The electric guitar. No other instrument has had such a profound impact on the popular culture of the last 50 years or so. Today, it keeps its influence on most new music. Many of the possibilities of the electric guitar still remain unexplored, though. This is something that KROCK wants to change.
KROCK is a collective of young musicians and visionaries, formed to thoroughly investigate, develop and redefine the possibilities of the electric guitar. With curiosity and lust for experiment as guiding principles, the members of KROCK seek out new, untried ways of using the instrument: new techniques, new sounds.
The repertoire of KROCK consists of pieces for anything from one to eight electric guitars. Sometimes other instruments, such as saxophones or percussion, are added to the ensemble. The music is written by young, adventurous composers, collaborating closely with the musicians. Apart from playing music written directly for the group, KROCK is always on the lookout for already existing music for electric guitars. Occasionally, the players also make transcriptions of music originally intended for other instruments.
With KROCK, our goals are artistic, meaning that we want to provide more than mere entertainment. We look upon music not just as a diversion. Our aspirations are not primarily commercial, no; we take as our task to actively shape the music of our age, as well as the music of the future.
KROCK Quartet – Danjel Röhr, Mikael Gillefalk, Pascal Jardry and John Viklund decided in the early autumn of 2008 to form a quartet. Many pieces written for KROCK are for electric guitar quartet and there are also a number of pieces already existing for this setting. A goal was to take part in the Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition in Amsterdam in April 2009. Following intensive rehearsals during the late 2008 and the beginning of 2009 the four drove down to Amsterdam and performed in front of the jury. Coming events in the near future are among other gigs an appearance at UNM in Gothenburg, world premiere of a piece by Malin Bång, a double quartet with Stockholms saxofonkvartett by Fabian Svensson. We'll soon be at a stage near you!!
