Swedish organist and composer Hampus Lindwall talks about 'Brace for Impact,' his collaboration with Stephen O'Malley, and why treating the pipe organ like a huge mechanical computer opens unexpected compositional possibilities.
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The Spotlight shines On organist, composer, and sound artist Hampus Lindwall.
Hampus started as a guitarist who cut his teeth copying Steve Vai solos but who now sits behind a 78-stop church organ. He has been the organist at Saint-Esprit in Paris since 2005, but his latest album, Brace for Impact, throws tradition out the window. Recorded on a massive organ in Düsseldorf with guitarist Stephen O'Malley, this music draws on everything from experimental music pioneer Xenakis to heavy metal and more.
Hampus takes us through this remarkable project, sharing how a Swedish metalhead became one of the most adventurous voices in contemporary organ music.
If you enjoyed this episode, check out our discussion with Terence Hannum from earlier this year, or our 2024 interview with Hainbach, or even 2023’s with Brandon Seabrook, all available on https://spotlightonpodcast.com.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Hampus Lindwall’s new album Brace for Impact)
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[00:01:19] Post-Internet Organ Music
[00:03:08] Collaborating with Stephen O'Malley
[00:05:35] Musical Influences: From Metal to Xenakis
[00:06:10] Breaking Down Cultural Hierarchies
[00:07:54] Quality Across Musical Genres
[00:08:54] Generational Shifts in Art Consumption
[00:10:13] The Role of Television and MTV
[00:11:53] Royal College Application Story
[00:13:19] Conservatory Education and Improvisation
[00:16:09] Learning Through Style Studies
[00:16:58] Tradition and Innovation
[00:19:30] Algorithmic Composition Process
[00:22:45] Why the Pipe Organ Suits Algorithms
[00:23:46] MIDI and the Pipe Organ
[00:24:40] Album Structure and Sequencing
[00:26:41] Recording with Stephen O'Malley
[00:27:52] The Value of Collaboration
[00:30:20] Playing Mass at Saint-Esprit
[00:33:10] The Role of Music in Church
[00:34:51] Improvisation as Experimentation
[00:35:37] The Organ's History in Church
[00:38:03] Rabbit-Holing and Internet Culture
[00:39:30] The Organ's Contemporary Moment
[00:41:50] Contemporary Organ Community
[00:43:41] High and Low Collaboration with O'Malley
[00:45:09] Advocating for the Pipe Organ
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Visit Hampus Lindwall at https://hampuslindwall.com
and follow him on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/hampuslindwall
and Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/hampuslindwall.bsky.social
Purchase Hampus Lindwall's 'Brace for Impact' from Ideologic Organ → https://www.ideologic.org/release/soma062-hampus-lindwall-brace-for-impact
Bandcamp → https://ideologicorgan.bandcamp.com/album/brace-for-impact
or Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/brace-for-impact-hampus-lindwall/ri9zyf64cwsxb
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://ideologicorgan.lnk.to/SOMA062
For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com
Be sure to check out The Tonearm, our new magazine site featuring fascinating perspectives and conversations with creative people → https://www.thetonearm.com
The Tonearm on Mastodon → https://social.lol/@thetonearm
The Tonearm on Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/thetonearm.com
The Tonearm on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tonearm
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