Danish duo Svaneborg Kardyb specialise in a particular brand of Nordic jazz, marrying the lilting and slow evolving piano, Wurlitzer and synth work of Nikolaj Svaneborg with the detailed percussion-work laid down by drummer Jonas Kardyb.
Drawing on everything from Nordic folk music to contemporary jazz and ambient composers like Nils Frahm, Svaneborg Kardyb make an ethereal form of twenty-first century duo music. Their sound sits neatly within the aesthetic sensibilities of Matthew Halsall’s Gondwana records – their home since the release of their last full-length album Over Tage, which served to put them on the map.
It’s not hard to see why the detailed, often relaxed sounds the band deals in caught the imagination of music fans in 2022. Still reeling from the pandemic, their moody and evocative sound palette provided a sense of a peace and calm, something that came to the fore on their much-lauded Tiny Desk ‘at home’ session during that time. It would be easy to dismiss Svaneborg Kardyb as simple mood music or a sort of auditory wallpaper, but that would do them a real disservice.
The title track kicks off proceedings with a cycling synth figure that is reminiscent of the aforementioned Nils Frahm, before building melodies elevate the piece to new levels of emotional impact. Svaneborg Kardyb are masterful at creating impact with small changes – the adding of another layer, a subtle rhythmic switch up or indeed the taking of something away. St Pancras is a prime example of this subtle approach to sonic development.
While the band does achieve its potency through brevity, the occasional moments on the record where they do add additional instrumentation serve to create a welcome sense of sonic variety. For example, the scrape of violinist Maria Martine Jagd’s bow on strings towards the end of Cycles significantly elevates the track. Elsewhere Portico Quartet member and Gondwana Records labelmate Milo Fitzpatrick adds anotherdimension to ‘Udsigten’ with his double-bass work.
The album draws its name from a park in Copenhagen’s diverse and artistic Nørrebro neighbourhood, close to Nikolaj’s studio. The duo’s influences and the conception of the album are grounded in a sense of place derived from this locale. There seems to be a direct through-line to the work of trumpeter and Gondwana records founder Matthew Halsall, whose own 2012 album Fletcher Moss Park drew inspiration from the Manchester public space where we would walk and think amid the album’s inception.
Playing with minimal aesthetics and a sense of calm, Svaneborg Kardyb won’t be for everyone, but there is beauty and depth in their sparse approach. Just as the music seems to be merging into the background or a phrase is outstaying its welcome, a subtle development or sonic shift picks things up again.
After breaking through and reaching a wider audience with Over Tage, the band continues doing what they’re good at while subtly pushing their envelope of their sound with developments in Jonas’s drumming and a wider palette of synth sounds.
Superkilen delivers beauty and contemplative soundscapes with a real sense of sonic intent. It’s a triumph for the duo and another great entry in the ever-growing Gondwana catalogue.
Release Date is 18 0ctober 2024
