KRANTZ, ELIAS - Lifelines (LP)

With his wayward mix of infectious melodies, unexpected time signatures and intricate arrangements Elias Krantz established himself on the Swedish alternative scene in 2007 with the album Island Rock released on Airwaves and then again in 2011 with the offering Night Ice released on Country & Eastern Records. His new album, Lifelines, challenges listeners to absorb each eclectic influence and sound experiment as a dynamic whole. Lifelines consists of two contiguous tracks/sides which enliven the ears and mind like the kinds of conversations worth staying up all night for. This richly detailed music employs a 60 Italian tape echo, analog synthesizers and various tape recorders to create a sound that is both retro and modern. Resisting contemporary trends of restless streaming and playlists, Lifelines loop-based soundscapes demonstrate what's possible when we give the imagination room to breathe. Writing in the tradition of American minimalist composers like Terry Riley and Glenn Branca, Krantz spent several years carefully mixing his own tonal pallet, refined amongst the other production and composing projects he works with in Stockholm. For Lifelines he found inspiration in Japanese pioneers like Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto and in sources closer to home like the krautrock, electronica and jazz. The result of Krantz's patient effort is a rush of dark exuberance and uniquely analog aesthetic