Rutger Hauser - The Swim
Traversing a cacophonous gathering of harmony and beats with an such ease and style, The Swim smoothly lays down it's own idiom in music. Like the flight of a dragon fly, unpredictably swift until coming to rest, then a transitory moment for showing it's beauty. Rutger Hauser simulates this effect in sound, a seemingly infinite amount of sonic pieces swirling in the consciousness. A melodic juncture decisively blossoms in the mind only to be prompted away by some creatively new sonic passage. The entire aural flight, absent of any path, unstable yet melodically stout and fortified.
The Swim evades genres, a mystifying achievement since the entire listen is acutely harmonious. There are comparisons lurking in the past richness of creativity. Two tracks from such totally different worlds raised a brow. The last selection on the first side "The Swim / Av Brúnni við Streymin" has a definite feel from the ominously beautiful 1986 album by SPK, Zamia Lehmanni - Songs Of Byzantine Flowers. Flip the record and the first track "On the Rotifer Conchilus Volvox / Golmansskor", has the playfulness and statesmanship of 2005 album by The Books - Lost and Safe. This contiguity to the past is well received since many of these forays on The Swim defy all comparisons. Like the second offering "Hestur and Koltur / Hestur og Koltur", samples of spoken word in some hallucinogenic viscous medium. Signals trough dimensions, sounds of craft and conjecture. This is the way much of the second side plays out and finishes up. A warm and unrehearsed theatrical vignette, melting into bowed strings played with beats full of whimsy. The last selection, "Faroes 01 _ Nólsoy, looking North / Rúnarsteinur í Sandavágskirkju", is the most desolate and introspective piece on The Swim album. Almost drone like but more in line with the obsequies of all things coming to an end. The six musicians making up the framework of Rutger Hauser have completely become one aural landscape. From their wobbly percussion laden peculiarities in the opening track, this journey engages thoughts the entire way through. Nothing expected and everything hoped for, The Swim is just simply extremely well done.
Co released by labels Adaadat from the United Kingdom and Tutl from the Faroes. The sextet, Rutger Hauser is from South-East London and they spent time in the Faroe Islands to record The Swim. Creatively assembled and outstanding sonic fidelity, this lp sounds beautiful. Not sure how many editions there are but they are currently available with a recent release date of July 1st.
Links
Rutger Hauser site - bandcamp
ADAADAT site - facebook - twitter
TUTL site - facebook - twitter
The Swim evades genres, a mystifying achievement since the entire listen is acutely harmonious. There are comparisons lurking in the past richness of creativity. Two tracks from such totally different worlds raised a brow. The last selection on the first side "The Swim / Av Brúnni við Streymin" has a definite feel from the ominously beautiful 1986 album by SPK, Zamia Lehmanni - Songs Of Byzantine Flowers. Flip the record and the first track "On the Rotifer Conchilus Volvox / Golmansskor", has the playfulness and statesmanship of 2005 album by The Books - Lost and Safe. This contiguity to the past is well received since many of these forays on The Swim defy all comparisons. Like the second offering "Hestur and Koltur / Hestur og Koltur", samples of spoken word in some hallucinogenic viscous medium. Signals trough dimensions, sounds of craft and conjecture. This is the way much of the second side plays out and finishes up. A warm and unrehearsed theatrical vignette, melting into bowed strings played with beats full of whimsy. The last selection, "Faroes 01 _ Nólsoy, looking North / Rúnarsteinur í Sandavágskirkju", is the most desolate and introspective piece on The Swim album. Almost drone like but more in line with the obsequies of all things coming to an end. The six musicians making up the framework of Rutger Hauser have completely become one aural landscape. From their wobbly percussion laden peculiarities in the opening track, this journey engages thoughts the entire way through. Nothing expected and everything hoped for, The Swim is just simply extremely well done.
Co released by labels Adaadat from the United Kingdom and Tutl from the Faroes. The sextet, Rutger Hauser is from South-East London and they spent time in the Faroe Islands to record The Swim. Creatively assembled and outstanding sonic fidelity, this lp sounds beautiful. Not sure how many editions there are but they are currently available with a recent release date of July 1st.
Rutger Hauser site - bandcamp
ADAADAT site - facebook - twitter
TUTL site - facebook - twitter
