Normally we do try to 'mix things up' slightly by not consecutively featuring too many releases of the same genre, but we're going to follow up writing about 'Klangriket's' new EP on Friday, with 2 classically influenced compositions today, simply because I think they all compliment each other really well.
The first is from 'the backlog' (it's similar to the archives, only bigger...) and it's written by young Norwegian composer 'Abist', who has been self-releasing tracks over the last 2-3 years, and it's clear that he is still very much developing his style and skills. His most recent release is 'Apathy', and this has really struck a chord with me, mainly because there is an interesting mix of styles between neo-classical composition and post rock.
'Apathy' appeals straight from the soft piano looped opening, before vocals are overlaid, and immediately I'm reminded of the 'Valsaland' project from Sweden that we've written about extensively. However 'Apathy' does develop in a way I wasn't quite expecting, a huge crescendo as the track builds in intensity, and the vocals are drowned out by a symphony of sounds, with really effective instrumental arrangements, before it cuts rather brilliantly to the simple piano theme we heard in the opening sections. I think it all works pretty well.
Although I think 'Apathy' is the most effective track I've heard from 'Abist', please check out his Soundcloud page for a series of other compositions - I'd recommend 'Our Shadows' and 'A World Deceived' as good places to start perhaps.
(Incidentally Valsaland ae doing some live performances in the next couple of months, for more details visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/valsalandband/)