There are numerous examples of artists that got a degree in music and later tied their lives to experimental electronic, which is fact that certainly cannot disappoint. Swedish musician Manne Skafvenstedt is among them. Having had an acute interest in the nature of chords and improvisation since childhood, Manne finished the Royal College Of Music in Stockholm, where he studied at the Jazz piano department.
His debut release unknown, untold is a work best listened to in the evening or at night in order to better understand its atmosphere. It is a shining example of gentle ambient, helpful in escaping the bustle, as if a pleasant lullaby for a newborn. Every note carries some kind of audio consciousness and expressiveness. At times, melodic passages are accompanied by careful introductions of field recordings.
By the 3rd track, this lullaby mood is joined by whirlwind-like sounds, techniques very typical of industrial/noise music.
The composition Antropocen from the very first seconds is extremely reminiscent of a track by Amon Tobin from the album Fear In A Handful Of Dust, while managing to preserve its Nordic personality.
The Roar of a Hummingbird sneaks up on you like a wild beast hunting in a forest, while also containing some aggressive sound techniques just like the 3rd track, stunningly combining peaceful and brutal qualities.
The final nostalgic piece gains its majesty thanks to its powerful and mesmerizing bassline, marking the logical finalizing play of the album.
It seems, unknown, untold is quite a monumental work of art with a big statement, even though it cannot boast a long duration. It is no exaggeration to say that the Swedish artist managed to hit the mark and it is a great debut, despite it not bringing any drastically new sound experiments into the world of music.
