øjeRum
øjeRum - Væv

THE REVIEW

"Evocative" is the key word of this captivating work by the prolific Danish artist øjeRum (alias Paw Grabowski) produced by the intriguing French independent label Eilean Rec. Soundscapes gently project us, resisting none, into tortuous marine recesses inhabited by ancient submerged civilizations, guardians of a lost time. The cyclical succession of notes is a seductive and regular loop, obsessive like the perpetual motion of the waves. Just as the latter deliver new treasures to the shoreline with each backwash, new perceptions reveal themselves to our ears in the continuous flow of sound.

New and old, in a bed that collects reverberations and arpeggios, blend together, creating a homogeneous and surprising product.

The journey begins with "Hud", a sort of sound litany that traces the route towards dry, essential, unadorned territories and continues with "Glasfugl" (reminiscent of Santana's "Aqua Marine"). "Øje" is a poignant caress of just one minute and thirty seconds that precedes precious acoustic gems like "Mine Hænder I Intet" and "Blodet På Horisontens Læber". "Ljilja" is the only track that features a voice (Ljiljana Babic) even in spoken word mode. The eponymous, dreamy "Væv" is the longest at six minutes and thirty-seven, followed by "Tåge" recorded in lo-fi with a background hum that reminds us of old valve radios. The obsessive loop of "De Første Hænder Åbnede Sig Som Træer" is followed by the sparse, concise "Giv Os Mørket Tilbage", before giving way to the concluding "Afsavn", a carousel set up for the final refrain that dies in the last note, extinguished by the inexorable law of time.

What remains is an unfillable nostalgia that will be placated and at the same time renewed at the next listening, at the imminent tide, at the new waves that, in the urge to reach our shores, already have the next surprise in store.