Svalastog Woodwork
On Woodwork, Per Henrik Svalastog plays traditional instruments such as Norwegian zither, ram’s horn, and […]
On Woodwork, Per Henrik Svalastog plays traditional instruments such as Norwegian zither, ram’s horn, and cow’s horn, and then runs them through computer software programs, coating each with an appealingly odd sheen. What ensues is a peculiarly Scandinavian take on folktronica: emotionally reserved yet not without poignancy; elegantly designed, and fizzing with miniaturist intrigue. Svalastog’s digital processing is so subtle that you never feel like you’re fully in the distant past, nor in the up-to-the-minute present. Woodwork suspends you in a golden mean in which synthetic and organic elements are in wondrous equilibrium-a rare feat.