ART//Aksel Rønning Trio | Berlin 10.8.

I experienced the musical mastery of the Aksel Rønning Trio in a moment of last-minute good fortune.

Last Summer, I had the chance to see talented percussionist August Glännestrand perform in han gaiden as part of the 2025 Sommarljom festival. Naturally, after experiencing han gaiden’s alluring and ethereal electronic sound, I took note when August mentioned he often took gigs in Berlin. We exchanged instagrams at the club event following their performance and I tucked the thought of a future path-crossing in the back of my mind as I returned to life as usual. In truth, I largely wrote off the encounter until one quiet October evening, while lazily tapping through instagramstories.com, my eyes caught a post from August just two hours before the boys went on stage.

Roommate in toe, the pair of us slipped into our jackets and dutifully headed over to Donnau115, a micro jazz bar in Neukölln. The venue welcomed us with typical Berlin grunge//cozy flare- a makeshift paint job, eclectic secondhand seating arranged in tight rows, and warm-toned string lights. Looking back on it now, I'm not sure if a more suitable environment to first experience ART existed. The living-room-esque ambiance, warmed by both the lighting and the pack of eager listeners, allowed us to ease into the trio's meditative instrumental chants as if settling into our very own couches at home.

Aksel Rønning Trio performing in Donau115

The venue's mix of dated and modern interiors also paired extremely well with the listening experience. Cold war era practicality updated with industrial lighting and a printed mural backdrop created a disorientation to time which opened the door for ART to transport the audience wherever they wanted. Equally detached from the contemporary and antique, the listener's mind was free to wander with the music. In a way, the space was the literal physical manifestation of ART's fusion of traditional melodic jazz and electronic soundscapes. Rather than reinvent, both venue and band maintained a nostalgic core on top of which modern day elements were added.

This dynamic was particularly important for ART's showcase because of the incredibly vivid visual nature of their set. Each song guided the listener through a portfolio of cinematic scenes and personal memories. Speech tracks, waves of synth, looped sax harmonies, and an ewi (electronic wind instrument) all melded to create a meditative current evocative of coming-of-age films like The Outrun and Frances Ha. It felt as if we were swimming through a soup of sound in which it was easy to envision we were somewhere or someone else. Aksel (the lead) would flutter his sax keys atop a looped synth while August (percussion) dropped in sporadically in such a naturally haunting way that you couldn't help but feel like a film character lost in a contemplative montage of your life. In fact, the percussion was often reminiscent of foley art as August used every facet of the tools laid out in front of him- which expanded far beyond his drum kit. He even stood up at times to achieve a resonance which only a particular angle or stance could produce.

One particular illustration kept returning to mind throughout ART's set: the musicians’ own home country of Norway. As I previously mentioned, I attended Sommarljom as a volunteer last August- a small festival perched in the fjords featuring Norwegian artists spanning genres from Tamil folk rock to electronic ambient. I remember so vividly my first walk around the small town- the playlist of artists from the lineup in my headphones. As I wandered up and down the streets of Volda, the music seemed to speak directly to the solid and brooding mountains around me. Instinctively, I understood how this view might have inspired the musicians to write, or at least how it infused itself into their writing voice. As if the sacred beauty of this composition of river, valley, and mountain came to life through sound or, perhaps, was even worshiped by it.

Sommarljom 2025 main stage (those pretty pretty mountains ughhhh)

Sitting in Donau115, I again heard the translation of the Norwegian natural world into song. Sometimes obviously through what seemed to be traditional Norwegian folk chants played over the band's instrumentalism. Other times communicated more subtly via an indescribable mystery in their tone. ART’s performance proved my conviction not only in the Norwegian landscape's ability to inspire artistry, but also in the unique and deep connection Norwegian musicians have to this landscape. As though they somehow understand to their very core (without forcing or contriving) how to codify the existential visual experience of their home into an equally mystical auditory one.

Some very limited critiques arose for me during ART’s performance- namely that I wished the bassist had been featured more during the set. While percussion delivered many (incredible) solo moments, bass didn’t receive any prominent solo which was made quite obvious in a group of three.

To wrap up this lengthy review, analysis, vibe read or whatever you would call this blog post, the Aksel Rønning Trio is incredible and if you ever have the chance to see them live- go! Hearing them perform grew my appreciation for the flexibility of jazz (jazz is everything all at once!). ART delivered their own iteration of the genre while showcasing such high-level talent and training that their instruments became an extension of themselves. The music felt so innate that the audience easily understood the story they were telling without question. Improvised experimental play like this requires incredible confidence and skill to keep the listener “in it” and I was never once taken out. Evidently, the trio stayed “in it” as well, admitting they themselves felt put in a trance while playing.

Appropriately, they received a standing ovation and rowdy cheers for their performance (a rarity in Germany). To my Berlin-based readers- I also highly recommend a stop to Donau115 for some yummy ambiance and jazz discoveries. I will definitely be returning.

Links and Media

• Find the Aksel Rønning Trio on Socials: Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Bandcamp

• Now that you’ve read about my personal experience seeing ART live, check out the full live recording of their song “Storm Song”

• This song is also on my “Song Soup” playlist where I compile songs that feel like you’re swimming in soup. Check that out here: PLAYLISTS

• Lastly, if you’re interested in a visit to Donau115, first off, invite me. Second off, here’s their website for lineup info: Donau115