Abba CD

Despite the title, Abba is not an odd experimental to the Swedish pop megastars, but rather the latest "loner lo-fi ambient" opus from Gothenburg-based experimentalist Blod. It was reported recorded in his garage in the summer of 2021 and was - according to the artist - inspired by the idea of creating "warm feelings" through a period of loneliness and isolation. It's made of two lengthy pieces (44 minutes and 32 minutes respectively); the first (CD1) mixes crackling, sampled and overheard conversations with noise-seeped organ melodies, distant piano motifs, ghostly synthesizer chords and lo-fi guitar improvisations, while the second (CD2) is a sparse affair in which his own stripped-back instrumentation comes to the fore. It's a quietly emotive affair all told, whose mix of melancholia and occasional hope is both engaging and entertaining.