BE SVENDSEN Vinilo y CD

Review: Pioneer of the desert-tech sound, Be Svendsen released his first full length album on Copenhagen's Music For Dreams label 4 years ago, earning a 3.4 on RYM and becoming Rough Trade's album of the month for January 2019. 'Between A Smile & A Tear' is a wide spanning album in terms of mood, instrumentation and aesthetic, a dualistic record that sees clashes between retro-futurism and just plain nostalgia. There are low tempo, emotional string country/folk moments that transition right into the expansive, galactic club sound we know him well for. Svendsen takes us on a journey that spans from innovative deep nu-disco cuts, space-age journey melodies, analogue ambient atmosphere to classic song writing, a smooth jazz cut on 'Day 3;, and a deep-tech organic collaboration with Henri Texier. Not to mention 4 bonus tracks from the original album including a single version of 'Hazy Eyes', an extended mix of 'Flint', an electronic reimagining of 'Day 3' as well as 'October Letters - Part 2'. There's a lot to love with this release.