Stiltje began as sound to overpower the traffic outside the windows of the tenement houses on Fabriksgatan in Gårda, Gothenburg where I, Anders Olofson, lived.
Sound that could create calm while erasing the road outside, or reshape it into hushed waves. Passing cars shook the house and the noise was constant. Recording began in April, 2015, and I continued until I moved away from Gårda in May, 2019.
Stiltje comprises four instrumental works, and in the background you can hear three different soundscapes from field recordings taken at different places around the world.
A1- Stiltje (Dead Calm)
This album is named after a chapter in The Summer Book by Tove Jansson. Field recording from Topanga, California, October 2014.
B1 - Aplungens Badhymn (Aplungen swim hymn)
The field recording was made at a pier on Aplungen, a lake in Värmland, Sweden. Myself and dear friends happened to find ourselves there one late summer night in 2018, conversing on the pier next to this newfound mirror smooth surface, surrounded by the enchanted forests of Värmland.
B2 - Ringar Så Som På Vatten (Like rings on water)
I've also made a mixtape with the same name, "Ringar så som på vatten", which is a collection of music that inspired the creation of this record. It was released on Vips & Vaps in 2018. The field recording was made at Grad Kromberk, Slovenia.
B3 - Tystnaden På Fabriksg (Quiet over Fabriksg)
This is the only track on the record that was completed after I moved from Gårda, but it began there. This track is a tribute to the rare quiet that could occur in the middle of the night, when the traffic on the highway outside would stop - temporarily.
This is also the only track on the record that has no accompanying field recording.
Thanks to Rickard Eklund for his great support during the making of this record.
Translation by Barrie James Sutcliffe.
Ultraääni, 2026