Episode 60 - Egil Kalman

Episode 60 of The Ambient Vault podcast features special guest Egil Kalman.   Egil Kalman is a Swedish musician/composer primarily playing modular synthesizer and double bass. ”Kingdom of Bells Egil Kalman plays the Synthi 100” is his debut record as a solo artist.

The record was made during a residency at the Contemporary Music Research Center (KSYME) in Athens in 2019. All the tracks were captured straight from the Synthi 100 as stereo recordings and contain no overdubs. The music showcases both the powerful and raw sound of this rare instrument as well as Kalman’s expansive interests as a musician and composer.
Mind altering just tuned drones with melodies that echoes traditional Scandinavian folk music flow into abstract soundscapes reminiscent of early electronic music pioneers, but still holds a fresh sound and vibe. Deep synth music from the North!
Egil Kalman’s playing as a syntheist and double bass player can previously be heard in duos with Zoe Efstathiou and Fredrik Rasten as well as in groups such as Miman, Marthe Lea Band and Alasdair Roberts & Völvur.

His music aims to dissolve the brittle barriers separating traditional Scandinavian folk- and contemporary electroacoustic music via minimalist compositional techniques and soulful improvisations. Utilizing just intonation tunings, hypnotic forms, synthesized sound mimicking the acoustic and vice versa, his music explores qualities intrinsic to traditional Scandinavian folk music in ways where the musical foundation is felt rather than explicitly heard.

About Blågeten
Traditional Swedish folk melody played live on a Buchla 200 sytem at EMS (elektronmusik studion) in Stockholm

About Pattern Illusion
Recorded live on my eurorack system

Many thanks to Egil for being on the podcast and as always thanks for listening! Check out the following links to find out more about Egil Kalman.

egilkalman.com
https://idealrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/kingdom-of-bells-egil-kalman-plays-the-synthi- 100

15 questions interview:
https://www.15questions.net/interview/tools-creation-synthi-100/page-1/
Bio + about Kingdom of Bells

If you enjoy the podcast, you can help support future episodes by subscribing to the podcast and leaving a review, following Brian on Instagram @heldbymachines, and subscribing to his YouTube channel.  You can also check out the Instagram page Brian curates for his late grandfather, gospel pianist James Miller (@jamesmillergospelpianist), and hear the first release from of his recently discovered archive on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you stream your music.

James Miller-  YouTube
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL24HQdYj8zayQG2CMqfkbqzk7BFnT2jke

James Miller - Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/0TeId89JnzYPIsk3YefqaN?si=Jg92Br5qTyK4HAmi1CGsyA

Email: brianeverettmiller@yahoo.com. 

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