“SCANIA” By Soek

With his inaugural single "Scania," composer Grant Borland, under the new alias Soek, offers a breathtakingly atmospheric and evocatively sculpted work that captures his artistic identity in the sphere of contemporary classical and experimental electronic music. Borland, who is recognized for his cinematic scores on platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV, and Disney+, has stepped away from the world of sync music with Soek, a project he created out of longing for artistic depth, freedom, and exploration. “Scania” is now available for streaming globally via Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other platforms and serves as a captivating introduction to Soek’s work, which seeks to defy the boundaries of genre and transcend minimalist form.

In 2024, “Scania” captures the glacial beauty and Nordic sonic landscapes after visiting Iceland. The piece begins with a fragmented vocal loop that has been chopped, processed, and stretched into something ethereal yet, at the same time, human. It sets the tone for the organic texture versus electronic nuance dance to follow. Rhythm and ambience are present and underscore the ‘heartbeat’ that guides this piece, giving life to the lyrics that are never sung but rather spoken. The motif is meditative, inviting listeners to sink into its layers and discover meaning not in melody alone, but deeply in tone.

Drawing inspiration from a life-changing trip to Iceland in 2024, “Scania” encapsulates the introspective glacial beauty of the Nordic landscape in sound. The piece begins with a vocal passage that has been meticulously processed and stretched into something both anguished and angelic. It precisely captures the track's intricate balance of electronic detail and organic feel. This voice doesn’t sing words. It speaks eloquently, acting as a spectral pulse that propels the piece forward. The melody is soothing and ethereal, inviting the listener to unpack layers of meaning beyond just melody and instead, contemplate tone, tempo, and space.

What sets “Scania” apart is how it slowly unravels the narrative with a captivating slow build, something characteristic, as Soek’s cited influences Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds, and Hania Rani also demonstrate. The production is deliberately devoid of complexity, yet remarkably stacked. Gentle synthesizers emerge like warm sunlight after a cold winter, softly revealing more light as they are filtered. The emotional core of the track lies in its subtle piano; its deliberately crafted anchors provided the listener, amidst the swaying textures of the piece’s developing structure, tethered in a turbulent sea.

From a compositional view, “Scania” is the epitome of “less is more” and Borland’s mastery. An over-expressive approach in “Scania” would deeply miss the mark. It becomes clear that Borland carefully avoids overproduction and instead embraces silence. It compels one to sit up and take notice. It is the kind of track that could underscore a slow film, aerial, or fill in the void for a moment of stillness while one gazes inward. Works like these are rarely bombastic and rely on pacing, taking one through a journey that, if not for the refinement, would render the work breathtaking. As contradictory as it sounds, “Scania” has no hurry.

To summarize, Soek’s debut under the name “Scania” is tranquil and deeply personal. Soek proves that it's possible to find emotional depth without sacrificing softness. The track offers more than is visible at first. Each round reveals a discovery, new layers begging to be unveiled. Cinematic electronica and ambient classical fans will enjoy this undiscovered gem: with Borland as a Grant Soek's opened a platform for storytellers in musical form so effortlessly transcend the screen. “Scania” stands as a breathtaking first chapter. Be sure to stream, follow, and sneak in the name Soek if you want to witness a new light appear in the sphere of modern classical composition.

Written by Manuel