Selected texts & articles / Audio & Sound Art reviews;

On the Sound Art of Per Svensson

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The amazing Swedish artist Per Svensson sent me Intergalactic Transmission!, along with a number of other interesting documents and releases which are buried in another cardboard box destined for later exhumation. The large black box is about the size of something you could use to store your seven-inch singles, and inside is a CD in a card wallet plus a thick book which is the catalogue of his art exhibition at the Ystad Art Museum from May-June this year. We are slightly familiar with this fellow from his presence on the Elgaland-Vargaland compilation from some years ago, his Audio Laboratory persona on Firework Edition Records, and his solo work as The New Alchemy (an avant song-based project which is something of an acquired taste). However, this ten-track CD is something of a stunner. I think the sound-art pieces represent aspects of his many-layered work, which is also expressed in visual forms in the catalogue through striking sculptures, paintings, photographs, drawings on paper, performance actions, and art gallery installations. He’s made powerful field recordings of thunder and lightning, and apparently even captured the sound of solar energy using solar collectors and sun panels on ‘Recordings from the Sun’. (Disinformation captured solar prominences as radio waves, but ended up with something quite different). Svensson has also made sound documents from the acts of drawing, painting and building sculptures. Most astonishing of all is the eight minutes of ‘Intergalactic Transmission!’ itself, where radio voices were broadcast over loudspeakers pronouncing ‘we are the angels, we are the aliens’. Scarily, these voices are said to be ‘unidentifiable supernatural sounds’, producing an effect you’ll want to file alongside your Ghost Orchid CD from Touch. While some of the Swedish brigade (e.g. Carl Michael von Hausswolff, with whom Svensson has collaborated on numerous jaunts) pride themselves on austere minimalist statements, Per Svensson strikes me as a maximalist, a polymath, and one whose brain is so brimful of creative energy that it spills out into many forms, all of them packed with cryptic information, colours, texts, symbols, rich surfaces and engaging layers. Alongside his interest in the environment (the more rugged the terrain, the better), there is a visual preoccupation with alchemy and all its hermetic symbols, which surface repeatedly in his lush paintings and detailed drawings. There’s a real engagement with the very juices of life itself, and he seems to live and produce very much in accordance with his slogans such as “You Can’t Control Creation!” and “Free The Mind!” Who can disagree with that?

Sunday, November 9th, 2008 at 3:21 pm

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SPIRITUAL GOLD

Astronauts Write About The New Alchemy

After listening to their album Organic Universe and some long and careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that nothing could prepare you well enough for The New Alchemy. Try imagining Jason Anderson and Jason Spaceman waking up from horse tranquilizers and crawling to their instruments to make bleak, beautiful songs about death and occultism. Or better yet, try to envision biking through the streets of New Orleans a month after Katrina and losing your way back home with nightfall coming fast. Getting it? You’re still not even close. The New Alchemy is all about Swedish artists Per Svensson and Ebbot Lundberg making dark, intricate psychedlia, and it makes all those other new bands that claim to be “unsettling and fatalistic” sound like a bunch of babies. We caught up with Per and Ebbot to find out more.

Vice: OK, so how did this project get started?

Per: I wanted to deliver “spiritual gold” and reach a natural high by combining up-to-date drone and noise with the memories I have of my first ever sonic meetings—it was encounters with psychrock & punk during the 60s and 70s.

Ebbot: We’ve been living parallel lives for a while and sometimes we’ve bumped into each other during the last 20 years. We both started our so-called careers as artists at Radium Records in Gothenburg in the 80s. And now finally we have decided to collaborate and put our ideas, our density and our gravity together. Though much of this is yet to come. We have only started our journey very recently.

Per: Ebbot is playing Autoharp on this record and live he is a member of the group. For the next The New Alchemy record me and Ebbot have started to record sounds by the sea, on the coast outside Gothenburg.

Your music is very psychedelic—has there been a lot of drugs involved?

Per: It’s not so much the drugs. It’s the northern darkness and the Swedish melancholy and mentality, as well as the constellation of this group of people.

What kind of fiction has influenced you?

Per: Professionally I’m an artist and this may affect my approach on creating music. I often use titles of art-works. By the way, the first Swedish astronaut, Christer Fuglesang, is going to space soon and he once wrote a text for an exhibition catalogue about a project of mine.

ARIEN RASMIJN/ VICE MAGAZINE, JAN 2007 Organic Universe is out now on Ideal Recordings.

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*Edwin Pouncey, The Wire, Adventures in Modern Music, Album Review
PER SVENSSON
EL / ELEMENT 1
CD, FIREWORK EDITION RECORDS
"Svensson's solo release for the label is equally involving and somewhat more dramatic. In what he describes as 'a document of electroacoustic music, an action and a shaman ride', he utilises electrical and primordial sounds to build a towering inferno of low rumbling industrialized sound structures."
284 October 2007

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*Tom Ridge, The Wire, Adventures in Modern Music, Album Review
PER SVENSSON
Sonogram
OLOF BRIGHT CD
"Recording as The New Alchemy Sweden´s Per Svensson has combined retro rock with experimental noise and field recordings. This archival collection stresses the experimental over the retro, with, most notably, his application of a metal grinder to guitar on the live drone piece, "Energy Loop Super Conductor". This is the sound of rock being broken down into a shrieking mass of pure noise, its effect slightly marred by the muddiness of the recording. For the most part the remainder is similary uncompromising but rather fragmentary, as such anthologies are often prone to be. Most of it the music was originally released as a limited edition entitled The New Alchemy II, and must have been a shock to anyone expecting a sequel to his more conventional psychedelic material."
281 July 2007

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*Johannes Cornell, Dagens Nyheter, Album Review
3 x lust for experiment
PER SVENSSON
Sonogram
CD, (olofbright/www.olofbright.com)
"Punk Sound artist Svensson´s guitar and industrial noise is like the abstract essence of rock"
30 May, 2007

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*(FdW), Vital Weekly, Album Review
PER SVENSSON
EL / ELEMENT 1
CD, FIREWORK EDITION RECORDS
"...Which Per Svensson proofs in his 'El/Element 1' , two pieces from 1987, which were released in 1989 as a cassette on Firework Records, but now, luckily enough find their way to a CD. This too is quite noise related, even when Svensson refers to this as 'electroacoustic music, an action and a shaman ride' in 'El', with bangs on metal percussion in a large space. A bit like work from Sons of God, Phauss and Hafler Trio from the same area. In 'Element', the stronger piece of the two, he works with primordial elements: earth, air, water and metal, and things are loud for sure, but the various elements work to eachother like an iron welding factory in the dark, mechanical manner, like a self-contained machine beast coming alive. The Svensson CD is no doubt the best of this new trio."
#584 July 2007

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*Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, Exhibition Review
Sight, Sound - Action.
At LACE, the ear, the eye have their own wavelengths… Occasionally overt musical imagery appears. Per Svensson´s “Element II” consists of white sheets in an accordion fold, and one of them is a pencil drawing of a shape reminiscent of a CD.”
L A Times 20 March 1997

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*(ap), Artefakt # 6, Album Review
PER SVENSSON
ENERGY LOOP / ELEMENT II
CD, FIREWORK EDITION RECORDS (FER 1008)
"...Weitaus elaborierter kommt das Werk von Per Svensson daher. Vielstimmige, komplexe Arranements zwischen Flowsounds, unidentifierbaren klangsprachlichen Neologismen und Field recordings. Eine Welt..."
Artefakt #6, 1999

*R. Dittman, Bad Alchemy, Album Review
PER SVENSSON
Energy Loop / Element II
CD, FIREWORK EDITION RECORDS
" Der schwedische Installationskünstler und Land Artist PER SVENSSON veranstaltete zwischen 1987 und '98 in Stockholm, Göteborg, Berlin, Kairo, oder New York provokante Körperaktionen und bruitistischen Schamanzauber gegen atomare Verseuchung. Energy Loop / Element II (Firework Edition Records FER 1008) bringt von diesen aktionen meist kurze Ausschnitte, nur der 'Energy Loop', bei dem Svensson mit Elektrizität und Blitzen jonglierte, macht mit seinen 21 Minuten die grosse Ausname. Um sich ordentlich Gehör zu verschaffen, aber auch um seiner geräuschverliebten Experimeniersucht zu frönen, setzte Svensson folgende Instrumente ein: electric grinder, theremin, sitar, electric welder, electric drill, steel tubes, bronze bells, hammer and anvil, headphones, TV-monior, EKG, typewriter, spray tubes, remote control unit, computer, CD-rom digital image, radio reciever, lightning conductors. Er operiert mit der Atmo- und der Biosphäre. mit Magnetismus, mit den eigenen Körpergeräuschen. Besonderes fasziniren ihn geometrische Munster von atomaren  Partikeln, die durch Schallfrequenzen ausgelöst verden.
Von den audiovisuellen Aspekten von Svenssons Kunst kann ein grosser Tonträgen naturlich nur eine gewisse Ahnung vermitteln. Der rein akustische Eindruck ist jedoch der einer spannenden und disziplinierten Arbeitsmethode. Beim achten Stück erheben wir uns alle von den Sitzen für die Hymne des Königreiches Elgaland- Vargaland."
BAD ALCHEMY # 34, 1999

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*PM Jönsson, Göteborgs-Posten, Album Review
PER SVENSSON 
The New Alchemy - Sound, Art & Random Noise Poetry
CD, Kolsyrefabriken Records
“...Here are sound works recorded on Iceland in 1984...The New Alchemy is a hybrid of music, spoken word and soundart. The songs are industrial blues with echoes from The Velvet Underground and The Stooges...A fascinating journey” (4 out of 5)
GP 20 Dec 2003

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*Johan Jacobsson, Sonic Magazine, Album Review
AUDIO LABORATORY
From Silur to Devon, Carbon & Trias
CD, FIREWORK EDITION RECORDS
“We are talking about a (force of nature) recording, about sounds that makes a hangar feel small, drone and glitch that creates convulsions and makes you want to scream rock’n’roll...Audio Laboratory makes music that makes me feel, want to move and drink beer at the same time” (8 out of 10)
Sonic # 12 Summer 2003

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*Ken Hollings, The Wire – Adventures in Modern Music, Album Review
AUDIO LABORATORY
From Silur to Devon, Carbon & Trias
CD, FIREWORK EDITION RECORDS
“A balefully extended spell of darkness settles over the land of the midnight sun...Audio Laboratory creates wicked Alchemy”
 WIRE 231 May 2003

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*Johan Jacobsson, Sonic Magazine, Audio Chronicle,
“Total Madness - (On Ilsa Gold) + Johan Jacobsson should also want to recommend the following CD-records: Per Svensson;>>The New Alchemy: Sound, Art & Random Noise Poetry<< (Kolsyrefabriken Records) and Henrik Rylander; >>Formation<< (Firework Edition Records)”
Sonic Chronicle 3 Nov 2003

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*Lennart Nilsson & Mats Gustafsson, Perspectives 2004 Catalogue – Festival for Creative Music
"Audio Laboratory started as a sound-art project 1997 in Gothenburg by Henrik Rylander & Per Svensson that soon connected with Ebbot Lundberg and Jean Louis Huhta. Together these musicians has created open revolutionary sound-scapes that put the audience in the condition of…state of mind… Without hesitation they have established new land within the contemporary experimental music with their noise and alarming music that is sharpened with a rock attitude. The members of the group have all roots in the Swedish rock underground. This background is a fundament for Audio Laboratory, but the music show different expressions: open flowing of clang and concrete sounds mixed in ecstatic co-clang with machine-tools and electronic devices.
A strongly visual stage performance with spectacular moments gives power to the audio laborative flow into a total event that isn’t like anything else at Perspectives 2004."
Perspectives 2004 21st-24th Oct 2004

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*Sven Rånlund, Göteborgs Posten, Kultur, Concert Review
The energy of Now in the free music…
"Freedom has many colours. Per Svensson in the Gothenburg based group Audio Laboratory played metal grinder that sent sparks over the audience. Sven Rånlund listen to Perspectives 2004 Festival in Västrås and hear white streams and earth-yellow sound compositions with World class musicians. The music is surreal, not so little perverse, even quite beautiful, even light."
GP 26th Oct 2004

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*R. Dittman, Bad Alchemy, Album Review
THE NEW ALCHEMY / Works by Per Svensson
Sound, Art & Random Noise Poetry
CD, Kolsyrefabriken Records
“Love and Silence…Freedom of Speech / Poetry can’t be stopped / it´s an orange warning / on a frozen morning”, Die Musik steigert sich von Songwrighterpoesi zum psychedelischen multi-track-freakrock mit gitarre, sitar, orgel, bass, schlagzeug. Danem schlagen bei, Iceland Document-Primordial Sounds das brausen ans Ohr…Svensson seit sich mit seiner „Tellurian Alchemy im spannungsfeld von „Dark Matter“ als nachfolger derjenigen, die versuchten, den Code der Materie und des Kosmos zu knacken; The New Alchemy”
Issue Bad Alchemy # 45 p. 21, 2005

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*Johan Jacobsson, Sonic Magazine # 22, Sound Art Special, Interview + Track on Compilation
…”Per Svensson has released three full-length albums and two 7-inch vinyl, all with the same basic concept; forces of nature, different genre and life experiences is mixed in to a fascinating and unique sound art that should be enjoyed at very loud volume”…
Sonic Issue 22. Spring 2005

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*Magnus Säll, DN (Dagens Nyheter), Album Review
PER SVENSSON
The New Alchemy II
CD, Kolsyrefabriken Records
"Merzbow, the noise artist, once reflected on the idea of recordings of the sound of Jimi Hendrix and The Who as they destroyed their guitars. The idea has now been realised by Per Svensson on The New Alchemy II with the subtitle `Concerts for metal grinders & amplified guitar´. Svensson, the sound artist, is also a member of the tumultuous Audio Laboratory and was once part of the Gothenburg underground scene and recorded with Radium. On two, extensive tracks, Svensson lets loose on plugged in electric guitars with metal cutters. They snarl, ring and howl until all that is left is a couple of crackling speakers. Mind blowing. More rock ’n’ roll than The Hives."
DN 6 April, 2005

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*P M Jönsson, GP (Göteborgs Posten) Album Review
THE NEW ALCHEMY
Organic Universe
CD, Ideal Recordings
”Slow psychedelic and primitive rock with strong suggestive power…impressive, in total, the vision, the consistence” (4 out of 5)
14 June 2006

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*Magnus Olsson, Sound Of Music, Album Review
THE NEW ALCHEMY
Organic Universe
CD, Ideal Recordings
“Organic Universe is something of a wet dream for lovers of psychedelic guitar-based rock…”
HYPERLINK http://www.soundofmusic.nu
Issue 0605, Nov. 2006

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*Tom Ridge, The Wire, Adventures in Modern Music, Album Review
THE NEW ALCHEMY
Organic Universe
CD, Ideal Recordings
"The New Alchemy is Swede Per Svensson. With a sound heavily indepted to the usual garage/psych/underground suspect but crucially, one that conveys a sense of hermetically sealed invention of self-expression…Svensson´s frenetic wah-wah and acid spiked guitar lines are liberally employed, boosting even the less focused material with some irrepressible vitality”.
WIRE Sept. 2006

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*Arien Rasmijn, VICE MAGAZINE, Interview by Andy Capper
SPIRITUAL GOLD - Astronauts write about The New Alchemy.
“After listening to The New Alchemy and some long and careful consideration, we came to the conclution that nothing could prepare you well enough for The New Alchemy…The New Alchemy is all about Swedish artists Per Svensson and Ebbot Lundberg making dark, intricate psychedelia, and it makes all those other new bands that claim to be “unsettling and fatalistic” sound like a bunch of babies…” FICTION ISSUE,
VICELAND Dec 2006 / Jan 2007

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*Anthony Balaqua, Rock-A-Rolla Magazine, Album Review
THE NEW ALCHEMY
Organic Universe
CD, Ideal Recordings
“A total of 22 tracks, or rather pieces, make up this records with field recordings, loops, bass, drums, guitars, vocals and metal grinder, just some of the tools in Svensson´s wide arsenal... this is just incidental to what are effectively some great minimal avant/psych-rock tunes that sit somewhere between The Stooges and Velvet Underground with the odd splashing of droning metal…Overall Organic Universe is an accomplished record that more than justifies its comparisons to Lou Reed’s finer moments.”
2007

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*Keith Henderson, Aural Innovations, issue 35
THE NEW ALCHEMY
Organic Universe
CD, Ideal Recordings
“The New Alchemy is the one-man project of artist/musician Per Svensson from Gothenburg, Sweden…Despite the occational similarity with darker post-rock outfits like Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Family, nobody else I’ve heard sounds quite like this album, taken overall…But as I said, the works are artistically crafted, so these dark moody ditties are oddly appealing.”
HYPERLINK "http://www.aural-innovations.com"
www.aural-innovations.com 2007

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*Thomas Millroth, Text on CD Album
PER SVENSSON
Sonogram
CD, Olofbright OBCD 18
An Art Shining With Energy
"It is all about energy, to be able to handle it, to transform sounds, sequences, clusters into energetic vibrations. No need to underline Per Svensson´s (b. 1965) past in the Gothenburg punk-scene. You can feel it in his music, sense it in every way he uses different sounds, how he explores tools combining them with electric guitar, field recordings or whatever. The musical as well as non musical sounds are transformed into sonoric spaces. When listening you move into them as if you were exploring unknown landscapes. In spite of dramatically changing details we feel strongly that we are in one and the same room. Even if you get the wuthering experience of the floor disappearing under your feet, in a poetic way you feel safe. Per Svensson´s sonoric spaces are indeed most physical. Although often harsh and rough there is underneath this surface a very sensual experience. I´d rather say vulnerable than raw in the way of industrial rock. His method is to use flux and random, improvisation – and the ears to hold it all together. In this CD Per Svensson is looking back. It is like a retrospective show. We see (hear) as far as 1987, i.e. twenty years. Going further back to the modern pioneers – 90, 50 or 30 years, whatever you prefer – we find a row of disparate lack of norms movements. The whole thing was about dismantling, crushing, and investigating the limits. Per Svensson has passed that. For him the structures of the music have been put together again, rejected, and replaced with new elements. In one way he stands steady in a tradition of noise, electronica and rock, but none of those standards are useful in the description of his art. He comfortably moves between his experiences of noise experiment, conceptual art, sound art, spoken word. He has no need to force any borders, he acts as if they do not exist, and never did. In the best sense his musical flow/flux has an agenda of its own, which gives it liberty of action within its contemporary context." Olofbright OBCD 18, 2007

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