The Empty Mirror

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Cat No: EXLCD30228

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Release Date: 02 October 2026

Label: Exlibris

Packaging Type: Digipak

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 5705633302280

Genres: Jazz Contemporary

Description

With The Empty Mirror, acclaimed Danish pianist Carsten Dahl presents one of his most distilled recordings to date: twelve spontaneous solo piano improvisations captured in a single uninterrupted creative process on a Steinway D grand piano in the historic Radiohuset in Copenhagen, now home to the Royal Danish Academy of Music. The twelve-track album originated as part of recording engineer Jonas Eliyah Munch-Hansen's final project. Rather than placing Dahl in the controlled environment of a conventional studio, Hansen chose Studio 1 in the former Radiohuset, allowing the hall's remarkable acoustics and distinctive atmosphere to become an integral part of the music.
The concept was deliberately simple: Dahl would respond freely to a text of his own choosing, with no musical instructions beyond allowing the process to unfold. Throughout the album, the spacious resonance of the hall remains ever present, giving the listener the sensation of occupying the same room as the instrument. Upon entering the room and seeing the piano, Dahl simply began to play. There was no rehearsal and virtually no soundcheck. The recording captures music as it emerged, moment by moment. For Dahl, the project reflects a central artistic conviction: that music already exists before the performer reaches for it. The musician's task is not to impose ideas upon the music but to become sufficiently open for it to reveal itself.
This philosophy gave rise to both the recording and its title, The Empty Mirror, a metaphor for a state of presence in which intention gives way to listening.
Throughout a career spanning jazz, classical music and free improvisation, Carsten Dahl has established himself as one of Scandinavia's most distinctive musical voices. Celebrated for his extraordinary imagination, technical command and deeply personal approach to improvisation, he continues to challenge conventional ideas of composition and performance. The Empty Mirror strips his musical language to its essence, presenting an intimate document of artistic presence in its purest form.
Tracklisting