Astvaldur - Correlation Attempt (2018)

Astvaldur (aka Ástvaldur Axel Þórisson) is a musician, a sound enthusiast and a multidisciplinary artist. Starting at a young age with his musical endeavour, the ascertainment to electronic music was an incision which shaped his approach, leading to the current project;
astvaldur. Exploring a fine composite of sound design, complex patterns and club-influenced schemes, his work is a personal revaluation of the boundaries within these.

His debut album, At Least, was released in February 2017 on the Berlin’s Oqko label (of which he is a member) is a mix of electro acoustic manipulations and densely textured electronic soundscapes drew praise ad coverage from such publications as Groove Magazine, XLR8R, DJ
Mag, Hyponik, The Ransom Note, Inverted Audio, Mixmag France, and Electronic Sound Magazine.

Correlation Attempts sees astvaldur move away from the space and finely attuned finesse of At Least and embrace chaos and an element of a lack of control into his music. Astvaldur himself describes the album itself as in the following bullet points:
- Reduction to categories. Categorisation opens space for noise, where perceptual mis/interpretations can emerge. Mis/interpretations give space for re-evaluations.
- Reduction of control. Lack of control gives space for uncertainty,
- Uncertainty can be embraced, or controlled.
- As the uncontrolled is bound to the progression of continuous familiar elements,
- So is the emergence of Correlation Attempts.

From the distorted bass and insect screeches of the opening track “Abundance”, Correlation Attempts swirls and drift around in space, its monadic electronic structures constantly shifting and warping in a state of perpetual flux. On “Consent” with its queasy, lurching synth screams and
skittering rhythms and “Seamless Composition”, with its blaring klaxons we are presented with the sound of a fraying rationality in digital form. “Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Attempts”, meanwhile settles for a pummelling kick/bass low end alongside digitised industrial noise that will excite and disturb the sense as you listen.