Benedikte Kløw Askedalen

“Looking forward to my afternoon retreat” – Benedikte Kløw Askedalen - Commissioned Work

Benedikte Kløw Askedalen is a young singer and composer from a valley on the outskirts of Sandefjord. During her time at the University of Agder she’s been invested in a variety of projects as lead vocalist and songwriter, mainly focusing on folk/country, electronic pop music and free improvisation. Resulting from this she’s gained an ability to move in between genres, both in her voice and writing.

The piece «Looking forward to my afternoon retreat” attempts to match the differences in her artistic fields, exploring the interplay and counterpoints that occur during this process. Together, guitarist Eirik Lindtner, keyboardist Ole Petter Ålgård and Benedikte have worked out a set of palettes for them to tear apart and incorporate into free improvisation.

The title represents the joy of retreating to one’s own musical space, creating and expressing in a state free from restrictions of genres and conventions. “My favorite moment of the day is when I improvise, channeling all my concentration into one point, allowing the sounds to almost swallow me whole.” Benedikte says. “It’s the most pleasant feeling, my afternoon retreat.”

Benedikte Kløw Askedalen - vokal
Eirik Lindtner – gitar
Ole Petter Ålgård – keys
Bárður Reinert Poulsen – kontrabass