Dirk Bruinsma [saxophones, bass guitar, electronics, percussion and composition] is a musician and composer who has been active in the Dutch and international music circuit for about 35 years. Apart from some composition and piano lessons, Dirk is self taught on all of the instruments he plays.
Since 1987 onwards he has been active both playing and writing for and recording with groups such as Blast, Sumbur, Otolithen, N-collective (groups: Office-R, DBO and N-ensemble), Brown vs Brown, the Tetzepi bigtet, Pumporgan and has produced more than twenty CD titles on labels including Recommended Records, Cuneiform Records, Lampse, and Organic records.
Bruinsma has performed at jazz, experimental and New Music venues and festivals worldwide. Some of the international festivals he’s performed at include November Music, The North Sea Jazz Festival, Gaudeamus, MIMI France, FIMAV Victoriaville, The Kitchen New York, Yokohama Jazz, Batie Genève, Borealis Norway, Transmediale Berlin and others.
He has made works with and for theatre groups, dancers, and multi-media projects in several countries. As a improvising musician, he has worked in projects with musicians such as Fred Frith, Barry Guy, Louis Sclavis, Elliott Sharp and Jaap Blonk.
He is currently active with his group Pumporgan, the composers collective Monotak from Amsterdam and in a duo with video artist/VJ Marit Shalem. With Shalem and percussionist Christian Smith, Bruinsma realized the project 'Tribolumina' for self-built percussion instruments, electronics and live video in 2023.
Dirk Bruinsma describes the genesis of Low Reliefs:
“The works on this record were initially intended for collaborations with other musicians over the course of 2015-2019. The ‘Bassconstruct 1-5’ were written for an open line up of low pitched instruments and has been performed several times in different constellations. I recently realized that working with a more electric/electronic approach gives these pieces an additional quality. And so I made it a solo work for bass guitar, synthesizer and midi generated sounds.
In 2015 I wrote the piece ’Scala Vertigini’ for the ensemble Modelo62 from The Hague, The Netherlands. Due to a very short preparation period for the live performances, I was unsatisfied with the performances. Therefore I decided on treating the material in a similar way as the Bassconstruct pieces, using in addition to the bass guitar, midi generated sounds to replace some of the acoustic instruments of flute, clarinet, strings and guitar.
The piece ‘Frozt’ has been written for a band that after two live performances saw the COVID crisis cut its life short. Hence treating it in a similar way as the rest of this record.
Recent technical means give me the wonderful chance to act as a musician, producer and technician simultaneously.”
Low Reliefs press release
