VELVET THUNDER

Jonathan Hultén is a Swedish singer-songwriter whose artistry crosses conventional genre boundaries. Drawing inspiration from an eclectic mix of influences—including blues, film scores, electronica, and the works of illustrators such as Tove Jansson and Yoshitaka Amano—Hultén has crafted a sound and aesthetic which he describes as “Ambient Dream-grunge”. His debut solo album Chants From Another Place, released in March 2020, is a deeply introspective work that invites listeners into an immersive world of melancholic poetry. His second full-length album, Eyes Of The Living Night, is now out on Kscope Records.

Hultén’s approach to music is highly holistic, building a unique universe through self-produced visual art and atmospheric live performances. Video performances and hand-drawn animated music videos accompany many of his songs; these visual elements, often imbued with themes of nature, solitude, and transformation, serve as an extension of the emotions conveyed in his music. The animations, in particular, showcase Hultén’s skills as an illustrator and his commitment to creating a complete sensory experience. His artwork often reflects the same ethereal and mystical qualities found in his compositions, merging the auditory and visual aspects into a unified artistic expression.

In live performances, Hultén strives to transport his audience into a dreamlike realm, where they can momentarily step out of the wheel of everyday life. His concerts are intimate affairs, characterized by the soothing sounds of fingerpicked acoustic guitar, vocal harmonies and airy synthesizers, all woven together to form a cohesive and tranquil soundscape. The music is both mournful and joyful, invoking a sense of longing while also offering comfort and solace. For Hultén, each performance is an gateway to the world within, encouraging the listeners to exploring their inner landscapes.

Hultén comments: “The title Eyes Of The Living Night is about reawakening a sense of awe and wonder in one’s perception of the world, finding imagination to be a key to breaking free from the wheels of stagnation and to rediscover hidden treasures within the depths of one’s mind. To plunge into the abyss of your own fears and anxieties and to emerge on the other side, transformed by the experience. The “living night” as a concept symbolizes the mystery and hidden creative potential we all carry.”

He continues “the twelve songs will transport you through sonic spheres of adventure rock, dream pop, Beatles-esque melodies, bluesy passages, classical interludes and acoustic folk. The many influences reflect the different emotional stages of the album that each song embodies in its own unique way. And like every journey, each step as well as the whole is a passage from one stage to the next, into eternity.”

Much like the live performances, the lyrics tell a story of a personal journey, often using metaphors of the forest, the ocean, and the cycles of life and death to express Hultén’s philosophical musings. His songs delve into themes of isolation, personal growth, and the search for meaning, all while maintaining a sense of hope and renewal. By merging his musical endeavours with his work as a visual artist and storyteller, Jonathan Hultén has established himself as a multifaceted creative force, offering an immersive experience that captivates the mind, heart, and soul.

The set opens with The Saga And The Storm, a gentle tinkly intro morphing into a brooding organ-led atmosphere, straight away showcasing Jonathan’s rich voice. This first one is a little slow and ponderous, deliberately so in order to set the overall dream-like mood. It’s followed by Afterlife, a sweeping orchestrally prog-oriented track that again reveals what a fine voice Jonathan has. Imagine a male voice covering some of Walk In Darkness’ songs and you begin to get a feel for the vibe – sumptuous, reflective, shimmering shades of light and dark – and thoroughly immersive. This guy is a serious composer.  

Falling Mirages drops next, a softer, simpler arrangement built around acoustic guitar with delicate synths. This could be a lullaby for its simple melody and soothing mood. Riverflame is the song given most exposure through videos and single releases, it’s a very beguiling number with a sparse, almost bucolic intro before Jonathan really lets rip, his voice giving full vent to his passionate plea. As a singer, this is marvellously versatile stuff, totally dominating the laid-back soundscape he’s created. Very impressive.

The Dream Was The Cure lightens the mood with a semi-chanted, much more rhythmic track. It has a feel of a medieval or Gaelic/Celtic folk saga about it, and it definitely works, I like this. Song Of Transience continues that “other-timely” atmosphere, it conjures an almost Tudor feel to it before becoming uncannily like the old English folk-song Are You Going To Scarborough Fair, or early Kate Bush – think Army Dreamers. Effective though, poppy and surprisingly hypnotic. Through The Fog, Into The Sky could almost be Ludovico Einaudi as a piano recital, totally unexpected and revealing a multi-talented musician!  

Dawn is another song in that pastoral singer-songwriter mould, Jonathan’s voice smoothly multi-tracked to add to the mesmeric effect. A simple song that builds very effectively before fading nicely. Vast Tapestry ploughs that same furrow, a simple folk-pop feel to it that again has echoes of Simon & Garfunkel. Pleasant. It’s succeeded by The Ocean’s Arms, a beguilingly upbeat, smooth synth-pop arrangement washing over you before building nicely, Jonathan’s voice again hypnotic in its richness. A Path Is Found is a brief instrumental built around guitar and fiddle, before leading one into the finale, Starbather. This last has a fuller “band” sound, some tasty lead guitar work taking us into a rock ballad. Nice arrangement and again great vocals, a strong finisher.

Recorded at Stockholm’s Chanting Studios and co-produced with Ola Ersfjord (Lady Blackbird/Tribulation/Monolord), Eyes Of The Living Night is an impressive showcase of Hultén’s distinctive blend of folk, rock and pop, drawing influence from the likes of Bert Jansch, John Martyn and Nick Drake as well as contemporaries such as Anna Ternheim, Chelsea Wolfe and Hexvessel. The album’s lyrics delve deep into the human spirit, merging the raw emotion of his earlier work with a more expansive, otherworldly sound. This album shimmers, taking listeners through the decades of rock, synth-pop, blues and folk on a journey best described as “Ambient Dream-grunge.