‘Songs from the Åland Islands’ acts as an analysis of geography and topography, studying the air quality, formation, and waterscape of the region. The personal is often substituted for an almost mathematical replication of nature: patterns of sound that change and remain the same. The music walks between direct imitation and interpretation of a soundscape; the acoustic instruments, piano, chimes, and Honer’s viola all help to bridge the gap. Ambient synths and strings fly overhead and can occasionally feel out of reach, but Chiu’s synthetically textured percussive sounds and sonic control ultimately land this record back into somewhere more accessible.
22/30
A favourite: Stureby House Piano
‘Recordings From the Åland Islands’ is out now via International Anthem.
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