JOHAN G. WINTHER – The Rupturing Sowle

The talented Johan G. Winther (Scraps of Tape, Blessings, Barrens) recently unearthed this highly emotive and introspective solo offering of his, and this is one of those mellow and hauntingly beautiful outputs where sparse instrumentation and incredibly evocative melodies flow together seamlessly and manage to transport the listener elsewhere in a brilliant manner. 

"The Rupturing Sowle", which was captured on tape for posterity at a small cabin in the middle of Sweden, is layered and rich in texture, and to put it succinctly, this is the kind of heartfelt work of passion and deep-seated melancholy that does not exactly pop out of nowhere every day. In many ways, it displays a singular creative vision and just the right balance of structure and something that is perhaps best defined as spontaneity and instinct.

Completely organic and quite ambient-like in nature, this is a dark, moving journey through the Scandinavian forests at night or the perfect companion if you are looking for a great soundtrack to a long, solitary walk one late August evening. Keywords and phrases such as "gentle", "harmony", "dissonance", and "emotional turmoil" crop up every time I spin the moody opus, and this one is definitely recommended to all you openminded listeners out there. Also, I can easily see this one appeal to lovers of everything from post-rock to the more experimental soundscapes that Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have conceived together. Excellent stuff. 

 

JOHAN G. WINTHER – "The Rupturing Sowle" CD | Pelagic Records (pelagic-records.com)