Library Tapes - A Summer Beneath the Trees (Make Mine Music)

All the recent sounds from Hauschka, Max Richter, Peter Broderick, and Eluvium literally guide me towards the latest album from David Wenngren, who is now the single member of Library Tapes (previously joined by Per Jardsell). Well, that's not actually true. On the latest album titled, A Summer Beneath the Trees, released on Make Mine Music (more on this great label later), Wenngren is joined by above mentioned Peter Broderick, who contributed a multitude of instrumentation: guitar, banjo, trumpet, accordion, viola, and others. [Broderick, by the way, I hear has moved to Copenhagen to join Efterklang. So among the many latest releases from this young man (Home being the latest on Type Records), and his collaboration with Library Tapes, I'm sure we'll be seeing his name pop up here and there for years to come]. On A Summer Beneath the Trees, the subtle melodies are woven in between Wenngren's soft piano and Broderick's singing violin, and upon numerous listens begin to implant themselves among the nostalgic memories. The music has a slight contemplative breeze to it - definitely not too happy, yet not too sad - mostly neutral in just being, as is the rest of our perceived reality. These sounds accompany the silhouettes moving in the office windows across the street, the rising white clouds from an industrial factory across the lake, and the slowly falling autumn leaves. Listening to the music gracefully moving my meager existence I am reminded once again that there is no such thing as bad weather. The weather just... is... A Summer Beneath the Trees is a great addition to Make Mine Music catalog, with already an excellent roster of artists like Yellow6, Epic45, July Skies, and Portal. Meanwhile, the latest from Wenngren was his 2008 release on his very own label, Auetic, under Forestflies alias, titled Structure/Chaos - so be sure to grab that as well. Another interesting release from Wenngren is his 2007 Litotes album on Symbolic Interaction, under yet another collaboration alias with Erica, Xeltrei. A Summer Beneath the Trees gets better and better with every single listen. Highly recommended if you like the above mentioned artists plus Goldmund, Deaf Center, Swod and Balmorhea.

Two and a Half Questions with Library Tapes

There is a melancholic tone in your music. Do you think there is a specific reason why you identify with sadness?
i think it's easier to make music when feeling a bit sad or melancholic and to make good music when expressing those feelings. i think there's been some happier songs on the two latest albums and on the fragment ep though. i wouldn't say i identify with sadness. i just try to express whatever i feel at the moment of making music, and when i'm feeling really happy i usually do other things then making music i guess.

What instruments do you play, and which one is your favorite?
i only play the piano. i do love the sounds of strings as well and i wish i could play that.

What are some of your memorable moments from working with Peter Broderick on the album?
the songs i've worked with peter on where results of sending piano bits for him to add instruments too so we didn't actually meet in person when making those songs. peter is so easy to work with though. you get the song back very quick and you feel so happy with what he's done to it. the album wouldn't sound as good with out him. the same thing can be said about danny norbury who played cello on the latest album and also was a part of the short album called sketches.

Do you think if emptiness had a sound, it would be better conveyed in multiple parts?
i'd like to think it has a sound. however emptiness could sound very different to you than it does to me. :)

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