Triangulus – “Reliques” (1987)

I was 16 years old when I bought this album and I will immediately confess that I probably aimed too high with this purchase. This is not the most accessible music that you can find and at age 16, I was not quite ready for it. I guess that’s the kind of thing that happens when you buy a record because you think it has a cool cover. On the other hand, it expanded both my record collection and my idea about music. I don’t really know what the dark cover with the mysterious painting made me think in relation to what kind of music it would be, probably I thought it would be something like what we today call "new age" music. This was not the case, though. Should I attempt a definition I would problably call it progressive music.

Despite some difficulties to really get into the music I played the record regularly. I guess it was two reasons for that - I had paid a relatively big sum for it and I found one or two songs that I thought were quite good. Just as the cover, I found the music quite dark, but maybe it was the cover that made me think so? I believe this has happened to me several times - that a cover has affected how I perceive the music. Had this album had a cover with a shining sun and a sparkling lake in a lush forest where happy children were playing I might have found the music different. Who knows?

Reliques was the swedish band Triangulus second and final release. The man behind Triangulus was Peter Bryngelsson, he had earlier played in bands like Ragnarok and later he played in Urban Turban. Another relatively well-known fellow musicians in Reliques is Roine Stolt (Flower Kings) who plays bass.

This LP visited the turntable at regular intervals during the first few years I owned it. But as time went on I began to admit to myself that I had quite a hard time with it. As I approached my 20s it finally found its place far back on the record shelf when I needed to leave room for other, more accessible records I had acquired during adolescence.

The memory of the album has prevented me playing it during my more adult years, although I’ve suspected that I would appreciate it in a different way and I have felt a certain curiosity. But there have always been other albums to play, either safe bets or new surprises. I have never found the time or the place for Reliques.

Until now. Writing this post gave me finally a reason to play the record. And as I suspected, I appreciated the music in a different way today. It was fun to listen through the album and realize that I still knew more or less every song even though it’s 20 years since I listened to it and it never was the LP that was played most intense. Still, I find the music relatively dark, it is mostly instrumental but a few tracks have vocals. It is interesting music with some different arrangements and instruments, some pretty fast paced songs and other more peaceful. This is still music that’s not easily accessible, but at 38 years of age, I have heard many much more “difficult” LPs and could also appreciate them.

So even if everything is not to my taste on Reliques, this is an album that is sure to get more playing time at home.

Participating musicians
- Peter Bryngelsson / Guitar, Piano, Vibraphone
- Dan Johnson / guitars, synthesizers
- Lars Lijegren / piano
- Hans Bruniusson / percussion
- Ove Karlsson / cello
- Roine Stolt / bass
- Mera Gartz / drums
- Ola Johansson / harmonica
- Per-Åke Holmlander / tuba
- Jorgen Adolfsson / saxophone
- Roland Kaiser / Soprano saxophone
- Kjell Westling / Soprano saxophone, bass clarinet
- Thomas Lindahl / flute

Favorite Tracks
Newborn
Acid Rain

Tracklist

Side A:
1. Reliques (11:46)
2. Breathtaking (2:24)
3. Winter Heart (3:10)
4. Newborn (4:08)

Side B:
1. Memory Go Round (5:09)
2. Thursdays and Saturdays (5:59)
3. Descend on Morning (6:21)
4. Acid Rain (5:24)

Total Time: 44:21

Youtube? Nah, you can’t find any tracks from this album on Youtube. It’s that obscure, people! The only thing I can offer is a site where you can listen to the selected track in 30 seconds, then click on the "Play" icon again to play 30 seconds more etc. The ones interested go to:

http://www.klicktrack.com/silence/releases/triangulus/reliques/8