“One listens, like we listen to a soundtrack of a musical journey in a dark Scandinave”
1 Mod Lindisfarne /Towards Lindisfarne 5:17
2 Sejlende gennem dybe dale /Sailing through deep valleys 4:08
3 I krig /In war 1:37
4 Slaget som varede evigt /The battle that lasted eternally 9:36
5 Sværdet /The sword 2:35
6 Stormende mod fjenden /Storming towards the enemy 4:53
7 Tårnets krigere /The warriors of the tower 4:29
8 Nattefrost /Night frost 2:02
9 Mit hedenske blod /My pagan blood 5:28
10 Vintersolhverv /Winter solstice 4:57
(CD-R 45:09) (V.F.)
(EM, Ambient, movie themes)
Nattefrost dazzled the small world of electronic music (EM) of the Berlin School style with the release of his very colorful Absorbed In Dreams And Yearning. Since then, his first works have resurfaced, and we discover an artist who loves particular atmospheres. DE SOM SEJREDE, meaning; Those who have been victorious, is a very Scandinavian CD. A little like a fable or a legend of the Nordic countries, Nattefrost draws a musical story with astonishing orchestral arrangements which gives to the music a cinematographic tint. I think in particular of I Krig, which reminds the era of the Vikings, of Sværdet, where the Scandinavian synthesist shows his ability to style a minimalist line, and of the title Nattefrost. There is also a very dark side, even gloomy at times. It sounds like a soundtrack of a medieval movie where monstrous spirits made a pact with the witches of Salem.
Mod Lindisfarne starts the ball rolling with a heavy and dark sequence that floats on an intense minimalist rhythm. The synth extends its layers and becomes superbly enveloping with its very intriguing spectral choirs. Heavy and slow, the rhythm of Sejlende gennem dybe dale moves on pounding percussions. It's a bit like the drums you hear in the movies to stimulate the rowers on the old galleys. The synth is extremely invasive. Slaget som varede evigt is the longest track here. A well-rounded sequenced chord hops along a musical route that is familiar to us. We hear the first remnants of the opening track of Absorbed In Dreams And Yearning; The Battle that lasted Eternally. Here the movement is slower and is enveloped by bewitching synth layers, adding a touch of sensuality. Stormende mod fjenden takes the path of the Phantom of the Opera with its big church organ and its pounding percussions. An organ that we also find on the hammering Mit hedenske blod. Tårnets krigere has a much more serene approach. The notes are clear and nervous. They fly with constancy, creating an echo effect. A bit like Philip Glass' piano works. Vintersolhverv concludes on a more ambient note, on the borders of a Berlin School with spectral atmospheres.
DE SOM SEJREDE is a very different cd from Absorbed In Dreams And Yearning. It's more ambient, atmospheric with good sequences which guide ideal rhythms to be hammered by percussions. One listens, like we listen to a soundtrack of a musical journey through the stories of an unusually dark Scandinavia. The arrangements are very attractive, but it remains a cd that requires some listening. A sign of a work with a certain depth. You can find copies at Groove nl.
Sylvain Lupari (August 8th, 2006) ***½**
Available at Groove nl