Sven Rånlund – “La Vie Modulaire 1” album
Modular synthesizers! For some (plenty of people) the term leads to a greedy look and the want for new sounds, new equipment and more. The fact is that – after many years as an obscure and forgotten instrument – during the last years a rather large subculture has formed around modular synths. This has created a lot of great music, and among other things led to an interesting documentary about synth history: I dream of wires (also available on Netflix).
In Sven Rånlund’s gentle hands the modular synth generates everything from nice polyphonic, rhythmic compositions to scifi sounds and more abstract structures. The 60’s is still there but somehow filtered through the years 2014-2016. You can sense from the titles that here is a composer who works in a playful way but still seriously, which is also emphasized by the philosophic texts in the CD booklet. The modular life (“La Vie Modulaire”) is a fun and exciting journey. Have a listen!
Starboared
Bongo aero
Sven Rånlund’s site – on Bandcamp – on Spotify – on Apple Music