Lars Gunnar Bodin
Encyclopedia
Lars Gunnar Bodin is a Swedish
pioneer in the field of electronic music during the 1960s, especially in the Scandinavia
n scene.
in 1962. With growing notoriety, Bodin made a point to increase the interest in artistic electronic music in his home country of Sweden
. In 1967, Bodin and his friend Bengt-Emil Johnson directed the Stockholm
festival
s of text
-sound
composition. In 1969, Bodin was appointed the chairman of Fylkingen, a position he held until 1972. He visited the United States as a Composer in Residence at Mills College
, California
, in 1972. In 1979 Bodin was made Director of the Electronic Music Studio (EMS) in Stockholm
, and he was a prime mover in its transfer from Kungsgatan 8 to new, purpose-designed facilities in the Munich Brewery on Söder Mälarstrand.
theatre
, text-sound composition, multi-media works and interaction between instrumentalists and tape recordings. The encounter between language
and music
has inspired him with several works, and his compositions frequently include phonetic elements. Concern for detail is one aspect of his working methods which is frequently mentioned by his colleagues. This concentration on the micro level does not impede him from building up large-scale, block-like, multi-layer processes.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
pioneer in the field of electronic music during the 1960s, especially in the Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n scene.
Education and early career
Bodin studied classical music and traditional compositions under Lennart Wenström. Bodin joined the art group FylkingenFylkingen
Fylkingen is a society for experimental music and arts, founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 1933, one of the world's oldest societies of its kind. Composer Ingemar Liljefors served as the organization's first Chairman from 1933-1946....
in 1962. With growing notoriety, Bodin made a point to increase the interest in artistic electronic music in his home country of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. In 1967, Bodin and his friend Bengt-Emil Johnson directed the Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
s of text
Written language
A written language is the representation of a language by means of a writing system. Written language is an invention in that it must be taught to children, who will instinctively learn or create spoken or gestural languages....
-sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
composition. In 1969, Bodin was appointed the chairman of Fylkingen, a position he held until 1972. He visited the United States as a Composer in Residence at Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in 1972. In 1979 Bodin was made Director of the Electronic Music Studio (EMS) in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, and he was a prime mover in its transfer from Kungsgatan 8 to new, purpose-designed facilities in the Munich Brewery on Söder Mälarstrand.
Works
Two of Bodin’s most famous works are "Clouds" LP and "En Face". In Bodin’s work he has devoted himself to many different fields of contemporary music: instrumentalInstrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, text-sound composition, multi-media works and interaction between instrumentalists and tape recordings. The encounter between language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
has inspired him with several works, and his compositions frequently include phonetic elements. Concern for detail is one aspect of his working methods which is frequently mentioned by his colleagues. This concentration on the micro level does not impede him from building up large-scale, block-like, multi-layer processes.