Svarte Greiner Penpals Forever (and Ever)

Erik K. Kodvin is a skilled electronic composer perhaps most famed for his work as sound sculptor for the group Deaf Centre…

One of his aliases is that of Svarte Greiner, whose debut record, Knive, was an intricately laced collection of gloomy and doom ridden ambient sounds. In 2008, he released “Penpals Forever” as a limited edition, cassette only recording, which has now been reissued and expanded by Digitalis on both CD and LP.

Set across five tracks, which stay true to their cassette origins (the tracks are allocated an A or B prior to their numbering), “Penpals Forever” is relentless in its approach at creating a sense of foreboding; that evil lies in wait…

A1 (Excerpt)

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A1, the record’s opening track commences with the light plucking of guitar, which when joined by a more devious sounding electric guitar reminds me of the opening of David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” where a camera moves from a serene suburban garden deep into the soil beneath it. Once the more ominous sounds are established, there is no reproach, and the first 11 minutes of this record also houses a background of industrial-like noises, which create an eerie sound, almost like screaming.

A2 is a fine example of how Skodvin distorts any sense of instrumentation in his recordings and uses this processed form to create a heavy hissing sound. For owners of the original cassette this must have caused a sense of confusion as it could easily be recognised as the lo-fi quality that comes with tape recordings. In fact, as this track builds the hiss takes on a more crafted, deliberate form as it falls into the back drop and as such becomes an integral part of the atmosphere of the track. Drip fed with echoing reverbs and drones throughout; again there is an industrial quality to the music. Think of being lost in a disused warehouse where the ghostly sounds of retired machines still emanate, and you get the idea.

B2 (Excerpt)

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On the “B” tracks, this distortion of sound grows further. Manipulated guitar strumming sounds more like giant bells being struck in some form of hidden temple, reverbs are looped and stretched and all the while, there is a chilling, stormy quality to the noisy backgrounds which evoke unsettling thoughts.

“Penpals Forever” is a rather misleading title as it would seem unlikely that these recordings will provide the kind of warm embrace from which friendships are built. The music does however provide a point of focus for the listener. In isolation, the sounds provoke the subconscious, in its sometimes nightmarish quality, as well as the conscious mind, with the music painting clear images in the listener’s thoughts. As such this is meditative music, built for individual consumption. – Review by Josh Atkin for Fluid Radio

Available via Experimedia here

www.digitalisindustries.com
www.myspace.com/svartegreiner