EP Review: Fabian Brusk-Jahn – In the dungeons of Bäckabo
We are thankful to Gothenburg for all the music that has blossomed there – from metal to Ace of Base to The Knife and the whole chillwave scene. There's one more reason to be excited about the city's music landscape – multi-genre label Suicide Records and its artist Fabian Brusk-Jahn. We're excited to review his upcoming EP In the dungeons of Bäckabo (you can presave it here).
Here's how the artist describes it:
Here's how the artist describes it:
The EP is painted against a background of dreams and fairy tales. In the fairy tale and the dream, it is easy to wander between thoughts and feelings experienced and give them a more colorful shade without having to write someone on the nose.
Let's wander between thoughts and feelings together and see where they lead us.
The album opens with an eponymous track that describes a walk in the underworld with the artist's son. The composition manages to reach an otherwordly and mysterious character with minimal means. One of them is the use of acoustic percussive timbres to create hair-raising cinematic sound effects.
The dark and moody character of the music sets an interesting background for Fabian's gentle, calming vocals and makes his lively whistling sound borderline eery.
"Nightwalk" takes us on another stroll with someone close to the narrator, again in a fantastic place that feels more real than the ground you stand on.
The album opens with an eponymous track that describes a walk in the underworld with the artist's son. The composition manages to reach an otherwordly and mysterious character with minimal means. One of them is the use of acoustic percussive timbres to create hair-raising cinematic sound effects.
The dark and moody character of the music sets an interesting background for Fabian's gentle, calming vocals and makes his lively whistling sound borderline eery.
"Nightwalk" takes us on another stroll with someone close to the narrator, again in a fantastic place that feels more real than the ground you stand on.
As you ́re not allowed to speak, we take each other’shands and walk there silently
Between the world and something else, a painting drawn to shape a place for us
A land for all the lost
Between the world and something else, a painting drawn to shape a place for us
A land for all the lost
The vocals sound bitter and painful, and the transparent acoustic guitar and strings flow delicately like the most exquisite laces.
"Staging" relies on a slow, heavy, gently stomping groove that, together with organ and guitar textures, creates a special atmosphere bringing to mind Leonard Cohen's last record. The track features probably the catchiest vocal melody on the record.
"Skepp Ohoj" puts "the fading self in relation to social media" into the spotlight. However, this is just one interpretation of this lonely and eery tune. The one that I personally connected with is that the song follows a tormented soul in its search for God.
The EP closes with "Gubbstrutt Trudilutt" notable for its exquisite piano, flowing like intricate weaves of pearls and its feather-light angelic acoustic guitar. The mood of the track somewhat echoes the best "Kings of Convenience" tunes.
Overall, the EP feels like a dream – short but full events, images, feelings and thoughts. Did it really happen or is it just a mirage? Thankfully, this is a dream that you can (and should) revisit. I envy those of you who are about to hear the songs for the first time when they come out on December, 6.
"Staging" relies on a slow, heavy, gently stomping groove that, together with organ and guitar textures, creates a special atmosphere bringing to mind Leonard Cohen's last record. The track features probably the catchiest vocal melody on the record.
"Skepp Ohoj" puts "the fading self in relation to social media" into the spotlight. However, this is just one interpretation of this lonely and eery tune. The one that I personally connected with is that the song follows a tormented soul in its search for God.
The EP closes with "Gubbstrutt Trudilutt" notable for its exquisite piano, flowing like intricate weaves of pearls and its feather-light angelic acoustic guitar. The mood of the track somewhat echoes the best "Kings of Convenience" tunes.
Overall, the EP feels like a dream – short but full events, images, feelings and thoughts. Did it really happen or is it just a mirage? Thankfully, this is a dream that you can (and should) revisit. I envy those of you who are about to hear the songs for the first time when they come out on December, 6.