PROGRESSIONS: Stian Westerhus

Our first Progressions season comes to an end in May with a sensory jolt, as Norway’s Stian Westerhus brings his acclaimed solo approach to The Twisted Pepper. One man in front of a wall of amps, he explores dark textures, sonic extremes and jagged lines, but moments of fragile beauty too.

"His improvised solo shows largely eschew chords and melodies, opting instead for cello-bowed atmospheres, jackhammer-style noise, and waves of distortion, before fading into glitchy loops." Guitar Player Magazine

The boldly unrelenting Westerhus demonstrates that electronics, pedal techniques and a cacophony of noise can bring us to harsher extremes, but also to places of delicate beauty. His album Pitch Black Star Spangled has been called “a masterpiece of solo guitar” (All About Jazz)

To see a live video of Stian click here.