Tourist Gaze

Tourist Gaze is the moniker of a Berlin-based Swedish producer creating captivating synth ambient not too far from the sounds explored by Janushoved label or early Croatian Amor tapes. However, this artist operates in his own unique way drowning the listener into floating waves of lush and melancholic harmonies wrapped in gritty, yet warm lo-fi tapestries and soft tape hiss. The tracks might take exciting detours towards hazy synthpop or light noise making the narrative even more dynamic. Across the four concept albums released on cassettes, Tourist Gaze wanders around the world of cold glass hotel lobbies, gleaming oceans and sun-soaked beaches, the alienness of luxury non-places or vast rivieras full of unexpected encounters. Yet, these sounds also have the feel of displacement, the longing nostalgia experienced by a constant living in a travel mode, the restless roaming from an airport or 5-star hotel to the other. Be sure to follow the news as the project’s new 3xCS album is coming out this year on Total Black label.

In the records

STM 282 is a further exploration of the moods of Tourist Gaze. The mix mostly consists of the producer’s colleagues and friends; hence we have a lot of unreleased stuff from projects such as Oil Thief, textured experimental techno innovators SHXCXCHCXSH, mellow ambient outfit Moss Harvest, off-kilter Swedish duo Karabasan Drane etc. It is also nice to come across a couple of tracks by Enhet För Fri Musik, a band of raw improvisatory folk. The mix elegantly immerses the listener into its velveteen palette of sounds, silky arpeggiated melodies, multilayered sonic surfaces and vast soundscapes with occasional rougher outbursts. A perfect listen for evening strolls across Copenhagen or Amsterdam, when the fading light merges with the glistening surface of the water.