Gintas Kraptavičius says his new album Mountains, runlets, caves & cascades reflects nature in a manner similar to the writing of American horror legend H.P. Lovecraft. “There was a lot of meaning behind Lovecraft’s descriptions of mountains and nature in general,” says the artist, who records under the name gintas k. “His descriptions were seldom shiny.”

Rather than incorporate field recordings, the new work is an entirely digital affair recorded live with no overdubs. “Conceptual explorations,” says gintas. It is a sound artist’s take on nature, as familiar as it is unsettling.

On one level, the album works as an intense electroacoustic/musique concrète experience. With more than 50 solo and collaborative releases on his resume – produced over the last two decades – gintas has earned a place among the world’s great electronic music producers. He is every bit the master over the course of these 47 new minutes.

Electroacoustic music is like cinema for the ears.

gintas k

Understanding his intention though, to produce a “sonic picture of nature: forest, mountains, rivers and caves,” adds valuable context. The execution is gorgeous. Among the album’s highlights is the replication of a slowly gathering thunderstorm on the album’s third piece. (At least, that’s how I hear it.)

Like much of his catalogue, the work is deeply visual.

“People tell me that a lot,” he says. “Electroacoustic music is like cinema for the ears. But I don’t think about visuals when I’m recording music.”

That comes later, says gintas. “I am honoured to have been able to work with the visual artists that I have.”

Since 2004, he has collaborated with the visual artist Donatas Juodišius-Juodo. His daughter Indra Kraptavičiūtė designed the new album’s cover.