biography

Bardo State tells the story like you have never heard it before. Their debut album ‘Mariposa' beholds a rare synthesis of classical & pop, an exquisite intersection between ambient & opera. Bardo State is a world filled with emotional compositions and passionate arrangements.

 

The duo of Frank Wijn and Dorian Broekhuyse have been immersed in classical music since their younger days. Frank is the son of a famous Dutch concert pianist, while Dorian is a conservatory graduate with a background in dance music production. Raised on musical influences such as Satie, Ravel & Saint Saëns, the Dutch twosome are also inspired by contemporary composers like Arvo Pärt and Philip Glass, and founded Bardo State in 2003, with a desire to make classical music more accessible.

 

As a whole, ‘Mariposa' reflects the untouchable space between chill & classical. An atmosphere that delicately fuses soulful melodies with modern electronica, effortlessly crosses hypnotic vocals with acoustic strings, timeless soundscapes and dreamy epic grooves. The luscious orchestral songs are perfectly complemented by a hand-picked stable of collaborators including Belgian chanteuse Jo Lemaire, Rebecca Lobry, Carmen van den Brakel and former The Streets collaborator and vocalist Kevin Mark Trail.

 

The album opens with the boys own take on traditional Columbian music – the plaintive vocals of title track ‘Mariposa' - before the piano backed soul of ‘I Feel You' leads into ‘The Jezebel Spirit', a haunting two minutes dominated by strings. The epic, soundscapey feel to Bardo State's sound continues to be evident across the album and has led to numerous compilation and film score requests, as well ‘Sospiro' opening Volume 9 of the Buddha Bar compilation series.

 

Wijn and Broekhuyse are set to take listeners on a journey fuelled by equal parts of mystery and inspiration.