Selah David Åhlén

• 1 Linger (feat. Timbre) 02:08
• 2 New Jerusalem 02:53
• 3 Jesuselectricty 03:46
• 4 On the Verge 02:38
• 5 Draw Us Near 02:11
• 6 Psalm 27 03:09
• 7 Rivers 02:24
• 8 Be Still 02:56
• 9 Yeshua 03:28
• 10 Vesper 02:16
• 11 He Gives 03:01
• Total Runtime 30:50

Info for Selah

Last winter, the Åhlén family moved to Stenkumla parsonage (monastic community) on Gotland, where the album was recorded. If you listen carefully, you can hear the children and the ocean winds yanking at the old windows. But mostly, you can hear David’s unique voice and finger-picked guitar. At times sprinkled with music from Andreas Eklöf’s zither or American Timbre’s harp. Percussionist Peter Stolpestad plays minimally, charging every beat with presence. Several voices sing in the background and a few piano notes chime from Andreaz Hedén and Alma Hedlund Emilsson. Then they all take a backseat and it’s back to the Voice and the Guitar. The Voice—so fragile in falsetto, yet large enough to fill cathedrals. When listening to Selah (David’s first full length of David Åhlén on VOLKOREN) one might find the same atmosphere as that’s found on Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk. The ambiance, the sounds and arrangements, in all inspired by the spirit...

David has had a similar youth as David Eugene Edwards of 16 Horsepower and it’s not by chance both artists found their way on VOLKOREN a small Dutch independent label that always has an eye for music that’s a true blessing to both heart and ear.

In the past David Ahlen has toured with artists like Jonathan Johansson, Bradley Hathaway and Loney Dear. He’s looking forward touring Europe more in the near future, excited on what the new release will bring.

„his fragile voice is ineffably beautiful.“ (Textura magazine, Canada)

'A lovely slice of Swedish folk music.“ (Sideways Through Sound, Australia)

„The album embodies his minimal aesthetic, with stripped down Baroque string arrangements and Åhléns unadorned vocal style.” (Wire Magazine)

“David Ahlen manages to convey the emotional sense of a spiritual world in a stripped down simplicity displaying a raw and unafraid voice.” (Cyclic Defrost)

David Åhlen, all instruments

David Åhlén
The Swedish artist David Åhlén is the son of a Baptist pastor and was literally raised in the church. The simple songs and hymns made an impression on him at an early age. At age six, David started to study classical violin, which he continued through high school. However, when it came down to a choice between playing in an orchestra or writing songs for a pop band, he chose the later. Since the mid-90’s, David has been involved with a variety of indie bands. He spent several years as the songwriter and lead singer for the band Namur, where you could hear his voice among monotonous guitars, danceable drums, and roaring electronics.

Over the last ten years, David’s musical language has developed toward a simpler expression. With producer Andreas Runeson’s involvement, the arrangements have been peeled back to the core with David’s voice and more intimate, and complete, music remaining. This process of undressing to expose only voice, acoustic guitar and subtle arrangements has allowed his musical journey to reach the surface. The spirit which penetrated his live performances when he played in bands is still the same, but echoes from the years of violin lessons and the tone of the simple songs of faith he never stopped singing now emerge loud and clear.

David creates a peculiar hybrid of indie and hymn, sung with an inimitable voice. Kulturnyheterna SVT (Swedish Public Television) called him “indie pop music’s answer to Arvo Pärt.” David’s critically acclaimed debut album We Sprout in Thy Soil (Compunctio) features Uppsala Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Stefan Östersjö, Johan Berthling, Mariam Wallentin (Wildbirds and Peacedrums) and Emil Svanängen (Loney, Dear). David self-released his second album Selah in 2013 (and 2015 via the dutch label Volkoren). The album Selah was recorded in David’s home, the parsonage of Stenkumla on the island of Gotland.

In September 23, 2016, David released a third solo album - Hidden Light (Volkoren) in collaboration with Nicolai Dunger, Andreaz Hedén, Svante Henryson, Sofia Jernberg (Fire! Orchestra), Jonas Nilsson, Jonas Nyström and Manne von Ahn Öberg.

This album contains no booklet.