Bjørn Svin

Primary alias of Danish electronic musician and composer Bjørn Christiansen (b. 2 August 1975, Ringsted); currently based in Berlin, Germany. In the mid-to-late-90s, Bjørn Svin spearheaded an uprising Scandinavian rave scene, developing a unique, recognizable sound inspired by Detroit techno and British early IDM pioneers: playful and melodic but simultaneously groovy and entrancing. Since the mid-2000s, Bjørn has been gradually departing from dancefloor-oriented music towards experimental, abstract electronica, partnering with audio-visual artists, choreographers and designers on various multimedia projects. Throughout his career, Bjørn Svin collaborated with numerous distinguished musicians and artists, including Goodiepal, Elmgreen & Dragset, Jonas Olesen, Das Beckwerk, SØS Gunver Ryberg, Sofus Forsberg, Jens Wilhelm "Fuzzy" Pedersen, [a4543521] ensemble, Henrik Vibskov, Håkan Lidbo, Tobias Von Hofsten, Karsten Pflum, and Copyflex. Bjørn Svin's alias first appeared in 1996 on 151878 EP — an inaugural 12" sampler from the crew of Mantra club in Tivoli Gardens, where Bjørn regularly performed, lauded by the audience for his charismatic, highly-energized live sets. Danish press featured Svin alongside "new techno superstars," such as Mantra's co-founder DJ Kong and Anders Remmer of Future 3. Bjørn also hosted P3's radio show "U-Land" on Saturdays between 1996 and '99, exposing a broader audience to cutting-edge electronica. In 1997, April Records released Bjørn Svin's debut full-length album 31271 CD; the opening single became an unofficial anthem for the entire generation of Scandinavian ravers. The same year, his first release for RCA/BMG Denmark came out — 339690 CD maxi-single recorded with Goodiepal. With kitsch artwork and the duo's mischievous appearance on TV-2's popular daily music program Puls promoting it, the "Christmas techno" mini-album was often seen as a prank. Nevertheless, the major label soon commissioned Bjørn Svin to remix several of their mainstream acts, including one of Denmark's best-known hip-hop groups, Malk De Koijn, and Copenhagen-based electronic duo Puddu Varano. In February 1999, April Records presented his second album, CD/2x12" — one of the last works recorded entirely on analog synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines without any digital tools and only limited use of samplers. The following 31272 CD, co-released in October 2001 by BMG Denmark and Zycos, indicated the first shift towards a more diverse and eclectic stylistic palette. In March 2010, Rump Recordings issued Bjørn Svin's "comeback" album, Browen CD/2xLP, primarily recorded in 2008–09 in Berlin. Entirely void of "four-to-the-floor" tropes, it showcased a much more intricate, sophisticated compositional approach, featuring organic, textural soundscapes and complex rhythmic structures. Between 2015 and 2019, Bjørn performed in Silicium duo, making music and dancing with 3D-mapped interactive projections by audio-visual artist and designer Carl Emil Carlsen (b. 1982); they participated in several prominent European festivals, including Click Festival and Ars Electronica. Bjørn Svin played a live soundtrack to Danse Macabre, a multimedia performance by composer Signe Bisgaard and choreographer Laura Rathschau, in March 2018 at Aarhus University, sharing the stage with Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and cellist Ida Nørholm. Subsequently, a "boutique" label, KØRFIRS, released the concert on a special edition LP for Record Store Day 2020. Bjørn's most recent digital albums include 24303461, the inaugural release on Cristian Vogel's new label Endless Process, and 25182931 videogame soundtrack.