Mirror Matter is the first solo album of Norwegian, Copenhagen-based drummer, percussionist, and sound artist Håkon Berre, co-founder of the local free-improv meets free jazz Barefoot musicians collective and label, and member of the Raindogs sextet that covers Tom Waits’ songs. Berre recorded thirteen solo pieces at Ishøj Kulturskole during a one-day session in November 2024. Berre also did the cover artwork.

Berre played thirteen pieces while sitting on the floor, surrounded by his expanded and diverse setup. A bass drum – gran cassa – was used as a habitat for his diverse found objects – made of metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, wood, and expanded polystyrene, some were picked from trash. He focused on experimenting with the timbral spectrum friction of bodies and objects, and their vibrating qualities. These friction-vibrating percussive sounds were processed electronically using contact microphones and computer software. Ultimately, the acoustic percussive sounds blend with distortion pedals and synthesized drum machine beats.

Berre sounds as if conducting a noisy yet beautifully resonant, and, obviously, rhythmic mini-orchestra. The carefully layered electroacoustic pieces use rhythm as a work-in-progress, an elastic, rich sound material that can be shaped, manipulated, and expanded. Some of these pieces sound as if coming from futurist, sci-fi game machines, while others imagine mysterious, hypnotic rituals or cinematic landscapes, choreograph challenging yet seductive techno-like dances (the most complex piece here, «Hadron»), twisted nursery songs, and create evocative noisesacpes. Together, they are structured like an urgent suite, full of inventive and unpredictable ideas and engaging sounds by a gifted and resourceful rhythmic shaman.

Eyal Hareuveni

Håkon Berre (drums, percussion, objects, electronics)