Dauw, the great tape label based in Ghent, invited me in 2015 to do a release for them. This resulted in two 18 minute tracks, ‘Dwaal’ and ‘Wold’. Both are exercises in creating an auditory space or sphere rather than sculpting a structured composition. With its orchestral washes amidst a barrage of radio static and erratic noise, ‘Dwaal’ is the noisy brother of the two. It's a balancing act or battle perhaps between disruptive tumult and serene calm. On ‘Wold’, with its sparse piano notes spread out over a bed of subtle hiss, the serenity is left largely unadorned. Wind recordings and bird song - the piano as well as the field recordings captured during a holiday in Vriescheloo, (NL) - slowly guide the listener into an hypnotic, dream-like state.
The cassette for Dauw (accompanied by Femke Strijbos' beautiful artwork) was released in February 2016 and sold out quickly. Moving Furniture Records has decided to re-release it as a cd and download, adding two interpretations to the album, by Benoît Pioulard (whose ‘Sonnet' was a clear influence gor the album) and Nicola Ratti (another source of inspiration, both solo and with Bellows). The latter strips ‘Dwaal’ down and injects it with wonderful synth sputters, rhythms and bloops. Pioulard’s version of ‘Wold’ features his recreation of the atmosphere of the original using organ and guitar with mesmerizing results.
credits
released March 29, 2018
Music by Rutger Zuydervelt
Track 3: remix by Nicola Ratti
Track 4: interpretation by Benoît Pioulard
Mastered by Ian Hawgood
Cover based on the original tape artwork by Femke Strijbol
With no forward momentum and therefore no expectation of the next note, eventually these pieces etch out a pattern, at a welcomed glacial pace. Piano is welcomed also. Very well thought out. Richard Erickson
It's an album that makes you think, forget, feel and cry.
This is what music is about, making you feel things.
Absolute must for anyone that wants to get into experimental music. nheuro
This music is eerie but somehow comforting, too. The violin in "Haven Returns" is really quite beautiful - it's an evocative moment when it comes in. The whole album create a great ambience for writing, which is when I usually listen. giantspecks
Field recordings intertwine with hushed acoustics and gentle ambience to create songs that are hypnotic and immersive. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 13, 2020
Recording as Allenheimer, Atli Bollason dismantles Icelandic pop songs, making illusory new ambient material from the component parts. Bandcamp New & Notable May 12, 2018