A curated ACT Music vinyl series in which the past becomes the present.
past is present is ACT's curated deep dive into the label's rich catalogue, bringing outstanding recordings back into focus on premium vinyl.
Each title appears either for the first time on vinyl or in a newly remastered edition, reaching the highest possible fidelity while honouring the original artistic vision.
Every release is conceived as a limited, hand-numbered collector's edition, made for listeners who value both the sound and the object.
About this edition
/ Milestone albums on vinyl for the first time
/ Exclusively curated by ACT
/ Limited and hand-numbered
/ Remastered for vinyl
/ High-quality 180g pressing
/ Liner notes written exclusively for this edition
/ Includes a collector's obi strip on premium art paper
/ Individually designed labels, inspired by the original artwork
/ A designed inner sleeve as a narrative cornerstone of the album, printed on coated art paper
Swedish Folk Modern brings together Esbjörn Svensson and Nils Landgren, two of Europe's most influential jazz musicians, in a rare and deeply intimate setting.
With great sensitivity, Svensson and Landgren improvise on Swedish folk songs: pieces about love and sorrow, from the fields and from the church, that are familiar to almost everyone in Sweden.
Swedish Folk Modern is not only an exceptional album by two musicians who understand each other instinctively. It is also a moving testament to the extraordinary range of stories that can be told through the vocabulary of jazz.
Together with its follow-up Layers of Light, and alongside the posthumously released solo album HOME.S., it is one of the only recordings to feature Esbjörn Svensson, who passed away on June 14, 2008, as a leader outside his legendary trio e.s.t. A rare jewel in the crown of European jazz history, now on vinyl for the very first time.
Belle Époque by Vincent Peirani and Emile Parisien marks the beginning of one of the most compelling partnerships in contemporary European jazz. When the two entered the studio in 2013, their duo was still in its early days, yet the chemistry between them was already unmistakable. What followed was not only a remarkable recording, but the starting point of a journey that would take them to stages around the world.
Inspired by the legacy of soprano saxophone pioneer Sidney Bechet, Belle Époque bridges eras and influences with striking elegance. The album moves fluidly between early jazz, French chanson, original compositions and modern improvisation, carried by Peirani's richly expressive accordion and Parisien's lyrical, soaring soprano.
Together they reimagine this repertoire with both reverence and bold individuality, turning each piece into something vividly their own.
At its heart, Belle Époque is a celebration of musical dialogue – two voices listening, responding and shaping a shared narrative in real time. The result is music of warmth, sophistication and depth, capturing the moment a singular duo found its voice. A defining recording, now rediscovered as part of past is present.
