The distorted tape loops and Moog-driven melodies on Krzysztof Sujata’s latest Valiska LP may seem relatively spare at first, but keep listening. On Pause reveals its true intentions over time—charting the course of its creator’s roller coaster year between 2016 and 2017.
“Most experiences have different layers to them,” explains Sujata, “things that used to be infuriating can become running jokes or fond memories. The album reflect this complexity and should connect to a listener’s memories or experiences. To me, it’s also not a sombre or gloomy album for the most part; maybe introspective, but rarely in a sad way.”
Stream the album (available now on the new label Trouble in Utopia) in full below, along with Valiska’s back catalogue and the exclusive #selftitledpremiere of the composer’s new “A Pause” video….
The music for “A Pause” was inspired by a morning walk through a foggy ravine, surrounded by fall colours. It was a moment of trying to calm myself down, getting out of an emotional situation and just taking a breather.
Although relaxing and calming down aren’t the same thing, connecting these two ideas opened up a small visual world to experiment within. Using the yarn, I tried to recreate a bit of the visual feeling from that morning: muted colours through fog, at a slow pace. The video was all shot with a macro lens, highlighting the fibres and textures present in the yarn. I was particularly drawn to the individual strands, like bare branches or dry blades of grass from that ravine.
