Ljud is Swedish for “sound”, and a more accurate album title is hard to come by. Andreas Tilliander takes small clicks and pops and construct small, intricate loops. A comparison with labelmates Snd is impossible to avoid, even though Andreas makes even more minimalistic music. And I can feel that there is a bit too little going on, that constant small change that make this kind of loop-based music enjoyable is sometimes so small on Ljud that it is hardly noticeable. Things get better as the album progresses, and at times a common straight 4/4 beat give the tracks more structure. The album must be seen as a whole, where the early tracks’ utmost minimalism is minutely supplanted by a growing change towards the end of the album. That all ten tracks are untitled may be a further indication of this. Especially track nine is really good.
Ljud is out now on Mille Plateaux.
