Impressions
Eli Tausen á Lava invites you to disconnect from the constant buzz of the world and step into the lingering minimal atmospheres of Impressions, his debut album, which is set to be released on the 24th of July 2020 through the Faroese record label TUTL.

Impressions provides its listeners with a neutral space to experience music without being told what to feel. The album consists of three thematically related piano works: In Fog, Ripples and Bells. They are separate works but have more similarities than differences: Repeating and overlapping patterns characterize all three works, and they stay in the same key for the entirety of their durations. Still, they are continuously changing — albeit very slowly.

The composition of In Fog, Ripples and Bells was heavily influenced by the concept of letting go and allowing the pieces to take shape by themselves. Eli used Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt's creativity-inducing cards, Oblique Strategies, extensively during the composition process.

Impressions came into being during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to disconnect from the constant bombardment of information about the pandemic shaped the album, which in a way came to embody the suspended world humanity suddenly found itself in.

In Fog: Section I
In Fog: Section II
In Fog: Section III
In Fog: Section IV
Ripples: Section I
Ripples: Section II
Bells: Section I
Bells: Section II

Composition, performance, production and cover art by Eli Tausen á Lava
Mastered by Hans Poulsen at IntroVers Studio
Supported by Koda-Føroyar Grunnurin and Gramex Tónleikarar.
Released through TUTL Records

Eli Tausen á Lava
Since he first stepped onto the classical music landscape in 2015, up-and-coming composer Eli Tausen á Lava has been continually exploring different ways of creative expression. He has written solo, chamber and choral music and has worked with several musicians and ensembles, both in his native country of the Faroe Islands and abroad. Eli won 'Best New Artist' at the Faroese Music Awards in 2019, marking the first time a classical composer received the award.

Eli has an intuitive and open-minded approach to making music — he believes there is no right or wrong way to make art and values creative thinking and authenticity above anything else. He draws inspiration from many different genres and traditions, and among his chief influences are such characters as David Bowie, Brian Eno and Philip Glass.

Eli knew he was on the right career path when 'Freya Syngur', a choral piece he wrote in collaboration with Faroese author Anna Malan Jógvansdóttir, was selected to be performed at a large, international music festival in Beijing. 'Freya Syngur' was performed in Faroese by a German choir in the Chinese capital, signifying to Eli the ability of classical music to connect people across cultures, religions and borders — territorial and linguistic alike.

A sense of playfulness and the curious exploration of new ways of thinking often characterizes Eli's work. His music is performed regularly in the Faroe Islands, while international performances range from China, as mentioned above, to the United States, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland.

"Eli manages to find depth in simplicity, humour in solemnity," says renowned Faroese composer Sunleif Rasmussen, "or the other way around."

Sunleif Rasmussen was Eli's first teacher of composition at the Tórshavn Music School, which he graduated from in 2018. Eli is currently studying composition at the Malmö Academy of Music with Rolf Martinsson, one of Sweden's leading composers.

Further information:
TUTL artist page: https://tutlrecords.com/artists_show.php?ArtistId=653

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://elitausenalava.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elitausenalava

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elitausenalava

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elitausenalava