Sven-Åke Johansson

Sven-Åke Johansson (born 1943) is a Swedish percussionist, composer, and poet based in Berlin since the late 1960s. A central figure in the European free improvisation scene, he co-founded the Globe Unity Orchestra and has collaborated with Alexander von Schlippenbach, Peter Brötzmann, and Derek Bailey among many others. Alongside his free improvisation practice, he has developed a substantial body of textual and theatrical work, including happenings, poetry performances, and composed music that incorporates absurdist and Dadaist elements. His wide-ranging activity across six decades has made him one of the most distinctive and underappreciated figures in German experimental music.