Blue Giant Orkestar are a tunetastic trans-European gold-plated instrumental hydra of nuclear brass, searing fiddle, pounding tuba, one enormous Russian concert accordion and a percussion section that could flatten your house. Fuelled by Balkan horos, Serbian brass festivals, Turkish pop songs, Bulgarian accordion fireworks and even a spot of Scottish ceildh, they play powerful and intricate originals as well as arrangements from many nations and peoples. Formed in late 2019 and since spotted at festivals including Knockengorroch, Kelburn Garden Party and Edinburgh Fringe, as well as some riotous gigs in their hometown of Edinburgh, BGO promise a party for your body, a teaser for your brain and a salve for your heart. Their debut album, Constellate is due for release early in 2024.
In Luna Ersahin’s voice, rests a story of the whole person in a composite world. In Turkish, Danish and Kurdish, she creates a fascinating universe in AySay together with Aske Døssing Bendixen and Carl West Hosbond. In the tension between Anatolia’s musical traditions, hand-played instruments and electronic productions, AySay’s unique expression arises. Since their start playing for 70,000 people at the opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture Aarhus in 2017, AySay has, among other things, played Roskilde Festival, Heartland Festival and Tønder Festival in Denmark as well as festivals abroad such as Sinsal (Spain), Arctic Sounds (Greenland) and Les Escales (France) including a summer tour in Canada. In November 2022, AySay will go to Canada, where they, among other things, will play Mundial Montreal. Most recently, they have been won three DMA Roots Awards in the catogories: Name of the Year, Album of the Year (Su Akar) and Luna Ersahin as Composer of the Year.