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About "Hymns for a New World"
Some details about the making of the album and the individual tracks!
This CD is made to be soft, to create an atmosphere, to be able to relax to.
So - the beats are always in the back, there is quite a lot of reverb on most things, and the soft pads are everywhere..
This CD is made to be soft, to create an atmosphere, to be able to relax to.
So - the beats are always in the back, there is quite a lot of reverb on most things, and the soft pads are everywhere..
Track 1, Hymn 7, was one of the last tracks to be written. At the time I felt I had quite
a lot of really sooooft tracks, so I felt the need for something a little bit more active. So
I took my guitar and started playing on some of the unused hymns, and in just about an hour
I had come up with the chords and the groove of the main theme. Then I made up another part in
A-minor to contrast with the C-major of the theme. Add some grooves, some live piano and
there it was! I was a little bit unsure about the rather chilled groove in the last part of the song,
but I really liked it so it stayed.
a lot of really sooooft tracks, so I felt the need for something a little bit more active. So
I took my guitar and started playing on some of the unused hymns, and in just about an hour
I had come up with the chords and the groove of the main theme. Then I made up another part in
A-minor to contrast with the C-major of the theme. Add some grooves, some live piano and
there it was! I was a little bit unsure about the rather chilled groove in the last part of the song,
but I really liked it so it stayed.
Track 2, Pure Hearts Prayer has always been a favourite of mine, I really like the feeling of
swedish folk music in the melody. I started playing on the synth and chose a very simple chord sequence that had the calm, repetitive character I was looking for. Then I started playing with some grooves and loops and really liked the guitar loop you can hear in the start of the song, so I built the arrangement from that.
I convinced my daughter Andrea to sing some backing vocals on some parts of the song,
and I am really happy with the results! ( She is overdubbed 8 times... ). The melody on this
track is played on "spilopipa" which I borrowed from my father, an old swedish pipe with a
special sound that holds some magic fror me.
swedish folk music in the melody. I started playing on the synth and chose a very simple chord sequence that had the calm, repetitive character I was looking for. Then I started playing with some grooves and loops and really liked the guitar loop you can hear in the start of the song, so I built the arrangement from that.
I convinced my daughter Andrea to sing some backing vocals on some parts of the song,
and I am really happy with the results! ( She is overdubbed 8 times... ). The melody on this
track is played on "spilopipa" which I borrowed from my father, an old swedish pipe with a
special sound that holds some magic fror me.
Track 3, The Sweetness of Summer is in the same way an old favourite with strong folk
music influences. This was the last track to be written, and the main ideas was created
on the island Björkö with the sun shining and the summer wind blowing outside. I hope
you can feel something of that in the airy arrangement. I really enjoyed using my first
instrument, the recorder, on this track as on many of the other tracks also. Not a very
"cool" instrument, but beautiful in the right places.
music influences. This was the last track to be written, and the main ideas was created
on the island Björkö with the sun shining and the summer wind blowing outside. I hope
you can feel something of that in the airy arrangement. I really enjoyed using my first
instrument, the recorder, on this track as on many of the other tracks also. Not a very
"cool" instrument, but beautiful in the right places.
Track 4, Songs from Zion, was the first song written, also on Björkö, but one year before
"The Sweetness..." I love the melody, for me it is very "light and airy" and I tried to capture
this feeling in the arrangement. Once more, recorder and acoustic guitar, the sound of summer.
"The Sweetness..." I love the melody, for me it is very "light and airy" and I tried to capture
this feeling in the arrangement. Once more, recorder and acoustic guitar, the sound of summer.
Track 5, Given to You, is a piano improvisation from beginning to end, played in the church
a late winters night in februari 2010. The strings, synths and pipes ( spilopipa once more ) are added
in the studio afterwards.
a late winters night in februari 2010. The strings, synths and pipes ( spilopipa once more ) are added
in the studio afterwards.
Track 6, The Gospel is Here is based on the pianosample Dmaj7 to Gmaj7 which you can hear in the
last part of the song. From that I built the arrangement on synths, live piano and some soft loops.
The part with oboe and synth in the beginning is very much inspired by one of my old musical gurus;
Anthony Phillips who (together with Peter Gabriel) formed Genesis in the early seventies.
last part of the song. From that I built the arrangement on synths, live piano and some soft loops.
The part with oboe and synth in the beginning is very much inspired by one of my old musical gurus;
Anthony Phillips who (together with Peter Gabriel) formed Genesis in the early seventies.
Track 7, Deep Love, is one of the more groove-based tracks. Once more Andrea is featured on
beautiful vocals, this time mixed with sampled voices. On the melody I play the Bassrecorder,
a really BIG instrument, but I love the deep, breathy sound. Thankyou PappaLeif for giving it to
me!
beautiful vocals, this time mixed with sampled voices. On the melody I play the Bassrecorder,
a really BIG instrument, but I love the deep, breathy sound. Thankyou PappaLeif for giving it to
me!
Track 8, You Never Leave, is a piano improvisation from the same session as track 5.
Just playing the piano in the night, with noone listening (except for the microphones...)
I added some synths in the studio but except for that left it unchanged.
Just playing the piano in the night, with noone listening (except for the microphones...)
I added some synths in the studio but except for that left it unchanged.
Track 9, Light on my Path, is the only really guitarbased track on the album. Usually I play
quite a lot of guitar, but without really intending it, this record has become more piano/keyboard-based.
My old musicianfriend Johan Junstrand played some beautiful cymbals and bells (and some other
stuff...) on this track as on some of the other tracks. The longest track, with a classic buildup
in the end, I love this kind of going up up up forever feeling...
quite a lot of guitar, but without really intending it, this record has become more piano/keyboard-based.
My old musicianfriend Johan Junstrand played some beautiful cymbals and bells (and some other
stuff...) on this track as on some of the other tracks. The longest track, with a classic buildup
in the end, I love this kind of going up up up forever feeling...
Track 10, Winds of Peace, is a christmas song. I tried to capture the peaceful atmosphere
of christmas, winter, silence, candles and the warm atmosphere of meeting your friends and
relatives in church. Remembering that Jesus came to this earth because God loves us, and we
should really try to love each other as much as possible...
of christmas, winter, silence, candles and the warm atmosphere of meeting your friends and
relatives in church. Remembering that Jesus came to this earth because God loves us, and we
should really try to love each other as much as possible...