Jakob Skøtt — Amor Fati
This album sounds like an improvising band, but is apparently a solo work, in actuality, meaning the numerous layers must have been dubbed one after the other in studio, allowing Skøtt a higher level of control over the trajectory of the jams. Syncopated power chord riffs and other structured climactic moments occasionally emerge, such as at the end of "Araucaria Fire", and there is never a moment where the momentum sags or the music seems lost. He easily achieves a massive groove all by himself. The musicianship is tight when it needs to be, and looser during the freeform sections. The listener will find themselves surrounded by a colorful swirl of space sounds.
The listener is simply covered in fuzzed out tube amped textures. Skøtt possesses Stereolab's ability to arrange endless gradations of electric keyboard tone into impeccable hierarchy. There is a dreamy, consonant chordal framework behind many of these pieces that shows heavy influence from My Bloody Valentine or Cocteau Twins, particularly in "Eastman Oyster", the closest thing on the album to a written rock tune.
"Omega Oscillator" is our most unabashedly 'retro future' moment, with the sort of naive melodies and open 1-5-1 chord progressions of "Trans-Europe Express" and other early electro. While I could tire of an entire album of this sort of music, in context here it makes an excellent 5th chapter of 7.
In the soulful conclusion of the album, "Earth of No Horizon" a thunderous chord is repeatedly hit as the guitar plaintively sings a short yet meaningful melody of two notes, eventually overwhelmed by the deep tone of an organ drone. It has the finality of a sunset, and is fittingly the most emotional moment on the record.
I've been hearing a number of this sort of krautrock throwback bands/albums recently, but none have been so melodic, concise and listenable as this tight 39 minute album, which is brimming with emotion and ideas, and maintains constant movement throughout its duration. Though analog to the core, it makes many nods to musical styles post-70's, particularly shoegaze and post rock. It feels like a natural integration of styles across the ages, an effortlessly beautiful and liberating classically psychedelic music. Jakob Skøtt clearly has a complete vision in his mind. If you count Hawkwind or Acid Mothers Temple among your favorite bands, investigate this.