Bio

Starting out as a saxophone player and improvising musician, Espen's work and interests have grown to include music-making and production of various sorts, as heard on his solo albums Forgaflingspop and Nattsyntese. Featuring his own voice, lyrics, and programming, these albums reflect his desire to bring musical elements together to form an unusual blend.

Playing saxophone is still one of his main activities, and among current ensembles you will find Streifenjunko, Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, Cimota, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, and Christian Winther/Anja Lauvdal/Espen Reinertsen. His past and present collaborators include Jennifer Walshe, Sidsel Endresen, Sofia Jernberg, Jenny Hval, Toshimaru Nakamura, Tetuzi Akiyama, Keith Rowe, Cory Smythe, Kjell Bjørgeengen, and Kim Myhr, among others. His contributions can be heard on a wide range of labels, including ECM, Hubro, Sacred Bones, Sofa Music, SusannaSonata, Heilo and Moving Furniture.

He has recently composed music for several dance and performance art projects and has become a trusted producer, contributing behind the scenes on numerous albums. Over the years, he has received several awards, including SpareBank 1 SMN JazZtipendiat, De Unges Lindemanpris, Spellemannsprisen (Norwegian Grammy) with the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, and Trondheim Jazzfestival's Talentpris.