Mike Sheridan (born October 25th, 1991) has been a part of the Copenhagen electronic musicscene since the mid 00’s. He entered the scene, barely in his teens, with his landmark debut album I Syv Sind (In Two Minds, 2008). Sheridan traced an ambient and dreamy approach, and with limited tools at hand, he constructed a teenage masterwork that few could have predicted. Among the first in his generation, Mike Sheridan launched his career to high acclaim, effectively crossing over to mainstream audiences.
A shift in tone occurred for Sheridan in 2010 when he stumbled on the mysterious French Cristal Baschet; a sound sculpture, invented as an acoustic complement to the 50’s electronic Musique concrète and later formed as its own instrument by its inventors, the French Baschet brothers. He immediately embarked on an intense study of the instrument eventually becoming one of only a handful of individuals in the world who can call themselves a Cristalist.
Shortly after finishing his second album Ved Første Øjekast (At First Sight, 2012), Mike was introduced to the Danish master trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg - famous for his Grammy awarded composition Aura, performed by Miles Davis in 1985 and his numerous recordings on ECM. Despite being born 50 years apart, the two musicians struck a profound friendship and stage camaraderie. This became formative for Sheridan, who developed his Cristal playing style from improvising and collaborating with Mikkelborg.
Onwards from 2015, Sheridan’s turned to almost exclusively working on commission, composing for theatre, radio-drama, and performing as a musician / collaborator. Film and theatre proved to be an exciting challenge for Sheridan who consequently had begun to re-orientate himself and his processes.
A shift in tone occurred for Sheridan in 2010 when he stumbled on the mysterious French Cristal Baschet; a sound sculpture, invented as an acoustic complement to the 50’s electronic Musique concrète and later formed as its own instrument by its inventors, the French Baschet brothers. He immediately embarked on an intense study of the instrument eventually becoming one of only a handful of individuals in the world who can call themselves a Cristalist.
Shortly after finishing his second album Ved Første Øjekast (At First Sight, 2012), Mike was introduced to the Danish master trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg - famous for his Grammy awarded composition Aura, performed by Miles Davis in 1985 and his numerous recordings on ECM. Despite being born 50 years apart, the two musicians struck a profound friendship and stage camaraderie. This became formative for Sheridan, who developed his Cristal playing style from improvising and collaborating with Mikkelborg.
Onwards from 2015, Sheridan’s turned to almost exclusively working on commission, composing for theatre, radio-drama, and performing as a musician / collaborator. Film and theatre proved to be an exciting challenge for Sheridan who consequently had begun to re-orientate himself and his processes.
For Mike Day’s 2016 documentary feature-debut The Islands and The Whales, Mike was recommended by composer colleague Jóhann Jóhannsson (1969-2018), as a contributor for the score and Australian composer Anthony Partos and Mike Sheridan jointly scored the film. The Islands and The Whales was Emmy nominated in 2018.
In 2017 director of The Hamlet Scene, Lars Roman-Engel, comissioned Mike to score Shakespeare’s Hamlet at Kronborg Castle in Elsinore. Sheridan developed and fine-tuned his stage-scoring technique for a year, specifically for the play. The two collaborated again on The Hamlet Scene’s 2019 production of Richard III.
In 2021 Mike received his first Danish Academy Award nomination as a score composer, for his work on Persona Non Grata (2021). The feature film, directed by the debuting talent Lisa Jespersen, had a great reception with audience and the critiques, making it one of the most seen and best reviewed films of the year. The film won the prestigious Film of the Year at the 2022 Danish Academy Awards, placing it amongst notable titles such as The Celebration (Thomas Vinterberg) and Antichrist (Lars von Trier).
Recent projects includes featuring on techno giant KÔLSCH’s album Isopolis (2021) and performances in Nicolai Howalt’s exhibhition A Journey: The Near Future at Gallery Martin Asbæk (2022).
In 2017 director of The Hamlet Scene, Lars Roman-Engel, comissioned Mike to score Shakespeare’s Hamlet at Kronborg Castle in Elsinore. Sheridan developed and fine-tuned his stage-scoring technique for a year, specifically for the play. The two collaborated again on The Hamlet Scene’s 2019 production of Richard III.
In 2021 Mike received his first Danish Academy Award nomination as a score composer, for his work on Persona Non Grata (2021). The feature film, directed by the debuting talent Lisa Jespersen, had a great reception with audience and the critiques, making it one of the most seen and best reviewed films of the year. The film won the prestigious Film of the Year at the 2022 Danish Academy Awards, placing it amongst notable titles such as The Celebration (Thomas Vinterberg) and Antichrist (Lars von Trier).
Recent projects includes featuring on techno giant KÔLSCH’s album Isopolis (2021) and performances in Nicolai Howalt’s exhibhition A Journey: The Near Future at Gallery Martin Asbæk (2022).
PORTRAIT: ANDRÈ HANSEN, 2023