20Hz is considered to be the lowest frequency that humans can hear. It is also the solo project of Erik Ångman (Göteborgselektronikerna, Octolab).
Sprawl is the third 20Hz album. Featuring contributions from Karin My (Carbon Based Lifeforms, Twice a Man), Karl Gasleben (Twice a Man, Gasleben & Electric Friends), Arielle Andersson (Octolab), Fredrik Lundvall Kindsäter (Octolab), Rikard Lindh (Henric de la Cour, Yvonne), and Per-Ivar Östmann, it is also a set of collaborations with a diverse group of artists from the Swedish alternative scene.
Ångman explains the concept of the album this way:
The (rather pretentious) concept behind Sprawl was to create a soundtrack for a non-existent film set in a not so far future where people live in cities the size of countries. The songs describe feelings of being alone amidst millions of people and experiencing a sense of not fitting in. There’s a feeling that something isn’t quite right, and that ones humanity and relationships are eroded by the gray, endlessly repetitive everyday life. Yet, there’s also a glimmer of hope and a longing that there must be something more than the city’s neon-lit skyscrapers and its rain-soaked black streets, that there’s a different, better life outside the city walls.
The album opens with “Fragments,” which takes us on an ambient techno trip. A bubbling synthetic pulse establishes the spine around which moods and atmospheres take shape. It’s not a million miles away from Delerium.
“Travel with Waves” draws in Octolab, with whom Ångman collaborates as a rhythm programmer. It’s a recalibration from their usual pop sensibility that adds depth and complexity to their characteristic elegance.
“Exit North” approaches the sensibility of Ryuichi Sakamoto, with its considered but artful use of piano. The delicacy of the keyboard is supported by atmospheric cello work provided by Karin My – Sweden’s secret weapon. It’s a beautiful, enveloping track that unfolds like fine linen. My also features on the companion song, “Exit South,” which uses different textures to no less dramatic effect.
“Through the Clouds” takes a chilled but moody approach. It flows into “Columbia,” which builds a deep pulse around which piano and guitar sounds swirl. Expanding on this part of the album’s arc, “The Heart of the City” is evocative of the late Harold Budd. Ångman creates spaces to spread out the reverb while building phrases with an old-school lead.
Gasleben pays a visit on “Lakeside.” The Twice a Man man is no stranger to psychedelic electronica, and the combination is both theatrical and compelling.
“Golden Hearts” brings in the voice of Per-Ivar for the closest that Sprawl offers as a pop song. It’s an album that touches a lot of bases, without overstretching itself. This might be its highlight, but there really are no low points. Choose from its range of offerings or glide through them – the journey is magical.