It's time to share another edition of Grounding Sounds but this time, it has been adapted slightly to incorporate other artforms. For this blog post I welcomed back Mathias Lystbæk who recently took us through his new album 'Faint Structures' as Circa Alto. He has adapted the name of this format to 'Grounding Sources' so that he can also give some thoughts on his love for other works of art.

In this blog, you can read about what has influenced Mathias' sound and aesthetic. He's selected a beautiful selection of records from recent years that have had an influence on his own work as Circa Alto. Acoustic instruments are a thread which runs through the chosen records, with some heavyweight labels and artists in the modern Ambient music scene. But also, there's a strong visual identity too. Time to hand over to Mathias...

Art

I generally draw a lot of inspiration from non-musical arts. Sculptures, paintings, drawings, even architecture. The most directly translatable art form though is currently abstract painting and drawings. I recently had the pleasure of doing a collaboration with Japanese artist Hiroyuki Abe who is currently based in Munich, Germany. His art is so detailed, yet abstract and very vibrant and alive - it’s been and still is a major inspiration for me and my work. Our collaboration is currently exhibited in Haus Des Papiers in Berlin, and you can read a bit about the early stages of the project HERE.

Gylden: Island Friend
[Seil, 2022]

This album is gorgeous, and to me is a fantastic example of how electronic elements work together with acoustic instruments. Being an instrumentalist myself, I really appreciate when acoustic instruments are included and played ‘live’. The inclusion of textures from the actual instruments being played is a technique I like to include in my own music. I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Gylden a few years ago, and I know him to be a really talented clarinetist and musician in general - perhaps one day those recordings will see the light of day. Until then, I recommend everyone to listen to this beautiful album released on the Seil label.

Stephen Vitello & Molly Berg: I Drew A Fish Hook, And It Turned Into A Flower
[IIKKI, 2019]

I discovered this album by chance some years ago, and both its music and artwork spoke to me instantly. It was also my introduction to the label IIKKI. Again, the inclusion of musicians and acoustic elements blended with electronics and manipulated sounds works really well and balanced in these recordings. At first glance the cover is really simple, but when you look closer, a lot of hidden details is hidden in the shadows - and that is exactly how the album feels to me.

Observatories: flowers bloom, butterflies come
[IIKKI, 2021]

‘Observatories’ makes beautiful albums. The music feels like paintings unfolding across a slowly moving canvas. It’s cinematic qualities and seemingly free-flowing and incidental/improvised way of playing, is something I can relate to. I like to play things ‘live’ as much as possible and to let the natural variances and ‘flaws’ be a part of the final result. I’m guessing, but I feel like this record is an example of that.

Elisabeth Klinck: Picture a Frame
[Hallow Ground, 2023]

I have a thing for solo-instrument albums. I learned about this record through the label, Hallow Ground, and Elisabeth's playing immediately blew me away. Like with some of the other examples in this list, Elisabeth incorporate other sounds and noises, but the basis is her violin playing. Musicianships and uncompromising approaches like this is always an inspiration to me. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it does, but sometimes a sound and/or visual aesthetic just gets something going in me. This also goes for the rest of the Hallow Ground catalogue really.

If you like the sound of what you hear and read in this blog post by Circa Alto, you can follow his work here:

Bandcamp
Instagram
Label: A Quiet Room Recording

'Faint Structures' is available now in a limited edition run of gatefold vinyl-effect CDrs, as well as a range of high quality digital formats. You can take a listen and buy a copy in your preferred digital format by clicking HERE!