Interview Knut Kvifte Nesheim

Norwegian drummer Knut Kvifte Nesheim unveils RESULTS, his daring solo debut. Across fragmented, tactile improvisations, he redefines the drum kit as a full voice—balancing structure, spontaneity, and sonic exploration.

1. RESULTS marks your debut as a solo artist. What motivated you to release a purely drum-focused record as your first statement?

I always enjoyed playing the drums alone, and for a couple of years I had developed a repertoire from doing solo concerts, which I wanted to turn into an album.

2. The album was recorded over just two days in your home in Oslo. How did that intimate and time-constrained environment shape the sound and energy of the album?

We had to short sessions over two days, where I tried to cover the whole range of how I was improvising on the drums at that time. It was very much doing and not so much thinking, which was great for me since the thinking part usually slows down the process for me. 

3. Many people still see drums primarily as a supporting instrument. What do you want listeners to discover when they encounter drums as the sole voice on this record?

I hope people discover that drums and cymbals can make a lot more different sounds than you think, and many of them are quite beautiful.

4. The pieces range from 1 to 5 minutes, almost like fragmented sketches. Was this brevity intentional, and what do you feel it adds to the listening experience?

It was actually not that intentional. Every track was improvised, and unless I was particulary dissatisfied with the previous take, I would always try to start with a new idea, new sound combination etc. Then I would explore for a duration until I felt that idea was finished. And this made the pieces maximum 5 minutes long.

5. You describe your playing as moving between “wonky rhythmic play” and “complex multi-layered sound worlds.” Can you share how you balance spontaneity and structure in your solos?

Structures can be very inspiring to play with, and I think my task as an performer on quite an abstract instrument in a solo setting, is to give the audience structures to cling on to and understand. This can be a rhythmic idea, a certain playing technique, or a certain combination of sounds. It is after a structure is established that I can communicate with the audience through playing with the structure; I alter it, repeat it, contrast it with another idea etc. And this process is very much about spontaneity and listening to what I’m doing, and much less about thinking about what I’m doing.

6. Drum kit solo albums are rare. Were there particular artists or recordings that inspired you to carve out your own space in this under-saturated field?

Absolutely! Han Bennink, Paal NIlsson-Love Ingar Zach, and Dag Erik Knedal Andersen are four fantastic drummers that have made solo albums which are spectacular pieces of music! And I would like to mention my fellow percussion collaborator Great Eacott who inspired me to push my own boundaries as a drummer.

7. The production team included Tellef Kvifte and Magdalena Piotrowska. How did their contributions in recording, mixing, and mastering help bring out the subtleties of your playing?

Tellef Kvifte was the recording engineer and we also produced and mixed the album together. It was great having an extra set of ears which I trust a lot, and even though this was quite abstract music, it was surprisingly clear to us what was best takes, what the mix needed and so on. Magdalena was not only the great safety net that made sure it would sound great both digital and on vinyl, but she took our homemade mix and truly elevated the music for me.

8. Tactility and sensitivity seem central to your drumming approach. How do you translate the physical feel of playing into something the listener can truly sense?

Good question. Even though most people don’t play drums, everyone knows how to hit an hammer, or stroke someones hair or harm, and in one way, that is exactly what I do on the drums.

9. Do you see RESULTS more as a documentation of your practice and experimentation, or as a standalone artistic statement meant to challenge the listener?

It is both, and I can no longer see how one of them end and the other starts.

10. How does your Norwegian musical background, and perhaps even Oslo’s creative environment, influence your style and exploration on the kit?

We have had a lot of great drummers in Norway and I have definitely been a very inspired by how many of them have been exploring and expanding the sound palette on both drums and cymbals.

11. The cover design and visuals are minimalistic yet striking. How important was the visual presentation in representing the music’s fragmented and spacious qualities?

I think the visual presentation is very important, and at the same times something which is fun to play with. The cover is a picture of my drinking bottle at the time, which had some tacky slogans on it, and all the horisontal words would make the vertical word «RESULTS». And this happened to fit how I thought about the project. It was mostly about recording improvised drum solos and this happened to be the results.

12. Looking forward, do you envision continuing with solo drum explorations, or do you see RESULTS as a stepping stone toward collaborations and new formats?

I love collaborating with others and writing music for a couple of different projects, and I learned a lot from the process of «RESULTS» which I’m bringing to these projects. I’m am however working on making a sequel which is not fully recorded yet. This time working on combining sounds of the drums and cymbals with electronic sounds. We will see how it goes!

Knut Kvifte Nesheim