Once, few decades ago, we were talking about Rock in Opposition, the wave of progressive musicians and groups united against the music industry. Danish sound artist-improviser-songwriter Jeppe Højgaard offers us his version to today’s music in opposition – (processed) church organ in opposition. Still, the spirit is similar: angry and restless response to the troubling issues of today’s world regimes. No doubt, there are enough reasons for any decent human being to be in opposition to the current regimes.

On «Skrig Hvis Du Har Lunger» (can be translated as: Scream if you have lungs), a limited-edition album of 300 vinyls, Højgaard took outtakes of organ recording by Rasmus Kjær Larsen, captured on the album «Orgelimprovisationer» (Lydhør, 2016), which he produced, and processed and edited these originally improvised pieces as the basis for his solo work. On top of these heavily treated and edited pieces, Højgaard added poetic texts, delivered in a quiet, dark and distant voice, often obscured by the noisy soundscapes.

Højgaard himself says about his music: «I want to share this album with the world simply because I think it’s beautiful with all the barbs and the noisy items. Infertility is born – as I experience it – out of the ugliness and resistance. I believe that both forces are present in my music, both the build-up and the falling down… the opposition’s opposition – fusion – lies like and hides behind, and it is in fact the one I’m trying to lure. And when it succeeds, opposites are no contradictions, so the texts are like a bone in the body and the traditional church organ is merged with the noise as two elements that form a new substance».

No doubt, Højgaard created a disturbing yet quite suggestive listening experience that will not leave anyone indifferent. Højgaard succeeded to distill a distinct sonic-poetic vision in his own terms, and his terms only.

Eyal Hareuveni

Jeppe Højgaard (processed church org, noises, v)