Navigating the Sonic Labyrinth: The Multifaceted Journey of a Swedish Soundscape Artist

From Distorted Guitars to Experimental Echoes

Born in the chilly landscapes of Umeå, Sweden in 1985 Mattias Lagerkvist aka Murkla had his earliest musical experiences in Luleå, Sweden deeply rooted in the distortion-drenched sounds of the local scene during the mid-90s. The influence of seminal bands like Refused, along with the gritty textures of Breach and Fireside, provided a foundational sonic palette. This era also marked the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the guitar, guided by the riffs of Metallica. Transitioning into production, Mattias ventured into hip-hop beat making with Cakewalk by 1999, showcasing an early versatility and a knack for blending diverse musical styles.

The Evolution of a Soundscapist

The turn of the millennium brought a pivotal shift in musical direction, sparked by an encounter with Tool's "Undertow." This discovery set off a chain reaction, leading to an immersion into the avant-garde world of ‘Captain Beefheart’, and eventually to the groundbreaking German experimentalists ‘Can’. These influences, along with a deep dive into the realms of 60s drone, 70s German Krautrock, and the pioneering electronic sounds of Aphex Twin and Harmonia, shaped Murkla’s unique sound. Despite a period of experimentation that included stints of living abroad and exploring different musical expressions, his work under the Terrorific Rekords label, and projects like Cosmic Letters and Ekolali, underscored a relentless pursuit of a distinct auditory vision.

"Leviata" - A Deep Dive into Uncharted Waters

"Leviata," conceptualized in April 2023 after concluding work on two Ekolali projects, represents the culmination of decades of sonic exploration and experimentation. This latest work is a testament to murkla’s journey through various genres and eras, merging distorted guitars with the intricate textures of experimental rock and electronic music. The album weaves together the threads of Lagerkvist’s vast influences, from the gritty energy of Refused to the experimental ethos of Can, creating a soundscape that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. With tracks that oscillate between the dense, layered complexities of drone and the delicate nuances of ambient soundscapes, "Leviata" invites listeners on a journey through the artist's rich musical heritage and into the realms of his innovative future visions.

Support the album over on Bandcamp

Nancy Mounir's debut work conjures the spirits of great Egyptian composers

Tracks of dialogue with ghosts summoned by a composer who inherits traditional Egyptian music, where the past and the present intersect.

Based in Cairo, Egypt, Nancy Mounir is a composer and multi-instrumentalist well versed in violin, piano, basse, theremin and the traditional Egyptian reed flute Kawara. She also has a unique musical background which saw her as a member of the metal band Massive Scar Era in the past. She helps to modernize the traditional techniques of Arabic music gained through research on Egyptian singers from the 1920s and their musical life.

Her debut album, Nozhet El Nofous, means "Promenade of the Souls" in Arabic and brings the passion of Egyptian singers (she calls them "ghosts") who were active in the early 20th century to the present day.

For example, the song "Khafif Khafif" recorded in this work uses the archive recording of Saleh Abdel Hay, who was famous at that time. The recording, which sounds like a magical prayer of a ghost, has been reconstructed with a modern ambient arrangement. The rough sound quality like a frayed tape makes her feel the rebellion, open air and heat of that time as if she were traveling in time. Also, this unique emotional sound, which uses a sub-scale tune called "Makam", which is often used in Arabic music, may not be familiar to listeners who are accustomed to Western music tunes at first. But once you get used to it, you might just feel the slow pull of this graceful and fantastic world. Encounters with Egypt's past souls will give you new musical experiences and inspiration you’ve never experienced before. 

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Drums exceed the status quo in Popp’s new album

German Drummer Popp creates a bold statement in his latest album

Devi is the second album by German drummer Simon Popp. An engineer as well as a drummer, Popp has an undergraduate and graduate degree in jazz drums from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. With a unique approach to contemporary drumming, Simon has subsequently collaborated with artists and producers across genres, with captivating live sessions. His resounding and distinctive drumming caries his music to an admirable level of complexity.

Previously, his first solo album Laya was released in 2019 and was a percussive take on third stream minimalism, using ambient themes. This year he released singles ‘Holort’ and ‘Pingo’ which feature on his latest release, and last year he put out EPs Gahu Dub/Baixo featuring Fazer—one of his collaboration projects, preceded by the single ‘Lilac’ in 2019. In addition to his solo career, Popp tours with his other collaborative projects Fazer, 9ms, Abstand, and Runden. 9ms released Pleats earlier this year, with more of a lo-fi sound, and in 2020 Runden released an eponymous album with a percussive and jazzy feel.

Devi is an eight-track-album with a bold, idiosyncratic, and versatile drumming. Able to capture moments that are both uplifting as well as ominous, the album works as a self-reflection for Popp, representing the deeply honest and personal high and low times in his life. The exceptional skill in the drumming on this album reveals his passion for complexity, polyrhythm, and using recording techniques like heavy limiting and pitch-shifting. Popp’s command over the drums reveals the true potential, stretch, and range of what drum music can sound like today.

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Analog synthesizers unite the vibrations between mathematics and composing

The latest release from Daniele Sciolla represents his turn away from musical norms

Spin of Synth is the latest EP from Italian musician Daniele Sciolla. An artist across disciplines, Sciolla’s educational background includes the Turin Italian Jazz Academy, the Conservatory of Music “GF Ghedini,” and the mathematics department at University of Turin. With a style described as ‘ironic and polished,’ Sciolla uses synthesizers as a vessel to combine classical music studies, composition, and mathematics—the organizing principle at the base of his work that allows him to create perceptions of different speeds and times.

Daniele Sciolla’s solo album Miniature Per Sintetizzatore was released in 2018, and in addition he has numerous EPs and singles to his name including: Varietà, Sinthesi, Wns, Carezze, Fs, Get Alone, Please, S.T.N.D.B.M., and Old Room. Until now, his most recent release in 2020 was an EP entitled Synth Carvial, a fast-paced, high-intensity collection of tracks that utilized tens of analog synthesizers. Comprised of algorithms, formulas, and mathematical calculations, Synth Carnival provides a window into Sciolla’s process and the foundations for his newest EP.

Spin of Synth employs Sciolla’s signature use of numerous synthesizers to create a chorus of sounds. His sensibility proves that he takes no noise for granted in his composing, and when it comes to live performances, he is known to incorporate well-considered visual elements whether they be lighting or created components. This release proves no different—one track on the EP, ‘Jupiter’ highlights the endless timbre variations that occur between the analog machines. From a single catalyst, Sciolla is able to create myriad results that he layers and crushes in a surrounding sound. The track symbolizes a path away from musical norms for the artist and is accompanied by a video that has buildings collapsing and re-emerging in coordination with the sounds. The other four tracks featured in Spin of Synth equally dive into the mathematic cornerstones of music production through Sciolla’s mastery of analog synthesizers.

Support the release on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify

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Audio of the Urban with Sweden's Victor Öberg

Victor Öberg is an urban planner and musician residing in the southern most part of Sweden. His music goes hand in hand with his research, and focuses heavily on interpreting urban issues mainly concerning urban alienation and identity creation of both people and place in urban society.

Utilizing an array of hardware effects and modular synths, Victor designs and configures sonic environments to reflect these urban issues. His Instagram features a variety of dawless jams and sketches pleasing to both the audio and visual palette. Today’s track ‘Insula’ serves as a progression from these shorter jams into what will be Victor’s first solo album set to release later this year.

Insula features a minimal landscape of plucked arpeggiation, undulating clouds of noise, and rich resonant harmonies. A kind of playful utilitarianism permeates throughout the track, which really shows Öberg’s concept coming into fruition. ”The song itself is a brief sketch of the insula as a building type; part home part business. A concept that has shaped the way we think of city centers throughout history."

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From Toronto to the Far North with Alaskan Tapes

Track 1 of The Ocean No Longer Wants Us.

What do the expanses of Alaska and Toronto ambient producer Brady Kendall have in common? Well aside from the obvious namesake (Alaskan Tapes) there is certain feeling of calmness one gets surrounded by nature out in the great wilderness. This same tranquility can be found in Kendall’s ambient pieces, often incorporating field recordings, piano, and elements of peacefulness.

Kendall describes the opening track from his most recent release.
”Untitled #1 is apart of my new 4 Track EP entitled "The Ocean No Longer Wants Us", it's a long drone track, that incorporates subtle melody through piano, and other instruments run through Granular synths.” 

Untitled #1 strikes a delicate balance between melody, texture and depth. Soft and gradual ambiance rises and falls, accented by floaty touches of piano, contrasting coarseness of field recordings, and a final touch of nostalgia.

Support ‘The Ocean No Longer Wants Us’ on Bandcamp

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'Humanity at a crossroads' with Deru's new album- Torn in Two

Second single from Deru's album, Torn In Two, out now on Friends of Friends. (WATCH IN 4K - USE CHROME ON MAC).

One part cutting edge digital art project and one part snapshot of a dystopian future, Emmy award winning film composer and music producer - Benjamin Wynn, aka Deru, puts forth some his most poignant work to date with his new album ‘Torn in Two'.’

With a rich musical background, Wynn has taken his years of technical and musical experience and boiled them down into this 9 track concept album, bringing some of humanity’s most pressing challenges to the forefront and dissecting them with laser sharp sound design and texture rich productions.

There are delicate moments, tumultuous times, and walls of sound powerful enough to disassemble your physical self. Ultimately this is a concept album on the human condition, our vulnerability, strength and uncertain future. What would Earth be like without humans at all?

Attempting to tackle such large, philosophical questions in a coherent form of presentable art is a monumental task to say the least, luckily Wynn had some help in bringing these concepts to life. Take our video above for example, ‘Refuge’ is the 2nd track off the album and in many ways the counterweight to the bone-crushing opening track ‘Torn in Two’. With billowing acoustic elements and slow, cinematic builds of white noise, the audio syncs perfectly with the monochrome and desolate visual landscape.

The film is directed and edited by Wynn himself, in collaboration with Bryan Konietzko, the animator and director best known for Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, who provided the concept, art direction and digital sculpting. Longtime collaborator EFFIXX provided visual effects, 3D rendering, and artwork design. Tim Navis supplied the tintype photographic plates used as backdrops and cover art, and Xander Smith served as 3D Sculpting Assistance.

’Torn in Two’ is available via LA imprint Friends of Friends.
Grab it on limited edition translucent splatter double vinyl with gatefold or digitally over on Bandcamp

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Monochrome drone from Ukraine's Kuvallini

Kuvallini grew up between the factories and gates, on the frozen tundra of Siberia. He spent years travelling through places, reflecting on his own wandering path in life. These experiences have been boiled down into his own tunes which contain a neoclassical vibe, oscillating noise and swinging broken beats.

His new track ‘Exaltation’ happened from spontaneous improvisation with a piano and an old-fashioned Russian synthesizer called the ‘Lyra’ which mainly oscillates unpredictable noise and rhythm patterns. Everything was then processed through a vintage analog stereo spring reverb, the Korg GR-1. 

As Kuvallini explains: “most of the pads were recorded in reverse and added to the compressed piano with full wet reverb. The sweeping noise is just from a pedal called ‘Drone Thing’ by Electro-Faustus, which then went through a Vox wah controlled by my foot.” 

Giving ‘Exaltation’ a closer listen and a bit of patience leads to great rewards for the listener. At just over 8 minutes long the track really finds it’s stride after a few minutes in and unfolds into a moody atmosphere of film noir and dark brooding drones. Off kilter percussion gives the track a slightly dizzying feel as layers of noise encircle the cloud of sound.

Hear more deep and desolate drone from Kuvallini on the following platforms:
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Experimental electronica from Toronto's Fried Dough

Brume Fried Dough Be sure to like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/frieddoughdiet/ And follow us on Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/frieddoughdiet

Fried Dough is an electronic psych band that blends dark trip hop grooves and spacey ambient textures with elements of experimental music and IDM. While working on commercial music projects at an ad agency in Toronto, Canada, Andrew Cariboni and Aaron Gaistman became friends over a shared love for independent electronic producers and psych-tinged jam bands. The two formed 'Fried dough' as a vehicle for their creative output and friend Nolan Bouvier later joined the band in 2016. 

With a strong history of eclectic indie music, including Broken Social Scene, Caribou, Metric, and Death from Above 1979, Toronto is no stranger to bands that blur the lines between genres and styles. Fried Dough not only sees the groups various members playing a wide range of instruments, but also producing a full spectrum of tracks from pink floyd esque flowing psychedelia to texture-rich cutting edge electronic music. 

The latter best describes the groups most recent track 'Brume' which is a brief yet powerful two and a half minutes of brain twisting idm and swelling analog synths. Despite the apocalyptic overtones the track ultimately concludes with a sense of resolve and optimism. 

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