In this week's blog post I invited Sven Laux to share some of the detail behind the concept in his new album 'The Undefined Feeling of Discomfort'. The album and track titles, as well as the press release give a sense of a challenging situation faced by the artist. The finer details were not revealed, in part so that the listener might relate their own circumstances. We had an amazing listening party last week and Sven shared a bit of extra insight into his experience. We chatted after and agreed that for his blog post, I'd ask a few questions so that we can learn a little more about what shaped his new album.

The concept for this album followed a profound family event where his father became ill, which had a deep effect on Sven. Read on for our short interview, which includes one or two of Sven's photos all in his trademark black and white!

HT: This album feels deeply personal, carrying a sense of struggle, fear, and transformation. Can you share what inspired The Undefined Feeling of Discomfort and how your father’s story shaped its creation?

SL: My father was found in his apartment after a stroke. He was alone there for three days. That was in January 2024. When I heard about it, a feeling of discomfort immediately came over. Feelings of guilt. Could I have prevented it? Before this happened to my father I had already completed four songs, although I was not yet sure whether they would be for an album. I didn't really have a concept in my head at the time, which is usually always there before I decide to write an album. This time it should actually be different.

I decided to express these feelings in some other songs. But while I wrote new songs, I realised that there is also a kind of other side of discomfort. My father survived the stroke and I thought he would be happy to have a second chance. He increasingly fell into old patterns and became the same man he was before. Sad. But can you blame someone because of that?

HT: The sound in this album moves from darkness and tension to moments of light and resolution. Was this a reflection of a personal experience or emotional process you went through while making the record? How did the sound you created portray how you were feeling?

SL: The whole album is a reflection of the feelings that I have experienced while writing. In the beginning there were feelings of fear and helplessness. Then I thought that everything would be fine again and that something might change.

HT: You are well-known for your cinematic Modern Classical strings arrangements but in this album, you also worked with distorted choral vocals, elements of light noise and Ambient drones among other ideas. What drew you to these sounds, and were these conscious choices to help reflect the theme of the album?

SL: For me, choral singing has always had the meaning of something that sounds like brightness and/or peace. Something calming. But that did not reflect what I felt - and I had planned to do something different this time. I really wanted to have choral singing in this album, so I decided to distort the vocals. Somehow beautiful, but still uncomfortable. Also the use of silence between musical elements and the heavy usage of sub bass is new in this album. I learned that silence in music is important.

HT: After completing this album, do you feel it helped you process or come to terms with what inspired it? How do you hope listeners will connect with its themes? The album's title and themes are cryptic enough that some listeners may be able to apply any their own struggles against this backdrop, and find that this album relates. Was that planned in how you portray the album in its title, art, sound, track titles etc?

SL: If I learned something while writing the album, it is that I should no longer just sit alone in my studio and make music. Without the intellectual and emotional exchange with my girlfriend, my mother and my brother, none of this would have been possible. And yes, the production of the album was a process. A process with which I hopefully completed. Nothing was planned. The album is my personal diary of a situation in which I never want to be again. I would still be happy if people who hear the album can put themselves into what I felt.

'The Undefined Feeling of Discomfort' is available in a limited edition run of gatefold vinyl-effect CDrs as well as a digital option in a range of high quality format options. You can take a listen to the album in full or buy a copy HERE!