For the past decade, Swedish pianist and composer Carl Liungman has persistently popped up as one of the frontrunners in today's instrumental music scene. Raised in Malmö, he was exposed to a myriad of musical landscapes as a child, from The Beatles and Mozart through to jazz giants like Esbjörn Svensson.
Carl Liungman has developed a style that integrates classical techniques with new-age atmospheres. He writes highly vibrant pieces that juxtapose the personal and intimate with the social and broad. Other inspirations include Arvo Pärt for spiritual minimalism, Nils Frahm for rhythmic textures, and Hans Zimmer for cinematic melodies.
His studies have run the gamut from classical music to jazz piano. Carl Liungman takes this eclectic musical background and creates art that steps outside any specific genre. With his solo piano albums and live performances, Liungman shares deeply reflective meditations on the human experience, now streaming on Spotify with over 4.3k monthly streams.
"Change" is Liungman's sixth solo album, recorded live at the Malmo Art Museum, and captures his expressive passion for art. The nine original compositions, produced by Carl Granberg, poetically narrate transitions from loss to new beginnings using subtle harmonic progressions and lyrical textures.
"Mother" is introduced through an enveloping ambiance, its soothing and nurturing theme unfolding with casual, rippling ascents. The succeeding "After" heaves and sighs with remarkable brevity, weighted heavily with theme. Conceptually linked, the reflective "Final Days" reveals an imminent change through mercurial sentiments. The casual "Hope" then insinuates promise through its friendly phrasing, which is paralleled in the positive arc of the following track, "Wind in June."
"Father" evokes the presence of the paternal through soft, measured, and wise melodic statements. Aptly titled, "Survivor" further develops this message of endurance through battling adversity. "Peaceful" is soothing and serene, its boundless calming effect spreading like an expansive ocean. Concluding on an uplifting note, the title track "Change" features a peppy piano to herald in new beginnings.
With subtle harmonic variations and unrestrained soliloquies, Carl Liungman distills the most intricate concepts into accessible instrumental forms. With thousands of listeners, Carl Liungman has emerged as one of the leading voices in modern piano composition. I found "Change" to be Carl Liungman's most profoundly moving work yet. Long enamored with his mix of minimalism and expressionism, this album felt more like his fully fleshed-out artistic statement than anything thus far. I will no doubt continue streaming favorites from "Change," such as "Mother" and the title track, finding new appreciation with every hearing. If the transition is a place the reader is, then this album is a magnificent catharsis, and I highly recommend streaming Carl Liungman's "Change" today.