The contemporary ensemble Aksiom and the duo Pip (Torstein Lavik Larsen and Fredrik Rasten) will premiere the piece Efflorescence, composed by the duo. After nearly 20 years of collaboration, the work embraces the diversity of their creative approaches. Through pure-tuned harmonies, noise elements, and deconstructed rhythms, long, evolving sequences unfold, with the music balancing between stasis and transformation.

Inspired by the way natural phenomena interact on both micro and macro levels—and the different causal relationships between them—layers of sound are interwoven. Seemingly independent, these layers merge and synergize into a sonic ecosystem.

Pip, consisting of trumpeter Torstein Lavik Larsen and guitarist Fredrik Rasten, has been playing together since 2006, exploring various approaches to collective musical expression. The duo has developed a recognizable sound, where the core of trumpet and guitar is often expanded with other instruments, blending patience and introspection with a captivating, lightly abstract musical style.

Pip has released three albums and performed nearly a hundred concerts across Norway and Europe. Their hour-long work Possible Worlds was released on SOFA Music in 2019, receiving widespread critical acclaim both nationally and internationally.

ABOUT AKSIOM

Aksiom is an ensemble dedicated to contemporary music. Founded in 2010, the group held its debut concert that autumn in Grønland Church. Aksiom consists of nine musicians and its regular conductor, Kai Grinde Myrann. With backgrounds in both classical and improvisational music, the ensemble stands apart from traditional contemporary music groups.

Aksiom primarily focuses on developing new works in collaboration with young composers from across the Nordic region. The ensemble has performed at many of the major contemporary music festivals and concert series in the Nordics, including Klang Festival in Copenhagen, Ultima Festival in Oslo, and Borealis in Bergen, as well as numerous appearances at UNM (Young Nordic Music) festivals.

Their debut album, Aksiom, was released in 2016 on LAWO Classics, featuring works by Johann Svensson, Lisa Streich, Øyvind Mæland, and Martin Rane Bauck. Aksiom’s second release is expected next year, showcasing music by composer Jo David Meyer Lysne, written specifically for the ensemble.

See more at nymusikk.no