Linus Alberg – ‘UON’ Review

What does Linus Alberg sound like?

Tender, atmospheric piano, harmonium, and analogue synths.

The review of ‘UON’ by Linus Alberg

The harmonium is an underserved musical instrument, especially in a classical musical arena. Linas Alberg offers to showcase its tender side on his new album ‘UON’. The composer and producer pairs the reed instrument with a soft, intimate upright piano that is heavy on the hammer work and internal guts, and subtle analogue synths. It’s a memorable, secretive, and tingles on the edge of sound design more often than not.

Linus wastes no time ushering in calm with the whimsical opener ‘Everybody Needs a Friend’. The piano is tender and almost felt-brushed, as the harmonium drifts in and out like shallow breaths. Alberg makes the album sound like a whisp of sound at times, where tiny creaks of piano guts make up the percussive shuffle of notes you can barely hear. He takes it a step further in the superb ‘Falter’. This piece uses analogue synths (or it could be a harmonium) to create sounds adjacent to intimate post-rock guitar whines, but the star of the show is the layered piano work. There’s a layer of piano playing that is incredibly quiet and hiding in the margins under the main motifs. The bridge section before its slow burning build exposes its dissonant, distant rumbles, and once your ear hears it, you can’t help but try to find it again and again. Linus Alberg is an expert in less-as-more, and this track personifies that approach perfectly.

That doesn’t mean melodies are weak, though. ‘Himmelgelb’ sounds like a dewy, reverberant Sigur Rós track. Both uplifting and comforting, the track is like a warm sun on a snowy day. ‘When Things Collide’ lets the synths take charge with a bubbly, slow pulsating collision of synths that are drenched in lilting strings and siren-like guitar wails. It could score a tense sci-fi scene. ‘Eis’ is a delicate European waltz that feels inspired by the 1930’s and 40’s compositions of that era. It is modest, tastefully placed with dark, uncertain minor chords, and is backed by a serpentine harmonium performance. It doesn’t sound icy, as the German title translation may suggest, but it does feel cold and rainy.

As we reach the second half of the album, Linus Alberg continues to swing between reflective, intimate piano pieces and more cinematic and atmospheric tracks. ‘Trotz’ is a long and unhurried piece that centres around a slow gallop between two chords. As the track progresses, the distance between the piano and the listener keeps changing, and with it, so does the echo space between us. Sometimes it’s subtle, but your ears are constantly readjusting as the echoes bleed in and out.

Whereas ‘Trotz’ felt like a shapeshifting home, ‘Wandering’ evokes an atmospheric yearning for something just out of reach. The delicate dance of percussive single piano notes and cascading melodic runs is subtly destabilising. As waves of harmonium and synth wash over the searching melodies, the piano itself turns into a plastic tack. I believe Linus has been preparing the piano for unusual sounds, as we move off the beaten track, but it could be some clever digital manipulation. The track pairs excellently with ‘Nebelblau’, which uses the harmonium like a cello. Linus also brings in rhythmic synths for the first time to give the piano and harmonium a galloping pace. As the track progresses, the yearning swells of the harmonium only grow in intensity, and the pulsating bleeps rise to match them. It feels like riding waves, only musically.

After reaching the cinematic peak, ‘Stehaufmaenecken’ returns to intimate, introspective piano. The track sounds like the score for an animal taking its first steps out of its nest after hibernation. There’s a fresh, dewy, curious positivity to it that I particularly enjoyed. That set-up allows album closer ‘Waider’ to drift in like a feathered pillow to be the soft landing you look for after such a delicate collection of songs.

Linus Alberg continues to deliver modern classical beauties. The inclusion and highlighting of the harmonium is an inspired touch, as Linus works the instrument closer to a breathy cello than its usual folksy origins. I’ve rarely heard a harmonium played more tenderly and subtly than this. The piano work and intimate production are excellent, and the melodies are strong enough to hold their own. Alberg has said these were ten recordings from a three-period where he had over one hundred tracks to choose from. I’d love to hear a few more based on this selection!

Recommended track: Wandering

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