Sagor & Swing
Ault Hänger Samman
(Häpna)
The beauty of this release by Sagor & Swing is in the simplicity of the whole thing. All the sounds on the release are comprised of only a Hammond organ and drums, yet this is a little release that will appeal to fans of nocturnal music in general or even melodic electronic music (although it's not really electronic). On Ault Hänger Samman, 11 tracks stretch out over the course of 43 minutes and it's all about texture and melody. At times playful and at times introspective, it unfolds with a quiet, almost childlike wonder that's hard to deny.
This is the third album by Sagor & Swing, and it finds the group (Eric Malmberg on Hammond organ and Ulf Möller on drums) extending their sonic palette ever so slightly. Melodies are more tightly packed and the release makes trips into slightly darker territory. The disc opens with a track that is very much an introduction in "“Återkomsten”," a little number that marches slowly forward until meandering to a close. "“Lövverk”" follows with 3 and a half minutes of celestial music, with a quietly shimmering track that sounds like it was written expressly for stargazing.
Overall, it's an album that is meant to be listened to in one sitting. Songs form ideas and lead into other thoughts as different tracks drift into one another. "Vid en tjärn" is a subtle and swaying piece where the melodies aren't always in the forefront while "Grottmusik" bursts forth with what is easily the poppiest 2 minutes on the entire release. "Alla sagor har ett slut" closes out the release with just over 6 minutes of climbing and arching melodies that slightly revisit earlier tracks on the release while keeping things light and warm to close things out. As mentioned above, this is music that seems to have been created for hours when the sun is hidden on the other side of the world. Like labelmates Tape, Sagor & Swing excel at creating lush little symphonies that seem simple on the surface but have an amazing pull.
Rating: 7.75
