Mattias Risbergs Mining - Live in Stripa (2019)

The Swedish pianist Mattias Risberg grew up in Bergslagen, once a mining area, about 200 km west of Stockholm. He got his inspiration for this album Mining.

As mine mining is done layer by layer, we also dig into the deep soul of ourselves and also look for what is valuable. This was what Risberg wanted to give shape with his very personal and broad coloring of improvisations. The fact that the recordings took place live in an old Bergslagen mine underlines the depth and the claustrophobic atmosphere. The thin enchanting voice of singer Mariam Wallentin forms a sort of beacon in the improvisation field that Risberg spreads through hallucinatory notes of piano, mellotron, nord electro, further enhanced by intriguing free interventions of sax (Open Up), electric guitar (Rödharige Gösta), drums, percussion and an overall ecstasy of sounds (Caves' n Caverns), a light, intimate intermezzo of voice and keys (Mirror) to end in a dark sound spectrum as awakening from a nightmare (Tellus).

Mattias Risberg creates a field of tension between less accessible, eclectic improvisation and contemporary Cage-related minimalist, alienating touches, a musical explosive cocktail that evokes deeply crying souls when open-mindedness of the listener.