Ishivu “Gryning” (Shakarchi & Stranéus Remix)

As one of Sweden’s most thought-provoking music exports, Ishivu sets out to capture the essence of both dawn and dusk (gryning and skymning in his native tongue, respectively) on his latest two-track effort. The result is equally as moving as his source of inspo. He splatters warm, earthy tones and neat, nurtured drum work onto a canvas made of pensive melodies.

Molding the morning-tipped “Gryning” into their own likeness, Shakarchi & Stranéus apply breathtaking brushstrokes in the form of hollow percussive hits and lofty, well-polished pads. They achieve sophistication while making sure things don’t land too left-field and scare away casual listeners. It’s a pristine piece, no doubt.

Available July 20 via Trunkfunk Records.

If you were to describe this track as a scent, a signature fragrance as it were, what would it be called? If it were to have a tagline, what would it be?
Ishivu: A lush forest floor, evocative with notes of pine, oak moss, musk and sandalwood, saturated with coumarin and a touch of ginger, vanilla and bergamot to round it off. Tagline: “Please buy my mixtape.”

Did you discuss or exchange ideas with other producers while creating this track?
No, just as the track is composed of intuitive analogies to nature, the process was never spelled out in words or intellectualized in that way. Sometimes, the transposition from imagination to manifestation can be more direct and pure if you skip steps of filtration, like communicating with another being and rehashing the feedback. In other words, it was an unusually introverted effort, but I think that only complements the primal theme.

What’s the takeaway here? Is there a message or vibe you hope to get across to listeners?
Yes, throughout gryning, elements of the forest gradually wake up, last of all, the human. Moving into skymning, the human, and our flickering campfires, fade out into the abyssal darkness and the spiritual magic that seeps between the trees. The point is that we are new to a place that has existed for ages, and that we will also be superseded by a vastness that will dwarf all our accomplishments, as if none of it ever happened. It’s against this backdrop that I humbly created this music, to saturate a couple of minutes of your human existence.

Do you think advances in computer technology and gear have affected your creativity?
Yes, if it seems that the universe is the output of a simulated reality exercise—or at least essentially computable/informational—then we simply can’t ignore the scope of digital synthesis! The computer has done a lot for music in general, also mine. I have a very intimate relationship with my computer, which I built myself. All of the music is in a pure state of imagination or dark-matter energy before a single note is played; the computer simply presents more ways to transpose it to pressure waves.

Describe the best setting/activity to hear this track.
It’s created to be universally applicable, but have you ever had sex?

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