Two of the most intriguing names in Norwegian jazz – and one of the most unusual pairings in the history of music – Sidsel Endresen and Jan Bang bring their genre-busting brand of musical innovation to North London’s Kings Place for a one-off performance this April, courtesy of Jazzland Recordings.

 

Together, they create expressive and mesmerising soundscapes using a single instrument: Endresen’s voice. She sings, speaks, breaths and emits sounds ranging from the melodic to the gutteral; he samples her voice, loops it, plays it back, creating a rich, multilayered cacophony that Endresen – a master of improvisation – responds to in turn, creating a ever-more complex feedback loop of the organic and the technological.

Both are successful artists in their own right. Endresen, a professor at the Oslo Academy of Music, has spent three decades at the heart of Norway’s jazz scene, recording several albums, collaborating with countless artists, scoring numerous productions and winning more awards than many other artists could ever hope for.

Jan Bang is a musician and producer with a reputation for combining boundary-pushing creativity with wide-reaching appeal. He has worked with the likes of Morten Harket, Bugge Wesseltoft, and Erik Honoré, contributed to albums from Bertine Zetlitz and Bel Canto, and founded the annual Punkt festival, a celebration of experimental musicianship and innovation from around the world.

Despite their individual successes, Endresen and Bang have a unique affinity and a shared taste for ever-bolder adventures in musical expression. Whether or not you find their unconventional approach and one-of-a-kind sound appealing, there’s no denying that both artists are each in command of prodigious talents – which are all the greater when combined.