Kajsa Lindgren (born in 1990) is a composer and sound-artist mainly working with field recordings and different ways to perform them, often through spatial, multichannel distribution. Her work includes electroacoustic compositions and sound installations, as well as compositions for acoustic traditional instruments. By using interviews as a method when composing and field recordings as the material, she has found a way to work with expectations and traditions when it comes to the process of composing and the performance itself. Combining interviews and field recordings has therefore shown to be an effective way for her to open up different ways to approach the process of exploring subjects and environments through sound.
FACTS:
1: “Stay true to yourself. Let you voice ring out, and don’t let anybody fiddle with it. Never turn down on a good idea, but never take a bad idea. And meditate. It’s very important to experience that Self, that pure consciousness. It’s really helped me. I think it would help any filmmaker. So start diving within, enlivening that bliss consciousness. Grow in happiness and intuition. Experience the joy of doing. And you’ll glow in this peaceful way. Your friends will be very, very happy with you. Everyone will want to sit next to you. And people will give you money!” – David Lynch
2: It’s ok to ask for help, you can’t always grow on your own.
3: Try your best to treat others the way you wish them to treat you.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Mainly when I feel unrestrained. Sometimes it’s inspiring with expectations, sometimes not. But when I accomplish to find this state of mind while composing where nothing else matters and I don’t judge anything that comes out of it, that often means I’m onto something. It feels like transcending into something safe and unknown at the same time. I also get inspired when I experience other peoples art and music that just goes right into the heart and mind, and it can be enough with just one sound that triggers some kind of emotion, the character of it. Just details.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
I come from a family of creative people; musicians, painters, sculptors, composers. So that has always been a part of my childhood and upbringing. But I think I started to compose more intentionally when I was around 17 and felt frustrated when not being able to communicate what I wanted to create musically as a then singer to other musicians.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
Oh wow… right now I think I’d say these:
Björk – Vulnicura
Andrea Tarrodi with the Dalhqvist Quartet – String Quartets
Moderat – III
Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell
Jacob Kirkegaard – Conversions
These are not my ‘top 5’, but they’re some of my favorites for sure.
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Not sure. I haven’t been there enough… But words I think I associate with Berlin would be performance, variety, possibilities, challenge. A place with a lot of things to expect from and also can expect a lot from you. But also friends. Some of my closest friends have lived or will live there. And also Hyperdelia – the label which released my frist album WOMB.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
I think that would be Slussen. But not the place itself but more what it represents, since you have to go there when going to my favorite place in the world, which is an island in the Stockholm archipelago. And that busride has meant a lot of things to me through the years.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Something where I could still be creative and explore subjects, environments, etc. Learn things, grow, experience the world. And also, due to the political climate we live in right now, I feel that making
music, art – that in itself gives me a sense of being a part of the resistance against all of those who try to create a dead and inhumane world. So I don’t know exactly what I would do, but something that would be a part of that resistance.
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
Eureka Brass Band – Dirges. Turned out to be the opposite of what I expected it to sound like, which was nice. I like surprises.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Not sure… but I’ve been wanting to work with some kind of visual artist for some time now. I enjoy collaborating with other kind of creative people that brings in new perspectives to an idea and realizes it through their way of working. It was an amazing experience working as a sound designer for Cirkus Cirkör this year for example, where there were so many different artists and creative people, working for the same goal but with different perspectives.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
David Granströms music always makes my heart explode. Beyoncé at Coachella earlier this year was quite something. Lo Kristenson piece Vridna, Vågsång at St Johannes Church. Marta Forsberg’s New Love Music, which I heard at Hosoi and long to hear again. Ellen Arkbro’s organ piece that she performed at this years Intonal festival in Malmö. Jacob Kirkegaards exhibition at Roskilde Art Museum. Moderat, whom I’ve followed for some time now and heard live for the first time last year. And I truly enjoyed performing my own piece WOMB at Storkyrkobadet earlier this summer, which was a completely new situation for me since it was performed under water.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
When it comes to the last piece I made now, but also looking back on what kind of pieces I’ve made, I think technology is very important and a big part of my work. But it’s more a tool than the main focus. It’s not like I create something for the sake of technology, but it’s amazing when you find ways and people that can help you create what you want and also give you creative and artistic freedom. That’s how I felt during the process of making the multimedia project WOMB which resulted in a record, an underwater concert/interactive sound installation, a VR sound installation and some remixes – all based on the same material and idea. In that case I felt like my idea and music go to grow into a full body and much thanks to technology.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
Yes, I have a younger sister who’s a pop artist called Léon. We make completely different music and it’s amazing. She inspires me so much. I’m not sure what she thinks of my music and sound art, but she’s always supportive and it’s always interesting for us to discuss music and creativity and meet with our different perspectives.
Hyperdelia presents Kajsa Lindgren at Volksbühne Berlin on Wednesday, 24th October 2018.
Photo © Kajsa Lindgren.
