Ed Carlsen – The Journey Tapes

Not sure how, but I happened across Ed Carlsen’s latest work on Moderna recently – I guess I was drawn in by the ice-cold white of the album cover with the glimmers of hope that are the fir trees at the bottom of the image. We’re fast approaching winter and it’s a time when modern classical music always strikes such a chord.
After seconds of piano, the moment the strings come in, I am recalling Dustin O’Halloran’s Lumiere, or Einaudi’s Elements and I’m hooked. To be fair, Carlsen’s work here isn’t trying to emulate these composers or any other at that; field recordings, light beats and the vocals Julie Krog Jensen make this a work of art in its own right.
For me, the strengths of this album are the richness of the strings, the coldness of the piano and the way the album absolutely reflects the cover artwork perfectly. Highly recommended.