No, things don’t get really friendly on the four new tracks from Civilistjävel!. But this time, the Swedish artist’s EP radiates a crystalline finesse, an icy cold, attractive glow. While his ambient dub on last year’s album »Järnnätter« was much more brachial and heavy, »Fyra platser« takes a step back at many moments. A barely perceptible rhythm pumps beneath the drone on »Valmsta«. »Sebäng« provides more tangible moments before the Luxembourgian-Finnish Cucina Poveras adds vocals to the sparse soundscape on »Louhivesi«, bringing something mystical to the whole EP.
Because every time you play the album, it becomes clearer that this track lies at the heart of the EP, a slow beat, a sign of life emanating from a ritual where the final vibrations are suspended in the ether. Techno and drone take a back seat on »Fyra platser«, the whole thing being more reminiscent of the flip side of dark ambient by the likes of Staad. Everything is very finely, very precisely set, plotted, staged. And that’s exactly why this EP is one of the best that experimental ambient currently has to offer.
Fyra Platser
