Swedish composer Folke Rabe dies aged 81

The artist was known for his 1967 drone album What??

Swedish composer and trombonist Folke Rabe sadly passed away on 25 September. The news comes via Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Radio.

Born in Stockholm in 1935, Rabe studied at the Royal College of Music, and first became a jazz musician and trombonist in the 50s. Later, he became an avant-garde composer with a deep interest “in the makeup of various sound phenomena”. Rabe is best known for his electronic drone masterpiece What??, which was constructed from harmonic sounds. In the liner notes, Rabe spoke of attempting “to hear ‘into’ the different sounds in order to grasp the components that made them up”.

In the 70s, he worked in various positions for the lnstitute for National Concerts. One of his most widely played works is his piece Rondes. Later, in the 80s, he became the editor and programme manager of the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation.