ProStudioMasters.com

Swedish composer and sound artist Tobias Hellkvist has made a name for himself with his ambient, drone and electroacoustic output, where he blends electronic and organic sound worlds together. That approach is typified by Forest Psalms, based around a collection of field recordings made during two trips to the United States in 2015 and 2016. The album was slowly sculpted over the following two years in Copenhagen, where additional material was written. The opening track, however, introduces snippets of an old piece hailing 15 years back to Hellkvist's early days as a minimal electroacoustic musician. Forest Psalms is an exploration of awareness in different spaces; the listening experience is designed to lead to a state of mindfulness, total relaxation and focus. "By using geographical locations in my work, I’m able to revisit parts of my experiences. For me, sound is the most effective way to do just that. I was inspired to make this album after a trip to northern California where I, after a two-day hike into the forest, came to experience a rare kind of stillness and desolation which really fascinated me. I think most of the music I make is some kind of attempt to recreate moments like these for me to revisit." - Tobias Hellkvist