a r t i s t : Tape
t i t l e : Milieu Plus
d a t e : 2008
l a b e l : HΣpna (H.41)
g e n r e : Electronic
r l s. d a t e : Apr/2008
t r a c k s : 12
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 65,9 MB
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Milieu plus is a reissue of Milieu (HΣpna H14), with three new
tracks taken from the original sessions. Now in digipak with
new cover art.
Asked to share his thoughts and feelings, this is what Swedish
journalist Andres Lokko wrote about this album in January
2008: "When Milieu, the sophomore album by Stockholm based
trio Tape, first came out at the tail end of 2003, it sounded
like nothing else. Seemingly improvised but still so tenderly
composed, it took cues from both the most gentle free jazz and
Brian EnoÆs ideas of ambient music but at the same time
leaning against both Swedish folk music and broken pop
balladry. In the end Tape created something entirely unique.
For quite some time it felt like they û brothers Andreas and
Johan Berthling and Tomas Hallonsten û were on their own,
whether anyone bothered to listen or not theyÆd still be
walking deeper and deeper down their own musical path, into a
very private forest of their collective heart and mind.
Slowly, almost as pacelessly as the music itself, they started
making friends. And in the process they sold out all copies of
the record. That is why Milieu is finally being reissued and
restored in this expanded format. While doing so Milieu û
together with its forerunner Opera û became something of a
stepping stone - some of us would argue it was the blue print
û for, if not a new pop the at least a new way of approaching
it and a new way of what it could achieve.
Tape had very little to do with traditional experimental
music, they never fitted into jazz and û although many tried
to û their beautiful songs could not by any means be labelled
electronica.
Instead it was the genuine gentleness itself of TapeÆs music
that spoke to their soul mates across the world. Milieu opened
a door to a musical heart their contemporaries had been trying
to reach for a long time. Tape now presented them with the
key. At least thatÆs what it felt like for me. Wherever I went
the following year I seemed to make friends through Milieu. In
Berlin, in Glasgow, in Tokyo. In a book store in Chicago, at a
tiny concert with Tenniscoats, Maher Shalal Hash Baz and the
pianist Bill Wells among the dragon flies in the southeast of
Japan and in an empty Scottish vegetarian cafΘ û the love we
felt for Tapes music brought us together. WeÆre all still very
close. I guess what makes TapeÆs music so special is that it
plays just like short stories. The trail of thoughts I want to
a great short story to start in my head and heart. Where the
sentences, the dialogue, are just a blank canvas for the
reader to project her own loves and regrets on. And in music
thereÆs no need for translation.
The sound of Milieu remind me of the books of Tove Jansson,
the Finnish writer of the beautiful stories from the
Moominvalley (especially the masterful Moominpappa at Sea and
Moominvalley in November). IÆm never sure if theyÆre really
about childhood summers and winters long gone, the ones that I
somewhere deep inside just know never really were as good as
they seem when I try to remember them. Or if theyÆre about me
now, all grown up and pushing 40. Tape stir up such forgotten
feelings, they restore fading pictures we donÆt really want to
share with anyone else. Or in some cases have forgotten they
were ever there in the first place. The aching slowness of
these melodies awaken reluctant nostalgia; a forced
sentimentality. And they do so without the aid of words, only
with the purest music; the electricity in the air that
surrounds the captured moment." // Andres Lokko, London W11,
January 2008
http://www.hapna.com
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01-Oak Player [03:00]
02-Sponge Chorus [04:48]
03-Star Skid [04:00]
04-Crippled Tree [04:13]
05-Augustan Chateau [05:09]
06-Edisto [03:40]
07-Spruce Horns [05:54]
08-Golden Twig [04:19]
09-Rocked Root [04:04]
10-Long Bell [04:25]
11-Root Tattoo [03:41]
12-Switchboard Fog [04:44]
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51:57 min