Downtempo drifting: The sonic influences of boerd
- Text by HUCK HQ
For the latest Monday Mix, Stockholm-based musician boerd shares his selection of sonic influences; fusing downtempo electronica with euphoric synth soundscapes.
boerd, real name Bård Ericson, has become known for his introspective, meticulously made compositions. The 26-year-old has been making music for over a decade – cutting his teeth on chiptune and 16-bit video game consoles, before moving onto a stint as a professional double bass player with the Swedish Royal Opera and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestras.
His latest album Static, released earlier this month, sees Ericson return to the role of bedroom producer – a move encouraged by his love for artists like Bibio, Aphex Twin and Burial.
“I went with a quite chilled out downtempo feel, since I listen a lot to this kind of music,” Bård tells Huck, when asked about the mix. “It starts off with a short excerpt from a 20+ minute song called ‘Hon’ by Gidge, two guys from northern Sweden that have inspired me a lot. It’s probably one of my favourite releases ever when it comes to electronic music.”
“It continues with a wonderful track by Nils Frahm, from his wonderful new album All Melody that came out this year. I love how he combines analogue synths with acoustic recordings. There’s also a track by Röyksopp, a band that I’ve been listening to on and off since I was 15 or so. Kahn is one of my favourite UK producers, and his track ‘Altar’ sticks out a bit from his other stuff. It has a great trip-hop feel to it and I love the vocals. Burial is a great inspiration too – I’ve been listening to his music a lot, especially over the last couple of years.” Listen to the full mix below:
Gidge – ‘Hon (Excerpt)’
Nils Frahm – ‘A Place’
Hot Sugar – ‘Sinkies’
Röyksopp – ‘Sparks’
Giraffage – ‘Feels’
DJ Shadow – ‘Transmission 2’
Kahn – ‘Altar (Feat. Jasmine)’
boerd – ‘Blind’
Axel Boman – ‘Fantastic Piano’
Burial – ‘Fostercare’
boerd – ‘Too Sad’
boerd’s latest EP, Static, is available now on Anjunadeep.
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