White/Grey/Black (Tobias Hellkvist & Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words) reviews:


from Phantom Channel:

"This collaboration, curated by Swedish music webzine/netlabel It’s A Trap, comes with my highest recommendation. The pairing of SuperSwedes Tobias Hellkvist and Thomas Ekelund (DLSOW) is nothing short of monumental and pays dividends from, more or less, the outset of this 25-minute composition. Both possess a distinctive style and combine seamlessly to fashion a sound that holds the listener in a vice-like grip throughout.

The ‘White‘ section of this piece concerns itself with forming vast, cathedral-sized drones while burying a fabric of angelic textures beneath its crust. Soon ‘Grey‘ begins to emerge immediateky introducing a fore-boding sense, with Hellkvist/Ekelund concoting a heady mix of foggy atmospherics and slow-burning Labradford-esque acoustics and tones. They both keep a tight control on the tension of the piece and seem intent on cranking it up with each passing minute. Things eventually come to pass, just when you crave it the most, when we’re guided to an outstanding climax of volcanic proportions.

‘Black‘, you can imagine, is left to pick up the pieces and does so using murky, dark ambient textures and distant industrialized rumblings of discontent. A fitting end to a composition that incorporates so much. A release that is, in one word, phenomenal."


from Thesilentballet.com:

"Scandinavian import webzine It's a Trap brings us an entirely new work from Swedes Tobias Hellkvist and Dead Letters Spell out Dead Words. The free net release is twenty-five minutes of collaborative drone that quickly sinks into the subconscious recesses on the listener's mind and invokes paralysis with the best of them. Previously, I wasn't familiar with Dead Letters' work, but it's really apparent Tobias Hellkvist and Thomas Ekelund musical ambitions are perfect compliments.

The title of the piece may indicate that the lengthy track is expected to be broken into three separate movements, and, essentially, this is what we're given. "White" begins with the transcending, shimmering ambience of the Stars of the Lid school runs away with it. Performed to a tee, this is music that invites the listener to be introspective and lose himself in the aural bliss enveloping his surroundings. As the most familiar movement with respect to their peers, as well as the most accessible, it's a good choice for album opener. "Grey" changes the landscape slightly by bringing in an acoustic guitar and these notes begin to penetrate the listener's warm cocoon and percolate down to the core. Whereas "White" was a more celestial experience, "Grey" begins to move things back towards earth and, as a result, the tone and mood shift to become darker and more serious. Volume increases in the final moments and pushes the audience to brace for an impact as the final wisps of our daydream vanish and we're left with the cold, hard truth of reality.

Together "White" and "Grey" make a wonderful one-two punch. The transition is seamless and the progression is quite nicely executed. The last fifteen minutes are dedicated to "Black" which, unsurprisingly, heralds in a dark, industrial sound that is a mix of noise and drone. Although suitably performed and obviously a logical conclusion to the piece, it doesn't hit me with the same power that the first two pieces did. It does represent a good 60% of the audio, but only shares a small sliver of the subsistence of the piece. I can wholly appreciate the concept behind "Black," but think that it creatively pales in comparison to the "White" and "Grey" and could use a bit of retooling to bring it up to the same standard as the other two.

Although this was a collaborative work, I can't help but notice that "White" and "Grey" sound distinctly like Hellkvist's prior work and "Black" is quite a turn for the artist. Meanwhile, a bit of research on Dead Letters reveals that "Black" is more his cup of tea and the beginning of the disc may not have been his strong point. A reviewer bias may then be in existence; already being quite swoon with Hellkvist's music, I am delighted to hear more like it ("White" & "Grey"), but am less enthusiastic about what I identify to be more or less generic dark ambient ("Black"). However, anyone who claims an interest in either artist will likely not be disappointed by what It's A Trap has given us here, and considering it's all provided with a single click of the mouse (see above), then there's no excuse not to give it a try."

-Jordan Volz, The Silent Ballet, 11/7/2008


from eardrumsmusic.com:

"Today is the release date for a new IAT.MP3 release, and the musicians involved were actually brought together by Avi for this project. Tobias Hellkvist, one of the artists, were completely unaware of his new collaboration-partners in Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, and vice versa. Avi’s original concept was to make a split release, but the artists started working together. The result is a 3-part 25 minute long composition of ambient drones that as all droning music requires your patience, but gives a lot of beauty back in reward. The parts glide into eachother, but they are all quite different, which for me makes this piece of music more interesting.

The first part starts silently and blasts off with sounds fading in and out, overlapping eachother, mesmerizing us, – a good feeling. The second part is more rhythm-based and melodic. It’s based on a beautiful, simple and repetitive melody played on strings, and different elements flows in and out on top of this, making the base-melody change without actually changing, if you know what I mean. The second part gives me a real feeling of light in the darkness.
The third part is more ambient and dark, – rough, dirty, distorted. Small clicks and hisses, – sounds that my mind translates into electrical flashes, the sound of lightning or seconds cut out from the sound of fire. Visual music, indeed.

The release is called “White/Grey/Black”, and if you see my descriptions of the parts above, I would say the titles are quite precise to how I experienced the parts. A very interesting piece of music, and something that you definitely should dive into."

 

Split EP w. Metronomes reviews:

from It's A Trap!:

"Tobias Hellkvist's segment of the split opens strongly with "Vintervarm" from the album "Sides". The following track, "Always problems", is thickly instrumented, as many of Hellkvist's other compositions are, reminiscent of Broken Social Scene's more experimental efforts. At six minutes, though, "Always problems" doesn't have the movement or flair that the majority of "Sides" holds, but as a track on a split EP, the track entertains. "Ships of the North Atlantic" is the standout on Side A, demonstrating Hellkvist's talents as a vocalist.

Scotland's Metronomes work in a similar vein to Tobias Hellkvist: strata of guitars bleeding out their reverb-heavy lines into compositions that tread the territory between downhearted and uplifted. Metronomes would not feel out of place on Polyvinyl Records' stellar roster in the 90s. "Bridge and tunnel" has the quiet confidence of an American Football or a Sea and Cake track, gliding along on its clean, delayed guitar stabs, and the other contributions to the split continue this Midwestern indie/postrock feel.

The split is well-balanced, though skews ever slightly towards Tobias Hellkvist's faculties. It's still worth the effort to track down, especially for anyone who still holds a torch for acts like Owen and Cap'n Jazz."

7 out of 10

- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson, October 8th, 2008
 



Sides reviews:

from It's A Trap!:

 "Tobias Hellkvist is a year younger than me, and he's been making music consistently since his teens. One of those strange anomalies that occur along the varied timelines of musical progression, Hellkvist picks up on a few well-established ideas -- those of folk guitar landscapes and postrock architecture -- and transforms both accepted forms into something greater than the pair combined, an almost 2 + 2 = 5. There is not quite the technical proficiency of Espen Jørgensen, but that is not Hellkvist's aim. "Sides" is an album of layering, of introduction and reintroduction, of something being shaped and remodeled and augmented. One of the best examples of this, and one of my favorite tracks on "Sides", is the fluent and gorgeous "Vintervarm". Hellkvist has quite a nice voice too, as evidenced on "Summer away". All in all, "Sides" is one of those albums that's as hard to pin down as it is easy to fall for. I have no doubt that it will be a strong contender when it comes to choosing The Best of 2008."

9 out of 10

- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson 09/24/2008


from Thesilentballet.com:

"Most of the press  (and by “press” I of course mean blog posts) surrounding Tobias Hellkvist is related to his charming acoustic cover of Efterklang’s “Step Aside”  (really lovely, please check it out). Hellkvist, yet another talented Swede, deserves attention for his own work as well, and I’m sure that soon enough the blogs will be ablaze with praise for his sophomore effort, Sides. Just a year since his last record, Transports,  Sides is a steady stream of relaxing songs, mostly revolving around repetitive guitar riffs and subtle augmentations from various electronic and acoustic sources. 

Many modern musicians, and music fans as well, are overwhelmed with influences, mostly owing to the increased access to music offered by the internet. To some extent it has become difficult to create a synthesis of styles without it sounding forced, or without one style dominating. Despite this, Sides skirts easy categorization,  and though it is coherent as a whole album, it ranges from upbeat and poppy to slow and melancholy. Hellkvist can sing and play the guitar, but he can also program beats and create ambient soundscapes. Why should all these things have to remain separate? Sides is on many levels a “laptop” album, though he contributes various live instrumentation which is integral to the texture and tone of the album. Like with many solo electronic/instrumental artists, the production takes cues from electronic music, and acts as an instrument in itself, without overshadowing the live instruments.

“Vintervarm” is the clear standout track, with its subtle progression and memorable melodies.  Beyond this, it communicates a calming mood without being gloomy, and is a fair example of the soothing beauty of Sides. “Summer Away” breaks up the album with its sparse arrangement of just acoustic guitar arpeggii and vocals. Intellectually I know that this should be a jarring shift compared to the rest of the album, but somehow it doesn’t feel so out of place.  It is less preferable than his more ambient work, but is written in basically the same style. I suspect that after the success of “Step Aside” cover, Hellkvist wanted to include a vocal track of his own. Hellkvist experiments with many more instruments than on his debut, including vibraphone, piano, harmonica, drums, and more. Much of his attention is focused on creating tones that work well with each other, and the electro never overpowers the acoustic.  

I don’t quite agree that the album can be clearly delineated into two halves, though a transition clearly takes place. Following the acoustic break, the only track with vocals, the album begins to mellow. “Thiloue” follows a progression similar to those of the first three pieces, while “Elves” is based around basically two arpeggio chords on an acoustic guitar. Hellkvist’s compositions don’t sound formulaic or tired, but rather rely on layering and repetition of simple melodies and complementary tones. He transitions seamlessly most of the time, between styles and moods as well as melodies. “Magnus” really slows down the pace, and the optimism and poppy quality of the earlier tracks is replaced with a more contemplative and enigmatic mood. The upbeat rhythms of the album are totally absent, and the album winds down to album closer “Reversion.” With its repetition, tremolo, lack of percussion, and prominent descending glockenspiel melody, it sounds as though it could be the soundtrack to a scene in an early Tim Burton film. 

Hellkvist’s work isn’t revolutionary, but is certainly enjoyable and well done.  His electro-acoustic  tracks use subtle ambient soundscapes and beats to flesh out the interplay of seemingly simple melodies played on acoustic instruments. Sides is a classic example of a record being more than the sum of its parts. It never quite moves beyond the realm of soundscapes, but everything can’t be functional and heady, so don’t take that as a detriment necessarily. I’m sure I won’t be alone in looking forward to future releases by this talented young Swede. Because of his mastery of shifting moods and subtle changes, and the relatively rapid pace of his output, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s scoring films by the end of the year."
Score: 7/10
-Joseph Sannicandro, thesilentballet.com 08/17/2008
 

"Tobias Hellkvist's impressive debut, Transports, slipped under the radar last year, but if there is any justice in the universe, the same fate will not be bestowed upon sophomore Sides. The new album is a soothing mix of experimental ambience and sensuous pop -- the first half dazzles the audience with a focus on melody and progression, and the second half peels off the layers like the most dedicated Touch release to give a minimal work where subtlety and tones are the new stars. Even through all the diversity in the disc, Hellkvist manages to make it all look like a natural evolution of his sound; the young Swede plays a risky game in putting these different halves on the same album, but expertly unfies them into a brillant whole. Sides comes highly recommend."

- The Silent Ballet 08/11/2008

 

Transports reviews:

from It's A Trap!:

 "I have the utmost admiration for young artists who take on a genre that is often ignored or belittled by others, and proceed to inject fresh new life into it. Sweden's Tobias Hellkvist has done just that in the area of drone-based ambient with his exceptional new CD "Transports". This is a virtually flawless, efficiently produced showcase of warm, shimmering drones and evocative sonic adornments that exemplifies why some of us are still in love with ambient. Hellkvist has the aesthetic of an inspired painter, lost in the beauty of what's slowly emerging on his canvas. "Aching," "Slowly but surely" and "Nothingland" are all lush, hypnotic soundscapes with the shimmer of a frozen lake on a sunny winter morning; "Moment at Ven" utilizes gentle guitar picking and seaside bird calls to place you squarely in a soothing landscape. Nothing is wasted or excessive here, it's just seven perfect tracks of serene, blissful ambient pleasure."

10 out of 10

- Kevin Renick


from Foxy Digitalis:

“Transports” is a gorgeous album from multi-instrumentalist Tobias Hellkvist. He has recently gained some notoriety in his native Sweden from the popularity of his Iron and Wine/Nick Drake-style cover of “Step Aside” by the Danish band Efterklang. However, this album demonstrates that Hellkvist truly excels at creating beautifully organic ambient and electronic sounds. It is really a joy to listen to each piece, and the album as a whole, unfold.

On Tobias Hellkvist’s Myspace page, he lists in his credentials that he utilizes computer, effects, various instruments, and field recordings. This everything but the kitchen sink aesthetic really sums up “Transports.” You can hear everything from human voices to piercing electronic tones. It’s almost as rewarding to try and pick out the various sounds and samples in the music as it is to just sit back and take everything in. Each song begins simply and builds, layer by layer. On the opening track “Aching,” for instance, organ and keyboard drones overlap and melt into one another as the song progresses. As each sound fades, it seems like it gives birth to the next, lending a sense of continuum.

The songs themselves gel into one another in a similar fashion. On “Slowly But Surely” the track rises out of what sounds like a cathedral bell being rung underwater. (It would be interesting to know if the sound is in fact a manipulated sample of a church bell.) This steady pulse moves behind the track like a heartbeat as picked guitar and electronic distortion rise up in the mix to form a wall of sheer noise. The noise eventually fades and the track slides into “Moment at Ven,” which begins with recordings of seagull and other bird calls with overlapped acoustic guitar lines. Amazingly, Hellkvist makes these widely disparate ideas mesh together quite well despite the vast sonic distance between them.

Each track, whether noisy, soft, or otherwise fits into the overall picture of “Transports.” There is an overarching idea at work here that unfolds to the listener with each repeated listen. The disc is truly an instrumental narrative, recalling sounds and concepts throughout. Really, it’s no coincidence that the echoing electronic sound that opens the album is the last thing heard in the final fadeout." 

9 out of 10

Matt Blackall (30 April, 2007)


from Textura:

"Sweden-born Hellkvist operates in the meditative, electro-acoustic soundscape genre, and uses guitar and computer to generate vast, blurry ambient drones that shimmer and shudder. Though the field is growing ever-crowded, Hellkvist's solo debut Transports is certainly a credible example of the form. What's especially appealing about it is its narrative trajectory, how it segues from the initial louder settings to quieter ones during the middle.

The introductory “Aching” pursues a linear trajectory as it builds in volume and mass; to his credit, Hellkvist resists the obvious gesture—shredding the listener's eardrums with an abrasive climax—, opting instead for a grandiose but not overbearing peak. Multiple layers of voices push “When Everything Fell Apart” towards a more heavenly realm, while, arriving at the halfway mark, the peaceful acoustic guitar setting “Moment at Ven” offers a respite from the album's electronically-oriented style (though here too subtle digital enhancements are applied); only the inclusion of seagulls cries is questionable, as they needlessly overstate the case. That peaceful aura extends into the subsequent pieces “Inner Map” and the meditative vocal interlude “Nothingland” before “Plans” ends the album much as it began with a slow-rising wave of blur and shimmer. The third setting's title, “Slowly but Surely,” succinctly captures Hellkvist's general approach, as the album's material as a whole unfurls gradually but confidently. July 2007"


from Leicester Bangs:

"The CD onsets (‘Aching’, ‘When everything Fell Apart’) with relatively simple formulae, slowly building up layer over layer which reach their pinnacle and slowly fade out. Through heavily processing sounds to create unusual sounding drones and pulses Hellkvist creates a stew of sound where each takes on the flavour of the others, inasmuch as one particular sound can no longer be differentiated from another. From ‘Slowly But Surely’ the tracks merge into one organic, continuous piece, the titles simply referring to it’s parts. There are adventurous sections, ‘Moment at Ven’ featuring elegant acoustic guitar backed by bird calls and ‘Nothingland’ culminating in an interesting synthetic choir. ‘Plans’ climaxes with the CDs darkest, noise a nd then fades to a close. Ambient, experimental, relaxing and moving."

Will F.



Other words from the press:

from The Toronto Star (Anti-hit list) (about the cover of Efterklang's "Step Aside")

"Loney, Dear, Jim O'Rourke, and Red House Painters all show up on this Swedish singer-songwriter's list of influences, to which we could add Jose Gonzalez and Alexi Murdoch and maybe even toss in the obligatory Nick Drake reference, and still not have a complete picture of what Hellkvist is up to. Folky with subtle electronic touches, it's among the most striking music we've heard all year. Thanks to the 3hive blog for the tip."

John Sakamoto, The Anti-hit list for April 7, 2007