Months of isolation, thoughts of humanity and the natural world inspired Kasper Bjørke. His latest track, “The Beast. The Tree. The Man.”, is a 23-minute composition which evolved over the first Covid-19 lockdown in Denmark. Spending it by the sea, Bjørke said it was the only piece of music he worked on during this period, which now stands as his personal diary for 2020.
“I was walking my one year old daughter around in the stroller for her daily naps and being that close to nature for such long periods of time gave me plenty of time to think about humanity and our connection - and disconnection - to the natural world,” Bjørke told Grey Matter. “I found inspiration in a quote by Chief Seattle, chief of the Suquamish and Duwamish during the 18th century: ‘All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man. The air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.’”
The ambient piece was released on Longform Edition, an online gallery for deep listening. The track follows a natural flow, from airy soundscapes and field recordings, mixed with classical elements. Later the track turns into a repetitive structure that draws on techno patterns and influences.
Bjørke said he used ambient music in his life for everything from destressing and contemplating to sparking creativity, and even jogging. “I have no doubt that ambient music has a healing effect on the mind and can really help with anxiety, which I have also done in the past,” he said on his Bandcamp page.
“The Beast. The Tree. The Man.” is the latest in a long list of releases by Bjørke, who has been a mainstay of the electronic music scene since the mid-2000s. Over the years he has been featured on labels like Ghostly International, Kompakt, Permanent Vacation, Multi Culti, and Wolf + Lamb. With time Bjørke’s sound has developed and changed from disco and house to post punk, kraut, and new wave, to techno, and ambient. His 2019 EP Nothing Gold Can Stay showcased both sides of his musical personality, featuring analogue, downtempo, and organic sounds alongside straight up club jams.
For his Greylist, Bjørke showcases all his musical facets, featuring music by the likes of Khruangbin, Erlend Øye, Axel Boman and Moscoman.
1. “The Beast. The Tree. The Man.," Kasper Bjørke
2. “Yelli," K-Lone
3. “Lockdown Blues," Erlend Øye
4. “Dearest Alfred (MyJoy)," Khruangbin
5. “Already Falling," Puma Blue
6. “Wildfires," SAULT
7. “Mere," Kasper Marott
8. “Eyes Wide Strut (Each Other New York Mix),” Moscoman
9. “Du Du Du (Marcello Giordani Remix Edit)," Kasper Bjørke
10. “Radionova (Essential Mix)," Axel Boman
11. “Invercargirl," Eden Burns
You can hear “The Beast. The Tree. The Man.” on Spotify.
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