Ludvig Cimbrelius – Love Letters From The Sky
Ludvig Cimbrelius – Love Letters From The Sky
Ambient and downtempo specialist label, Sound In Silence welcome back Ludvig Cimbrelius to their roster of calm eclecticism. Cimbrelius is a Swedish musician whose work ranges from electro, techno to ambient neo classical. Whenever pianos are to the fore, he releases under his own name. The rest he releases his music under the guises of Illuvia, Eternell , Purl and others. I’m not sure that he has been active under his own name for a good while though. Time to dust off that piano stool, Sir.
Real love letters became the inspiration for this new record. Don’t ask me how but Cimbrelius has adapted actual romantic correspondences into melodic compositions. From his playing I can tell he is an accomplished pianist but I have no insights into his process. The pieces themselves have a rainfall pitter-patter quality and probably owe something to Erik Satie. Other passages do occasionally recall ambient master, Harold Budd but the latter’s use of soft pedal sustain isn’t as prominent a feature of Cimbrelius work. The style is really his own with results that are far more dreamy and reflective than Budds more elemental surges. Intermittent synths add little bursts of light, or billowing clouds. For the most part, Ludvig Cimbrelius is dealing in pure piano magic. At times I half expect one of these meanderings to morph into Bruce Hornsbys ‘The Way It Is’. (Years of radio Sport Results will do that to a man) Of course I’m joking. They never ever do. Cimbrelius keeps things reigned in, minimal and very beautiful. There’s a Hammock feel to epic final track, ‘angtan efter att leva’ but there’s nothing overly melancholic or gloomy. All is light, reflective and really well rendered.
We’ve explained the love letters part. Why ‘from the sky’? Presumably because it is heavenly.
A lovely listen from start to end.
Limited run of 200 handmade CDs