Comprehending is one of Sweden’s more recent one-person projects, formed with the expressed intent of transcending musical boundaries. It’s a pretty lofty goal, especially for just one person, but the project fuses post-rock, math rock, cinematic synths, and more to make something slightly familiar, but certainly beyond the sum of it’s parts.
The hypnotic, odd-metered pulse of “Boreal” will likely find traction with many listeners here, and much like post-rock favorites Caspian or LITE, or even Scale the Summit, Comprehending casts a wide net in the quest for all-encompassing musical fusion. While this poses a unique set of challenges when it comes to things like originality and arrangement, staying true to one’s inner vision tends to be the best way through, and “Boreal” is a great example.
Check it out below, but also the little summary from John Pettersson, the brains behind the project.
“In this song I’m trying to describe the peaceful melancholy of the boreal forest through the means of music. Let this song take you on a journey from playful time signatures to violent ramping crescendos.”
It certainly does have a forest-y vibe, and though “Boreal” does lean into post-rock pretty hard, it keeps up the pace with its jaunty, syncopated beat. Here’s hoping that whatever Comprehending drops next, it keeps the soul they’ve developed so far, and breaks some more boundaries as well.
I’ve never been to Sweden but it looks pretty amazing, and it’s also home to like, one hundred thousand amazing bands. Check out the rest of Comprehending’s discography here, and buy us a coffee/hot chocolate with Swiss Miss here. Coming up we’ve got all kinds of madness from Dhärä, Pili Coit, Cowman, and more. So much more. Thanks for reading!