Boomkat (UK)

Norwegian duo Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik and Rune Sagevik left quite an impression with their debut 12k offering, 2007’s Sart. Following in the fine tradition of their esteemed countryman Biosphere, Pjusk immerse the listener in fathomless depths of electronic soundscaping, conjuring up the raw, icy topography of their nordic home with these beautifully constructed sonic environments. When 12k describe this music as “lush, wet, textured ambience” they’re not kidding; the resonant drips and twitches of ‘Demring’ are halfway between the broken filtered dub of Pole and the sound of a melting glacier (North Pole, anyone?). The use of processed environmental recordings lends the album a substantial and tactile presence, locking it into the fabric of the physical landscape during the airy drifts of ‘Skygge’ or ‘Dunkel’s parting wildlife sounds. Generally however, Sval has to be one of the most synthetic sounding releases on 12k in some time, with ‘Skodde’ and ‘Glimt’ seeming more closely aligned with the language of Monolake’s recent output than that of labelmates like Small Color and Minamo. This all bodes well for the diversity of 12k’s profile in 2010, and it’s great to hear the imprint continuing to push forwards with its experimental electronic agenda on such releases. Sval is a superbly executed example of what can be achieved in the field of ambient electronic music when the tools are in the right hands.