There are moments in life when something takes you by surprise and you just have to stop. Such a moment happened for me when I first heard ‘Stjärnor’ (‘Stars’) by Centrum, a collective of musicians featuring members of Hills and Weary Nous, amongst others. This was in the context of listening to their new album ‘För Meditation’ which is being released on the UK’s Rocket Recordings and Danish label Svensk Psych Aften in April.
I was already really well into what is a very contemplative work, which one of Centrum’s musicians had described to me as:
…is a perfect opportunity for what it sets out to be ‘for meditation’. An opportunity for the listener to disconnect from the laptop, Facebook, the constant influx of white noise for 40 minutes and just relax. And maybe catch a glimpse of some previously unnoticed quality of ones mind.
However, when ‘Stjärnor’ began I found myself to be in tears… I am struggling to know why this may be. Despite it’s title, there is something that is very engrained in the Earth about this track… I get this sense of oneness… a sort of transparent peace which in turn opens me up… its a track that seems to perform open soul surgery on me… man it is deep and it reaches deep inside me like few others do… it is intense, but in a glorious way.
It would be great to know this has the same effect on others, which is why I feel very honoured to be able to Premiere the track here today, the first off what is for me a life-pausing album… and I will be doing a full reflection on the whole set at a later date.
For now, though, enjoy the track… I recommend you put it on and just sit with it because it has that special ability to connect in that Swedish tradition stretching back to and beyond Pärson Sound, and shares many of the deeply reflective quality of such as The Myrrors at their best. But also enjoy the accompanying video that Rocket Recordings have put together, which I am also Premiering below.
‘För Meditation’ is available for pre-order now from Rocket Recordings (500 Red Vinyl).
The album will also Danish label Svensk Psych Aften (500 Black Vinyl), and will be available on digital streaming sites (beginning with ‘Stjärnor’) .
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