Tomas Bodin – Ambient Cooking (self-release, 2024)
Ambient Cooking is a solo effort by Swedish musician, composer, lyricist and self-described analog synthesizer nerd Tomas Bodin. Despite its title, this collection is anything but a simple exercise in ambient electronica. Instead, it is a very cinematic set of instrumentals performed with a wide range of keyboards plus additional instruments.
The album opens with “Farewell to a Scotsman,” a track that marches with a Celtic lilt. It gradually builds, a march that invokes the spirit of Scotland. In stark contrast, “A Mist in a Maze” invites the listener into a hypnotic fusion of sounds, a slow dance that mesmerizes and entangles the senses.
With “Aunt Rufus’ Bedtime Story,” Bodin crafts a meditative piece, led by the gentle echoes of an electric piano. Each note whispers a tale of twilight reflections, a lullaby for the restless soul. The pastoral charm of “Mr. Pom and the Endless River” paints a bucolic scene, interlacing the natural sounds of water and birds with the rustic charm of a harmonica, all underpinned by the graceful elegance of an electric guitar.
“Ancient Rituals – Modular Jam” marks a departure into the surreal, an electronic exploration that delves into the depths of Bodin’s exploratory spirit. This journey into the unknown continues with “Dream #1 – Drudenfuss,” a spellbinding electronic passage that seduces the listener into the realm of dreams and whispers.
In “Rest My Soul,” the interplay between saxophone and piano unfolds, a dance of Nordic jazz that shimmers with a nuanced reverberation. Here, the saxophone is a voice from the cold northern winds, a stark contrast to the polished veneer of American smooth jazz.
“Revolver – Album Mix” spins in minimalist circles, a hypnotic mix of rhythmic patterns that entwine with lush orchestral swells, crafting a cinematic panorama.
The album closes with “Clusterphobia – Modular Jam,” an otherworldly synth piece that transports the listener to the outer reaches of sound.
After two decades as the keyboardist and a leading visionary of the progressive rock band, The Flower Kings, Tomas Bodin has embarked on a quest for new musical horizons.
This is a crowdfunded album. All music composed by Tomas Bodin
Musicians: Tomas Bodin on keyboards, percussion, vocals; JJ Marsh on electric guitars; Jonas Reingold on electric bass; Mariahelena Persson on vocals; and P-O Lundquist on saxophone.
Buy Ambient Cooking.