Fusing classical and ambient atmospheric immersion, “Scania” is the debut single from Soek, the solo project of composer Grant Borland. Already notable for his compositions in TV and film, Borland succeeds here as well with this solo output, which channels his knack for cinematic-fit captivation with personal inspiration. In this case, “Scania” was inspired by a trip to Iceland that Borland took in August of 2024.
“It’s somewhat of a love letter to that trip I guess you could say, and the song serves as a mental snapshot of my time there,” Borland says. After writing the track, he felt that something was missing — and that void was filled when he brought in Martin Kutnar and Session Strings Studio, who performed the gorgeous live strings on the track. Impeccable mastering from Piotr Wieczorek furthered the excellent final result.
A glimmering yet lush cohesion of calming wordless vocal effects and simmering orchestral textures compel right away, bursting into sporadic piano glistening and swells of strings. A palpable sense of momentum is apparent throughout, feeling cinematic in its overall tonal ascent — moving seamlessly from the initial ghostly elegance and into a stirring invigoration that’s carried by the heartfelt strings, sonar-like piano pulse, and steady rhythmic ruminations. “Scania” is a captivating, atmospheric gem from Soek.
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The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Obscure Ambient.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
