Marcus Fjellstrom - Gebrauchsmusik

Gebrauchsmusik is German for 'Utility Music', and Swedish composer and producer Marcus Fjellstrm's second excursion into post-classical experimentation is exactly that; thirteen tracks with each one written to suit a certain theme. War, art, festivity, sadness, death and resurrection are all interpreted by Fjellstrm in his unique style, taking a classical framework and distorting, confusing and manipulating it to suit his needs. String sections are crushed into a smokey Lynchian haze while staccato plucking is twisted to give out an almost Autechre-like resonance. While listening to 'Gebrauchsmusik' it can be difficult to hear where the acoustic instruments stop and the electronic manipulation begins, a line which has been approached somewhat gingerly for some time now and rarely managed so effortlessly. The obvious comment on listening to music as unashamedly visual as this is that it sounds like a film score, Fjellstrm here has gone all the way on 'Gebrauchsmusik' writing music which almost requires to be slotted into a piece of cinema - 'War Music' should be paired with the disturbing images of battle, 'Fairytale Music' should skip and wisp around an enchanted forest and 'Death Music' should be signaling a funeral procession in it's solemn grandeur. Taking influence from John Cage, Morton Feldman and David Lynch's right hand man Angelo Badalamenti, Fjellstrm has developed a style which manages to transcend the current classical/electronic explosion. It is clear from the offset that the young musician has a deep understanding of what has come before as he blends elements of musique concrete, avant-classical and early electronic experimentations into his compositions. Instead of merely coming across as an homage, this album genuinely acts as a step forward in a crowded genre and is another daring leap for the forward-thinking Lampse label

Be the first to review this record. Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!