Erland Dahlen - Blossom Bells (2015) [Hi-Res]

“Blossom Bells” is the long awaited follow-up of drummer and percussionist Erland Dahlen’s critically acclaimed solo debut album, “Rolling Bomber” (HUBRO, 2012). Uncut’s reviewer said that Erland’s “one-man band-in-a-box sounds fuller and more imaginative than many ‘post-rock’ quartets”, while Rock-A-Rolla described the debut album as “finely judged and creatively individual”.

Erland´s second album has a playful, richly visual mood, but is also quite dark and menacing in places. Elements of krautrock, drone music, ambient music and contemporary music are woven together here with dark, rock-inspired energy.

The album is named after the legendary instrument-maker Pete Engelhart’s unusual chromatic set of bells, “Blossom Bells”, which Erland plays in several places on the album. He also plays a variety of percussion instruments, saw, electronic instruments and some specially constructed instruments, such as cake moulds with springs built by Hallvard W. Hagen, a custom made «percussion bass» made by Harald Hougaard and a wind up wood instrument with elastic band constructed by Kenny Wollesen.

The collection of instruments used on the album is extensive, imaginative and unique. Erland is passionately interested in new sounds, and spends a great deal of time traipsing through offbeat second-hand shops while touring all over the world. Another important source of percussion instruments from the 1920s, 30s and 40s is eBay. His new compositions are often inspired by improvisations based on the exploration of fascinating sounds.

Erland plays all the instruments himself, as on the previous record, but has produced the album with Johnny Skalleberg as well as with Jens Petter Nilsen and Hallvard W. Hagen from the electronica duo Xploding Plastix – a group Erland has worked together with for over a decade.

Erland Dahlen has played on over 160 records since the mid-1990s, and has toured with an impressive list of top-ranking artists in more than 30 countries, including Madrugada, Xploding Plastix, John Paul Jones, Pantha du Prince and the Bell Laboratory, Årabrot, Kaada/Mike Patton, Eivind Aarset on “Sonic Codex”, Serena Maneesh, Anja Garbarek, Arve Henriksen, Hanne Hukkelberg and Ane Brun, along with many others.

For the past few years Erland has been a regular member of Nils Petter Molvær’s band, and he plays in the trio Stian Westerhus and the Pale Horses. His talents are also frequently put to use for film music.

The album was recorded at Oslo Klang with technician Johnny Skalleberg and at Coffee Fabric with technicians Jens Petter Nilsen and Hallvard W. Hagen. It was mastered by Helge Sten at Audio Virus Lab.