Jarl – Spectrum Confusion (Album – Reverse Alignment)
Genre/Influences: Experimental, Experimental, Cinematographic.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Erik Jarl already strikes back with a new album; he released three albums this year and can already look back at an impressive discography. “Spectrum confusion” is the fifth album released on Reverse Alignment.
Content: The Swedish artist composed 3 long duration tracks revealing a different approach from the work we’re used to hearing from Jarl. The tracks are more into an Electronic approach, pretty minimal and characterized by icy sound treatments. It however remains an Ambient/Cinematographic travel, which comes mainly through on, “Part 2” and “Part 3”.
+ + + : The icy, chilling sound treatments are noticeable elements of this work. It creates a mysterious and also anguishing atmosphere reinforcing the Cinematographic touch of the work. There’s a perfect balance between this cold, evasive style and the Minimal-Electro approach. “Part 2” is a true noticeable cut, which I would compare to a weird and imaginary space voyage.
– – – : The album is characterized by repetitive loops, which after a while became a bit too predictable.
Conclusion: I have some mixed feelings with this album; I globally like it, but I get the impression there’s more in it than what came out.
Best songs: “Part 2”.
Rate: 7.
Artist: www.facebook.com/Jarl.main
Label: www.facebook.com/reversealignment
About Jarl
Jarl is the main project of Swedish musician Erik Jarl, active since the autumn of 1999. He was one of the founding members of the post-industrial act IRM and has worked with Anemone Tube, Envenomist and Skin Area. His music has appeared on a number of labels over the years.
“Spectrum Confusion” was released on 1 October 2021 and is his fifth album for Reverse Alignment, after the 2019 triple CD “Symptoms Variation / Sensory Deprivation”. It holds three long-form pieces titled “Spectrum Confusion Part 1”, “Spectrum Confusion Part 2” and “Spectrum Confusion Part 3”. Karolina Urbaniak created the cover artwork, as she did for the four earlier Jarl releases on the label.
The label describes the three pieces as bringing “bubbling and pulsating sounds” alongside the artist’s hypnotic approach, placing the record closer to Northern European electronic composition than his earlier work. Side-Line has no earlier article on the project; the archive mentions the name only in coverage of other acts.
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