Svaneborg Kardyb

About

" Soft palleted Nordic jazz, with melodic keys, muted drums, and a natural warmth influenced by the natural world "

Picture yourself on the northern Danish shores, where the wind and sea sound like a melodic, Nordic jazz composition. You’ve just conjured up the sound of Svaneborg Kardyb.

When Nikolaj Svaneborg and Jonas Kardyb first teased the idea of working together ten years ago, little did they know that they would eventually go on to be awarded Composers of the Year and New Talent of the Year at the Danish Jazz Music Awards in 2019. With Svaneborg on the keys, and Kardyb on the drums, the duo have manifested a unique style of warm, sentimental, and melodic instrumental music. Hailing from the northern tip of Jutland, Denmark, the jazz-duo make music that emulates the sound of the lush, Danish outdoors, so much so, 2020’s LP ‘Haven’ was actually written as an ode to the places that you find just around the corner. Listening to it you can picture (and literally hear, at times) the sea-breeze and bird songs across the fleeting collection of tracks.

It was their 2019 album ‘Knob’ which saw the duo breakout onto the scene, as well as grab those awards. With Kardyb’s skilled use of the Wurlitzer, Juno and piano, the duo’s music has a more grounded and softer palette than most other jazz acts, with the music leaning more towards the ambient spectrum. More Nils Frahm than Blue Note, the duo’s music contains heavy Scandinavian jazz influences (think Esbjörn Svensson Trio, or Tord Gustavsen), pressing on the emotiveness of the music, translating the light percussive brushes and soft-palleted keys into a style of atmospheric yet contemplative, northern soul.

Now signed to Gondwana Records, home to the likes of Matthew Halsall, GoGo Penguin, and Portico Quartet, the duo are in good company to push their minimalism sound yet further. “We explored whatever sounds and musical structures our duality gave birth to, and through long jam-sessions we found small seeds of ideas that turned into tunes”, the duo are quoted as saying about their new album ‘Over Tage’ on the record’s press release. “Danish traditional songs, community singing and hymns are a big inspiration too”. Who knew they would have encompassed and achieved so much after their initial conversation a decade ago, but then again, big ideas have such small beginnings.

Picture : Martin Baltser