Perhaps
better known as one half of the Danish duo Lauge and Baba Gnohm, Lauge (
Henrik Laugesen ) recently released his second solo album, Pusterum, as a self
released issue on Bandcamp.
Pusterum
translates from Danish as "respite" in English which is a perfectly apt
name for such a harmonious, relaxing album. When I asked Henrik about
the intent behind the album he said that it was created specifically to
help his girlfriend sleep. She had been suffering from Insomnia and they
noticed ambient music helped her to relax and get to sleep easier.
So
an entire album was crafted of beautiful ambient landscapes to help induce
a restful nights sleep. What a nice thing to do ! And now we can all benefit from Henrik's endeavors too. I can certainly attest to its sleep inducing
powers. Turn off the lights, put this album on and drift away, wrapped in
clouds of soft ambient light .
I
began writing a review of individual tracks for this album but gave up
towards the end as it's not that kind of album. It's a album where all
the tracks combine into a single ambient journey. That is not to say
there aren't any standout tracks because there are. However this is like
a finely balanced work of art that is best appreciated in quiet
contemplation.
Overall
you will hear plenty of deep reverberated drone beds layered with subtle
warm hisses, cinematic risers, decaying ambient scrapes and the minutest of
glitchy effects. Occasionally delayed piano stabs drop markers over the
ambient grid giving some of the tracks more assured navigation.
This
is an album to be enjoyed from start to finish, should you still be
awake by then. When done right, as done here, ambient music can
transport the listener into a another world. It's hypnotic beauty
conjures up images of deep space, ice forming on glass, golden fields of
sunlight, a single bird flying high in the sky above, light reflecting
off waves, glacial drift and the fading of stars and the birth of
silence.
Perhaps
it's single most remarkable effect is the way it gradually lulls you
into a self reflective mood. You start to wonder, what was I doing ? I
was busy. I'm not busy anymore but that's okay. Actually that's better
than okay. It feels perfectly right in this moment. Nothing can bother
me now.
Henrik displays a mature understanding of the essence of meditative
sound here. This album could act as the launch pad into a career of an
ambient supreme being.
This
is a superb ambient album that works perfectly as a sleep inducing
spell. Ambient nursery rhymes for adults. If you like your music beat-less, self reflective and hypnotic then look no further.
You might also like the following mixes featuring Lauge and Baba Gnohm:
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