JARL • FRAGILE CONFRONTATION • CD • ANNIHILVS • REVIEWED BY AURAL PRESSURE

Total unequivocal joy. That's my feelings whenever Eric Jarl of IRM fame /
infamy releases another recording. The cockles of my hardened heart are
fully warmed. As Team America might exclaim ŒEric Jarl 'Fuck yeah!!' "Fragile
Confrontation" is the fifth release by this Swedish blackest of black
ambient sound sculpture masters and sees him back in the Annihilvs fold
after sojourns to the Malignant, Segerhuva and Tantric Harmonies record
labels. Buckle up boys! you're in for one hell of a ride.
And one hell of a ride the six track "Fragile Confrontation" is. A roller
coaster that takes you up , down, slow, fast, round and round and sends your
head spinning and stomach churning in the vortexes of cold barren
maelstroms. For within this music you will find the most meticulous and
skilfully crafted of frigid electronic soundscapes that are totally
engaging. The sparse yet full of life frazzled reverberating drones burn
deep into the memory. Undercurrents of impending horrors unseen are
underscored leaving it all to ones fertile imagination to fill in the
blanks. Mysterious hubbub envelopes the ears as forms take shape through the
thick fog of alluring resonance. Darkness fully realised through immaculate
presentation.
Mark my words well. "Fragile Confrontation" is one of the leading contenders
for dark ambient release of the year so far. With every impressive release
his reputation grows as his music metamorphoses into advanced dimensions of
the ambient dynamic. Eric Jarl. Fuck yeah!!


JARL • OUT OF BALANCE • CD • MALIGNANT • REVIEWED BY AURAL PRESSURE

Jesus H Christ I'm confused. I only goes out and buys this JARL CD thinking
it must be the latest fun fest from them when I discover that it is in fact
a predecessor the their "Sealed Void" release. Que? Well it appears that
some UK distributors have managed to get their hands on a stock load of
these so I suppose I should do you all a favour and review it. Don't thank
me. All part of the service you know. Unlike the "lets slash our wrists and
party" noise that was "Sealed Void" here JARL are to be found working
within 'ye olde' Industrial soundscape mode and for that we should be
thankful. I suppose you could call it 'Dark' ambient music. I suppose you
could call it 'Deep Black' ambient music. I suppose you could call it
'Electronic Soundscape' music. Call it what you want, as I'm sure you will
anyway, but what you get for your money is some of the best bleakest,
throbbing, ebbing electronic music you'll have ever heard. At times
hypnotic and mesmerising. At times disturbing and disorientating. At times
experimental and rhythmic. When the music keeps evolving but never becomes
boring or stale you know you've found something special. Its those
qualities that shows the mark of true genius and this recording has that
and a whole load more. Lovers of any of the forms of ambient music won't
feel let down with this in their collection. If, on the other hand, you've
never experienced the music of JARL before then this is the ideal entry
place for you. Excellent with a capital 'E'.


JARL • PARALLEL/COLLAPSING • CD • SEGERHUVA • REVIEWED BY AURAL PRESSURE

I like Jarl. Always have since I got the "Out of balance" and "Sealed Void"
recordings. There was something about the music that seemed to connect in
just the right way with me. Don't ask me how or why as I don't know the
answers to that myself. They do and that's enough for me. I like to think
of them as one of life's little treasures that so few have managed to find.
A secret cult hidden out of sight just waiting to be discovered by those
with a genuine taste for the blackest ambient around.
With "Parallel / Collapsing" Jarl continue in the same vein as the previous
recordings mentioned but have added a more drone like texture to some of
the pieces and a more experimental aspect to the overall sound. The music
at times ricochets off invisible walls, spinning pinball like in all
directions, whilst dark waves of electronics bathes the listener in its
neon glow. There's a meditative aspect to the music that adds to the
illusion of serenity with a slight touch of dark foreboding. How you view
the music depends entirely on your state of mind when you approach it. I've
listened to it whilst in a mild state of despondency and depression and
found myself drowning in the empty spaces of desolation and isolation that
have been conjured up. I've also listened to it whilst high on the gifts of
life and fallen asleep to its comforting tones of hope and renewal. There's
a steady stream of opposites at work here within the framework of the
recording and its up to the individual to decipher their meanings for
themselves.
"Parallel / Collapsing" is a massive step forward in the musical canon of
Jarl and is one of the best ambient releases of this year. The visionary
aspects that encapsulate the recording cannot and should not be ignored.
Those of you seeking the path to musical redemption need look no further.
Jarl brings you a gift you would be foolish to ignore or refuse.
Perhaps it was always meant to be. Perhaps chance never entered into it.
Perhaps circumstances dictated that this was so right that to ignore it
would be a travesty. Whatever the reason Erik Jarl has found a label finely
attuned to his vision and one that he can feel at home with. Who and what
label you may be asking? The label in question is Tantric Harmonies the
leading independent label for all things experimental / ambient / drone /
ethnic and many so much more with an impressive back catalogue of, normally
limited, intriguing and exotic recordings. Erik Jarl is / was one half of
the cult Swedish noise act IRM. "Akatisi / Somnolens" is, I believe, his
fourth CD release under the Jarl moniker to date. I've reviewed two of his
previous works, namely "Out of Balance" on the Malignant record label
and "Parallel / Collapsing" on the Segerhuva label on
this very site and both come highly recommended. The only one I haven't
reviewed, but also worth seeking out, is the "Sealed Void" release on the
Annihilvs label.
Cometh a new label cometh a change in musical style, although in truth not
a million miles away from his previous ambient experimental outings, and
cometh a flood of ideas that perfectly encapsulate everything under the
electronic ambient drone soundscapes banner(if such a thing exists) which it
does now because I've just mentioned / created it. Over the 6 tracks and
45+ minutes Erik has taken the concept of drone music and revitalised and
buffed this sometimes staid and boring music into a shimmering gossamer
sheen. Drifting pastoral passages are continually looped into hypnotic
rippling waves of sound that appear almost ethereal in structure. Slight
faint jarring effects are carefully layered into the mix along with flecks
of faint Industrial and ritualistic bias that reaches out towards black
malevolent ambience before being drawn back clutching despondently at the
air. "Akatisi / Somnolens" is music to meditate to. To dream sweet dreams
to. To fully immerse yourself and lose all track of time to. Time becomes
totally irrelevant, a non event, when listening to music that bathes and
cloaks the senses in full spectrum of a rainbow. Erik and his amazing
Technicolor drone overcoat.
Around this part of a review I suppose I've got to try and mention like
minded recording artists in case the words I've written haven't conveyed
the musical style adequately enough. Fair enough (though it will be a
difficult task) so having had a quick trawl through my record collection I
offer up the following: MRSA-16, Troum and Elektro Nova. Elements of each
can be found ever so partially on "Akatisi / Somnolens" but Erik has
retained a unique individuality and foresight which has been stamped firmly
across this recording. If his earlier works were his evolution then
"Akatisi / Somnolens" marks his re-birth as a genuine musical maestro.
Artist and label in a marriage made just for each other.


JARL • OUT OF BALANCE • CD • MALIGNANT • REVIEWED BY AVERSION ONLINE

This is yet another full-length from this side project of Erik Jarl, perhaps better known for his involvement with Swedish death industrial outfit IRM. Here he explores well over an hour of the bleak dark ambient soundscapes that impressed me so much in his track on the "Sweetness Will Overcome" compilation. Included are an almost overbearing 17 tracks titled simply "Part I" through "Part XVII". 73 minutes is a bit long for any release, though admittedly experimental artists tend to pull off such mammoth affairs more easily than traditional musicians, but I have to confess that I'm not sure if 17 separate tracks is the best way to do it, because after awhile this release does feel like it drags on a bit. The pieces all flow into one another, but they definitely do not create the impression of one larger whole in my opinion. Yes, they are consistent with one another, but there are significant differences and shifts at each track separator, so it's not like one composition that has been spliced up into 17 different markers or anything like that. And make no mistake, I am quite a fan of the resonant low-end hums, sinister and subtle back and forth motions, ethereal atmospheres, and chilling icy textures (fitting of the artwork and packaging), so I'm not complaining – I'm simply stating that perhaps a shorter and more focused affair, or one that included fewer longer pieces rather than so many shorter ones, could have been a bit more forceful. In a sense, each part (each of which averages about four to five minutes in length) pieces together and enters a repetitious pulse for its duration, then shifting onto the next without a great deal of variation on the way. The complete set of songs doesn't come off as lacking in variety, but the individual elements do remain fairly steadfast within their own timeframes. "Part V" is the first selection that really starts to up the ante with a little more of a menacing approach, bringing in some lightly grating distortion that really sticks with you; while "X" builds around a hypnotic lull that persists for three minutes straight. Some of the tracks in between can get slightly tiresome with lots of reverberating motion and strangely electronic textures that almost feel out of place, but I guess they do sort of tie into the celestial sort of vibe that some of the earlier pieces started to put forth. "Part XI" is the longest track at nearly seven minutes, with a little bit of gritty distortion added to a rhythmic surge and a machinated whirring middleground – proving to me that, indeed, longer compositions could indeed have made better use of this record's hefty running time, especially since this passage feels like it has a little more variation in dynamics and builds its own sense of progression. The more spacious "Part XIII" uses some clanking percussive sounds to varying degrees of depth or brightness and also stands apart as fairly distinct, though it's "Part XV" (another slightly longer track at 5:47) that makes for the next true keeper with its desolate crunches and carefully placed melodic vocal choruses deep amidst the wasteland of dark ambient noise. "Part XVI" keeps that desolate thread moving in full force with some throbbing low-end surges and layered hums and feedback tones in the upper levels; sinking back to a murkier and softer (though no less intimidating) finish for the closing "Part XVII". The sound quality is very consistent throughout with a lot of warm density and a general sense of smooth fluidity. There's no lack of detail, but rather than a crisp and pristine mix, there's a little more cohesion and natural presence to the layering here. It's not rugged at all, but it does possess a little bit of a hold in that sense. The disc comes in a nice looking digipack with consistent imagery and little text. The general aesthetic is bleakly shrouded icy landscapes with dirty textures and a decaying sort of color scheme, with the only hint at meaning offered in the line, "The bursting and crackling ice is splitting and breaking time as it is melting life out of balance." All in all this is a nice CD and I plan to follow this project's work in the future, though I have to confess that after hearing "Envägskommunikation" on the "Sweetness Will Overcome" collection I was holding slightly higher expectations for this one. I do believe Jarl has more to offer, but this is good work nonetheless. (7/10)


JARL • SEALED VOID • CD • ANNIHILVSFORCE OF NATURE • REVIEWED BY FUNPROX

IRM member Erik Jarl has been quite productive lately. One of the new CD’s is entitled ‘sealed void’ and was released on the American labels ‘Force of Nature’ and ‘Annihilvs’ (the label of Navicon Torture Technologies), two labels that focus on releasing power electronics and dark ambient music.
On ‘Sealed Void’, Jarl uses his skills with electronica to create and abstract and overly dark and eerie soundscape. While his release on Malignant (see the review on this website) tends to be quite ‘grinding’ and machinelike, this release is a lot more ‘isolationist’ (think lull, kk null, james plotkin or moljebka pvlse).
The raging sounds go deep until the work becomes a very dense sound-environment. Like its title ‘sealed void’ suggests, this CD is like a trip into some sort of void, a dead place in which there is no place for life, no movement, no light, and certainly no escape. A claustrophobic and dark atmosphere, very erhm… nice!


JARL • OUT OF BALANCE • CD • MALIGNANT • REVIEWED BY FUNPROX

After some releases with his project IRM (on Cold Meat Industry), Erik Jarl presents some of his solo recordings on the Malignant label.
Instead of the raging and bleak power electronics assault with the distorted vocals that IRM is now well known for, this work is a lot more subtle in its approach and lacks the vocals. Layers of noise and synthesized drones sweep past and suck you into an abyss in the same way that only Yen Pox, Inade or older Lustmord albums were able to do. An occasional rhythm reminds me of huge machines coming to a slow halt, grinding their metal parts, and steam hissing out like with an old steam engine. The noise layers and filtering create a spacey effect, which makes this release into a nice soundtrack for an apocalyptic science fiction movie (think ‘alien’ or ‘the cube’).
The sounds are massive and this release will appeal to all those who are into the high quality dark ambient of the artists mentioned above, as well as those who like Jarl’s IRM project. The production is excellent, and it comes in a nice digipack sleeve.


JARL• PARALLEL/COLLAPSING • CD • SEGERHUVA • REVIEWED BY PARIS TRANSATLANTIC

Erik Jarl hails from Norrköping in Sweden, and since 1999 has released three
other albums as Jarl, one cassette Wound Profile (LSDOT023) and two CDs,
Sealed Void (Annihilvs/Force of Nature 005, 2003) and Out of Balance
(Malignant TUMORCD14), which, as their titles suggest, reflect more of an
Industrial influence (crossed with early Tangerine Dream) than Parallel /
Collapsing. Mostly sourced from analogue synthesizers, these seven slabs of
sound evolve slowly but surely in the time-honoured tradition of early
minimalism; Jarl's ear for sonority is acute, and his sense of pace
excellent - the music draws the listener in, and retains the attention
effectively. If this had been released on a more high profile Swedish
imprint like Hapna with more evocative cover art (the austere black and blue
stripes aren't very enticing), I imagine the alt.music press would have
jumped on it - as it is, Segerhuva releases are probably harder to track
down (go to www.segerhuva.se) but this one is well worth the hunt.


JARL • AKATISI/SOMNOLENS • CD • TANTRIC HARMONIES • REVIEWED BY PARIS TRANSATLANTIC

Strictly limited edition of 499 units" it says on the elegant hard card
cover. For this kind of music 499 is a pretty handsome edition, which is
quite fitting since Erik Jarl's electronic music deserves some exposure
outside his native Sweden. Each of these six predominantly static sonic
tableaux is a rich and rewarding listen, the kind of drone you can "get
inside of" (to quote La Monte Young, again), but the overall mood of the
album is sombre, like the dark woods and black lakes outside of Jarl's
hometown of Norrköping. If CM Von Hausswolf is your cup of tea, serve
yourself some of this to go along with it.