“There’s a sonic pull between the high squeaking of Raska’s Estonian bagpipe and the low growls of Svendsen’s double bass. But this clearly two performers in sync with one another, which is what makes it work. [ - - - ] It’s a strong and deeply confident pair of expressions from a pair of talented performers playing around with ideas that are deceptively simple, but executed with precision and purpose that really shines through - and the result is eye-opening.”
Stuart Bruce Chain D.L.K
Katariin Raska is a multi-instrumentalist, who is active in the fields of improvisational and folk music. She is also the lead of the ensemble Culle.
Christian Meaas Svendsen is a Norwegian double bass player, known form collectives Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit, Mopti and Duplex. He is also the leader of the ensemble Nakam, and founder of Nakama Records label.
Raska and Svendsen have known each other for years. They met while studying in Norwegian Academy of Music where they started to work together in Raskas ensemble ÄIO. Their duo can be described as organic, traditional, abstract, timeless and primitive.
Improtest is concert series that brings improvisational music from local and foreign authors to local audience. The concerts have been taking place since 2005 once a month.