{"title":"Sven Wunder","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"late-again","title":"Late Again","description":"\u003cp\u003eSven Wunder returns with his highly anticipated fourth full-length album\u003ci\u003e Late Again\u003c\/i\u003e on Piano Piano Records. For the soundtrack and library aficionados, jazz connoisseurs, and the hip-hop heads with an open mind.  The album compiles some of his most admired compositions to date, like the jazz ballads ”Snowdrops” and ”Asterism Waltz”, and the modal jazz pieces ”Jazz at Night”, and ”Stars Align”. As well as new compositions such as ”Sundown”, ”Pop-Jazz Structures”, and ”Take A Break” with brightly colored textures and vibrant melodies which have become Wunder’s trademark, and so forth.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Piano Piano","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50406150832459,"sku":"2048325","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/PP1004_a2ec992a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726584002"},{"product_id":"wabi-sabi","title":"Wabi Sabi","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy welcoming the beauty of imperfection and simplicity, Sven Wunder applies the timeless wisdom of wabi sabi on this musical journey. What you can hear is filtered through Ukiyo-e (which translates as “pictures of the floating world”), which illustrates everyday life, as well as through Japonism, the study of Japanese art, and more specifically its influence on European works. The result is a surface that creates an illusion by sound. The infusion of Min’yō with jazz rock, this hazy scene evokes the landscape of Monet’s ”The Water Lily Pond”, which depicts the painter’s Giverny garden, with a Japanese bridge, bamboo, ginkgo trees and the reflection of the sky in the pond. This illusion constructs both time and space. The surface of the music, like the canvas of the painting, invents a journey between now and then by interpreting the idiom of folkloric and western art instruments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this composition, the sound of the Western concert flute, which stretches back to the Renaissance and Baroque periods, evokes the sound of the bamboo-flute (”shakuchachi”), which reached its peak during the Edo period. The guzheng, also known as the Chinese zither, with a more than 2,500 year history, joins traditional Japanese folk melodies with modern pop percussion and 20th century electronic instruments such as the Moog synthesizer, Wurlitzer electric piano and electric bass. This is the illusion that celebrates the fleeting nature of all things. A journey. A deep inhale and a slow exhale. It has a mix of jazz (both funky and progressive), East Asian and South Asian sounds. The idea of fusing these styles and reframing them with the aesthetic of wabi sabi is to reconnect with nature and concentrate on asymmetries and emphasize ornamentation to generate new ways of looking at the world, here and now.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Piano Piano","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50407074103627,"sku":"1093307","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/c66ad114-74f3-4066-bbfe-0627d388da22_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726594246"},{"product_id":"natura-morta","title":"Natura Morta","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn \u003ci\u003eNatura Morta\u003c\/i\u003e, Sven Wunder is exploring art as a bridge between nature and the human ability to judge and observe in eleven musical compositions with brightly colored textures and an emphasis on vibrant melodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThroughout human history, we have depicted the world we live in through art. By reworking what we see in the world, the simplest things have helped us understand the beauty of nature and to evaluate the material world that we have created around us, as a window to a constantly changing reality, through our own perception. It is that absolute reality that appears in the seam of human and nature and that can be revealed through art.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStill life painting, also referred to as \u003ci\u003eNatura Morta\u003c\/i\u003e (”dead nature”) in Italian, stretches back to ancient times. Some of the earliest works, found in Pompeii, depict commonplace objects such as fresh autumn fruits alongside man-made objects such as a small amphora and a small terracotta heap with dried fruits. These two-thousand-year-old paintings give a snapshot of Roman life, and also creates a link to time and space. A slice of life has been created by binding the earth’s pigments with extracts of oil, made from nuts and seeds, painted with brushes, made from a variety of fibers, such as trees and hair from animals. While life wanes with each brushstroke, by shifting reality into the past, art exists to make us come alive, being a living image of a dead thing, a surface and a symbol with symbolic powers of its own. Still life works celebrate material and ephemeral pleasures by returning to nature as the ultimate source for our standards in art as well as in life itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eNatura Morta \u003c\/i\u003ecollects pieces from a continuous variety of melodies — supported by a decisive rhythm section — creating a musical kaleidoscope of ever-changing colors. Sven Wunder brings life into this rich assortment of musical implications by fusing and combining melodic instruments with each other in a setting that spans from a classical to a modern idiom. The author evokes this panoramic portrait by articulating an instrumental dialog between a chamber orchestra and a jazz ensemble. The result is a musical celebration of material pleasures that also serves as a reminder of the brevity of human life. This album was produced with financial support from the Swedish Arts Council.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Piano Piano","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50442601627979,"sku":"1124276","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50442601234763,"sku":"1133942","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e6a28120-cfeb-4bcf-ae57-e8ba33411a56_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727001472"},{"product_id":"impasto-prussian-blue","title":"Impasto \/ Prussian Blue","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn collaboration with Piano Piano Records, Mr Bongo is thrilled to present a taster 7” single, I'mpasto \/ Prussian Blue’. The single showcases the colourful palette of Sven Wunder’s fabulous forthcoming third album \u003ci\u003eNatura Morta\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSven’s 2019 album \u003ci\u003eEastern Flowers\u003c\/i\u003e took us into the world of Anatolian rock, European jazz, library, funk, psychedelia, and traditional folk melodies. The 2020 follow up, \u003ci\u003eWabi Sabi,\u003c\/i\u003e mixed jazz and Eastern and Southern Asian sounds to present an aural aesthetic of the Japanese ancient wisdom. \u003ci\u003eNatura Morta\u003c\/i\u003e, “still life” in Italian, owes its inspiration to art. Sven Wunder explores it as a bridge between nature and the human ability to judge and observe through eleven unique musical compositions, each one brightly coloured and textured with an emphasis on vibrant melodies. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs with previous Sven Wunder material the tracks here on this 7” are covered in lush orchestration, evoking the rich musical soundscapes of a previous era (think library music or the film scores of Morricone). First up is the beautiful ‘Impasto’, which refers to the technique used in painting where the paint is laid in very thick layers on a surface. With its lavish sweeping strings and melodies there are echoes of the arrangements of Arthur Verocai, but it then takes a turn into 60s detective movie territory. You can imagine it being the score to a scene in a Harry Palmer film which breaks for a romantic interlude in between the action and suspense. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Prussian Blue’, is built on Sven’s ‘Shinrinyoku’ from the \u003ci\u003eWabi Sabi\u003c\/i\u003e album, sharing the same melody but here with an uptempo beat and another arrangement. It begins with a moment of calm with its soothing piano intro before it bursts into a percussive breakbeat workout. It skates and glides with the influences of Italian library music and Eastern melodies, yet at the same time it retains a unique element that can only be Sven Wunder. ‘Prussian Blue’ refers to the pigment that was imported to Japan. Once again, we are indebted to Sven Wunder and John Henriksson at Piano Piano Records for letting us share this melodious vision from one of our favourite contemporary musicians. The compositions on this 7” were produced with financial support from the Swedish Arts Council.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"Black | 7\"","offer_id":50459808530763,"sku":"1121302","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e36730b1-b1ee-48ae-927c-7634c3d319c9_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1727227463"},{"product_id":"eastern-flowers","title":"Eastern Flowers","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the first stop on Sven Wunder’s musical journey. Wunder takes the listener somewhere around the easternmost part of the Mediterranean Sea, around the Levantine Sea, where he paints a colorful portrait and illustrates the region's flora through sound. The fruitage is a vivid bouquet where Wunder fuses colours and pigments by using traditional and modern instruments merged with arrangements and melodies that stretches from popular to folk music by portraying tulips, red roses, hibiscus, hyacinths, chamomile, magnolia, daisies etcetera. With both fine and thick brushes are these flowers being pictured in both modern and classic idioms. The outcome is prismatic. It stands between an Anatolian rock and European jazz-funk with ponderous drum patterns, groovy organs, far-out synthesizers, enchanting Saz, and impetuous bass lines. Eastern Flowers sweeps through time and space and points towards the future. It could appeal both psych and prog listeners, folk or jazz aficionados, and as well the gourmet hip hop connoisseurs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Piano Piano","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50530547564875,"sku":"1093306","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4c2fd238-2e59-4c16-83e8-ad581c492e46_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728080894"},{"product_id":"daybreak-1","title":"Daybreak","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaybreak\u003c\/em\u003e is Sven Wunder’s fifth full-length album, seamlessly continuing the progression of his musical oeuvre. It takes the listener on a vivid maritime expedition, beginning the moment the first rays of light break the darkness of the night and embarking on a lush journey through the early hours of the day and far beyond, until the light slowly fades and night falls once again.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrue to Wunder’s now-distinctive artistry, Daybreak is marked by elaborately crafted compositions and elegant pop-jazz arrangements for flute, percussion, brass and strings—supported by a decisive rhythm section, all of which add depth and build on his body of work, continuing to unfold his creative path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince his 2019 debut album, \u003cem\u003eDoğu Çiçekler\u003c\/em\u003e (Eastern Flowers), under the enigmatic moniker of Sven Wunder, Danell has become something of a sensation via a string of records spanning jazz, pop, soul, psychedelia and easy listening. His records, which have drawn comparisons to titans like David Axelrod, have been given extensive acclaim, as well as major award nominations, and he’s collaborated with the likes of Danny Brown, as well as seen his music featured in major fashion campaigns by Tyler, The Creator. “Every day is a ‘pinch me’ moment,” he says.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo say this is a cinematic album that is rich in orchestral arrangements is almost an understatement. It’s a record filled with lush compositions that are bold, sweeping and engulfing, as well as subtle, tender and contained, as he harnesses the full range and power of a string orchestra. “It was inspiring to really dig deep into my love for all of the colors that you can get out of the orchestra,” Danell explains. “The shimmering elements of a woodwind section on top of the deep colorful landscape of the string chamber. This record is deeply inspired by my love for soundtracks, OST records and library music.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Danell is the sole man behind this project, one that has already established such a strong and singular identity, there’s contributors who have brought this one to life too. A huge bunch of Swedish jazz musicians who are also close friends feature, as does the legendary drummer and producer Malcolm Catto played, while the strings were recorded with the aforementioned Stockholm Studio Orchestra conducted by Erik Arvinder.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe end result is perhaps Danell’s most bold and special album to date. “This record has a special place in my heart,” he says. “It took me years to finish and it is the most ambitious album I’ve made. It’s been a ride.”\u2028\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Piano Piano","offers":[{"title":"LP - Sky Blue","offer_id":51968830177611,"sku":"R6724-4199","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":51968830210379,"sku":"R6724-9045","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":51968830243147,"sku":"R6724-0946","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black \/ Tip On Sleeve","offer_id":55908296294731,"sku":"R6724-9847","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/PP1005CD.jpg?v=1749199817"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/sven-wunder.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}