"Ikke En Sjæl" breathes life into phantasmic landscapes of the mind. Pensive melody narratives slither between feelings of comfort and grief."
‘Not a Soul‘ translates to “Ikke En Sjæl” in Danish. The title of øjeRum’s latest album on Vaagner holds home to classical interventions in ambient drones, which speak with a depth equivalent to the movement of the waves or the birds on mountain ranges at the break of dawn.
Unlike its literal definition, Ikke En Sjæl breaths life into phantasmic landscapes of the mind, soundtracking sentimental moments of silence from the wakeful morning hours to the lucid blues of the evening’s calm. Exquisite beauty lies within the keys that moan and stretch, and pensive melody narratives slither between feelings of comfort and grief.
The album opener, “Bærende På Alle Sine Digte Vandrer Månen Gennem Tågen,” reads, “Carrying all his poems, the moon walks through the mist.” Emotionally dense, the song’s pacing is slightly hollow as it kicks in, stabilised slowly by what feels like focused respiration of piano notes making their way to a colossal symphony.
Compositions continue delicately as the story unfolds, “En Sten Af Minder,” a stone of memory, “Fraværsfugl,” another absence bird, or “Støvfigur,” a dust figure. Field recordings of birdsongs float in the background with mild textures of natural ambience overlayed, underpinning a state of belonging, gradually stripped away, and the winding instrumental seeps in, brimming the void.
øjeRum meddles with the stillness of sound elements to produce an eloquent little piece that submerges in sensitive reflection for the Berlin-based record label Vaagner. Ethereal and sublime, an alluring half-hour of deep listening.
‘Ikke En Sjæl’ is scheduled for release 4 October via Vaagner. Order a copy from Bandcamp.
TRACKLIST
1. Bærende På Alle Sine Digte Vandrer Månen Gennem Tågen
2. En Sten Af Minder
3. Fraværsfugl
4. Knækket Hvid
5. Støvfigur.