ABANDONED POOLS + TOMMY WALTER + THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC
TW07
Top 10 Favorite Jóhann Jóhannsson tracks
Jóhann Jóhannsson should be a household name.
Perhaps in a less dense, noise-filled era—and perhaps if we hadn’t lost him so early—more people would know his name. Maybe fewer would be invested in the dramatics of reality television and more would have taken the time to explore Jóhannsson’s work.
Tragically, he died far too young. Had he been able to continue, he might have become more widely recognized. Not that popularity equates to quality, but he certainly deserved more recognition.
He was an Icelandic composer who lived in Berlin and died at the age of 48. The cause of death was an accidental cocaine overdose.
Playlist here:
1. “IBM 1401 a User’s Manual, Part 5/ the Sun’s Gone Dim and the Sky’s Turned Black”
The first music I ever heard from Jóhannsson was in a trailer for Battle: Los Angeles (2011). It was stunning and left me slack-jawed in the movie theatre. I searched for it based on the lyrics that stuck with me. The computer voice that sings it sounds downright forlorn, full of longing and remorse for its lost love as it sings, "The sun's gone dim and the sky's turned black. 'Cause I loved her and she didn't love back." Perhaps a cliché sentiment coming from a human, but somehow heartbreaking from a computer. From the 4AD website:
"Inspired by a recording of an IBM mainframe computer which Jóhann’s father, Jóhann Gunnarsson, made on a reel-to-reel tape machine more than 30 years ago, IBM 1401 A User's Manual was originally written to be performed by a string quartet as the accompaniment to a dance piece by the choreographer Erna Ómarsdóttir. For the album version, Jóhann rewrote the entire score, and it was recorded by a sixty-piece string orchestra. He also added a new final section and incorporated electronics alongside those original tape recordings of the singing computer."
The piece starts at 1:45 in this trailer:
2. “Cavendish Lab” from The Theory of Everything (2014)
This work is representative of much of what Jóhannsson does best: it’s subtle, sparse, delicate, poignant, thoughtful —and, above all, magical. From a film about Stephen Hawking, this is the sound of discovery. There’s nothing particularly complex here—just simple piano, well-thought-out contrapuntal harmony, harp, shivering strings and woodwinds, and later, a melodic cello line.
The tone of the creaky piano is reminiscent of one you might find in a home, a school music room, or a church—imbued with a kind of homemade nostalgia and melancholy, two of my favorite things. The melody resembles a composer developing an idea, much like a scientist conducting experiments in a laboratory. It's a perfect compliment to the film.
Three tracks from his album Orphee (2016)
3. “A Sparrow Alighted upon our Shoulder”
4. “Good Night, Day”
5. “De Luce Et Umbra”
When it comes to minimalism, Jóhannsson succeeds where others fall short. The simple difference: he evokes emotion. These three tracks capture that best for me.
Whereas most minimalist composers leave me feeling unfulfilled—engulfed in a repetitive drone that never delivers on its implied payoff, powered only by the composer’s sense of self-satisfaction—Orphée is quite the opposite.
In Jóhannsson’s work, I hear the process, the atmosphere, the weather outside the studio he’s in, the warmth of the machinery—every step toward the final piece feels like a carefully considered aesthetic choice. And though I have little insight into his personality, the work feels devoid of ego. The composer has stepped aside to allow something greater to occur.
Tracks 6-10 in a later post but you can listen now in the Spotify playlist.
Want to Chat Music?
If you’d like to go deeper into music, creativity, composing or songwriting, I offer private lessons and discussions over Zoom.
 |
$75.00
45 Minute Zoom Call
Let's talk for 45 minutes. You can ask questions, talk about Abandoned Pools, take lessons on guitar, electric bass,... Read more |
Also available....
Handwritten + Signed Lyrics:
 |
$75.00
Handwritten and Signed Lyrics
Lyrics, handwritten and signed by Tommy Walter for any Abandoned Pools song you wish.
Once purchased, You will receive... Read more |
I plan on posting video tutorials on my YouTube channel in the near future. It would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe:
Late pledges are still available if you want to support the new album on Kickstarter. Click here to contribute.
Thanks for reading,
Tommy
Did somebody share this newsletter with you? Consider Subscribing here.
Newsletter Archive
