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Ambient artist Tor Lundvall's self-proclaimed genre of "ghost ambient" is the definitive description of his latest offering Empty City. Following the release of the more conventional Last Light, Lundvall returns to form through twelve tracks of airy reverberations and growling bass. The mood set is both ominous and peaceful, explained as an homage to the beauty of urban decay "bathed in the dull orange glow of streetlights." Being an accomplished painter, Lundvall helps guide much of this imagery through the accompanying artwork. Although the reference point of Empty City is the Northeast region of the US, the emotion embedded in the paintings will easily capture the essence of abandoned factories and warehouses found scattered throughout the country. Much like his paintings, his compositions are all capable of triggering imagery of scenes in nature. With titles such as "Scrap Yard" and "Buildings and Rain," the tracks are sufficiently veiled to apply to several memories of the listener's choice, all remaining eulogies for forgotten monoliths of capitalism. The album moves quickly for an ambient release, yearning for multiple listens to fully grasp the layers of both music and emotion. While of course being only fully appreciated as an entire album, there are a few that transcend the collection. The bass of "Running Late" meshes so well with whispered chants that it essentially defines Lundvall's genre. The celestial vocals of title track "Empty City" breeze above the most prominent groove on the album, perhaps the only remnants of the once bustling world Lundvall so beautifully reflects upon. It is made perfectly clear from moments such as these that the album is not one-dimensional. Not only do the compositions paint a literal dilapidated city, but also a metaphorical one. The result is what he describes as a "collage of a city's different personalities and settings," even using the interior of the apartment in which he recorded as inspiration for isolation and loneliness. With a partnering ghost ambient EP soon to be released by Lundvall, exploring the depths of Empty City is essential.

Tor Lundvall at Amazon & Insound