“Tones jul” is presented in the liner notes as a work by Rune Clausen that is a musical trip to the Norwegian forests. In the author's view, this release should sound 'dirty and primitive like early 90s black metal’ which is an hint that the forest, a central topic of the genre, is a place which is as beautiful as menacing. Moreover, it's the place that reminds of a past, more or less idealized, where human lived with the nature not using it.
While "Kronisk ferie" is a quiet opener with a simple melody after a field recordings of a park, "Tones drøm" introduces the listener towards the framework of this release: a fusion of synth based ambient and field recordings which has a certain evocative character. "Sølje" evolves with a sequence of drones with careful timbres while "Myrgvarv" maintains a remarkable tension. "Det sorte sovekammer" uses a female voice which narrates perhaps a story about the forest and "Tones mor" has a spectrum which reminds of old '30s records. "Barnsnød" is a long and highly structured track which uses samples to create a menacing atmosphere underlined by the grave notes of the synth. "Hræzla" is a quiet and almost melancholic track and "500 år senere" closes this release with the return to field recordings of the first track.
The musical development reveals the clear plan behind the plot which is exposed to the listener and the use of field recordings is not a mere expedient of mise-en-scène, but an element of the discourse. It's really worth a listen.