Ljudvägg — Transformation
Rooted in piano, this composition examines physicality, artificiality, softness, and decay. Played in a variety of ways, Ljudvägg's piano takes on a number of roles: narrator, oppressor, highlight, and hero. An interesting mix of ambient and avant-garde, piano intertwines with its futuristic progeny, the synthesizer to form a melange of sound that blends incredibly well and reminds the listener of the past while pointing toward the future. There's a rainy day wistfulness to many of the piano arrangements, and Ljudvägg's deft fingering can both add separation or a blur to the tones on display. Although very deliberate, some notes have a near random feeling to them, which keeps the listener on guard and thinking the entire time. The eight pieces on Transformation vary quite a bit, but carry enough similar energy that they're forever entangled. Without Kristensson's "See Through," the listener is forced to craft his/her own exhibition and, and Transformation is the perfect soundtrack for that. Picturing nature in varying states, with various players, and various lenses, the physical sets the stage for the artificial, and the blending of the worlds begins. Despite the fact that our world was not created this way, this is how it's become, and we are all a living breathing part of that. Shifting perspectives, shifting time lapses, Transformation shows the world in its current state: technical integration. This ubiquitous artificiality has taken hold, but there are still remnants of the past that will forever remain. This present is our future.
Ljudvägg's composition for Anna Kristensson's "See Through" exhibition has been brought to vinyl from Purlieu Recordings and Lamour Records. Bringing wonderfully active, ambient, and avant-garde, Transformation showcases the shifting world of the physical and artificial, our place in it, and different ways to view it. The vinyl edition adds the physical element to the mix and completes the scope of Transformation.