Kasper Agnas - Grain Live [Frim Records 004]

Scheduled for release via the Swedish label Frim Records on February 17th, 2k23 is "Grain Live", the March 18th, 2k21-recorded album by Kasper Agnas who - over the course of three extended pieces and roughly 37 minutes picks up on ideas and compositions from his previous solo album "Grain" and extends x develops them in front of a live audience. Opening with "1992" Kasper Agnas starts from a point at which his instrument of choice, the guitar, presents a hectic, nervous, warbled and more percussively droning tonality, partially even evoking memories of extremely misty, washed out Shoegaze experimentalism whereas the follow up "Mirrored Memories" opens on a deeply comforting and nocturnal Ambient tip somewhat reminiscent of slowly cascading, low frequency church organ harmonies before progressing into shaper, metallic and slightly off-kilter territories . Furthermore, the final, 18+ minutes spanning "Far Away, Closer" sees the artist exploring a realm of distant guitar strokes slowly fading to near silence in a beautifully calm manner, building a bridge between Post-PostRock harmonies and what could be described as a sort of organic PopAmbient before abruptly spiralling towards an intense climax followed by a slightly arhythmic aftermath and digital glitches accompanied by, once again, droning low frequencies. As avantgarde as a solo guitar performance might get.

Album artwork on Instagram!