussionist, Zach has pushed the boundaries of improvised music, combining sonic exploration with precise craftsmanship. His work has earned numerous accolades, including the prestigious Edvard Prize in 2023. Zach also holds a doctorate in music performance and remains an active educator, shaping the future of contemporary percussion and experimental music.

Xavier Charles is a French clarinetist and sound artist whose work transcends traditional boundaries of music. Known for his extended techniques and improvisational mastery, Charles explores the sonic possibilities of the clarinet in both acoustic and electroacoustic contexts. Apart from Dans les arbres, he collaborates with artists across the fields of contemporary music and sound art. Charles has performed worldwide, bringing his imaginative and boundary-pushing approach to diverse audiences. From traditional concert halls to experimental music venues, his work challenges and redefines the role of the clarinet in contemporary music. In Dans les arbres, his contributions add layers of depth and unpredictability, making him an essential voice in the ensemble.

Ivar Grydeland is a Norwegian guitarist and composer who seamlessly blends elements of improvisation, folk, and experimental music. Known for his use of prepared guitar and pedal steel guitar, Grydeland creates rich, textured soundscapes. Besides his work with Dans les arbres, he is active in numerous collaborative projects and has released solo works showcasing his innovative approach to the guitar. Grydeland’s collaborations span a wide spectrum, including artists like Yumiko Tanaka, Hanne Hukkelberg, and the experimental trio Huntsville, which he co-founded. As a member of Dans les arbres, he contributes a unique sonic identity, characterized by subtlety and exploration. Grydeland is also a professor of improvisation at the Norwegian Academy of Music and composes for theater and dance, with his works featured in major international festivals like the Bergen International Festival.