Ben Lukas Boysen - Spells (2016)

It's shaping up to be a great summer for Erased Tapes, with Masayoshi Fujita (previously featured here) releasing a new album this weekend, and Michael Price (recently featured here) following suit a month later.  To celebrate, here's another very fine album from the label, by Ben Lukas Boysen, a Berlin-based musician/composer, friend of Nils Frahm (who mixed/mastered Spells), and erstwhile electronic artist under his Hecq alias.

The marketing for Spells featured a quote from Nils Frahm - "From now on, if anyone asks, this is a real piano" - in reference to Boysen's spare but perfect touch on his central instrument here.  On the opening pair of tracks, everything develops at a glacial pace, before the next pair, Sleepers Beat Theme and Golden Times I pick up pace for the album's stunning centre.  Both are beautifully crafted pieces of soundtracky evocative atmosphere - Sleepers Beat Theme was in fact composed for a documentary short.  The highlights keep coming on Spells' second half, from the most 'electronic' and dramatic track Nocturne 4 to the piano-only closer Selene.  Massively recommended, from start to finish.  Oh, and that album cover doesn't half remind me of something... could it be the record that kickstarted my other favourite record label?

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