Future Ruins
In My Room, 2020
9/10
A record that took 2 years to make, Tom Bertelsen has been active in Copenhagen’s scene for a couple of decades now, and on this solo debut he’s in fine company with Roxy Jules on vocals as he utilizes both digital and analog noise makers across 10 very creative tunes.
“A77” starts the listen with plenty of ambience as cinematic swells of electronic manipulation segues into the quick paced and dreamy “Lover And Gasoline”, where Roxy Jules lends her pretty, soaring pipes to the atmospheric, alt-rock climate.
At the halfway point, “Our Man In Toronto” is buried in mystery as percussion and synth are used strategically and atypically, while “Future Ruins” brings Jules back for a breathy and beat friendly display of indie-rock prowess that’s as mesmerizing as it is cryptic. “Puzzle”, one of the best of the best, then moves fluidly with some post-rock traces amid post-punk nods that are so well executed, it alone is worth the price of admission.
Near the end, “Fabel” is a quick delivery of hypnotic keys that are both soothing and reflective, and “Disbelief In A Postmodern World” exits the listen with much emphasis on mood as a shimmering quality enters the hazy, adventurous finish.
Future Ruins is all over the place musically, embracing dream-pop, psych-rock, and dark wave, to name a few, as it often seems like a soundtrack to a movie you want to see. Noisey but melodic in unconventional ways, this is a fantastic first album from a mind with a seemingly endless capacity for exciting song craft.
Travels well with: Trentemoller- Lost Reworks; Kasper Bjorke- Fool;