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Runtime: 44'04''

«Erik Svensson returns for his last incarnation as Vägskäl. If you haven't listened to his other test tube release, the EP 'As Summer Comes Creeping', please try to do it before listening to this full album, because the previous one works something as a prologue to this last 'swan song'. 'This could've been...' picks up where the EP left: dark ambient moods, a couple of subtle beats here and there and some melancholic drones to boot. Although the artwork suggests a darker tone to this release, as opposed to the brighter, sunny cover of the EP, this new work is actually a lot lighter (as in 'light'). Take the first track, for instance. It's called 'We shine brighter now', and it truly deserves the name. A light (as in 'not heavy') white drone grows towards the morning sun. A beautiful opener.
The title track samples some very nice IDM-ish beats, and resembles a lot 'A Song for a Girl', from the previous release. If this were to be a pop album, I'd choose this one as the single, hands down. But hey, 'New worlds ahead' could also be a really nice single too!
This album features a truly dark and minimal ambient 'remix version' of 'Deep inside', by finnish musician Jari Pitkänen, that comes as an excellent mood shift somewhere in the middle of the album. But there aren't that many 'dark' moods as one would assume from Erik, founder of Mirakelmusik, an excellent dark ambient swedish label. It's as if Erik was trying to detach this moniker from the genre where he feels mostly at home. Well, he did it, at least for good measure he did it. More than half of Vägskäl's work - including stuff from other labels as well - clearly touches more sky than ground. There are plenty of uplifting beats throughout.
'The falling star' is yet another and obvious point of contact with last release's 'The fading star'. Shares the same dark moody theme, a similar waving and pulsating drone, same sort of mechanical samples. The two tracks were most probably made at the same time. One of my favorites and one that, in my opinion, best characterizes Vägskäl's work.
Time for a goodbye, as the suggestively titled 'Someday, somewhere', well... suggests. This wasn't actually the beginning of something great, but the end. Outstanding. Rest in peace, Vägskäl.» - Pedro Leitão

Downloads:

01 • We shine brighter now ........................................................... pt us
[5'28'' • 7,74Mb • VBR]
02 • This could've been the beginning of something great ........... pt us
[3'42'' • 5,46Mb • VBR]
03 • New worlds ahead ................................................................... pt us
[5'23'' • 7,92Mb • VBR]
04 • 23 years and dreamin' ............................................................ pt us
[4'14'' • 5,99Mb • VBR]
05 • These woods were my home .................................................... pt us
  [3'36'' • 5,48Mb • VBR]
06 • Deep inside (through you by Jari Pitkänen) .......................... pt us
  [5'41'' • 7,91Mb • VBR]
07 • Like glass ................................................................................. pt us
  [3'00'' • 4,44Mb • VBR]
08 • The falling star ....................................................................... pt us
  [6'04'' • 8,64Mb • VBR]
09 • Deep inside .............................................................................. pt us
  [3'32'' • 5,02Mb • VBR]
10 • Someday, somewhere .............................................................. pt us
  [3'24'' • 4,63Mb • VBR]
  • artwork ................................................................................... pt us
  [PDF-Zip • 3,30Mb]
  • all tracks + artwork ................................................................ pt us
  [Zip • 65,7Mb]

Reviews:

«A netlabel portuguesa Test Tube continua a lançar vários discos interessantes por mês em formato digital e para download gratuito. Um dos melhores registos deste ano é da autoria de Erik Svensson, fundador da netlabel sueca Mirakelmusik que aqui se apresenta como Vägskäl. Depois de também ter lançado pela Test Tube o EP 'As Summer Comes Creeping', Vägskäl finaliza a saga com este disco. Um trabalho soturno que vive de ambientes de alguma tensão, texturas electrónicas que se dispersam em vastos drones. Optando pelo chamado Dark Ambient verificámos que o prolongamento dos sons é o suficiente para criar uma atmosfera de certa forma minimalista onde borbulham ritmos maquinais. Algum IDM também está presente num trabalho que seria ideal para acompanhar um documentário sobre o espaço sideral ou qualquer trabalho do Carl Sagan. Vägskäl sabe criar ambientes brilhantes.»
- Pedro Nunes / October 2007

«Vägskäl, j'aime plutôt bien. Pas pour le nom... Plus parce que ça ressemble à Con 7. Pas totalement, mais un peu quand même ! Respect, donc. Ca va plus loin que le projet que je défends chez Test Tube. C'est de l'ambiance. Tout n'est pas résolu cependant... Allons, un peu de courage ! Prendre son temps ! Vägskäl ne prétend à rien d'autre que cela.»
- LaFresto / May 15, 2007

«Bajo este titulo tan optimista lo que nos encontramos es un álbum oscuro, lleno de misterio… El regreso de Erik Svensson, fundador de mirakelmusik, bajo el nombre de Vägskäl, este trabajo de larga duración viene precedido por la anterior referencia suya en test tube, un ep titulado “as summer comes creeping” y que le hace de prólogo a este que tenemos entre manos.
Un trabajo muy cuidado, donde nos descubrimos en paisajes oscuros, sin llegar a las estridencias y una cierta melancolía de trasfondo.»
- Oír para creer / May 06, 2007

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©2007 aeriolabehaviour
music:
©2006 Vägskäl
©2007 test tube


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