Lord of the Magi - Soul Exchange

Format: LP
Catalogue No.: TARC03LP
Release Date: 13 Oct 2023
Genre: Experimental/Electronic

A1. DEPARTURE
A2. ÉL ES DEÊ
A3. NEPTUNE HORIZON
A4. ANDAMAN BLUE
A5. MORPHOLOGY
B1. FOG SURFIN'
B2. SOUL EXCHANGE
B3. APPROACHING THE END
B4. THE STAND STILL

In striking daubs of bled-out colour and finely sculpted layers of instrumentation, Lord of the Magi arrives on Tartelet Archives with an album of ambient reflections.

Copenhagen-based Theo Nicola Anker has different sides to his musical output. But on Soul Exchange, he shakes off stylistic concerns to focus on a purer emotional expression. It’s an instinctive paean to the pastoral life he grew up with, sent with love from his city-centre apartment. His chosen tools – guitars, pedals, synths – are the medium of the message. “I appreciate music with personality, character, and charisma,” Anker says, “so I always strive to create tracks that tell a story and evoke a specific atmosphere. No single idea for a track is solely melodic, rhythmic, compositional, or focused on mix techniques. It's always about the bigger picture, the overall vibe.”

On Soul Exchange, the overarching mood is an inviting, becalming one, but there’s plenty of space for melancholy and even a little friction. That’s apparent in the natural synergy of the organic and electronic elements as much as the emotional content, rounding out as a wholesome, holistic listening experience.