Arv & Miljö ‎– Himmelsvind

Not entirely sure i've got this right, but does himmelsvind translate as some kind of bastardised version of 'find heaven'? If so, it's appropriate nomenclature for Arv & Miljö's sixth long player, and the first release on Gothenburg's Discreet Music (the shop run by A&M's Matthias Andersson, and the same crew connected with IDDB, FFFM et al). Said to be written this year during the (first) height of European covid hell, this is music that suggests absolutely zero engagement with the outside world. Near-disturbing in its serenity, you might consider this escapist or nostalgic, evoking a parallel universe of pastoral wonder constructed from field recordings, found sound and tape loops. Some kind of nordic elysian fields, if you like? There's obvious parallels with the work of their Swedish contemporaries given Andersson has probably inspired/encouraged a good few of them into action - think the latest Blod, the first Oroskällan record et al. And it evoke elements of Bisombe Rizet's Pole, Pascal Comelade, a little Edgar Frose. But mostly it reminded this listener of Tantric Songs, Popol Vuh's new age daydream from '81. To think there are people out there who will go an entire lifetime never having heard the name Popol Vuh while there's an entire subsect of Sweden's cultural being that's constructing new ideas in their image. About time too. Now time to ascend to heaven....