Reviews

Luminous DashThought forms from the past, memories, what do these disempowering casts of emotions mean for sound designers, musicians and music lovers? With this idea, cellist Henrik Meierkord invited twelve artists to explore, interpret and then merge echoes from their own passato into his track Erinnerungen . A real challenge because Meierkord is not just anyone when it comes to converting emotions into sound panoramas.

Every participating artist, producer or sound artist had free rein in converting and editing Erinnerungen . The visitors of this very remarkable project transformed Meierkord's wanderings from the past into fascinating sound patterns full of new emotional depths. Visitors to Erinnerungen has become a kind of emotional gap where classical, experimental and electronic sound panoramas touch and amplify each other into an almost magical sound experience. Visitors to Erinnerungen is not just a ready-made instrumental candy. The listening comfort of the receiver is tested, creating a wide opportunity to push the boundaries of sensory experiences.

The song Erinnerungen gets many new faces due to the diverse backgrounds of its collaborators, once completely assimilated, another time minimally but still audibly filed. Among the participating sound sculptors we also hear our compatriot Distant Fires Burning ( Gert De Meester ) among the remix work. Our favorite is the mysterious Ancient Memory Umlaut mix in which spoken word samples find their way between fragments of noise, electronic pulses and the muted cello of Meirekord. Whoever takes in this brilliant digital release will notice that not only emotional doors will open but also time and patience are needed to digest this complex release. Visitors to Erinnerungen ends with the intense original version by the Swedish master himself.

Original > HERE

The OrganHenrik Meierkord – Visitors to Erinnerungen (Audiobulb) – Artwork by Jeff Düngfelder (aka Ümlaut), needed to say that first, strong piece of cover art, album art is always important.  Henrik Meierkord and his remixers – for this is a set of remixes of Henrik’s work, of one piece of work, Erinnerungen – sets us up again and again to go somewhere and then in the most positive of ways, never takes us there, he/they just keeps us in some kind of gloriously understated sense of suspended animation, just hovering there, almost throbbing, almost standing on the runway (almost) waiting to take off but not the in terms of loud jet blasts or anything that demanding, this is something far more warming, far more gentle, something far more cerebral, relaxing. This is the latest musical exploration from renowned cellist and composer Henrik Meierkord who has teamed up with peers to revisit, review and remix his track Erinnerungen. Each artist is invited to bring their own memories and explore an interplay with Henrick’s original form.twelve slow moving versions in all (although it never feels like we’re listening to the same piece twelve time, these are rewarding evolutions).  The whole experience almost feels spiritual, out there somewhere, floating, gently moving (or hardly moving), rather beautiful, at times, most of the time actually, minimalist, always warm though, as full bodied as it needs to be. Slowly moving instrumental pieces of composition –    

“Henrik Meierkord’s music has been praised for its emotional depth and technical brilliance, with Erinnerungen being no exception. Henrik Meierkord is taking a fresh approach to the composition by collaborating with other artists and reimagining it in a whole new light. The result is an innovative blend of classical and electronic elements that brings new life to Erinnerungen while still staying true to its core essence”.

“Henrik Meierkord is a Swedish musician based in Stockholm, experimenting with different genres. With the cello as his main instrument, he also masters viola, double bass, guitar and numerous other instruments. As a composer, Henrik creates vivid, full-bodied pieces that draw as much from ambient music’s meditative qualities as they do from humanity’s rich history of classical styles. As a cellist, he injects emotion that is both relatable and intimate, across a diverse range of musical collaborations. With a work rate that is nothing short of astounding, Henrik continues to explore every possible expression of human feeling, from the heart-wrenching to the transcendental. And yet, a lightness and curiosity run throughout his process, with the sole aim to bring true benefit to the listener. His keywords in making music are pause, vacuum of time, the unconscious, consciousness, dream, meditation, a way of avoiding direct thoughts and reality”.

Visitors to Erinnerungen is a beautiful album, twelve gentle rewarding reworkings of an original theme, an original place and space, well worth your time and more.

Original > HERE