Musician and multi-instrumentalist.
Originally Posted by Sufjan StevensOriginally Posted by Sufjan Stevenshttps://rateyourmusic.com/artist/sufjan-stevensSufjan Stevens is a magician who seems to be able to conjure up mystical and enchanting elements within simple melodies that become ever more complex by means of constant repetition, compositional layering (with rich harmonies) and ever-changing variations. The music usually starts naive and rather straight-forward, but tends to build up to a towering climax, like a train speeding towards a cliff, without ever sounding rushed, tense or hurried in any way. The travellers (me and you) have all the time in the world, observing details of the landscape through the window, hearing stories of local legends while we're at it, that become an intricate part of the journey. The music is a delicate balance between fragile folk music and complex classical music (of the minimalist kind). It is gentle and deeply human, as well as being rigid and mathematically structured at the same time. Sufjan's voice is flimsy, speaking to the listener on a very personal level, and most of the time it fits the music perfectly, particularly as a contrast to the grand sonic curtains that envelop it. His voice is, in fact, the only thing in his music that sounds limited in any way, for his creativity is simply mind-boggling.