Anders Ilar, a veteran Swedish deep house/experimental producer, re-releases a previous vinyl-only EP with an additional 19-minute bonus track as his fifth full-length, Ludwijka (Extended Visit). Call it atmospheric minimalism smarted-up, with the shadow of deep house here and there. “Ludwijka VII” typifies Ilar’s sound – a full, slightly buzzy, layered electronica with loads of effects and found sounds – bird noises, cicada-like sounds, unidentifiable industrial effects — with an overall effect hovering between propulsive and, at times, quite menacing. But at his most open, Ilar can even sound a bit like Takagi Masakatsu: “Ludwijka I” is all soft synths and pitting beat, with jittering white noise in the background. “Ludwijka III” and “V” are more minimal in outlook — the former, all deep, outer-space tinkling and percussive effects; the latter, with tiny-sounding click-beats and never-ending synths over the top. Over the course of the disc, Ilar takes the listener on an often all-enveloping sonic journey that reunites past and future: incorporating recordings from his own childhood (singing, talking, playing piano) with forward-thinking production values. For those interested in minimalism on the experimental edge, Ludwijka (Extended Visit) provides much of interest, and worthy of the investment required to reap its benefits.
Anders Ilar: Ludwijka (Extended Visit)
Anders Ilar
Shitkatapult
2007-04-17