Gondolas Traversing Lofty Peaks

Pocket Pavilions

Pocket Pavilions - Gondolas Traversing Lofty Peaks

Pocket Pavilions is the project of Daniel Högberg, formerly a member of electro-pop duo Pacific! from Gothenburg, Sweden. Gondolas Traversing Lofty Peaks is the first volume of three volume set. The third volume will be available in a box designed to house all three records.

Pacific! formed in Gothenburg, Sweden in the early 2000s when Daniel Högberg reunited with childhood friend Bjorn Synneby and began collaborating on a set of chic, summery indie pop recordings that nodded to Air, Daft Punk, and the Beach Boys. The duo released three 12″ EPs, Number One, Hot Lips, and Sunset Blvd, on EMI in 2007. Pacific!’s debut full-length, Reveries, came out the following year. All of the releases featured artwork and videos by Stephane Manel. The duo moved on to Alan Braxe’s Vulture label and released Narcissus, a concept album that the band toured with an accompanying ballet.

Pocket Pavilions:
“For me, writing and recording pieces of music is a bit like building miniature worlds one can step inside. I always liked the pavilions of the mid century world fairs. Pavilions, architecture with no function other than to be experienced, seemed like a good analogy. Looking at these pavilions today, they seem like a faded echo of a future that never came to pass, a feeling of wonder and innocence – something I wanted to capture in music.”

Recording process:
“I’ve always loved the early, pre-synthesizer years of the Radiophonic Workshop. There’s something about the work process that resonates with me. Something about the creativity and craftmanship involved in overcoming the technological limitations of the time.

“I like to work with self imposed artistic limitations to unlock creativity and imbue a distinct character to the music. With Pocket Pavilions, the idea was to only use the computer as a tape recorder. All effects were done outside of the computer using springs, tape manipulations and sending signals through resonating objects or unusual speakers. With some exceptions, all music was created with manipulated everyday sounds, a modular synthesizer and a few organs. I love attention to detail, painting smaller paintings within paintings and adding secret rooms within rooms. It’s a slow and laborious way of working, but something I find very stimulating.”

Daniel’s track notes:

Origami Forest:
I have a soft spot for origami and this is, again, imagining a miniature world. I wanted to recreate the feeling of the children’s programs I grew up with.

Panorama Park:
A shorter mood piece, imagining the break of dawn over the lawns of a park.

Expo Transit System:
Experimental prototypes for public transport of tomorrow. A sense of optimism and movement.

Paper Fox:
A short play and variations on the themes from Origami Forest.

Gondolas Traversing Lofty Peaks:
The album’s centerpiece depicts an imaginary journey with a gondola lift through an alpine scenery. I wanted a juxtaposition between something ambitiously orchestral and the sounds of disintegration – like a once expensive model train set from the 60’s, complete with alpine scenery, that just about works but won’t be doing it for long. 

tracklisting

1. Origami Forest 04:26
2. Panorama Park 03:01
3. Expo Transit System 04:36
4. Paper Fox 02:00
5. Gondolas Traversing Lofty Peaks 09:57

credits

Music and electronic sound realisation by Pocket Pavilions. Mastered by Antony Ryan at RedRedPaw. Artwork by Nick Taylor.