Tor Lundvall
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Tor Lundvall (born 1968 in Wyckoff, New Jersey) is a painter and musician who is based out of East Hampton, New York.
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[edit] Art
Lundvall has a B.A. in studio art with a minor in literature from the American University in Washington D.C. (1991). His oil paintings are quite vivid and luminous due to his use of vibrant colors, and the strong tension created between light and shadow. Lundvall's imagery is mostly inspired by rural northeastern American landscapes which he inhabits with imaginative figures and isolated individuals. His canvases often depict serene environments with an underlying sense of menace.
Tor first came into the public eye in the early 1990's through his art exhibitions in New York and after creating the CD artwork for various musicians, including several projects for Tony Wakeford's dark folk group Sol Invictus (band). [1]
Lundvall has also produced cover art for Gonzalo Rubalcaba's "Solo" CD (2006) and Miles Davis's "The Blue Note and Capitol Recordings" CD box-set reissue (1993), both released on Blue Note Records. His artwork was also featued on the cover of the March 2007 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
[edit] Music
Tor Lundvall is also a musician, and his compositions are often described as dark, ambient music. His first self-produced album, "Passing Through Alone" (1997) could be categorized in the Industrial music genre, as it shared little in common musically with subsequent releases. At the time "Passing Through Alone" was only available at Lundvall's gallery showings, and has since been taken out of print.
Lundvall's music came to prominence with the release of "Autumn Calls" (1998), a collaboration with Tony Wakeford released on the now defunct British record label World Serpent Distribution. Three solo albums followed, continuing the seasons-themed concept: "Ice" (1999), "The Mist" (2001) and "Under the Shadows of Trees" (2003).
After the demise of World Serpent in 2004, Tor Lundvall has been working exclusively with the American label Strange Fortune founded by Michael J. Salo. His releases for Strange Fortune include "Last Light" (2004), "Empty City" (2006) and the "Yule" EP (2006). "Empty City" featured Lundvall's first attempt at an instrumental approach for an entire album. All of Tor Lundvall's recordings are mastered by his brother Kurt Lundvall.
Tor Lundvall's music has evolved over the years from early pop songs, to a more ambient sound, which he personally finds difficult to describe or categorize. "I suppose one could call it 'ghost ambient'! I approach my music in a visual way, starting with a very basic idea and slowly building on it. The tracks are essentially paintings with music and their titles usually reflect the contents. I have also gained a new respect for the piano over the past several years, which plays a major part in my recordings. Although I tend to use electronics and samplers, I always approach music in a natural, organic way. All samples are created at home, usually in the bedroom. I loathe patch presets and use them only rarely. In fact the process of recording is so complex, that the 'equipment used' section printed in my CD booklets is basically useless. I find that my recent recordings are becoming progressively more instrumental and ambient in nature, although the music still retains a strong sense of melody. As with my paintings, my music has always existed in a private world of its own."[2]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums / Singles / EPs
| Year | Title | Format | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Passing Through Alone | CD | Private release of early 'pop' material. |
| 1998 | Autumn Calls | CD | Collaboration with Tony Wakeford. |
| 1999 | Ice | CD | Winter installment of the seasons-themed albums. |
| 2001 | The Mist | CD | Spring installment of the seasons-themed albums. |
| 2002 | Evening / Leaves | 7" Picture Disc | Limited edition of 500 copies. |
| 2003 | Under the Shadows of Trees | CD | Summer installment of the seasons-themed albums. |
| 2004 | Last Light | CD | |
| 2006 | Empty City | CD | |
| 2006 | Yule | CDEP | |
| 2007 | The Seasons Unfold Sampler | CDEP | Promotional sampler for forthcoming 4-CD set. |
[edit] Compilation Tracks
| Year | Song Title | Compilation | Format | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Ghost Years (alternate version) | "On Magazine" | CD | Original version released on "Passing Through Alone". |
| 1998 | The Big Nowhere | "What is Eternal" | CD | Collaboration with Tony Wakeford. |
| 1999 | The Falling Snow (remixed edited version) | "Eisteddfod" | CD | Full length version released on the "Yule" EP. |
| 2000 | My Weakness | "MM" | CD | World Serpent promotional compilation. |
| 2000 | 29 | "Ostia" | CD | Identical to version released on "The Mist". |
| 2002 | Tears and Rain | "Sol Lucet Omnibus - A Tribute to Sol Invictus" | 2xCD | |
| 2002 | Treetop | "Songs for Landeric - Music for a New Born Son" | 2xCD | Recorded during the "Under the Shadows of Trees" sessions. |
| 2005 | Aliénor | "Songs for Aliénor - Music for a New Born Daughter" | 2xCD | |
| 2007 | Birds Asleep | "Dream Magazine #7" | CD | Out-take from the "Under the Shadows of Trees" sessions. |
