I think it was the first album by the rock group Roxy Music that a musician was credited with “electronic effects.” As you probably know, that musician was Brian Eno, and the wake of that album and attitude is still felt to this day.
Peter Schwalm puts together a sonic collection in which he plays most of the keys, synths, guitars, pianos and things that go bump in the night. He includes guests on viola (Nell Catchpole), drums (Martin France) and other conventional instruments, but they are mostly on a cameo basis.
Pieces such as “The End and the Beginning,” “Zirkeltrilogie” and “Wunschklangregister” have an Eno-like ambience in which Schwalm mixes piano, synthesizers and electronics to form moods ranging from ambience to dark and film nourish. With viola,you get some dreamy drifts on “The Anxt Code,” and thick flute light textures with guitar on “Numbers Become Stories.” Guest appearances by Eivind Aarset on the title track while Michael Wollny’s contribution to “Stille, Blitz un Donner” create added coats of sonic pain. Textures and sounds undulate like lava with chiming guitars on the title track, and drum rhythms trudge forth on “Himmelfahrt.” Music for Dark Airports?
Rare Noise Records