Ass

After half a decade of living room recordings whilst backing up the Swedish top list artists, versatile punk rocker and instrumentalist Andreas Söderström has made his debut as a solo artist under the name Ass.
It´s a mainly instrumental folktronic journey into a soundscape of multilayers performed entirely by himself. Selftutored amongst the jungle of strings in his father's bouzoki factory, Andreas is a familiar bearded face in the Swedish alternative music scene.
Over the past years Andreas has played bass with multi-awarded pop princess Jenny Wilson, trumpet and lapsteel with the international renowned electronica project Tape, harmonium, key harp and guitar with the folk orchestras Barr, Pallin, Blood Music and Taken By Trees, the latest incarnation of former Concretes singer Victoria Bergsman.

From the Britfolk finger-picking of ‘I’ve Been Here’ to the austere ‘Cool Water’, the self-taught multi-instrumentalist wrings a plaintive beauty from his fingers; penning profoundly moving, largely non-vocal entities, augmented at various points by electronic gurgles, horns and a harmonium. ‘Wheels and Wings’, with its chiming guitar melody and horn counterpoint, is a rare vocal outing, Soderstrom’s subtle intonation adding a sweetness and warmth to proceedings.
Harking back to his debut, the elegantly swooning ‘It Only Takes Minutes’ revisits the cyclical moments found on his previous outing, but there’s an atmospheric airiness infusing this record which leavens these near-macabre hymns. Minimal and majestic, the repeated melody patterns twist in every direction, wrapping and turning in on themselves like a maypole, before loping to a folk-stained climax.
Daubing layer on top of layer on an intricately detailed canvas, Soderstrom’s sleight of hand in combining these varied textures is never more evident than on ‘Escape From NY’, which buzzes and throbs in unison with his rhythmic playing – there’s a sense of delicacy and wonder cloaked by a dark foretelling; a hushed but audible eeriness digging away at your subconscious, heightening that unease. The low-key majesty of Soderstrom’s gentle songs, like on closing track Vertical Spar, is here in abundance.
Channelling a hypnotic style which is at times reminiscent of folk legends such as Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and John Fahey, his crisp compositions nevertheless have an ultra-modernist edge to them, digital elements seeping through and sounding perfectly at home, but with a softly engaging feel rather than the clinical hum of technology.
‘My Get Up and Go Just Got Up and Went’ is that rare kind of record; bewitching and thougth-provoking, comforting and challenging. It’s a real treat, and a chance to hear the whispered charm of a subtly disarming performer. To paraphrase George Clinton - free your mind, and Ass will follow…


Artist's MySpace