In 2021, experimental accordion and cello duo EKKI MINNA approached composer Matthew Grouse and proposed a collaboration based on radical egalitarian working methods, where the roles of ‘performer’ and ‘composer’ were rejected in favour of a more equitable, collective practice. At the core of ‘We're Pleased To Meet Us’ is EKKI MINNA themselves, as different individuals and as two halves of a whole.

We're Pleased to Meet Us is an introspective narrative through elements of documentary footage of the collaborative process, musical commentary, electro-acoustic collage of voices, choreography, instrumentalised lighting and audience participation.

One of the pillars of the work consisted of recorded responses to questions they asked each other at the beginning of the process. The questions provoke a sometimes painful exploration of the parts of ourselves that we normally shy away from. These questions include: ‘What would be the scariest thing to reveal about yourself in front of an audience?’ and ‘What are the biggest challenges in working with your duo partner that you haven't discussed before?’

By bringing out the facets of a musician's life that are usually hidden from the public, we aim to address the pressure artists feel to present a glossy, outward-facing, one-sided portrayal of their career.

The premiere will take place at Xenon (Huset i Magstræde) in Copenhagen on 29 November 2025 as part of MINU_festival_for_expanded_music.

We're Pleased to Meet Us was awarded a residency at Inter Arts Centre in collaboration with the Danish Composers' Society. The project is supported by KODA Kultur.