frise lumière

frise lumière is the sonic research and creation project of artist and composer Ludovic Gerst.

At the intersection of performing arts and avant-garde, jazz, minimalist and experimental music, his work is built around a defining constraint: the exclusive use of the electric bass. Diverted from its traditional role, the instrument becomes at once a sound source, a resonant body, and a tool for spatialization — a self-contained sonic system capable of generating rhythmic patterns, harmonic layers, and percussive textures simultaneously.

Following early collaborations with contemporary dance, visual arts, and textile design, his practice has evolved toward a focused solo exploration of raw sonic material. Through extended playing techniques, subtle frequencies and micro-variations emerge, interacting with the acoustic properties of each space. Sound is treated here as a physical and spatial phenomenon — not a backdrop, but an active presence.

Each performance becomes an immersive encounter: sound not merely produced, but shaped, projected, and left to inhabit the architecture around it.

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“An initiatory or even metaphysical journey…” JazzMania — Belgium

“What poetry is for Llansol, the bass is for Gerst: he plays it percussively, almost like a gamelan, placing it on his lap to coax out sounds and rhythms using brushes and drumsticks.” (page74)
Bad Alchemy — Germany

“Perched atop a stool in almost complete darkness, conjuring a hypnotic monosyllabic rumble, Gerst evoked the image of a wizard both in stance and sound.”
Epigram — UK (Live at Strange Brew, Bristol)

Also aired on BBC 6 (UK), Klassikaraadio (EE), Resonance FM (UK), WMNF (US) … Full press list →

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Info

booking & press enquiries : info@friselumiere.com

frise lumière • instagram

Videos ₍₃₎

Frise Lumière | Jeziorko || Ambo

Frise Lumière | Rivière || Ambo

Frise Lumière | Abscondre || Bisou Genou

Discography ₍₅₎

Press ₍₁₃₎

"Vibração Corporal" selected for The Wire Tapper 66. The Wire — UK

Aired on BBC 6 Music - Stuart Maconie's Freak ZoneBBC 6 — UK

"Mission accomplished." • October 2024 print edition (Page 72)Blow Up Magazine — Italy (Print)

“What poetry is for Llansol, the bass is for Gerst: he plays it percussively, almost like a gamelan, placing it on his lap to coax out sounds and rhythms using brushes and drumsticks.” (Page 74) Bad Alchemy — Germany (Print)

Aired on Resonance FM — Rockfort, October 2024.Resonance FM — UK

Aired on Radio Alhara — March 2025Radio Alhara — Palestine

Aired on Klassikaraadio — FantaasiaKlassikaraadio — Estonia

"An initiatory or even metaphysical journey…" JazzMania — Belgium

"The variations in sound and their peculiar resonances is quite extraordinary, with each track imbuing different sensations"Freq — UK

"The composer in Gerst clearly took the lead here and what we hear is wonderfully beautiful, somewhere between jazz, minimalism and avant-garde, without sounding bombastic."Luminous Dash — Belgium

"The music of this atypical one-man band literally obsesses me and not two days go by without me returning to it with an avidity that surprises even me" Exit Musik — France

" At its core, Ambo is a deeply organic album. The music feels as though it’s grown from the earth itself, with the bass acting as a conduit between the natural world and the listener." Thoughts Words Action — Serbia