Atmosfera by Koen Holtkamp
Love All Day presents ‘Atmosfera’ a new album of electronic compositions from acclaimed artist & composer, Koen Holtkamp (of the duo Mountains, as well as the creator of solo works for labels such as Thrill Jockey, Type, and Umor Rex. Featuring something of a break from the sound & compositional palette of his most recent releases, Holtkamp spent a year paring down and reconfiguring his modular system focusing on creating a new sound and interface with the intention of using it primarily to process electric guitar. The goal was to create a more direct and lean set up that would rely less heavily on linear progression as well as the dense layering his work has been known for. In essence he was looking to build a new sandbox, and ‘Atmosfera’ features nine pieces that unmistakably exhibit the freedom of play. Created over a single month, these pieces are stripped down and mostly focused on a single voice, with each individual track marked by a striking sense of immediacy. We believe Holtkamp has long had one of the most sympathetic and responsive ears in contemporary electronic music, and there is a palpable delight to be felt in following his listening and intuition across these almost improvisational miniatures as they were created in real time. Occasionally that great expansive sound he’s always been able to conjure will appear, but to hear how effortlessly he can dig in and discover new things at the micro-level as well is a thing of wonder.
