| Profile: Erik Wollo
Composing music since the eighties, Erik Wollo has released several fine albums of melodic electronic music primarily in Europe.Erik Wollo's roots in progressive rock are clear as he uses them to articulate cinematic musical themes.Through his subtle minimalist patterns and nebulous breaths of sound, one can easily imagine the composer staring through windows splayed with ice crystals as Arctic winds whisper across the snow fields and ethereal northern lights pulse steadily in the distance.As a guitarist he has lead his own groups, playing at clubs, concert halls and festivals.Commenting on his international image, Wollo says, "Generally, I do not consider myself solely as an electronic artist.Looking back, Wollo was one of the first musicians in Norway to utilize the then new synthesizer in his music and therefore has been closely associated with the technology ever since.Although acoustic, the compositions and production style still suggest the same open spaces of his pure electronic works, but here the melodies are etched in crystalline cold air.The guitars are an important ingredient to the music as they are Wollo's main instrumentation and therefore the backbone of his sound.Each piece on Wind Journey is a cinematic trip, often powered by insistent sequencer lines, elaborate electronic orchestrations and topped off with gloriously heroic electric guitar solos that sound like they swept in from the stars.For his 27 April 2002 performance at the The Gatherings in Philadelphia, Erik Wollo drew from his recent work to create a concert of luminous airy music.Also, the most difficult part."Erik Wollo on an instrumental wind journey.Brooding deep passages are traversed by the radiantly unfurling guitar strands of "Wind Journey".Midway through this phase, twangy reverbs lead into "Huldra 2" where ponderous drumbeats meet with raspy flute flavors.Piano twinkles and shifting guitar essences add the "shine" to "Winter Shine" (1:17).Erik Wollo's thoughtfully planned course."Summer Tomorrow" dances between strummed phrases and adroitly picked stringwork.Basking in silvers and golds, "The Eagle" hovers in flight which seems to rise and fall over some verdant valley.The unassuming acoustic beauty of Guitar Nova smolders with aromatic fragrances and illuminates 14 scenes of idyllic peacefulness.Erik Wollo made his stateside concert debut in Philadelphia at St.The concert lasted about 90 minutes.An excerpt appears on the STAR'S END 30th Anniversary Anthology CD..Included on the disc are previously unreleased live selections donated by: The Ministry of Inside Things, Orbital Decay, Ian Boddy, AirSculpture, Radio Massacre International, Robert Rich, Rudy Adrian, Jonn Serrie, Jeff Pearce, Saul Stokes and Steve Roach.Erik Wollo
Live at
The Gatherings Concert Series
27 October 2007 8:00pm
St.Review: Erik Wollo at The Gatherings
TRICK AND TREAT
Meandering through the University of Pennsylvania campus the night of Erik Wollo's second appearance at The Gatherings concert series took a little longer than usual.Being the weekend before Halloween, it was hard to find a student who wasn't dressed in costume; some interesting, some not.But the night's treat to the campus' trick was inside St.Spotted Peccary, Wollo's label, had to evacuate it's warehouse due to the wildfires in California and as a result he had no wares to offer.That is a shame since show artists, particularly international acts such as Erik Wollo, use CD sales to help defray costs of making the trip to The Gatherings.You won't be disappointed.Wollo's show was broken into two portions.Live in Holland earlier in the month.If you weren't sitting in front of him watching him play the guitar, you wouldn't think that most of the sounds were generated with one.Through the magic of MIDI, Wollo could express just about any tone and texture from a single Fender.Moving between real and virtual landscapes in lockstep with the music, it was hard to tell if the video had been produced for the music or the other way around.This is what I remember most about the show; that even though the first set consisted of multiple pieces, they fit together as though they had always been that way.The second part of the show centered around live improvisation.And at the end a much deserved standing "O" ensued.With another fine performance in the docket, it's off to brave the faux ghouls of the night.November 2007
Review: Erik Wollo at The Gatherings
The tail end of a rainstorm was breezing through University City as evening fell, just in time for the show to begin on a dry note.The rain seems to have flushed out all types of strange creatures, I thought, as I darted out of Lee's Hoagie House and nearly ran into a caveman.Across the street, a miniscule woman in a green leotard shouted at a bunch of frat boys, "I'm a sexy turtle for Halloween this year!"Saint Mary's and backstage to deliver a quick sandwich to Erik Wollo.Erik sat amidst a couple keyboards and a silver laptop, tweaking and tuning a black guitar on this lap.Further hopes of investigating his discography were dashed for the moment, when I was informed that the Southern California wildfires had kept Spotted Peccary from sending along any product in the days leading up to the show.Erik about life among the fjords (which I've seen once, and look forward to seeing again).The music built and faded so gracefully that it seemed blissfully without identifiable beginning or end.Strumming, tapping, scraping, and picking at the strings, he showed a wide range of sounds off even within the first piece.All the more reason that the standing ovation at the end of the show seemed frighteningly loud, as Erik grinned and jumped off the stage to shake hands with the people standing up front.With slices in hand, guests young and old sipped on Hawaiian Punch and prepared for one more encore hour before night's end.At the end of it all, I slipped some leftover pizza into my car trunk (just barely fit!Chestnut Street past the last of the Halloween stragglers, feeling curiously awake and refreshed.Gatherings' volunteers haphazardly determining a plan of action.STAR'S END live concert deadline.I've yet to
have been placed on this "A" team, and deservedly so."Give me two of the biggest pies your oven can handle.""Why, pray tell, are you
opening that huuuuuuuuuuuuge window?"Soon after, the pies miraculously consumed, the 2am radio performance
ensued, and, as if the performance Mr.Wollo graced us with a few hours previous at
St.Mary's wasn't beautiful enough, the artist laid down a perfect nightcap
to a wonderful day.Those who attended the St.Mary's Gatherings' concert were
brought to their feet at the end of a trio of Wollo's musical journeys.We stood and applauded, not as a result of the typical adrenaline rush one often
obtains during an uplifting concert experience, but for reasons totally the
opposite.The
electric guitar weighs both heavily and lightly in Wollo's compositions,
producing myriad ranges of tone and effect.Also,
fewer than one would hope were able to attend the Wollo show.One can also only
wish Erik Wollo returned home feeling nearly as enchanted as did those with
whom he shared his wonderful music.The Gatherings Concert Series.Erik Wollo
Live at
The Gatherings Concert Series
Saturday 27 April 2002
St.Review: Erik Wollo
A steady rain droned loudly on the pavement outdoors here, at home, at 2am last night, enhancing the sedative effect of another Star's End broadcast.Mary's a few hours before, we passed by Chuck and, after sharing praise for Erik Wollo's splendid Gathering performance, he confessed that a long day at work combined with Gathering day preparations had left him longing for sleep.This is why I nearly panicked during the first hour of his show last night.Alarmed, I thought, "Uh oh.Chuck's conked out on the air and he's left his microphone on.Only to reassure, Chuck would soon reappear at the top of the hour, in fact sounding quite spiffy, and provided us with the introduction for yet another hour of live Erik Wollo.Make that another 'wonderful' hour.And therein rests the beauty of these Gathering evenings.More often than not, a Gathering performer is given the opportunity to pull a post concert rabbit out of his hat.This leads me back to when I lay last night, listening again, as Erik Wollo, black hat in hand, introspectively nightcaps his evening; and I make it through the hour in a dreamlike state of consciousness; rain intensifying, its sound mixing with Wollo's, of synth washes and his calmly incisive guitar.Gathering, those 'moments of transcension', or those times when I find my own world transforming into the vision and soundworld of the artist's.Wollo's first set provided an introduction to his sound, his techniques; a diversified journey.Swiftly transported wisps of smoke; a single jet distantly streaming across an otherwise empty sky; a rain forest journey of pale greens and blue.Wollo's performance last night can be heard on his fine recent release, "Wind Journey."Review: Erik Wollo
As the doors opened my fear for the size of the turnout flew away.Why would I have doubted the Gatherings crowd to support the artists?Mary's altar, the attendance of this show and the standing ovation given to Erik Wollo at the end of the night should mean that much more.He gracefully moved the sound of his guitar in and out of synthesized and natural clean tones.With minimal visual or lighting effects the audience was left to create there own visions.He returned for an encore that was like a third set packed into a brief period of time.All in all, two hours of invigorating music created a night to remember for all who were there.Sign in to get personalized recommendations.After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.It is also on the list of ESSENTIAL ECHOES CDS for 2007.USA and Canada February 2007, and it has been a success!This is my 13th solo album, and it has been very well received.Elevations was also picked as CD of the month for February on Echoes!Receive Free You Heard It!Read all his latest news.See all their latest photos.His subsequent releases are equally impressive.While there's always a sense of warmth to his atmospheric pieces, his music resounds with the stark beauty of Norway's wintry landscapes.Country Music Television, Inc.Trace Adkins
Hear tracks from his new CD, American Man.Read all his latest news.See all their latest photos.FREE UPDATES
for Erik Wollo!Label: Spotted Peccary Music
Released: 10.Label: Eurock
Released: 01.Label: Eurock
Released: 01.Country Music Television, Inc. |
