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Steel String Stories: Introducing Martin Kirkegaard
Tradition is always there and at the same time, it is transgressed, invisible and yet present.
John Fahey
guitar, acoustic1939 - 2001
Charley Patton
guitar1891 - 1934
Derek Bailey
guitar1932 - 2005
The point is that music is always tied to tradition, but it still feels like a memorable event when a musical voice really manifests itself. That is the case with Danish guitarist
Martin Kirkegaard
guitarb.1976
Martin Kirkegaard Tar Gui
DaFuGA Sounds
2020
Tar Gui is Kirkegaard's debut from 2020. It's an intimate exploration of music born out of improvisation. The title track introduces a beautiful melody that is allowed to breathe before a bass figure sets in, creating a polyphonic effect. In the impressive 12-page booklet that comes with the album, Kirkegaard has written extended notes in Danish to every piece and notices an inspiration from the pianist and composer,
Abdullah Ibrahim
pianob.1934
The African influence is even more poignant on "Farka" that salutes guitar maestro,
Ali Farka Toure
guitar1939 - 2006
Another guitarist,
Robbie Basho
guitar and vocals1940 - 1986
Pierre Bensusan
guitarWith titles like "Vildhest" (Wild Horse) and "Bark," the connection to nature is made clear and there is something earthy and organic about the way Kirkegaard plays the guitar. The roots of blues and folk run deep in his music, but the wood of the guitar is the essence of it all. It is no wonder that Kirkegaard originally planned to call the album Tr?h?nd (wood hand). There is a close connection between man and music and a combination between the plain and the mystical. This is evident in the final title, Tar Gui, which sounds like a mystical expression, but if you turn the words around, they simply become guitar.
The guitar is at the center of the album, even though the banjo also pops up occasionally, but in the end, even Kirkegaard has to let go and sings the poem "Al musik har det med at forsvinde og p? et blad h?nger en dr?be og fordamper" (All music tends to disappear and on a leaf hangs a drop of water evaporating). It might be that all music eventually disappears, but this record leaves a lasting impression.
Martin Kirkegaard Molacg Part 1 and 2
DaFuGa Sounds
2024
Martin Kirkegaard works in his own tempo and releases new music when his ready to do it. There are four years between his debut and his next full-length album, but it is also a double record that is even more ambitious than the predecessor that already set the bar high for the guitarist.
On Molacg Part 1 and 2 Kirkegaard expands his world in many ways. The pieces are longer, between 7 and 19 minutes, and the inclusion of pianist Mikkel Almholt on three of the five compositions adds new colors and a different dynamic. Almholt plays amplified piano, and the bell-like beauty of his tangents brings an ethereal aspect to Kirkegaard's earthy tones.
Another important change is the deep journey into improvisation. Whereas the compositions on Tar Gui were born out of improvisation, the pieces on Molacg Part 1 and 2 seem to catch the music in the making. But make no mistake, this isn't an easy release that has been churned out quickly. The three duo recordings were recorded in 2012 and have aged well like fine wine while the two additional solo pieces were recorded in 2023 and 2024. No matter the date of the recordings, it's timeless music with inspiration from many sources: Folk, blues, jazz, classical and avant-garde, everything blends in the intimate conversation between Kirkegaard and Almholt. The only thing that is left is music as a pure expression, an almost innocent exploration of what sound can be without barriers.
Kirkegaard's debut came in a limited run of 300 copies, but this time, there are only 100 copies of the standard version plus a very limited run of 20 copies on clear vinyl with black smoke effect. Each copy of the double album comes with hand-painted covers and obi strips and a 12-page booklet to accompany the music, making every copy a unique work of art. This is the kind of approach, you usually only hear about, like
Sun Ra
piano1914 - 1993
Tracks and Personnel
Tar GuiTracks: Tar Gui; Farka; Ojnab Blues#1; Rodh?nd; Ojnab Blues #2; Vildhest; Springdans; Bark; ?ndedr?t; Along The River Dee; Along The Lui Water; Al musik har det med at forsvinde og p? et blad h?nger en dr?be og fordamper.
Personnel: Martin Kirkegaard: guitar, banjo, harmonica, vocal.
Molacg Part 1 and 2
Tracks: Am#1; Cm; Tamale i Guden?en; Brage Blues for Elamat in open landscape; A Suite for Molacg in D major.
Personnel: Martin Kirkegaard: guitar, harmonica, ukelele, voice & sound mix on solo guitar pieces; Mikkel Almholt: amplified piano.
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