Excerpt: “… Jo Dürbeck aka Jumpel, found inspiration from time travelling around Europe which has materialised into a very special album, where each track represents a different city, feeling and stage of the journey. “Like many journeys, Europa begins with speculation and tentative steps. In ‘Arles’ and ‘Bern’, the delicate pattering of subtle rhythms is counterbalanced with delicate melodic figures, like light reflecting off water. ” Taking different approaches throughout, ‘Europa’ transcends into a multitude of feelings and ultimately a true sense of change and progression is apparent, until a beautiful vocal hits in ‘Edinburgh’, lighting up an already sublime album. I have it on good word from Pete Srdic (asip’s ears on the ground!) that Jo’s other albums are just as special and varied in their approach, so time to get digging. You can get ‘Europa’ on Jumpel’s Bandcamp and believe it or not, the best track on the album ‘Edinburgh’ is available as a free download (video below). For links to the rest of his releases, see the Hidden Shoal label site or the Jumpel website.”

A Strangely Isolated Place

Excerpt: “On his third full length album for Hidden Shoal, Jumpel curates gentle whispers, lonely glances and tired sighs, in his carefully produced environmental snapshots of the world. Europa is Jo Dürbeck’s continuation of sound exploration as Jumpel, inspired by his travels around the continent, transforming his memories into eleven tracks titled after the visited cities. From Stockholm to Madrid to Vienna and Lisbon, Dürbeck’s album is more than an audio travelogue, it is an “abstracted sonic diary, painting the intangibility and romanticism of memory and travel using sparse yet resonant sound.” There’s no trickery here to ploy the listener and bend his ear, instead the familiar fragments of harmony and effected progression shine through with their exquisite moments, and comfortably settle on their best. Although at times such a description may sound undesirable, I assure you that in this context it is meant as a compliment. Indeed, these tracks are perfect for my morning, rainy and drowsy commute, each telling a story of another city, ticking away with the clink-clank of the train. Perhaps somebody out there, perhaps Dürbeck, perhaps even you, is listening to the story of my city, on their own morning, rainy, and drowsy commute.”

Headphone Commute

Excerpt: “a minimal explanation of discovery, borne out of travels that extended around Europe. A certain inspiration that gives perspective for wider observations from distances of every measure, but also capped with a certain amount of isolation… It’s cool and collected, but has enough power to draw in the lightness of a natural surrounding, gradually making it glow; carefully planted strings adding a more sublime texture while glittering chimes embrace. Ever so mild, yet makes enough of a statement with its brighter inclinations and filtered sounds. Hugely ambient, gentle and suggestive in part, with quiet aspects that lament around each city stop, Europa is a portrait of minimalistic excellence and a passion for discovery, which flourishes with every experimental step across the continent.”

Igloo Magazine

Excerpt: “If Europa isn’t quite a whirlwind tour around the world in eighty days, it’s at the very least a journey through Europe in forty-five minutes—and very much a scenic one at that… An attempt to distill personal memories of eleven European locations into an ambient electronica suite, the concept driving the new release is an inspired one that affords a marvelous opportunity for dramatic sound exploration. Each piece is like a mini-portrait that more evokes the locale indirectly than tries to literally represent it, and the project as a whole imprints itself surrpetitiously on the listener’s mind… The album’s most memorable track is “Edinburgh,” on account of a simple yet memorable set of piano chords and especially a luminous vocal performance by Chloë March. The song stands out so much, in fact, it suggests Dürbeck would be wise to consider featuring a greater number of vocal performances on future Jumpel recordings. Broached as a whole, Europa plays less like the experience of a first-time sightseer excited by the prospect of seeing the usual tourist sights and more like a long-time visitor who regards the journey as a time for reflection and melancholic rumination.”

Textura