With the faint buzz of the weekend still ringing in our ears and the post Red Bull lethargy seeping into our aching limbs it came as a very welcome and pleasant break from the noise to discover Olafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm stunningly beautiful Trance Frendz. Recorded during an unedited 8 hour jam session in Nils Berlin studio, the 7 collaborative compositions that make up ‘Trance Frendz’ were first released as a 45 minute documentary film on YouTube in August of last year. Originally the compositions were only available on the second CD of their 2CD ‘Collaborative Works LP’, however vinyl had always been muted by label home Erased Tapes, and today has been confirmed for a March 16th release date.
As alluded to above this is tranquility as apposed to agitated noisy beats with waves of calming yet arresting notes gently washing back and forth like a cool breeze on a deserted paradise. You almost expect to hear the gentle creak and chatter of the conjured utopia as the sounds reverberate and dissipate in a forcibly calm authority. However serenity cannot last unchecked and as we reach 23.52 its almost as if dark clouds are brewing on the horizon as brooding synth’s punctuate proceedings. At 00.26 this feeling of change gathers further strength as mechanized bleeps and staccato rhythms, replace the smooth lush keys of earlier. But like all squalls it quickly blows itself out and once again shards of gently warming rays start to break through the fleeting gloom to restore order.
Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm – Trance Frendz [Pre-Order]
