Gravity – Ben Lukas Boysen (2013)

Album artwork for Gravity

The best part about music blogging is, as you might have guessed, listening to the music.  Of course it is, why else would anyone start a music blog?  Even so, sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind of searching for new music, going through album after album. When consuming music at such a rapid pace, it can be hard for things to have a truly lasting effect.  That being said, I live for the times when I connect with an album on a much deeper level – when everything else fades away into the background as the music surrounds me and brings about intense personal revelation. It is for these beautiful moments that I invest so much time and effort into searching for new music, connecting with new artists, and helping to expose new audiences to their amazing potential.  Thus, I take it as my solemn duty to extend to you an amazing opportunity.

It is one that I, myself, took advantage of just yesterday.  It is the opportunity to let go of the world for just forty minutes or so, and be transported into the realm of Ben Lukas Boysen. He has been making music under the name Hecq for many years now, specializing in sound design and electronic composition.  He has done a lot of work in the past writing music for commercials, with clients such as BMW, Greenpeace, Lacoste, and MTV.  On his website, he states that his main idea behind each new project is “moving away from music and sound as a product and perceive every project as a customizable and individual challenge.”  He strives to find a way of make each project unique and to achieve the strongest emotional impact in everything that he does.  Anyone who is familiar with his work as Hecq can confirm that he follows up on these words with incredible music.

On June 17th, he released the first album under his own name.  It’s been titled Gravity, and it is a much more raw, personal work that exposes the deeper layer of the man’s psyche. Musically, it is the acutely stripped down counterpart to his Hecq productions, opting for lush piano work instead of complex synth programming.  This is not the mark of an artist who is redefining their style.  Rather, this is the result of Boysen examining the flip side of his own coin.  Rather than letting it remain face down, he breathes new life into it, channeling it through creative expression and allowing it to flourish and expand into a collection of musical works.

There is an inexpressible, almost incomprehensible, and certainly incontrovertible element of truth and sincerity present in all art.  It is inspiration manifested in tangible form, an outlet for expressing identity, and the purest form of connecting with others.  Gravity exemplifies all of these characteristics; I feel as if I now have a very strong connection with Boysen, without having ever met him.

The power of this record is not just in its conveyance of Boysen’s own ideas, however.  He describes the work as “a solitary and introvert journey through heights and emotions.”  Truer words have never been spoken.  The experience of Gravity is not limited to a one-way street. It exists more as a passive soundtrack to the inner workings of your own mind, rather than as an active experience that requires your constant attention.  In this way, it is very similar to the ambient work of Brian Eno.  By zooming out and focusing less on filling up space simply for its own sake, Boysen was able to create a sonic masterpiece that finds beauty in the quiet places.

This album is by no means your average “quick fix” music.  If you’re trying to get hyped for a night out on the town, or are in the mood to sing along with your favorite melodies, then this would not be the appropriate choice.  This is the record for the solemn moments, the times when life seems to stand still as you connect with your inner self, contemplate, and reflect on the world.  I can personally attest to its effectiveness in this regard.  I could easily tell the difference in my mental state from before and after listening to this album.

It is only through the ordinary moments in life that we find the extraordinary ones.  It is only because of darkness that we thrive in the light.  It is through silence that we find our voice. Such is true for Gravity.  By stripping down the music to a remarkably simple and meditative form, Boysen achieves the rawest form of emotional impact, and makes the ephemeral moments of dynamic swells that much more incredible.

This is a personal journey that each of us must make on our own.  I can only crudely describe my own experience with this music, as it only holds significant meaning for me, personally.  I can, however, advise you that undertaking this aural and emotional journey is something that you will not regret.  This album presents clarity in a way that may not even become apparent immediately.  There is no urge for sensory overload that sometimes comes with other highly produced forms of art.

To Ben Lukas Boysen, the man who has personally curated this experience for all to share in, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude.  Not only did you allow me the privilege of connecting with you on an artistic level, but you also gave me the opportunity to connect with myself, something that too many of us forget to do.  Gravity is the force which pulls us closer to other bodies, and true to its word, Gravity has the power to narrow the gap between each listener and their own consciousness.

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