Eric Arn

“Boundaries are meant to be crossed,” says Eric Arn. For decades, the guitarist has worked to dismantle the aesthetic divide between improvisation and composition. Originally rooted in the psychedelic and underground rock scenes, he first gained recognition through the bands Primordial Undermind and Crystalised Movements before turning his attention to free improvisation.

Today, his guitar playing often juxtaposes intricate fingerpicking passages with atonal or harmonically open structures, as well as sustained, drone-based fields of sound.

In the media, he has been described both as a “guitar wrestler” and as a “sailor trying to stay aboard despite stormy seas.” Both images point to a sense of struggle and challenge at the heart of his artistic practice. Arn confirms: “Sometimes I win, sometimes the guitar wins. But it is always interesting to see how it turns out. If I only tried to do things I already know or that I know exactly how they work, it wouldn’t be interesting. Trying things I’m not sure will work, things that are difficult—that is far more exciting.”