Chilly strings and keys soundscapes
Who They?
Polish composers Stefan Wesołowski and Piotr Kaliński merge electronic and acoustic sounds for their own conceptual, sonic ambience. Wesołowski is on piano and violin duty (with a touch of synth here and there) while Kaliński brings the electronics, more synthesisers and sorts out the final mix.
Why Nanook Of The North?
The pair were invited by the Sopot Film Festival to perform an improvised score to a film of their choice, and ended up deciding on Robert J Flaherty’s 1922 silent movie ’Nanook Of The North’. The film captures the struggles of an Inuk man named Nanook and his family, who reside in the Canadian Arctic. Recording the album in Iceland, with the mixing taking place in Greenland, they were eager to keep the ambient essence of the film. Musically, the record ended up exploring further sonic landscapes, becoming something that was part soundtrack, part “something that sprawls way beyond the edges of a screen”.
Tell Us More…
‘Nanook Of The North’ hits numerous sweet spots, evoking the icy landscapes that it takes its inspiration from. It melds neo-classical with a foreboding atmosphere often more commonly heard in 80s sci-fi and horror films (‘Tulleq’ wouldn’t be out of place in a John Carpenter flick). Wesołowski’s deft string and key arrangements work perfectly in tandem with Kaliński’s darker electronic contributions. If this sort of stuff this duo is creating on their first release, then this is a pairing we can get behind. Watch this space.
’Nanook Of The North’ is released by Denovali
