Kenneth Dahl Knudsen: Anti Robotic Dance Music

First performing at Vilnius' Tamsta Club in 2023, Anti Robotic Dance Music initially appeared as a burst of futuristic jazz, rock, drum-and-bass energy, shaped by the immediacy of a trio set with a large ensemble. Heard now as a recording, that same performance sharpens into a clearer articulation of bassist and composer Kenneth Dahl Knudsen's defined concept. Set, in the composer's words, "in a dystopian world where machines dominate and rhythm becomes rebellion," the album does not treat this as abstract imagery; it uses the idea to examine what human time feels like in an era shaped by automation. Together with guitarist Casper Hejlesen, drummer Matias Fischer-Mogensen, and the Vilnius JJazz Ensemble under Jievaras Jasinskis, Knudsen presents a live recording that treats rhythm not as a fixed grid but as a living, deliberately human act.

The collaboration between the Nordic trio and the Baltic large ensemble is central to the album's identity. The trio: guitar, bass, and drums, establishes the pulse—elastic, physical, imperfect. Surrounding it, the ensemble adds density, contrast, and breadth through the use of brass, reeds, trombones, and piano/synth. The sound is expansive without becoming ornamental; each side amplifies the other, keeping the music in motion.

The pacing across the five tracks feels more fluid than strictly dramaturgical, giving the album a sense of unforced continuity. Solo statements are used sparingly and with intention, emerging from the texture rather than breaking from it, and reinforcing the music's continuity instead of competing with it. First track, "Suva" opens with medium-tempo clarity, bright ensemble voicings, and space for the motion before the texture thickens, building density gradually. "Nucleus" moves from a more lyrical introduction with measured phrases that gradually unfold into tighter rhythmic interplay, ending towards a dance-like pulse that fits the album's theme. "Banjul Bay" opens with a reflective tone, anchored by long melodic lines and steady rhythm, then gradually gains pressure as the trio pushes forward and the ensemble answers with short, articulated figures. "Kowloon" functions as the peak: audience applause is part of the sound from the outset, and the trio's assertive opening expands into full—ensemble motion without losing its edge. The final track "Omegapolypse" resets the mood before rising toward overlapping rhythmic layers and bright final chords—firm rather than conclusive.

Anti Robotic Dance stands out for the coherence of its idea and the steadiness with which that idea is carried through. The trio/large ensemble format, relatively uncommon in contemporary jazz, is used with intention rather than novelty. The concept stays present without becoming prescriptive, and the sound remains contemporary without tipping into excess. Consistency is the album's central strength: the musicians operate within a shared framework, and the live setting keeps the edges open enough for spontaneity to register. It may not aim to redefine the boundaries of large-ensemble writing, but it emerges as a thoughtful, grounded project that communicates its core idea with clarity and poise.

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