Dutch musician Kim Janssen is young and ambitious, as his second solo endeavor, Ancient Crime, attests. Best known in The Netherlands as part of the current line-up in the acoustic pop band The Black Atlantic (backing vocals, guitar, ukulele, piano and percussion), Janssen three years creating this concept album inspired by his childhood years spent boarding schools in Asia. The story is set in an old idyllic school, in a remote village in England during the winter and weaves history, myth, and memories into the fabric of the ten tracks which include traditional lyric filled songs and instrumentals. Recorded in a church with a 100-person choir as well as Marla Hansen’s (The National; Sufjan Stevens) Oriel Quartet, the soaring music fills with organ, clarinet, trumpets, acoustic and ambient soundscapes. Standouts include “Tors”, “Holmes’ Bonfire, 1966”, and “Drift.” – Written by SMarx
SIMILAR | The Black Atlantic, I am Oak, Sigur Rós, Mirel Wagner