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01. Thomas Almqvist - Intro
02. Thomas Almqvist - E.M.
03. Thomas Almqvist - Horisont
04. Thomas Almqvist - Nyanser
05. Thomas Almqvist - Mot Natten
06. Thomas Almqvist - Kampsang
07. Thomas Almqvist - Quebec
08. Thomas Almqvist - Coral Reef
09. Thomas Almqvist - Frost
10. Thomas Almqvist - Sortie
ARTIST
TITLE
Nyanser
FORMAT
LP

LABEL
CATALOG #
BEWITH 079LP BEWITH 079LP
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
3/10/2023

Reissue, originally released in 1979 on Mistlur Records in Sweden. Nyanser is widely considered Thomas Almvqvist's masterpiece. With his adventurous, virtuoso guitar technique to the fore, the album explores a unique path through world music, folk, jazz, and acoustic experimentation, whilst retaining a very personal vision. The majority of the album is a solo exercise with Thomas playing Rhodes, flute, synthesizer, and percussion as well as his idiosyncratic guitar on all tracks. Alongside Thomas in the studio were an array of young, experimental Swedish musicians in the nascent stages of their careers including the much-lauded Swedish composer Ann-Sofi Söderqvist, vocalist Turid Lundqvist, and perhaps the key contributor to the album, Hans Peter Andersson, whose alto, tenor and baritone saxophone contributions shift the album from into the realms of jazz, most notably on "Horisont" and "E.M." The whole ensemble comes together on the centerpiece of the album, the joyous aquatic harmony of "Coral Reef". The album presents a very visual aesthetic, each track evoking images of landscapes and far-flung corners of the earth. Almvqvist himself considered the visual aspect of his sound very important, describing his approach as "picture music." Nyanser is considered one of the earliest examples of a fusion of world music, jazz, and folk traditions, certainly from a Scandinavian artist. Despite its impact on release being minimal outside of those aficionados tuned into such sounds, over the years the album has become something of a "lost" cult classic and a fine example of the experimentalism going on in Scandinavian music at the time. The English translation of nyanser -- "shades" -- is a particularly apt description of the sounds contained within. Thomas very sadly passed away in 2008 at the age of 55. Be With Records hope this reissue will go some way to bringing his unique output to a wider audience and secure the legacy he deserves as one of Sweden's great guitarists and musical visionaries. It sounds sensational. Audio remastered from the original analog tapes. Mastered by Simon Francis. Cut by Pete Norman. Artwork restored at Be With HQ. Includes new insert with liner notes and original photos.