Erik Klinga – Chasing the Light
Erik Klinga – Elusive Shimmer (Thanatosis Produktion, 2025) – Review by Ivna Franić
Erik Klinga’s solo debut Elusive Shimmer finds the seasoned drummer in the warm embrace of modular synthesis, building on the analog synth foundation with field recordings, organ, and rhythm machine. The first in a trilogy of albums by the Malmö & Copenhagen-based musician on the Swedish label Thanatosis Produktion was recorded at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.
Although any mention of Stockholm alongside the Buchla 200 may quickly evoke comparisons to Caterina Barbieri, the Italian composer who was a part of the city’s famed drone scene for a time and worked with the same synth, Klinga seems more interested in tension than repetition. As is often the case with instrumental music, the thematic context is framed by album and song titles. In this particular case, Klinga opts for a somewhat straightforward parallel between sound and light.
The title track opens the album in a way that’s true to its name, catching the fleeting glimpse of melody like a spark of light in the dark, which keeps emerging and then fading out of focus. Here, the chase feels curious and open-ended, but by the later part of the record, “Ascension’s” similar approach yields more melancholy and resolute tones. On “Iridescence,” however, the flirtatious, hesitant search for that shimmer gradually erupts into a towering kind of synth anthem that makes you feel like you’ve heard it before – not because it sounds like any other track, but simply because it’s such an earworm.
A couple of detailed, cavernous drones maintain the mystery and keep the tension low before “Parallax” begins to untangle the knot about a third of the way through, its monumental chords acting as a rhythm waiting to kick in during the second half. Once again, Klinga lets things linger after the outburst, letting the sounds radiate in waves that gradually achieve a calming effect before hitting us with an epic ending.
“Clearly conceived as a banger, the track also hints at the pop sensibility at the heart of many of Klinga’s previous projects.”
The euphoria of the closing “Dawn Chorus” makes it seem as if everything up to that point has been a build-up to the onslaught of the pointillistic melody, which takes a good three minutes to gain momentum and fully develop into the main theme. The track’s blissful synths and galloping rhythm are reminiscent of the colossal yet catchy noise electronics of late ’00s/early ’10s experimental electronic heavyweights Fuck Buttons. Clearly conceived as a banger, the track also hints at the pop sensibility at the heart of many of Klinga’s previous projects.
This was especially evident in the live rendition of “Dawn Chorus” at the recent album release concert at Inkonst, where sharing the bill with Polish composer Aleksandra Słyż proved to be a real test for the material from Elusive Shimmer. After Słyż brought the house down with her immersive, noisy drone, Klinga seemed even more energized to emphasize the physicality of his material and let it be known that we shouldn’t be surprised to see its author become a new mainstay on the European underground festival circuit (especially if elaborate visuals or light shows should be thrown in).
The album’s undulating flow definitely plays with the listener’s expectations, and while this provides some pleasant surprises and welcome breaks, it also leaves us occasionally wanting with sudden dips in energy. Despite the uneven moments, at its best, Elusive Shimmer beams (no pun intended) with palpable vigor and signals the arrival of an exciting new phase in Klinga’s career.
Info: Elusive Shimmer is out now on Thanatosis Produktion.
