The man behind Dewtone’s very first release three years ago, Ludvig Cimbrelius, aka Purl, is back with another slice of ethereal electronica that once again sets both himself and the label apart from the rest.
Titled ‘Behind Clouds’, and with a stunning photograph from Denmark’s Christopher Landin, it’s easy to get lost amongst the lengthy journeys depicted on this album. Starting with the slow lull of guitars on ‘Is’, the track quickly develops into the signature warm, dubby sound we’ve come to love.
You’ll find only subtle differences in tempo and melody amongst the first few tracks. Instead, you’re drawn to focus on the expansive washes and distant voices. Lush valleys touching the sky come to life as you peer through the detailed green landscape. Subtle bells, whispering voices and echoes of tribal-calls whisked away in times-gone-by amongst edgy dubs, tiny claps and soaring pads.
Whatever comes first, either the track-name or the music, you’re lulled into vivid stories with each one. The fifteen-minute title track ‘Behind Clouds’ is slow-burning, swaying and bubbling behind a skewed view as the light finds its way through breaks in the sky. ‘Mushrooms’ approaches with more power, perhaps to signify the rapid formation of unusual clouds, brought to life by a subtle swirling of wind throughout the 9 minutes.
Cutting through the rest, is ‘Eagles’. A simple, soaring combination of textures are all that’s needed to bring this beautiful beast to life. He’s in autopilot as the clouds above him swirl, casting shadows on the fields below – nothing else matters. And like a rapid dive into the thriving lands beneath, ‘Forest Nightfall’ screams life, movement and agenda, as the beats pick up and more obvious elements come to the foreground.
Then, as the forest begins to sleep and the canopy opens, ‘The Stars WIll Have An End’ performs the final sing and dance of the day; an echoing kick-bass, the subtle reminder that you’re not alone down there, as you peer up into the washes of disappearing cloud.
Available on Dewtone through Bandcamp.
