Ljudbilden & Piloten: One hundred fifty-five, Nosordo
Ljudbilden & Piloten (pronounced "yude-bill-den oak pee-loe-ten") isn't a band but a multi-talented, Malmö, Sweden-based individual named Kristofer Ström. Nosordo has spared no expense in the presentation of Ström's premiere full-length One hundred fifty-five (split discs with Osso Bucco, Kama Aina, and Gregg Kowalsky appeared previously): accompanying the captivating music content is an equally captivating booklet of Ström's full-colour collages, one for each of the album's fifteen tracks. As pleasing to the eye as those images are, they're bettered by even more arresting musical content with Ström's songs remarkably crafted on both arrangement and compositional counts. His lush electro-acoustic songs sound relaxed enough to suggest home production but impress for being so polished in structure and design. The songs unfold so naturally, they more suggest the playing of a simpatico group of acoustic virtuosi than a single person assembling tracks layer by layer. Ström builds them using a diverse array of sounds, from conventional instruments (piano, bass, guitar, trumpet) to unusual sources (his dog Elmo, a glass, a zither, an egg slicer). The music isn't gimmicky, however, and eccentricity for its own sake is never the goal; instead, the material is refreshingly bucolic, even pastoral. Ström often uses intricate percussive webs as a ground for uplifting acoustic guitar, piano, and vocal melodies that weave entrancingly over top, and the central presence of the acoustic guitar in One hundred fifty-five makes it feel kin to Greg Davis's Arbor and Curling Pond Woods. "You Know You're Doing OK" opens the album jauntily, after which glockenspiel and bass guitar take the lead in "Plokk" while a small army of percussionists keeps time. The light jaunt of "(Bjorn) One More Year" makes it the perfect soundtrack for walking through the park. Only "Pianosong Two" departs from the prevailing style by threading a bright electrical stream through its background. A wonderful surprise, One hundred fifty-five captivates with the beauty of its presentation and the high caliber of its compositions.
- Ron Schepper, Textura, April 2008

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Foxy Digitalis, 9/10. Sometimes, I feel like I really need a vacation. A vacation that involves a visit to a remote and/or exotic location. It's only in the middle of the worst weeks, when I have too many papers due with too little research done and a hundred other too-long-procrastinated actions with looming deadlines. That's when I most need the reminder that the work that I do is work that I love, and my life would feel pretty empty without it (even if I would have a little more spare time).
Needless to say, really, those are the times when I'm delighted to have a review of Ljudbilden & Piloten pressing onto my consciousness. It's like having the plane tickets already. The song "Wednesday" is a lot more uplifting than so many of my Wednesdays, and "Wedding" (one of the two best songs) is a bright and anticipatory as a wedding should be. Not all of the songs are named so straight-forwardly, though, nor are all of them as lilting as these two. "Pianosongs two" maintains the mood but uses light piano notes against a droning backdrop to suggest the perfect spring day or your most treasured and idealized family memory. "(Bjorn) one more year" is not the suggestion of a memory; it IS the memory. Starting with a short clip that sounds like children playing, the notes that continually trill upward are as innocent and sweet as free-ranging children with ice cream and candy. Rather than putting you in the position of having to reign in these kids, though, you're the spectator who only has to enjoy their silliness and sense of awe; you can send them running to their parents if they scrape a knee.
In fact, that adequately epitomizes the entire album.These songs really remind you just how much of your life you have left to live, while making you want to live it without an ounce of work or worry. "One Hundred Fifty-Five" is a mature flower child, just inching around the edge of cheesy. Unapologetic in their embrace of pure delight, even the cynic in me gets a little more optimistic. I feel like I can pause in my work every few moments and let my fingers hover above the keyboard as I take a little trip into a land of youth and possibility ? the most exotic, distant country there is, since it only exists in the minds of idealists and music like Ljudbilden & Piloten's.
- Eden Hemming Rose, Foxy Digitalis (18 March, 2008)

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The Skinny, 3/5. Produced with an incredible ear for detail, Ljudbilden and Piloten - One Hundred Fifty Five.
Sometimes the careful use of the silence and space between the noise is what makes some music so special, and Ljudbilden and Piloten's fragile pieces are a perfect example. The band's sound is created with six strings and piano to the fore for the most part, and insectoid electronics occasionally scuttling around behind the soberly paced supporting cast of acoustic instruments. The room to breathe comes after periods of busy finger picked guitar and mournful piano are left to decay, sometimes fleetingly, and this moment of calm allows reflection on what has passed. The only minor gripe would be that a more concise document of the 2-3 years this was recorded over would have perhaps been more appropriate. That said the album is produced with an incredible ear for detail, and the most delicate of noises are audible, giving the impression of real depth.
- Matt Gollock, The Skinny, Friday, 21 March 2008

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Vital Weekly. LJUDBILDEN & PILOTEN - ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE (CD by Nosordo)
Kristofer Ström (great name, if you know it means electricity in german) is man behind Ljudbilden & Piloten and hails from Malmö. He already a split CD before with Osso Bucco (see Vital Weekly 416), but it took him some time to create his real first full length. In the meantime he has recorded music for theatre, dance-theatre, films and toured with David Balula, Domotic, O.Lamm and Dead Texan and made animation films himself. A busy bee. Although he uses a variety of instruments and objects, his main instrument is the guitar. He tinkles nice away, with in the background rhythms compiled from all sorts of sources as glass, an egg slicer and handclap. The ornament comes from the piano and a trumpet every now and then. All of this is created inside the fine, warm place of the computer, making foremost busy music. Even when things are supposed to be mellow and easy, it's music that is really filling up space. Everything is used and Ström uses many layers. Combined with the fact that certainly towards the end of the CD a certain similarity arises in the pieces makes that I think that this CD is a bit too long for what it is. It should have been ten instead of fifteen tracks (which doesn't mean that the last five should be cut off, just a best ten actually) and it would have gained strength. Now it's all a bit too much. Program your CD player and create your favorite list and it'll be a great CD. Nice extensive collage booklet also.
- Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly 611

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DN. 4/5.
På scen brukar enmansbandet Ljudbilden & Piloten låta tecknade bilder växa fram till musiken. Det visuella hänger med även på förs ta riktiga fullängdaren med fantasifulla färgkollage för varje låt och snart femton specialvideor på Youtube.
MEN "ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE" klarar sig lika bra på egen hand trots att traditionen av naivistiskt darrhänt möblemangselectronica är vältröskad. Genom att låta pianolinjer, cittra, John Fahey-aktiga gitarrer och trumpet möta ovanliga slagverksobjekt som äggskivare, har illustratören, animatören och musikern Kristofer Ström hittat fram till ett eget uttryck. Öppningsspåret spricker upp med samma ljus som när vårsolen sticker fingrarna genom persiennerna; trevande och taktfast på samma gång. Bästa spår: "You know you're doing OK".
- Johanna Paulsson, DN

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PROGRESSIVE & PSYCHEDELIC MUSIC. Nosordo Ljudbilden & Piloten : One Hundred Fifty-Five (S,rec.2005-2007,pub.2008)****
Ljubilden & Piloten is Kristofer Ström's first release after various limited edition singles and EP's (paired with such names as Kama Aina, with whose style, and also, its joy-of-life-increasing, rhythmical-fresh sound collages, he very much fits, and Gregg Kowalsky/Osso Bucco), and some short film and theatre commissions. This music will easily be associated with folktronica, while it is actually being made without much electronica, effects and PC, if any ; this has all the effects of the style, like a rhythmical collage of sounds, with loop-like guitar rhythms, and built from carefully compiled pleasant sounds. For the rhythms, Kristopher compiles like a sound collector in the kitchen or dining room. The ticking and pickings work like musical boxes, clicking clocks, or walking toys on wheels, ad are moving forwards like with fingertips ticking enjoyment, or why not move your hips or shoulders or sing along a bit while enjoying the music. On "Pianosong 2" the guitar loops sound like raining or dripping on a guitar. Mostly it is the piano tunes which are freshly dripping over the compositions. Other colouring textures are provided by glockenspiel, accordion, zither and other guitars. A few other improvisations are provided by wordless vocals (vocal harmonies) and trumpet or is it cornet improvisations. I did not immediately notice but some other used instruments were Kristofer's dog (Elmo), a glass, and an egg slicer. After works, like from Hans Appelqvist, Kama Aina, and such I don't know too many examples as rewarding as this, so for me this is a very nice discovery!
Kristofer Ström seems to be known for animation works as well (he also prepared Minilogue's video), with some national and international rewards, and some governmental support as a result. And for the digipack we also get a whole collection of playful collages, not only on the package, but also with a whole art booklet full of playful illustrations.
- Gerald Van Waes, PROGRESSIVE & PSYCHEDELIC MUSIC

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Titel Magazine. Ljudbilden & Piloten: One hundred fifty-five.
Kristofer Ström hat viele Talente: als Illustrator gibt er uns im Booklet seiner neuen CD einen Eindruck seiner Fähigkeiten in der Kunst der Collage, über seine Qualitäten als Musiker gibt dagegen die CD beredt Auskunft. Obwohl beredt hier das falsche Wort ist, denn Ströms Songs kommen ohne Text aus. ?One hundred fifty-five" ist nach einer Stange Singles und EPs sein erster Longplayer. Das Album aktiviert den visuellen Kortex, und nicht von ungefähr kann man bei Youtube zu jedem Song ein eigenes Video ansehen. Auch in der Wahl seiner Instrumente ist Ström erfinderisch: zu hören sind ein Eierschneider, ein Glas, eine Zither und nicht zuletzt sein Hund Elmo. Dazu kommen eher konventionelle Gitarren, Bass und Trompete, die aber gar nicht konventionelle Töne erzeugen - weil Kristofer Ström auch großes Talent zum Komponieren und Arrangieren hat. Schönes verträumtes Debüt. Einen Blick ins tolle Booklet kann man übrigens hier werfen (Video).
- Tina Manske, Titel Magazine

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«One Hundred Fifty-Five» - Ljudbilden & Piloten (Nosordo Records)
Rock und Pop aus Schweden hat in den letzten Jahren eine größere Erfolgsgeschichte geschrieben, mit Bands wie Mando Diao und Shout Out Louds, mit Peter, Björn & John und den Cardigans. Experimentelle und elektronische Musik made in Sweden ist dagegen kaum bekannt; das Debütalbum des Komponisten und Multiinstrumentalisten Kristofer Ström aus Malmö bietet aber einen hervorragenden Einstieg in die popfernen Szenen im Abba-Land. Ström arbeitet unter dem Namen Ljudbilden & Piloten mit akustischen Instrumenten, Loops und Field Recordings, ihm ist eine einschmeichelnde, aber nie seichte Musik gelungen, die sich über ihre Stofflichkeit definiert. Der Hörer kann mit «One Hundred Fifty-Five» eine Reise in den musikalischen Kosmos des Schweden starten; er wird Gitarren, Trompeten, ein Piano und eine Zither hören, aber auch ein Glas, einen Eierschneider und Ströms Hund Elmo. Manchmal gewinnt eine Melodie für eine kurze Zeit die Oberhand, entführt das Rascheln und Federn und Plinkern in einen größeren Zusammenhang, wo so etwas wie ein kleiner Soundtrack entsteht. Ein entfernter Verwandter eines Pink-Floyd-Stücks aus der «Meddle»-Ära vielleicht. Und auch dann, wenn Ström nicht ganz auf den Punkt kommt, obsiegt der Charme dieser Bastelwerke: Es sind friedvolle, intime Stücke - zur Assoziation und eigenen Bebilderung freigegeben. Das Begleitheft zur handgemachten Soundcollage enthält Illustrationen und Klebebilder, in denen verhältnismäßig viele Flugmaschinen und Tiere vorkommen. Wer tiefer in das Universum des Musikers, Grafikers und Videofilmers Ström eintauchen möchte, sollte dessen Homepage aufsuchen.
- Frank Sawatzki, Yahoo News Deutchland

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Ljudbilden & Piloten, One Hundred Fifty-Five, Nosordo NSRD 009 (Dotshop.se)
Kristofer Ström gjør animasjonsfilmene i en naivistisk tegnestil der figurene stadig skifter form. Kropper blir til ansikter, trær til dyr, mennesker til monster. Ström leker med overflaten, han snur plutselig tegnebrettet, eller figurene beveger seg fra lerretet over til en tallerken. I tillegg veksler han mellom å la tegningene utfolde seg tilsynelatende uten innvirkning, hender som tegner karakterene, fingre som beveger dem rundt eller simpelthen la dem renne rett ut av tusjen.
Flere av animasjonssnuttene hans har blitt brukt som vignetter i kulturprogrammene Kobra og Musikbyrån på SVT, akkompagnert av musikken han lager under navnet Ljudbilden & Piloten. Siden filmene er så utflytende, med hyperaktive metamorfoser, er låtene mer lineære, uten de brå stemningsskiftene. Debutalbumet hans, "One hundred fifty-five", består av enkel elektroakustisk musikk.
Sangen "Plokk" starter med gitarklimpring, som speiles i høyre og venstre kanal. Deretter introduseres en harmonisk melodilinje spilt på piano. Musikken flyter fremover, lag på lag legges på, av xylofon, bass og perkusjon, som stort sett ikke er annet enn metronom-aktig tikk-takk. Tilsvarende teknikk brukes på flere låter, Ström lar temaene forblir uendret gjennom hele sangen. Det blir derimot sjelden kjedelig, for palletten som brukes er vid, i tillegg til de tidligere nevnte instrumentene, består den også av suggerende melodica, zither, myk trompet og ordløs sang.
"Pianosong Two No. 2" er et kort impresjonistisk stykke med Satie-aktige klanger. "Flock" er et av få spor med forsiktige elektroniske bearbeidinger, men det fremstår ikke som et brudd med den folk-aktige stilen ellers. "A. Klingtmann", "Wedding", og "You Know You're Doing OK" er lengre og mer episke resten av albumet. Ljudbilden & Piloten har da også blitt sammenlignet med Pink Floyd, men han er langt mindre pompøs enn dem. Både de elektroniske effektene og de progressive låtene på albumet virker like naturlige for fremdriften som overgangene i animasjonsfilmene hans.
Kristofer Ström gjør det misunnelsesverdig bra for tiden. I februar holdt Byrån i Malmö en utstilling der fire kunstnere tolket musikken hans. Etter utgivelsen av "One Hundred Fifty-Five" har musikkvideoer strømmet inn til plateselskapet Nosordo. Så langt er åtte av de femten sporene på albumet billedlagt.
Albumet er dessverre tidvis litt forutsigbart og tannløst. Likevel er det så gjennomført at det er vanskelig å være kritisk. Dette er en sympatisk debut, den føles omtrent som å få solskinn i ansiktet, varmende og oppløftende. Og som om ikke musikken var nok i seg selv følger det med en glimrende collage for hver av sangene.
- Andreas Ervik, Sound of Musicbr>
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ljudbilden & piloten / one hundred fifty-five [nosordo/import]
Rien ne laisse présager ce qui attend l'auditeur en découvrant le premier album de Ljudbilden & Piloten : pseudonyme abscons et rébarbatif, visuel sous forme de collage de fin du monde, label inconnu et pas distribué en France, on s'attend à ce que One Hundred Fifty-Five soit l'un de ces innombrables disques d'expérimentation électronique franchement ennuyeux (et autant dire que ce registre, il y a actuellement surproduction).
Et puis on découvre la musique de Ljudbilden & Piloten, composée, interprétée et enregistrée entre 2005 et 2007 par le seul Kristofer Ström. Le suédois s'avère en fait être un génial compositeur, un bâtisseur de mélodies précieuses à partir d'éléments variés et souvent incongrus, des objets du quotidien, une ligne de chant onomatopéique mais aussi des instruments plus conventionnels (basse, guitare, trompette, piano, etc.). Ce garçon semble trouver matière à inspiration au gré du hasard et de ce qui lui passe sous la main - d'ailleurs, c'est aussi lui qui est à l'origine de toute cette série de collage bizarroïdes réunis dans le livret et il a également réalisé des vidéos (dont on conseille en revanche le visionnage) pour accompagner chacune de ces compositions. Si du point de vue graphique les travaux de Ljudbilden & Piloten peuvent dérouter, pour ce qui est de la musique, il s'avère vraiment doué pour composer des motifs mélodiques instantanés, des ritournelles instrumentales qui dégagent une douceur pastorale, insuffle une douce mélancolie rêveuse. Aussi, avec des morceaux comme Wedding ou Car Of, Kristofer Ström s'inscrit-il dans la lignée de State River Widening ou Greg Davis, et donc autant dire qu'on recommande chaudement de se pencher sur ses compositions.
- Denis, Autres Directions

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Ljudbiden & Piloten - One Hundred Fifty-five [Nosordo - 2008]

One Hundred Fifty-five's grotesque cut-up collage cover and artwork booklet suggests this is going to be either plunderphonics territory or surreal cut up tapestry of sound akin to early NWW- but instead we get a collection of often melodic instrumental tracks with a slight back bone of sampled/ cut-up matter.
The tracks mix together melodic indie rock, folk, lite jazz, wavering emotional strained piano passages, earthy & emotional electronica, slight ambience and the odd quirky turn. It's charming, tuneful and often very emotional and human, with a nice balance of instrumental colours such as acoustic & electric guitard, wondering bass lines, pianos, electronics, trumpet, tablar, ect. With the odd and subtle placed sampled element such as the sound of an apple bite woven into a songs rhythmic patten. I guess you'd compare it to a more bearable & less twee version of some of the Morr labels work or possible a less quirky Mum, or vocal less & more controlled Animal collective at their more folky end of things.
An album full of memorable and emotional charged instrumental tracks, that's sadly rather misleading because of its artwork - you certainly can't judge this book by its cover. 3/5.
- Roger Batty, Musique Machine