Digital Arts Spotlight: Saso Album “Mysterium”

Where the duo’s previous albums centred around guitar and vocals, Mysterium is primarily a collection of piano based instrumentals occasionally lit by Lawler’s fragile vocals.The band abandoned formal structure letting the music unfold naturally, using silence and room ambience as instruments in themselves.

Replacing guitars with the more pastoral sounds of an upright piano and acoustic organ, the album was recorded in one room and the duo invited musicians from diverse musical backgrounds to perform certain parts and improvise around sounds and melodies. The compositions are sprinkled with acoustic drums, double bass, woodwinds, brass and neo-classical vocals adding moments of colour and contrast to the otherwise minimalist sound.

Mysterium relishes in its tranquility, nestling through contemplative moments and the spaces in between sounds. The album exists as one complete movement, with soft tones and an unrushed pace which offer a slow-motion perspective on fast-forward culture.

About Saso: Saso formed in Dublin, Ireland by Jim Lawler and Ben Rawlins in 2000 and share a unique artistic relationship as a writer / producer partnership. Although relatively unknown in their home country, Saso are one of the most critically acclaimed bands to come out of Ireland, establishing a dedicated fanbase in the Ireland, Europe and the USA. Their debut album ‘Big Group Hug’ was named Album of the Week in The Sunday Times, and received 4 star reviews in Q Magazine, Muzik, Rock Sound, The Irish Times, The Irish Independent, Hot Press Magazine, The Event Guide and many others.