INSPIRED BY THE FORCE THAT PULLS US ALL BACK TO OUR ROOTS, ITALIAN COMPOSER, MUSICIAN, AND PRODUCER ED CARLSEN ANNOUNCES HIS NEW EP GRAVITY, HIS THIRD AND FINAL WORK ON THE THEME OF FINDING ‘HOME’
A simple idea sits at the heart of Gravity, the new EP from Italian composer, musician, and producer Ed Carlsen – the personal meaning of home for each one of us.
This yearning for home, both literal and metaphorical, has informed much of Carlsen’s previous releases. Indeed, the Gravity EP completes a trilogy of sorts, three works built around this theme. Morning Hour, his 2019 album, was intended as a reflection on what home is, while Grains Of Gold, released in 2021, was more introspective and an accurate description of home.
Gravity is, in essence, the completion of Carlsen’s journey, having found his way back home. The title alludes to what he describes as an “inevitable force – one that pulls you back to your roots, but also one that takes you on a journey to find ’home’ within yourself through life.” It’s also a record that contemplates the loss of stability and certainty, and finding our place in a world beset by anxiety and unease.
“I grew up taking health and peace for granted, and now that I can’t anymore, I’ve found my ‘center’,” he says. “This push-pull situation of finding balance during times of most uncertainty was definitely the best thing that ever happened to me.” And Gravity is not simply informed by a return to physical locations or one’s roots – as Carlsen puts it, equally important is letting go of people, habits, and parts of ourselves that aren’t useful to our development. Doing so meant he “could start hearing the music within, again”.
And that music, as ever, retains its curious textures and intriguing, innovative edge. There are crisp beats, hazy synth washes, and quiet, poignant moments of serenity. Lead single "On Eloquence" is a case in point – thoughtful, contemplative piano lines meander throughout, with subtle hints of electronica swimming in and out of the mix. Yet it builds to a more forceful, dynamic crescendo, growing in intensity and emotion before drifting off into the cosmos.
That wide-eyed sense of wonder and euphoria is repeated on "Højvande," a joyous, uplifting track shot through with intricate electronics and twinkling synths. "Dissolution," the second single, is the most graceful track here, a tranquil exploration of gentle piano and celestial synths that signifies peace – of mind, and of body. And Carlsen isn’t simply a master of the beatific – there’s a moodier, more defiant tone to "Mooring," Gravity’s opening track, complete with ominous clicks and a shuffling, jittery beat.
In all, Gravity is a fitting end to the trilogy, and to his own personal search for ‘home’. Carlsen has always been a wanderer, traveling far and wide with a thirst for new experiences, and exploring the outer reaches of his musical talent. Coming back – to his roots, to the familiar – has given his work a greater solidity and authority, an anchor for troubled times. “Finding ‘home’ is not the end of a process, rather the beginning of a new one. And it’s thanks to this endless learning process that Gravity poured out of me within a very short time.”
