Browse by Artist: JASPER TX

Artist:	JASPER TX
Title:	I'll Be Long Gone Before My Light Reaches You
Label:	LAMPSE AUDIOVISUAL RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	LAMP 003CD

"Why would a Swedish musician choose the name of a Texas county as his moniker? Well, if you have the conscious and sensitive psyche that Dag Rosenqvist has, it's no wonder you'd want to pay your respects, through music, to a man who lost his life because of his skin colour. A true dedication to analogue gear and lo-fi aesthetics is at the core of Dag's musical heart and Jasper TX's music. A deep understanding of sound allows him to build rich sonic textures extrapolated from various sources. A multi-instrumentalist, he places guitar at the centre of his songs, to which he then adds organ, drums, toy piano, field recordings, voice and of course many layers of effects. Taking his influences from a variation of genres and techniques (post rock, ambient and folk music, western religious musical patterns, processed/filtered instruments and field recordings) Jasper TX references a number of artists, from Fennesz and Sigur Ros to Mum and compatriots Tape, while staying true to his creative vision. I'll be long gone... is a very personal album driven by strong sentiments and an introverted melancholy. Its changing patterns create a balanced dynamism that feeds a never-ending ebb and flow between delicate melodies and distorted ambience. The seven songs float from distilled sadness to discreet euphoria, and through them Dag is paying homage to all that is beautiful about this world. The shifting mood is reflected not only in the music but also in the titles, small excerpts from the sad tale of a broken heart."

Artist:	JASPER TX
Title:	A Darkness
Label:	LIDAR PRODUCTIONS (SWEDEN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	LIDAR 001CD

"After a wait only mildly eased with collaborations, compilation appearances and a super-limited 3" CD, Jasper TX is finally back with another full-length solo release. As the world basked in the beauty of his debut, I'll Be Long Gone Before My Light Reaches You, Dag Rosenqvist (as Jasper TX is known to his friends) was busying himself in his Gothenburg-based studio with A Darkness, the virgin release from Lidar Productions. Whereas his debut focused on light and love, this is a far more shaded affair. The bleak sounds of field recordings and low, hypnotic drones hide in the shadows amongst flourishes of guitar and piano as you fall into the abyss of sound that Rosenqvist crafts wisely and accurately. Intermittently, the clouds break and sun fills the world that Jasper TX has created. 'Destroy Detroit (The Sign of Buildings Never Built)' starts with the howling wind of a hundred broken tape-recorders and a looped voice which nods towards Steve Reich's sampling masterpiece 'Come Out,' but after four minutes a guitar emerges from the darkness, and as it plays its introverted melody the dim hue evolves into glorious neon light. The degraded sounds and dilapidated fuzz that frames this album disappear entirely for 'Winter/Midnight/Suicide,' where Dag molds himself into a more traditional post-rock band for just under five minutes of guitar-led bliss, creating a piece that even Godspeed You! Black Emperor would be proud of. The album continues as it started, mixing solemn hiss with a blur of delicately caressed acoustic instrumentation, until you find yourself on the centerpiece and last track of the album. Over its twenty-one minute length, 'Some Things Broken, Some Things Lost' encapsulates every life-affirming emotion that you could never find the words to describe. It sings a wordless song of hope and optimism, harmoniously combining sounds that are closer to sentiments than they are instruments. This is music that makes the whole world fall into place. As you sink into a comfortable chair and listen, you can't help but feel quietly ecstatic. With A Darkness, Jasper TX is soundtracking memories that you haven't lived and moments so pure they will leave you completely breathless for days."

Artist:	JASPER TX
Title:	Black Sleep
Label:	MIASMAH (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MIA 008CD

This is the fifth full-length release by Swedish musician, Dag Rosenqvist aka Jasper TX. Black Sleep, in a way, feels like the album he has been building up to for some time now, as if all his previous experiences in creating haunting, oft-beautiful soundscapes have been harvested and fine-tuned. Originally conceived as one continuous track, Black Sleep is no random collection of songs -- it is one work, one statement. Ambitious as it may be, it's impossible to deny its resounding success. As is often the case with Jasper TX's music, the guitar plays a prominent role. This album sees every conceivable sound caressed and tortured from the instrument, from the romantic and direct chimes of "Pt. III" to the distant whisper of "Pt. IV." Rosenqvist states Oren Ambarchi, Johann Johannsson, Arvo Pärt and Tim Hecker amongst his influences -- something that gives some insight into the sound and scale of this release. Impossible to explain in simple terms, comparisons could also be made to Deathprod, with sounds slowly emerging and disappearing into thick clouds of murky warmth. Black Sleep is also akin to a symphony -- its orchestra made from guitars, pianos and synthesizers instead of the usual strings and brass. This release is possibly one of Rosenqvist's darkest moments, its bleakness somewhat in tribute to the soundtracks and visual artistry of David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. This is music for rainy days spent indoors, looking out towards a vacant street while tracing the build up and release of condensation droplets. This release is a stand-out for the Miasmah label and will undoubtedly be remembered as Jasper TX's most concise and accomplished album to date.

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