04/04/2017

The Dark Side - Introducing bandleader Kaare Bjerke to a talk about the album, recording and music & life




The Dark Side is the latest signing for my PG Sounds label. 
We have recently released the debut single "Marsmand "(Martian). Now the album "Out Of The Dark Side" is being released on the 6th april 2017, after nearly a year of work. We are looking so much forward to get the music out to you.

The band is:
Bas: Kaare Bjerke
Guitar,lapsteel: Buster Jensen
Guitar: Alex Jønsson
Sax,clarinet: Svend Dam Meinild
Drums: Emil Mossing Thorenfeldt


The music is the result of a partially anarchic mindset to the music. The idea is not to create total chaos, but to liberate themselves from norms and rules, creating music in immediacy and meet the music that arises spontaneously. "Free assignment orderly".

The Dark Side started as a DIY project that was recorded in Copenhagen in March 2016, with several musicians from   Zetzum Zorglub and Onkel Ond (Uncle Evil) where the composer behind The Dark Side (Kaare Bjerke) also helps. "Out of the Dark Side" contains eight tracks recorded on a total of 8 hours and thus laid the foundations for the unpolished recording. The 8 compositions have thus been a number of guidelines to free interpretation of the orchestra.


Check out more on The Dark Side here:

I caught bandleader Kaare Bjerke in the studio while he and the band are preparing for a intimate release concert, to talk about the new album:

Kaare, this is your first kind of “bandleader” project, is that correct ? 
a: Yes, this is the first time I’ve published music as a bandleader.

As you have worked with these musicians in other projects such as Zetzum Zorglub ( where your guitarist Buster Jensen is the band leaser), how does this change your musical direction ?
a: Buster and I have played together for many years. Over time we have built up a sound and a common understanding of it, and it grows every time we play together. However, our compositions are very different, and as the bandleader of The Dark Side I have the opportunity to put my personal imprint at the orchestra.

When you write new material, do you write or improvise until you have a full composition ? Tell about the creative process getting these tracks recorded ? 

a: When I wrote the tunes for Out of The Dark Side, I based the music on some very simple ideas. Many of the tunes are written from chord progressions I’ve got from improvising. That way I've created 8 “guidelines” that were spontaneously orchestrated and produced in the rehearsal room.

You recorded the album at The Mill in Copenhagen with Thor Madsen ? What's the story behind this relationship and how does this give your music life ?
a: The first time I had the pleasure to work with Thor Madsen, was during the recording of the ZetZum Zorglub in 2014. Thor has a great understanding of capturing the natural sound of a room during a recording-session, and I take that as a great skill. Since then I've worked with Thor quite some times. He knows me by now, and know exactly what kind sound I’m looking for in my music. Furthermore both Thor Madsens (Thor De Force), Buster Jensens (ZetZum Zorglub) and The Dark Side are published by PG Sounds.

The recordings were done in only 8 hours. Why that speed ?
a: It was basically not just a matter of speed. All the contributed musicians on Out of The Dark Side is selected according to create the sound that I wanted to create. I would like to be able to capture as much of these musicians personality as possible, and if you track relatively few takes of a tune without having too many agreements, naturally you’ll get some of the immediacy that I find appealing in the music.

Can you tell me a bit about every track on the album or are their specific elements you rather focus on with the music and the story behind it ?
a: A good example of some of the things I just mentioned is “Wings". The tune consisting of a relatively short melody and chord progression, which has been the starting point for a improvisation. Wings is tracked in one take, where the only agreement was, that all the musicians has to follow the one playing the melodi. 
I think that some may say that the album is very quiet. Out of The Dark Side reflects the way I see the world in my contemporary time. In a world of upheaval, chaos, social medias and stress, was it quite important and natural for me, to create simple and meditative music.

What's next ? More live ? More collaborations ? More music ? Whats coming ….
a: Right now The Dark Side are playing some concerts as a trio. We experiment with a more electronic setup where we play music from Out of the Dark Side, and try out some new stuff as well. The idea is to create a sound that can be the starting point of the next album. Right now we’re in a little uncharted territory, but it also help us to add some of the immediacy in the music that I’m looking forIn that way we avoid playing the same tunes in the same way every time. 

Here at the end, we know you listen at lot to radio and tv, whats your favorite tv show and radio show these days ?
a: I Actually watch more movies than Flow-TV. In the same way that I use music, I try to embrace as wide a repertoire as possible. Everything from old classics to brand new movies in every genre. I am also a frequent user of Ekkos Shortlist where I also collect very much musical inspiration. I hear radio quite randomly and have no specific favorite shows.

And, as you are a musician you must have some musical darlings that you listen at lot to these days, reveal please ?

a: You ask a musician to name his favorite music? tuff one! I listen to a lot of different musicians and I find inspiration in everything from Tinariwen, Rufus Wrainright, Tom Waits, Radiohead and Brian Eno to name a few. If I should I mention one, that I always go back to and never get tired of, it must be Daniel Lanois. I think he's a phenomenal songwriter and I'm very fascinated by the way he mixes songwriting, ambience and electronica elements together. He is a great inspiration for me.


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