Ljós

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       March 25, 2021

 

Artist – Fallen aka Lorenzo Brancaloni   

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           Released:             February 2021

           Running Time:   

           Website:    https://lontanoseries.bandcamp.com/album/lj-s          

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Beautiful in its simplicity, the work from Fallen aka Lorenzo Brancaloni, Ljos is a gentle acoustic voyage into time, space and place; haunting, delicate, charming, soothing and aptly representative of Icelandic word Ljos or light.

Each of the pieces can very easily be considered as a single component of a symphony, each song gliding gently through space, ambient and pure, bringing together the haunting mystery of the deep waters that surrounds the small country with unique skies above, coming together to create a somewhat ethereal atmosphere.

Over the past week the volcanic eruption of Mount Fagradalsfjall has simply underscored the uniqueness of this icy terrain that has hidden within its landscape the majesty and true beauty of the earth. This feeling has been captured with the skilled use of electronica which is a somewhat interesting component and one that could not have been foreseen during the construction of the album.

Poetry is another word that comes to mind as the soothing qualities of the music appear to be captured in phrases, each telling a story that is unique to the listener.  B1: La mia preghiera is a hunting example of this, as it is punctuated with sharper elements, full stops, exclamations or simply a comma. Fanciful maybe, but then all electronica is to some degree fanciful, moving into form as required, holding meaning only to the listener.

Listening to this music as a seventeen minute sample was incredibly soothing and gentle. When expanded over seven carefully constructed tracks the sound of Ljos expands to create an intricate soundscape that is compelling.

Somewhat different, the melody of the pieces ranges from light and airy to deep and brooding,  to an almost intimate soothing but at times deeply dramatic, capturing the atmosphere of the earth  and the timeless tempo of the planet slowly moving through space.