Led by saxophonist Niels Oldin and guitarist Jakob Frandsen, the duo first met at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague in 1996. Over the decades that followed, their lives and careers repeatedly intersected: returning to Denmark, teaching at the same folk high school on the island of Ærø, sharing an apartment in Copenhagen, and later leaving the city around the same time to settle elsewhere with their families. That shared history has gradually distilled into a musical language marked by warmth, playfulness, and an unusually natural sense of dialogue.

Fabelagtige Forviklinger draws inspiration from bossa nova, tango, and Latin American rhythmic traditions, filtered through a Nordic sense of space and lyricism. These are instrumental songs where guitar and saxophone unfold patiently in conversation, with improvisation emerging organically rather than as virtuosic display. Melody remains the focal point, treated as something living and flexible rather than fixed.

The album was recorded by the sea at producer John Formsgaard’s studio on the Danish island of Møn, with all musicians playing together in the same room. Joined by Torben Westergaard on bass and Victor Dybbroe on percussion, the four musicians focused on deep listening, few takes, and a songwriting-led approach to ensemble playing. The use of bass clarinet on several tracks adds a darker, more contemplative colour to the overall sound.

Rooted in jazz tradition without leaning on nostalgia, Fabelagtige Forviklinger presents a modern, understated expression shaped by years of shared experience. Themes are allowed to linger, rhythms breathe, and textures shift gently, creating music that feels cohesive without rigidity and intimate without being insular.

With Fabelagtige Forviklinger, Oldin and Frandsen present a quietly assured album that reflects both their individual voices and the shared musical language they’ve developed over more than twenty years – melodic, thoughtful, and grounded in the pleasure of making music together.