HANS APPELQVIST

After his one-year excursion to China Hans Appelqvist, the man behind The Xiao Fang EP is back with a release on the Malmoe-based Komplott label. Interweaving acoustic instruments - such as the recurrent resonance of a melancholic guitar or a slightly agitated piano - with electronic beats and sound samples from movies, Appelqvist creates his own distinctive sonic landscape where the ambience swiftly shifts from evocative and mellow to a state of subtle agitation. "Tonefilm" is a thrilling hybrid between moving pictures and music. Each composition has its own story to tell at the same time as the distant humming of a film projector suggests the interrelated cinematic theme of this meditative and melodious compilation.

Appelqvist who's previous releases includes the The Xiao Fang EP on the Mjäll label, currently resides in Malmoe in Southern Sweden. Making use of various devices such as outmoded film equipment and an old-fashioned portable gramophone, Appelqvist's inventive stage performances has been the subject of much attention. Here fragmented video clips and film sequences carefully synchronized with the music turns into an unconventional musical and cinematic experience combined. Finding any musical references to the work of this young Swede is tricky indeed. The Tonefilm project and its creator truly defies all comparison.

May 2002