Paer Johansson (b.1972) is a Swedish composer who has studied a theory of subjects including computer engineering, acoustics and Chinese Language and culture. "The Empty Palace", released with the imprimatur of the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in Sweden, is a lengthy 70-minute cd containing seven electroacoustic tracks, four based on Lovecraft's cosmic horrors and two ("Notes on Chinese Warfare" and the title track) on Chinese philosophy and culture. The two interesting facts is that Johansson actually manages to create gloomy soundscapes which could well fit some Chtulu myth, without being dark ambient as one could expect; and that the Chinese-inspired compositions are as obscure and out-there as the other ones. Save for the very first minutes, which I have initially found a bit too academic, the rest of the cd is a successful mix of fractured sounds, analogue synth tones, sparse contemporary music and full-on noise. The temperature rises up to a climax in "Nyarlathotep", with sharp frequencies which even reminded me of John Duncan or Bastard Noise; but my favourite track is the last and eponymous one, where Johansson proves more effective in creating a complex and ominous tapestry of sounds.