BJ Nilsen - The Short Night

Benny Nilsen continues his territories exploration, using this time old tapemachines, generators, frequency analyzers and software.
Location recordings were Mälaren (Stockholm, Sweden) Coombe Gibbet (Berkshire, England) and Landakot (Vatnsleysuströnd, Iceland).
Seven tracks where sound crystallizes, showing us his diaphanous face, leading us into desolate landscapes.
A good soundtrack for next winter.

Label: Touch
Cat. #: TO:75
Format: CD
Release date: 2007

Tracklisting:
01 - Front (14:24)
02 - Finisterre (9:35)
03 - Pole Of Inaccessibility (6:33)
04 - Viking, Cromarty… (0:06)
05 - Black Light (4:16)
06 - Icing Station (2:16)
07 - Viking North (10:53)

Previous releases:

• Fade To White (2004, Touch, TO:65)
• Land Of Lions (TouchRadio Edit) (2005, TouchRadio, TouchRadio 1)
• Víkinga Brennivín (2005, Helen Scarsdale Agency, HMS 004) (w/ Stilluppsteypa)
• Drykkjuvísur Ohljódanna (2006, Helen Scarsdale Agency, HMS 008) (w/ Stilluppsteypa)
• Storm (2006, Touch, Tone 27) (w/ Chris Watson)
• 22' 22" (2007, iDEAL0 Recordings, iDEAL045) (w/ Z'EV) (see here)
• Second Childhood (2007, Quecksilber, quecksilber 12) (w/ Hildur Gudnadóttir and Stilluppsteypa) (see here)

Links:
BJ Nilsen
Touch

BJ Nilsen & Z'EV - 22' 22''

An interesting collaboration between two important figures in experimental/ambient music: BJ Nilsen and Z’EV.
Obscure flowing drones by the first melted to magickal percussion by the second create a dark, deep and meditative atmosphere.

Label: iDEAL Recordings
Cat. #: iDEAL045
Format: CD
Release date: 2007

Tracklisting:
01 - By BJ Nilsen (22:22)
02 - By Z'ev (22:22)

Links:
BJ Nilsen
Z’EV
iDEAL Recordings

Hildur Gudnadóttir / BJ Nilsen / Stilluppsteypa - Second Childhood

from Vital Weekly # 584:

So far there have been already two CDs of collaborations between Icelandic Stillupsteypa (being Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson and Helgi Thorsson) and BJ Nilsen, also known as Hazard. Here they come together again, in Stockholm, where Nilsen lives, to work together and invite a new friend, Hildur Ingveldardottir Gudnadottir. Who? She plays cello and did so for many of her own projects, playing Bulgarian and Balkan music, but also for Mum, Skuli Sverrisson, Angel and has a prominent feature on the recent Pan Sonic CD.
The two previous releases dealt with the thematic approach of alcohol abuse, but here they sober up and start their second childhood, going back to the world of pure drone music. Gudnadottir's cello playing is at the core, and perhaps like a good mother she overseas the activities of her children play around with whatever she throws around. But they remain from the Nordic countries so they don't say much, so much of what these four people do is sparsely orchestrated.
Pieces consist of sparse lit harmonium drones, which no doubt have underwent some computer processing.
There is a more musical texture to these pieces than on the previous two releases, and that's mainly the cello to be accounted for.
But it's another strong album, this one. Minimal pieces of drone music, dark and atmospheric, just the perfect music for a mid winter sit along at home in Scandinavia or a rain covered day in the Dutch summer.
Another very fine work but of course I am sucker for this kind of more urgent drone music.

(Frans de Waard)

Label: Quecksilber
Cat. #: quecksilber 12
Format: CD
Release date: 2007

Tracklisting:
01 - It's About The Size Of A House (06:34)
02 - Temple Of The Holy Tooth (12:01)
03 - How To Catch The Right Thought (10:51)
04 - The Direction Was Foggy Or Cloudy (06:11)
05 - I Have Seen Similar Stones.mp3 (10:39)
06 – Arrival (08:56)
07 - Writing On A Dead Animal (01:30)

Links:
BJ Nilsen
Hildur Gudnadóttir
Stilluppsteypa
Quecksilber