Release Notes
Label: I N N I
Released: May 24th, 2024
Mastered By: Sin Fang
Animation By: Sofia Nystrand
On May 24th, Jakob Lindhagen, whom I previously praised on these pages as a solo piano composer as well as a collaborator with Dag Rosenqvist, released his latest 6-track genre-spanning EP, titled Stages of Change, for the remarkable Icelandic I N N I imprint. The Stockholm-based composer “drew inspiration from reflections on large-scale, collective changes on a societal level (sparked by certain pandemics and current military conflicts), and their correlation with personal shifts.” This collection of post-classical pieces could easily serve as a soundtrack for a film exploring the above-mentioned concepts. And a film we shall have! For today’s premiere, I’m happy to share a twenty-plus-minute stop-motion animation spanning the entire EP, meticulously crafted by his nearly constant collaborator, Sofia Nystrand, whom you may also know as Vargkvint. Together with the music, the visuals create a beautifully handmade package, which, although only available in digital form, feels like a tender, precious gift. I hope that you enjoy this warmhearted work while reflecting on the prospect of creating something so priceless in this increasingly strange, attention-hungry, and angst-filled world.
I wanted it to feel like a journey pulled forward by polar opposites. As it represents changes both in the past, present and future, I wanted it to feel both old and new, human and artificial, familiar and strange.
— Jakob Lindhagen
As a species I believe that our adaptability is our biggest strength and that, for example in regards to the climate crisis we are all inevitably facing, that we actually can change if we really want to. With this in mind I wanted to bring in the more hopeful aspects to it, and work with the idea that small changes over time can become big ones, if we all open our minds to the idea of change and what that could be.
— Sofia Nystrand
The mentioned above, the EP is already out and you can pick up a digitaly copy on the label’s Bandcamp. If you’re hungry for more, you can also check out another video I premiered a few years ago, for a wonderful piece “They Were Never Really There” which also featured a stop-motion animation by Sofia.
