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Hans Appelqvist, “Sifanten Och Mörkret”

Artist: Appelqvist, Hans
Title: Sifanten Och Mörkret
Release Date: 2007

Hans Appelqvist, Sifanten Och Mörkret, released 2000 by Mercury Records

1) Wanxian
2) Tänk Att Himlens Alla Stjärnor
3) Mormas Fågel
4) Freckenåges Spa
5) Tiggången
6) Skundgässhallen
7) Sju I Tre
8) Jag En Gök
9) Tilli Talli Tulli
10) Full the Moon
11) Lestapiona
12) Talkijangnas Akt

To the best of my knowledge, Hans Appelqvist is a laptop artist out of Sweden; I discovered a suite of his called The First Three Notes of the Minor Scale a few years ago, and liked it well enough to be intrigued when I stumbled across news of his most recent CD release, Sifanten Och Mörkret.

Judging by Sifanten…, Appelqvist enjoys making delicate, pretty, occasionally playful music…and then defacing it. Most of the songs are simple and soft – though not patricularly noteworthy – and marred by ridiculous, lame samples[1]. The effect is like viewing a serene landscape painting over which the artist has sprayed graffiti…it’s not so much humorous as somewhat childish and a little sad, as if Appelqvist is vaguely ashamed of his own musical sensibilities and has decided to preemptively criticize his work before anyone else can.

That said, there are a few tracks I really like: “Jag En Gök” is a really nice track backed appropriately by birdsong; “Talkijangnas Akt” is a fun drums/guitar instrumental that’s got a compelling ’80s-movie-instrumental vibe; and my favorite, “Freckenåges Spa”, is a beautiful, energetic, crystalline piece centered on the high range of the piano that’s way too short – sometimes I just put that single track on repeat and bask in it.

I suppose the shame of it is that when Appelqvist creates something he seems proud enough to display without embarrassment, it’s actually pretty good, if not terribly ambitious.
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(1) Mewling kittens, slide whistles, gurgling babies, cymbal crashes, animals roaring, etc.

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