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Tor Lundvall - Under The Shadows of Trees


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"Therefore, and to some extent, philosophers are painters, poets are painters and philosophers, painters are philosophers and poets. He who is not a poet and painter is not a philosopher. It is truly claimed that to understand is to see the imagined forms and characters – and understanding in an idea, or at least it is not devoid of imagination."
Giordano Bruno "De Imaginum, Signorum et Idearum Compositione" (1591)
Painting sounds and playing images are methods with which Tor Lundvall records pieces of his ephemeral world. Under the Shadow of Trees is a collection of sixteen ethereal compositions describing seemingly idyllic, dreamy image of the reality. There would be nothing unusual in this picture if not for the mystery, sometimes wildness, emanating form between windy trails and yellowing leaves.
Lazily flowing sounds, echoes, whispers and distant calls, screams set in motion the painterly vision of the author, whose voice becomes a guide through the misty landscapes, majestically elongated moments, closed on the other side of his eyes.
The feeling of calm is enhanced by extended backgrounds, steady low notes and entangled guitar sequences and synths. The palette harmonizes perfectly with everything that the author creates on canvas, as if every shape and colour had its sonic and visual equivalent.
But what really is hiding under the trees’ shadows of Lundvall? Static gaze into the swaying forest, omnipresent mist, dim colours, noticing this aforementioned element of mystery. If observed longer some sweeping shadows become visible, faces frozen between darkened boughs and blurred golden rays of light moving this subtle illusion as if on string. When shadows and colours sound it turns out that the observer stands face to face with Nature, whose thousand eyes surround him everywhere. Is he a part of this misty tissue or is he an intruder that broke the sanctum of windy harmony?
The spectator remains impassive, as if he didn’t want to scare away what appears before his eyes. The choice is left to the recipient: dive deeper in to the blurry abyss of light and shadow or escape from silhouettes of volatile, vague figures, sleeping between black and white.
Lundvall’s record collection arouses associations with image philosophy of Lars Von Trier. Closing a moment, capturing movement, dictate colour. The idea of Nature in works of the American is so much alike the Dutch director’s presentations that the creations of both artists can be treated as parts of the same puzzle.
The music on the album can be easily associated with a forest pierced with sunrays. Perfect for relaxing in a hammock with a book in the hands, however, it can pull you deeper down where the heartbeat of Nature throbs under the trees’ shadows.

'Under the Shadows of Trees' is an exceptionally painterly album, complementary with author’s canvas so tightly that it seems the world presented by him simply pours from his imagination.
Tor Lundvall, American artist – painter, musician and, according to Bruno’s concept, philosopher.

Tracklist:

01 Floating Faces
02 Morning
03 Lost
04 Are You There?
05 June Rain
06 Hilltop
07 The City
08 Game Room
09 Distant Children
10 Leaf Sway
11 The Backyard
12 Sinking Sun
13 Twilight Girl
14 Orange Moon
15 Summer Song
16 Under The Shadows Of Trees
Author:
Translator: kantellis
Add date: 2012-12-14 / Music reviews




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