Stunning work of art in this 13 track album ‘Kretsloop’ by Charlie Thorstenson

What gets us excited about the live electronic artists that we work with is their desire to push boundaries with their art to find their own voice, create a unique sonic identity, and Charlie Thorstenson has really achieved this with his album ‘Kretsloop’!

This amazing collection of 13 tracks that are connected in time and sonic space like the moments in a day and yet, they have this ethereal other-worldly quality to them that places them out of time and space too.

Imperfection makes perfection. Those are the leading words in his creative process. The fascination for finding unusual details and rhythms in long and unstable effect lines is a big part of the sound.It’s a close collaboration with both new and vintage hardware, where everyone gets to have their say. Long and improvised recordings are left with their unpredicted quirks. Often embracing them and giving them a leading role in the productions. 

Charlie’s background as a Swedish producer is solid, having released on Josh Wink’s Ovum label and performed live at Richie Hawtin’s Enter events, he has been able to build on these achievements to further develop his art. 

Kretsloop is the result of experimentation and improvisation with his live set up in combination with location recordings and experimental configurations. He seems to join the dots where before there weren’t any. This is a galaxy not like any near our solar system. 

In Charlie’s own words: 

“Kretsloop is a wordplay of the Swedish word "Kretslopp" (cycle, as in biological cycle).

I see my tracks as a snapshot of inspiration. I often don't have any clear picture of where I want to go with a track. Instead I try to get into a flow where the sounds themselves lead the way. 

The process is very interesting and you discover that there isn't just one way a track can sound. But at some point the brain needs to step in and decide which of the paths to take. Then a new journey begins...

I record a lot more material than what is used in the finished tracks. I sometimes get very attached to these discarded recordings...  I began to sketch up the idea of recycling my own work, putting it in a new context and turning it into something bigger than what I've made so far, an album. 

I wanted this album to breathe and really feel "alive". All sounds are electronic, made with machines and effects, but carefully crafted into something very organic. Something that could be part of the biological cycle. Kretslopp. A cycle that keeps looping. A cycle that keeps looping. A cycle that keeps looping. Kretsloop.“

‘Kretsloop’ by Charlie Thorstenson is released July 16, 2021.

▶︎ Get it here.