For our penultimate release of 2018, we welcome Portuguese artist vau with his debut album ways of stillness. For his first solo album, Nuno Craveiro spent four years since 2014, building the intricate finer detai to this electro acoustic masterpiece. The record is designed to be a resting space for its listeners and should appeal to fans of Ghost and Tape, Hummingbird or Ben Rath might enjoy.
This album was announced to our mailing list last weekend and there are but a few copies left at the time of writing. You can listen to the album in full by hitting play above or clicking the link below, where you can purchase a physical or digital version. To avoid missing out on our future releases, you can join our mailing list HERE
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/ways-of-stillness
press release
vau is a Portuguese artist named Nuno Craveiro and Ways Of Stillness is his debut release after having started recording the album in 2014. Nuno is also one of the lead members of the duo Névoa, in which he has performed in festivals alongside bands such as Swans, Mono, Kayo Dot and Anna Von Hausswolff.
Under his solo project, Nuno usually makes music at home, beginning by either playing an instrument or sampling his own recordings that consist of field recordings and past experiments. Once a song begins to develop, he may then record specific instruments on purpose if required, either at home or at a friend’s studio for example.
‘Ways of Stillness’ took four years to complete in its entirety and so lots of experiences and memories are etched into it: places, moments and relationships. All of its sounds have stories attached to them and they are very much a reflection of Nuno’s own thoughts as an individual and musician. He considers the album to be the most personal record he could have wished to create but to us, these stories can only be experienced through the medium of sound, as these six pieces imbue a sense of stillness.
The main ideas behind the concept to this body of music, was to create something which could perfectly fill the listener’s surroundings. Using field recordings, some virtual synthesizers, nyckelharpa, piano, ukulele, sounds sampled from saxophone, Portuguese guitar, Korg Volca Keys and other instruments, Nuno was interested in making sound almost as comfortable as silence. Looking to create a kind of slower time frame, introspection and self-awareness becomes effortless. These conditions may not always be achievable when you first hit play, but it is hoped that Ways of Stillness can unfold its tiny and unobtrusive detail to leave you the listener feeling weightless as it progresses. Vau is the Portuguese word for ‘ford’, so he wanted this debut to be a shallow place amidst the water. A harbour in a way, safe and peaceful.
credits
Written and produced by Nuno Craveiro
Mastered by Luís Neto
Photograph by Leonor Freitas
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