Blue Lake [DK] + Akusmi [UK]
Tonal Union label showcase
Danish calm and London energy: Spectaculare presents a music showcase by Tonal Union
Spectaculare adds another evening for true music connoisseurs to its spring program. On March 11, Prague’s Palác Akropolis will transform into a laboratory of sound and emotion. The British label Tonal Union—founded out of a desire to blur the lines between genres—will bring together Blue Lake and Akusmi, two artists whose work unfolds like colorful maps of moods, merging the stillness of Danish landscapes with the pulse of London. Their music resists categorization; it offers space for listeners to wander freely between ambient, jazz, and unexpected sonic shapes.
Blue Lake, the project of American-born, Copenhagen-based musician Jason Dungan, reflects a life shaped by movement. Having lived in various corners of the world before settling in Denmark, Dungan channels this diversity into sound. His compositions weave together elements of ambient, Americana, German kosmische, and the Nordic folk tradition of his family roots. His breakthrough album Sun Arcs—written in a cabin deep in the Swedish woods—earned the coveted Best New Music distinction from Pitchfork.
His latest record, The Animal, expands Blue Lake into a full-band setting, featuring bass, cello, clarinet, and viola. It marks his most ambitious and colorful project to date—an exploration of human connection and our place within nature. “I’m fascinated by the idea of seeing humans as part of nature, not separate from it,” Dungan says. “The Animal captures human life as if it were the life of moss or a cow.” Released in October, the album perfectly fits the vibrant Copenhagen scene alongside artists like Astrid Sonne, ML Buch, and Clarissa Connelly.
Behind the alias Akusmi stands London-based musician Pascal Bideau, whose work journeys through the worlds of minimalism, cosmic jazz, gamelan, and Fourth World aesthetics. He debuted on Tonal Union in 2022 with the album Fleeting Future, followed by the acclaimed 2023 EP Lines.
Akusmi describes his music as “a dam of optimism in the face of the unknown and infinite possibilities.” On Lines, layers of alto saxophone, clarinet, piano, and intricate percussion—performed and recorded entirely by Bideau in his London studio—intertwine to form an emotional and immersive listening experience. His sound perfectly embodies the cross-genre spirit of Tonal Union, whose showcase will take place on March 11 at Palác Akropolis as part of the Spectaculare series.
