Photo: Selma Grönlund
Joel Gabrielsson
CITADEL (EP) OUT MARCH 12!
“I carry my own”,
Swedish indie singer-songwriter Joel Gabrielsson debuts his haunting EP Citadel via Jivvär Records
There is something otherworldly and stirring about certain art that reveals our frailty. At once we can be swept up in awe or dread at the grandeur of the mystery surrounding us; or we can find ourselves shrugging it off to keep us from remembering our own impermanence. Even the most commonplace experience, like a break-up, can have us scrambling for an existential haven.
With the release of Citadel, Swedish indie singer-songwriter Joel Gabrielsson debuts in his own name, and tries to cut to the core of what it means to be human.
The EP has an open and scaled back quality to it: acoustic guitar and piano, with tactile instrumentation and vocals accompanied by evocative backdrops, perhaps bringing to mind artists like Thom Yorke, Jónsi or Sufjan Stevens.
Joel grew up in Asia and began playing music at a young age. After returning to Europe he studied contemporary dance. Later, while working abroad, he was drawn back to pursuing music again and began experimenting with ambient and electronic music. His most recent releases have been under the alias Flyinglow.
This debut takes him into new, yet familiar territory; both the songcraft and production signal authenticity. The EP has been produced by artist/producer David Åhlén and mixed by Manne von Ahn Öberg, famous for his work in the 1990s with artists like Stina Nordenstam and the label Atrium (Warner Music).
Notable musicians feature on the EP, among them the prolific cellist Svante Henryson (Morning light, Remain), pianist Andreaz Hedén (Morning light, Wimber), drummer Anders Hedlund (Remain), double bassist Jonas Nilsson (Citadel, Remain), Emily Åhlén (vocals on Morning light), David Åhlén (harmonica and synth on Citadel and Morning light, Electric Guitar on Remain) and electronic artist Mit-Tim (synth on Morning light).
Citadel i s an ode to brevity. It was written during a trying time and engages with longing and love, faith and doubt, clarity and ambivalence, finding rest in the tension of it all. It’s heavy-hearted and melancholic, but doesn’t lose sight of hope. Perhaps this is what alternative hymns might sound like?
Listen to the single Morning Light
»Swedish artist presents a small gourmet format in delicate and atmospheric sounds, able to invoke the universes of Thom Yorke and Jónsi. A pop curiosity« Rolling Stone Magazine, FR
»’Morning Light’ exerts a gentle pull on the listener, beckoning them to stay a while and fully soak in the warm melancholy of its little musical microcosm. (…) The song has this lilting yet plaintive melody to it that gives it a wonderfully bittersweet sound that’s hard to shake once you’ve immersed yourself in it.« Everything is Noise, DE
»Mais attention : envoûtement garanti !...Le résultat est fascinant, balançant constamment entre la légèreté de l’instrumentation et de son chant, se mêlant avec douceur à la voix d’Emily Åhlen, et la mélancolie qui ruisselle des cordes et des paroles.» Can you hear the Music?, FR
»Why we love it: With a delicate use of instrumentation and voice, Joel Gabrielsson has delivered a poetic and heartfelt insight into his own creative world with his debut single, ‘Morning Light’.» God is in the TV zine, UK
»Prima che Bon Iver perdesse la bussola e cominciasse a produrre musica carica di hype ma scarica di sentimento, era un fuoriclasse che con le proprie canzoni dipingeva paesaggi unici, suggestivi ed estremamente emozionanti. Scomodiamo forse paragoni ingombranti, ma lo svedese Joel Gabrielsson ci riporta a quei tempi con la sua Morning Light.» Impatto Sonoro, IT