Mats Gustafsson

The Profile

Mats Gustafsson is a Swedish saxophonist and composer prominent in free jazz and free improvisation. He has led projects such as The Thing and Fire! Orchestra and collaborated with artists including Sonic Youth, The Ex, Zu, Jim O'Rourke, and the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet.

Reviews depict him as a highly respected free-jazz saxophonist. “This Is From the Mouth” is presented as an 18-minute composition tied to a theatrical project and recorded with David Sandstrom and Andreas Werliin, emphasizing droning, post-industrial textures with kraut/space influences. Publicly, Gustafsson is known for extensive collaborations (Sonic Youth, The Ex, Zu, Jim O'Rourke) and leadership in Scandinavian free jazz via groups like The Thing and Fire!/Fire! Orchestra.

Two reviews frame Mats Gustafsson as a respected Swedish free-jazz saxophonist pushing harsh, droning and experimental terrains. “This Is From the Mouth” is described as an 18-minute theatrical adaptation steeped in post-industrial ambiance and kraut/space influences. The split with Paolo Angeli contrasts noisy deconstruction with narrative guitar explorations. Overall sentiment is challenging, admirative in parts but largely critical.