Etienne’s exploration of the snare drum highlights the diverse tonal and harmonic intricacies of the instrument, employing extended durations that emphasize gradual variations in texture and overtone complexity. Through a combination of traditional and extended techniques, he unveils an array of unexplored and unexpected sonic dimensions within the seemingly limited realm of the snare drum. By utilizing circular motions to explore different areas of the drumhead and deliberately varying the contact points, Etienne generates a diverse range of pitches, harmonics, and overtones in which a rhythmic macrostructure emerges.
His music, despite its minimalist approach, achieves a remarkable complexity of sound. Each meticulously crafted note and nuance demands undivided attention and concentration from both the performer and the listener, fostering a deep connection between the two. The act of listening becomes an integral part of the experience.
“The poet Anne Carson uses the word silence to describe the rich loam of untapped emotional material that lies just underneath the surface of our banal everyday lives. Examples of this silence appear in the white smears of paint disfiguring Francis Bacon’s best paintings. They surface when Pharaoh Sanders depletes his technique, an information-dense mixture of air, intent, and metal unleashing a pure version of silence. Silence peeks out from between the simplest lines of a Louise Glück poem. The solo music of Etienne Nillesen is filled with this kind of silence. He digs beneath the ordinariness of the drum to coax a hidden voice to the surface. Its never-ending sound presents us with an unearthed truth.” – Nate Wooley
“If Brötzmann, for example, had played with Etienne Nillesen, he would have experienced that someone half his age is doing something with percussion that is at least as revolutionary as what Han Bennink has done.” – Wolfgang Schmidtke (curator Brötz Festival)
Etienne is currently on the faculty of the ArtEZ Academy of Music in Arnhem (NLD), where he teaches improvisation and drums.
