GYNT

WHEN is the solo project of Norway's own Lars Pedersen. A multi-instrumentalist who has released 15 studio albums over a 25 year period. He's listed under Avant here and for good reason although this guy likes to explore so "Trippy Happy" for example released 10 years after "Gynt" is quite poppy. This isn't. "Gynt" is described as "A satiric play on Edward Grieg's Peer Gynt, inspired by Henrik Isben."

So Lars decided to make a 40 minute album with 26 songs. It's like we get these small chunks of soundscape music and while we get some inventive stuff here this is very hit and miss. From strange collages of sound to a cow mooing and a lot of nature sounds, we also get electronics with beeps and spacey synths. Twisted melodies and talk about a lot of atmosphere, tons. Samples of people talking and footsteps along with a baby crying to alien-like voices, snoring and well you get the idea. Manipulated tapes as well. Interesting I suppose but I have no desire to play this again after spending all week with it.

Still a 3 star album for sure but I'm partial to his first two albums released in the second half of the 80's "Drowning But Learning" and "Death In A Blue Lake".