MAGO: Definitions of Raw Moments from a Different Perspective

Released by: Ad Noiseam - adn 20

Release date: October 4th, 2002

Format:

Tracklist:

1: Tumbling Down the Rabbit Hole 06:28
2: Like Sand Slips through My Fingers 06:29
3: Your Mind Blew across the Grass in Ripples 07:08
4: Enlaced in Ropes 12:10
5: Spaceships and Piles of Mud 05:13
6: Thought there was More to Come 07:25
7: Sing Me to Sleep 02:47
8: Inbetweenworld 08:44
9: Infinite 15:02

Total Length: 71:26 min

General Facts:

Mago is a side-project of Håkan Paulsson and Jan Carleklev of Sweden's Sanctum and Azure Skies.  This is Mago's debut, recorded over two years in Sweden and Germany. It was originally meant to become a soundtrack to a dance performance and has got a more electronic direction than the music of Sanctum and Azure Skies.

Review:

The music of Mago is not as Industrial as Sanctum's music. It is much softer with more emphasis on sonorous and calm elements, yet the fundament is still electronic music. The music is built around relaxed beats, piano and string melodies, synthesiser-bank sounds and low vocals - though most of this CD is instrumental. There are also some elements of rock music in some of the tracks, for example in Thought there was More to Come. It is clear that Mago is a project that transcends genres.
 
At times, it is quite dreamy music presented here. It is nice to just have in the background on occasion. I'm not sure this is my album of preference though, it is a bit too soft for me if I'm to be honest. Still, I would like to point out that this is a very wellproduced album. It is maybe not very complex in soundstructure but it definitely feels refreshing and unique. The songs have a tendency to stick to the mind pretty well. Some tracks are absolutely splendid, for example 'Inbetweenworld' which is a delicate melancholic string and piano piece that usually finds itself being played on repeat in my stereo, very moving I must say.

As earlier mentioned, it is a bit soft and peaceful but I guess a well-produced album like this will definitely find an audience. However, if you thought Sanctum was too soft for you, you probably shouldn't go for Mago.

Ectonaut

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ECTONAUT: Please introduce your project to the Ortus Obscurum readers. For how long have you been doing this and for what reason?
 
JAN: To create this release we have been four persons involved and those are Håkan Paulsson, Ulrika Carlsson, Stephanie Euler and Jan Carleklev. The idea started somewhere 1998 or so, but it was not before last year that i started to work more focused towards an album with Mago. One thing that makes me continuing composing music is the desire to explore new grounds and Mago stands for one of those. I didn't feel that I could reach this within my composing for Sanctum and Azure Skies. I wanted to have more freedom to take off into other directions. it is not challenging for me to do something that has already been done. then again I might not reach that goal, but it is always my intention. And then I have  another reason, but that one is a more general reason for all my composing, to capture feelings and transfer them into music.

ECTONAUT: Tell us something about the tracks on the reviewed release. Did you work with specific methods when you composed them? Is there a concept behind this release or anything else interesting that you think we should know about this release?
 
JAN: For me each track on this album kind of stands for it's own from an immediate perspective but if you scratch a little bit on the surface connections appear and reveal new dimensions. then I don't talk about obvious aspects like sounds or words in the lyrics on the album but more about emotions created and transformed within the listener.

I stay away from any short cuts like sampling from others music, films ore using samples from ready made samples CD's. You can hear that too often in todays music. Can't say that I use a specific method to compose this album but I guess I could say that I have a couple of different concepts behind it. Both sound and visual wise.

ECTONAUT: How would you describe your music to completely new listeners? Do you feel that your project belongs to a certain genre? Are there any bands that you think you can relate to soundwise and conceptwise?

JAN: I can't describe my music, but if i would be forced to it would sound like this. mago is basically a band that use sounds and instruments that are electronically generated. Slow beats and stretched out... no I give up, I can't do that and even if I could nobody would be able to get the picture except for the fact that we use electronic instruments and how useful information is that? For me as the composer of the music it feels bizarre to try to explain my music and I have learned that there are almost as many interpretations of the music as there are listeners.

I'm quite sure that people put mago into a genre, it makes everything much easier. I have never done that with any of the projects that i have been involved in. Because I don't create the music with a genre in mind, I do something that makes me happy and gives me pleasure.

ECTONAUT: What is most important in music according to you? How do you define quality music and what are your musical influences? 
 
JAN: The emotion in music is most important for me and that it is carried out in an intelligent way. With an idea behind it, and as detailed and varied expressed as you feel it. There is too much music out there that is lacking those elements, it is more about image and a couple of seconds of fame. You hear that immediately. so basically my way of judging my own work also characterizes how I judge other music I hear.
 
Concerning my musical influences I guess I could say everything has an influence but I can't say in what way and to what extent.

ECTONAUT: What plans do you have for the future? Are there any new releases planned? Anything else you would like to add?

JAN: The plans for Mago are now to get out there and perform live. Especially because besides the music, Mago is also supposed to be a visual project with video performance. Right now I'm working on two releases for two of my other projects that will be out before the summer as well as I'm working on music for a dance performance.

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- Click here to visit the Sanctum/Mago etc. website

- Click here to contact Mago