Hand of Benediction:

Egil Kalman - Modular Synthesizer + Jaw Harp
Henrik Olsson - Electric Guitar
Jeppe Skovbakke - Electric Bass
Rune Lohse - Drums

“Olsson is apt to terrorize his guitar on a nanosecond’s notice”, has All About Jazz fittingly written about guitarist Henrik Olsson, who leads the group Hand of Benediction. Their music exists on a continuum between free improvisation and experimental jazz, and is built around hypnotic melodies, psychedelic sonic excursions as well as ecstatic improvisation. The group’s latest album was nominated for a Danish Music Awards in 2023 for “Experimental Release of the Year” and the renowned French magazine Citizen Jazz described the music as “metal, elevator music, noise on every floor, the music is a lovely and enthusiastic mishmash.” Their debut album received an Honorable Mention in the New York City Jazz Record in 2019 and was called “a lovely madness and a very remarkable...

Hand of Benediction:

Egil Kalman - Modular Synthesizer + Jaw Harp
Henrik Olsson - Electric Guitar
Jeppe Skovbakke - Electric Bass
Rune Lohse - Drums

“Olsson is apt to terrorize his guitar on a nanosecond’s notice”, has All About Jazz fittingly written about guitarist Henrik Olsson, who leads the group Hand of Benediction. Their music exists on a continuum between free improvisation and experimental jazz, and is built around hypnotic melodies, psychedelic sonic excursions as well as ecstatic improvisation. The group’s latest album was nominated for a Danish Music Awards in 2023 for “Experimental Release of the Year” and the renowned French magazine Citizen Jazz described the music as “metal, elevator music, noise on every floor, the music is a lovely and enthusiastic mishmash.” Their debut album received an Honorable Mention in the New York City Jazz Record in 2019 and was called “a lovely madness and a very remarkable statement” by Vital Weekly.
The group consists of Henrik Olsson and strong names on the international scene: Egil Kalman plays modular synthesizer. He is currently based in Norway and plays in bands such as Marthe Lea Band and Miman. Jeppe Skovbakke is a bassist who has toured and recorded with several generations of Danish jazz musicians and a number of international soloists ranging from John Tchicai to Rhys Chatham. Rune Lohse is a powerful drum voice on the Scandinavian scene and has played across the continent with bands such as Horse Orchestra, Michael Rexen and Klimaforandringer.

Bloomers:

Maria Dybbroe: Saxophone
Anne Efternøler: Trumpet
Carolyn Goodwin: Bass Clarinet

In the mid-19th century, a number of American women began breaking free from the restrictive bonds of Parisian fashion. They loosened their corsets and replaced heavy, stiff skirts with light, loose-fitting trousers.

"And now I'm dressed like a little girl, in a dress both loose and short,
Oh with what freedom I can sing, and walk all 'round about!
And when I get a little strength, some work I think I can do,
'Twill give me health and comfort, and make me useful too"
The Sibyl magazine, April 15, 1859

When Amelia Bloomer, the publisher of the world’s first women's newspaper, discovered this new and controversial attire, a sewing pattern had to be printed in the newspaper immediately. Thus, the loose-fitting trousers became known as "bloomers." Over time, bloomers became synonymous with the women’s liberation movement, and by the late 19th century, when bicycles were becoming widespread in Western societies, more and more women adopted the practical bloomers to cycle without the risk of their skirts getting caught in the wheels and chain. Now, a housewife could travel farther from home and connect with other women. Her newfound independence from men and increased mobility was an affront to most men, but women continued cycling on their new ‘Freedom Machine.’ Bloomers consists of saxophonist Maria Dybbroe, trumpeter Anne Efternøler, and bass clarinetist Carolyn Goodwin. The combination of two woodwinds and trumpet offers endless possibilities for sonic collisions. In vast worlds of harmonies and sounds,

Bloomers explores chamber music aesthetics in a raw, condensed expression, where nothing goes unheard, and everything is open to negotiation. "Free improvisation is a very particular discipline where one must be highly attuned to everything happening in the ensemble. Even the slightest adjustment in tone or sound can completely alter the course of the music," says Anne Efternøler, drawing a parallel to how a relatively small change in the design of women’s trousers more than 100 years ago helped set the course for the women's liberation movement of the 20th century. Each track on Cyclism is dedicated to small and large historical events in the fight for women's freedom. The album opens with the
date of Amelia Bloomer’s birth and concludes with the last European witch burning in 1782. ‘Tehran, September 16th, 2022’, pays tribute to Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody in 2022 after wearing her headscarf ‘incorrectly’ in public. In this way, the trio emphasizes that the fight for women’s freedom to move and dress as they wish is still ongoing in 2025....

Read more Hide full description.