The Baltic is a pretty interesting sea.
It’s young (for a sea) having only formed something like 12 000 years ago as glaciers retreated, and it’s just about as inland as a sea can get without actually being an inland sea. The Kattegat Strait separates it from the open ocean by a width of just 50km or so.
This narrow straight, combined with the many European rivers that empty into the Baltic, means that its water is a strange mix of salty and fresh. The saltwater, being heavier than the freshwater, sinks to the bottom, and this creates a stratified ecosystem with a mix of species and a delicate balance the likes of which aren’t found in many other places.
Niklas Paschburg recorded his debut album, 2018’s Oceanic, in a small studio overlooking the Baltic. The music on that record is about as relaxing and as mesmerizing as a view out over the sea. It’s music that makes you imagine the places and possibilities that lie just beyond the horizon.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The opening moments, with piano chords echoing against themselves, brings to mind lapping waves.
2. The kick drum fades in like a breeze that grows into a wind before you realize it.
3. At 2:36, the chord pattern that has been built so meticulously is replaced by a descending sequence that is delicate and lovely. It lasts a minute before the song returns to its original motif. I think this is a parallel to a mixture of saltwater and freshwater, but I’m not sure how to phrase it.
Recommended listening activity:
Visiting an aquarium.