ALBUM: SEA CHANGE – ‘Mutual Dreaming’

Equally as inspired by the club music of LA and Berlin as she is by her current quieter surroundings in the southern coastal town of Kristiansand in Norway, Ellen A. W. Sunde aka Sea Change’s sounds ebb and flow with an altruistic spirit on her latest album, Mutual Dreaming. Released via Shapes Recordings, her new offering reflects a deeply primal desire to move through intense feelings that escape verbal or written articulation, and provide a soothing antidote for over-thinking minds.

On her previous album INSIDE (2018), Sunde navigated a personal metamorphosis through her heady electronic ruminations and club-inspired beats. Teaming up once more with co-producer and mixer Andrew Murray Baardsen, on Mutual Dreaming Sunde reflects on quieter spaces and the power of a moment, allowing both to flood the senses and then be released into the ether just as quickly. Created during a global pandemic, her new electronica ripples with emotion without ever feeling weighty or over-thought, reflecting the way she feels about music in general. This approach to songwriting gives Mutual Dreaming its wonderfully searching, yet reassuringly vacant quality, reflecting the unusual time that it was made.

At times shadowy and sparse (‘I Put My Hand Into A Fist’, ‘That’s Us’, ‘OK’, ‘Rituals’) and other times heady and uplifting (‘Never Felt’, ‘Is There Anybody There’) Mutual Dreaming is full of captivating soundscapes. Tracks like ‘Never Felt…’ and ‘Night Eyes’ compliment each other beautifully, the former blossoming from a need to separate the body from the mind, whilst the latter is a pulsing, atmospheric offering that taps into the need to do the opposite. Both are evocative reminders to loosen up and surrender to the beat when life is pressing down on you. The dreamy transition from ‘Mirages’ into the album’s title track ‘Mutual Dreaming’ further enhances the flowing feeling that permeates the record.

Sea Change’s fluctuating sounds on Mutual Dreaming provide the backdrop for a gentle aural catharsis, allowing the stresses of life to melt away into the background. An intoxicating blur of soft vocals, lush beats and ambient electronics, it’s a welcome tonic in a time of disconnection and restlessness.

Listen to Mutual Dreaming here

Learn more about the music that inspired Sea Change’s album in our Five Favourites feature

Follow Sea Change on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Sea Change – ‘Never Felt’

An intoxicating blur of soft vocals, lush beats and ambient electronics, Norwegian artist & producer Sea Change has shared her latest single ‘Never Felt’. Taken from her upcoming album Mutual Dreaming, which is set for release on 11th February via Shapes Recordings, the track is a heady extension of an improvisation the musician originally created whilst performing live.

“This was the very first song I wrote for the album,” Sea Change aka Ellen A. W. Sunde explains. “It started as an improvised live version first performed at the Oslo release show, but it was in Luft Studio last fall that it really came to life and became what it is now. This slow-paced, feverish track.” This natural evolution and attention to the detail of the moment is mirrored in many tracks on Sea Change’s upcoming record.

Equally as inspired by the club music of LA and Berlin as she is by her current quieter surroundings in the southern coastal town of Kristiansand in Norway, Sea Change’s sounds ebb and flow with a tranquil, yet deeply primal desire to move through an intensity of feeling that sometimes escapes verbal or written articulation. Previous single ‘Night Eyes’ explored the need to separate the body from the mind, but on ‘Never Felt’ the two feel connected, and the result is an altruistic, captivating soundscape.

Listen to ‘Never Felt’ below.

Follow Sea Change on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Victoria Nevland

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Sea Change – ‘Night Eyes’

A pulsing, atmospheric track that taps into the need to separate your body from your mind, Norwegian artist & producer Sea Change has shared her latest single ‘Night Eyes’. Taken from her upcoming album Mutual Dreaming, which is set for release on 11th February via Shapes Recordings, the track is an evocative reminder to loosen up and surrender to the beat when too many thoughts are pressing down on you.

“‘Night Eyes’ is about the need to shut off your head and just be your body for a while – how good it can feel to lose control,” Sea Change aka Ellen A. W. Sunde explains. “I wanted to produce a danceable sensual track and it’s one of my personal favourites from the album. A friend of mine told me that when she heard it it felt like she was floating in rave space: an image that I absolutely love.”

Equally as inspired by the club music of LA and Berlin as she is by her current quieter surroundings in the southern coastal town of Kristiansand in Norway, Sea Change’s sounds ebb and flow with a tranquil, yet deeply primal desire to move through an intensity of feeling that sometimes escapes verbal or written articulation. Her electronica ripples with emotion without every feeling weighty or over-thought, reflecting the way she feels about music in general.

Listen to ‘Night Eyes’ below.

Follow Sea Change on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Victoria Nevland

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment