The Squid's Ear Magazine

Zethson, Alex Ensemble

Some Of Them Were Never Unprepared

Zethson, Alex Ensemble: Some Of Them Were Never Unprepared (Relative Pitch)

Exploring how a composition can provide a sense of weightlessness, and influenced by the music of gamelan, krautrock, Tony Conrad & Arnold Dreyblatt, composer Alex Zethson structured these works to influence the 13 performers in his ensemble into a state of intense focus and listening as they strike, bow and pluck their instruments, creating an ecstatic sense of infinite motion.
 

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Personnel:



Torbjorn Zetterberg-bass

Elsa Bergman-bass

Leo Svensson Sander-cello

My Hellgren-cello

Anna Lindal-violin, contact mic

Josefin Runsteen-violin

Giannis Arapis-guitar

Anton Toorell-guitar

Kasper Agnas-guitar

Andreas Hiroui Larsson-drums, gongs

Niclas Lindstrom-shaker

Karin Ingves-piano

Alexander Zethson-piano

Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.



UPC: 5904224870102

Label: Relative Pitch
Catalog ID: RPR1130
Squidco Product Code: 31208

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2021
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at Atlantis Metronome, in Stockholm, Sweden, on March 24th, 2021, by Niclas Lindstrom.
Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

Artist Biographies

"Torbjörn Zetterberg (born 10 May 1976) is a Swedish jazz musician (double bass) and composer, known from collaborations with Jonas Kullhammar.

Zetterberg attended Södra Latin och Fridhems Folkhögskola in Svalöv but was first recognised as bassist when he studied at Kungliga Musikhögskolan in Stockholm still very young. Here he studied bass under guidance of Jan Adefelt. Soon he joined drummer Fredrik Norén's band together with the saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar. Already at this point one could sense that he would become a prominent figure in the Swedish jazz scene. Now his name is firmly rooted in the vibrant progressive selection as the new jazz generation.

He went through a personal crisis and did not record as a bandleader for more than seven years. Zetterberg was uncomfortable with his career and in 2010 he decided to leave the urban life including his bass, and moved to a Buddhist temple. There he resided for a year and still spends half of his time there in 2016. This existential crisis led to the production of the album Och Den Stora Frågan ("And the Big Question" in Swedish) in 2014. Here he collaborated with well known musicians from his earlier career, like the Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva and drummer Jon Fält, known from albums with pianist Bobo Stenson's trio. The album is "charged with joyful urgency, shiny optimism and confident flowing energy, despite the doubts and uncertainties that accompany any creative, artistic process", the reporter of All About Jazz stated in 2014."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torbj%C3%B6rn_Zetterberg)
2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Elsa Bergman is a Stockholm, Sweden-based double bass-player working in free jazz and improvised music. She plays in the free jazz sextet "Anna Högberg Attack", who have released and album on Swedish label Omlott. She is also a member of the high-energy improv quartet "Festen" whose debut albumwas on the Portuguese label Clean Feed. She leads her own quartet "Elsas Eget Omdöme", and is a member of Fire! Orchestra, Golden Offence Orchestra, Hästköttskandalen, Motståndsorkestern Version 1.

-Squidco 2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Cellist Leo Svensson Sander is a member of Erlend Viken Trio, Eter (6), Gul 3, Skog Och Dal, Skogen, Skuggorna Och Ljuset, The Tiny, Walrus"

-Discogs 2/11/2026

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"My Hellgren lives in Göteborg, Sweden, and works as a cellist in many different contexts. She is mostly active in the scene of contemporary music and is a member of Curious chamber players, ensemble Mimitabu and the text/sound trio MonoMono.

She is occasionally working with other ensembles like Gageego! and Scenatet and as a substitute in several symphony orchestras such as GSO and the Gothenburg opera.

My likes to work close with composers and has premiered solo and chamber music pieces. She has participated in different temporary innovative projects and recieved grant and support from Konstnärsnämnden, Statens musikverk and others.

My is educated at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen and at the Academy of music and drama at the university of Gothenburg."

-My Hellgren Website (https://myhellgren.com/)
2/11/2026

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"Anna Lindal, violin, studied in Sweden and Switzerland. Lived and performed in Switzerland and France for many years, played in the string trio Trio des Lyres specialized in mixed programs with barock and classical music on original instruments as well as contemporary works. During this time the film "Livsstråk" was made which is a musical portrait of Anna Lindal.

From 1983 to 2001 concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Stockholm and from 2002 Professor of violin at the Royal college of Music in Stockholm.

Currently Professor in Music att Stockholm University of the Arts and free lance violinist. Engaged in artistic research on interpretation/improvisation and tradition/convention versus contemporary expressions.

Performs regularly as soloist, as chamber musician, in experimental theatre and in different groups for free improvisation. Collaborates with a large number of contemporary composers and has had many new compositions dedicated to her. Made several recordings, among others two solo records with works by John Cage and Christian Wolff together with related composers. Has also been performing instrumental Argentine Tango in the quintet Tango Libre for several years."

-Anna Lindal Website (http://annalindal.se/bio.html)
2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Josefin Runsteen: Swedish vocalist, violinist, drummer and keyboards player. In Groups: Alex Zethson Ensemble, Fire! Orchestra, Mattias Risberg's Mining, Wildhart"

-Discogs (https://www.discogs.com/artist/4022438-Josefin-Runsteen)
2/11/2026

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"Giannis Arapis (1994) is a guitarist based in Athens, Greece who performs, composes and improvises experimental rock and jazz music. His main purpose is to help establish the electric guitar as a melodic voice in avant-garde music, thus showing how you can create chaos with melodic phrases. Some of his main influences are the first free jazz saxophonists, as well as classical composers such as Bella Bartok and Shostakovich.

He has played and recorded with Noël Akchoté, Mats Gustafsson, Eva Lindal, Johan Berthling among others.

Some of his notable groups in noise rock and free jazz are Mammock and Ramdat."

-NeuGuitars (https://neuguitars.com/2021/10/13/slow-arrow-by-giannis-arapis-vilhelm-bromander-vangelis-dimos-ramble-records-2021-on-neuguitars-blog/)
2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Anton Toorell is a guitarist & electronics artist, known group work and music for films. He is a member of Invader Ace, Receptacles, Dammit I'm Mad, and has worked with The Ägg, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra & The MaXx, Linnea Henriksson, Carolina Wallin Perez, and Propanions.

-Anton Toorell Website (https://www.antontoorell.com/)
2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Born in 1992, Kasper Agnas has, over the past years, been at the helm of the new Swedish jazz scene. He has collaborated with a number of European musicians (Julia Strzalek, Susana Santos Silva, David Stackenäs, Joakim Milder, Nils Landgren...) and received critical acclaim for his group Agnas Bros., bringing together his three brothers with whom he has toured several European countries.

Kasper was the winner of the Montreux Jazz Electric Guitar Competition in 2017."

-All About Jazz (https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/kasper-agnas)
2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Andreas Hiroui Larsson is a Swedish aesthetician, artist, artistic researcher, and musician.

He is a researcher at Stockholm University of the Arts, as part of the artistic research project Lethe (2020-23), which explores forgetfulness as an artistic method. The project is funded by the Swedish Research Council.

Larsson conducts an interdisciplinary artistic practice, in which his method of contextualising aspects of non-idiomatic improvisation, the non-productive attitude, and pluralist aesthetics, enables the concepts and materials to play the roles and fulfil the purposes of one another. Thus in terms of ontology, his works are - be it contemporary music, experimental literature, or digital graphic music scores - as much works of music and philosophy as they are works of visual art.

His works are published by Firework Edition and Firework Edition Records (SWE), Peter Lang (DE/US), Nutida Musik (SWE), Relative Pitch Records (US), Lethe (SWE/NO), Found You Recordings (SWE), Olof Bright (SWE/AT), Thanatosis Produktion (SWE), Pink Pamphlet (US/SWE), Ermatell (RU), and FMR (GB). His works are held in the collections of The Nobel Library of the Swedish Academy (SE), Princeton University Library (US), University Library Dresden (DE), Stockholm Public Library (SE), and Sachsska Children's Hospital in Stockholm (SE).

Education

Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm, Postgraduate Studies Philosophy in the Context of Art (2016-17); Uppsala University, Undergraduate Studies Aesthetics (2016-17); Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien, Diploma Studies Performative and Textual Sculpture (2013-15); Pernby College of Art, Stockholm, Undergraduate Studies Painting and Sculpture (2011-13); Royal College of Music, Stockholm, Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Jazz and Improvised Music (2006-10, 2018-20); Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Undergraduate Studies Generative Improvisation and Experimental Composition (2008-09)"

-Andreas Hiroui Larsson Website (https://andreashirouilarsson.weebly.com/)
2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Niclas Lindstrom: "Swedish drummer born in Växjö. Studied jazz and improvisation at Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm."

-All About Jazz (https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/niclas-lindstrom)
2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Karin Ingves is a pianist and composer with an educational background in classical music as well as improvisation and jazz. Nowadays she is mainly active in smaller constellations where she explores both open and semi-structured forms of improvisation. She regularly works in a duo with clarinetist Marcus Wärnheim (who will release his debut album in 2021) and is part of the Alex Zethson Ensemble (which will debut in October 2021). She has previously played concerts at e.g. the Swedish Music Spring festival as well as Kulturhuset and Fylkingen."

-Stockholm Jazz Festival (https://stockholmjazz.se/artist/karin-ingves/)
2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Alexander Zethson has completed the bachelor performance programme in jazz at KMH and is currently studying at the second year of the master's programme with Lisa Ullén as his primary instrument teacher.

Alexander has participated in extensive concert and tour activities and has participated in fifteen record productions. The ensembles include:

• Niklas Barnö's free jazz group Je Suis!• A number of tours in Europe with Martin Küchen's group Angles 9

Alexander is also active as arranger and pianist in collaboration with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, a cooperation which began in 2011. Zethson, Sofia Jernberg and Lene Grenager has arranged music from Hallingdal and Røros performed by the TJO with Zethson, Jernberg and violinist/Hardanger fiddler Olav Luksengård Mjelva."

-KMH Royal College of Music in Stockholm (https://www.kmh.se/alexander-zethson-received-the-rosenborg-gehrmans-scholarship)
2/11/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:
Related Categories of Interest:


Compositional Forms
Ambient, Minimal, Reductionist, Onky Sound, &c.
Percussion & Drums
Stringed Instruments
Large Ensembles
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Compositional Music

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Relative Pitch.


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