IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Top 10s for 2011: Kvalität

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Albums (SWE):
Anna Järvinen - Anna själv tredje
Det Vackra Livet - Det vackra livet
Skriet - Det beslutande organet
Mattias Alkberg - Anarkist
Deportees - Islands & shores
Thus:Owls - Harbours
Jonathan Johansson - Klagomuren
We Are The Storm - To The North-Pole
Bob Hund - Det överexponderande gömstället
Riddarna - Riddarna
Pascal/Mattias Alkberg - Allt det här
Syket - With love

Songs (SWE):
Rytmen i natten - Riddarna
80 vårar - Mattias Alkberg
När nätterna når hamn - Jörgen Kjellgren
Du och Jag - Alf
Stanna klocka stanna - Bob Hund
Next to You - Dante
Museum - Thus: Owls
Redan glömda - Jonathan Johansson
New directions - Jens Lekman
Fish band - Syket

Albums:
The Head And The Heart - The Head And The Heart
Active Child - You are all I see
Big Deal - Lights Out
Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver
J Mascis - Several shades of why
Ryan Adams - Ashes and fire
Lanterns On The Lake - Gracious tide take me home
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra
120 Days - II
John Maus - We must become the pitiless censors of ourselves

Songs:
Big Pink - Stay gold
Friends - I'm his girl
Bon Iver - I can't make you love me / Nick of time
Burial / Four Tet / Thom Yorke - Mirror
Tame Impala - Remember Me
Is Tropical - Zombie
M83 - Wait
Modeselktor / Thom Yorke - Shipwreck
Bombay Bicycle Club - Lights out, words gone
The Joy Formidable - Austere

Videos:

Fish band - Syket

Hej då - Riddarna

Stockholm - Jonathan Johansson

Släpp taget - Alexis Weak

Tody Motmot - Elias Krantz

Looking forward to:

Album releases from: Riddarna, Sailor & I, Existensminimum, Kent.
Like to hear new tunes from: Sonjagon, Ruset, Pascal, Framtiden, Korea Campfire, Dungen, TSOOL, Karl X Johan, Ít's a Bird it's a Plane, Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, Anna von Hausswolff and Dr Alban

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http://www.kvalitat.com/

Flora & Fauna plan 10y anniversary comp

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:09:14 -0700

Swedish label Flora & Fauna will be celebrating their 10th anniversary this year by releasing a 2xLP compilation featuring new tracks from almost every artist that has even been involved with the label, including Parken, Pavan, Marions, The Chrysler, Sir Eric Beyond, Existensminimum, Hundarna från Söder, Rigas and more. Expect a November release.

Existensminimum is recording

Mon, 02 May 2011 15:02:47 -0700

Existensminimum is apparently working on new material for release in 2012: http://www.existensminimum.com/

Kvalität: Existensminimum

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:19:36 -0800

The latest from Kvalität is a live clip of the underrated Existensminimum performing "Fuglesang": http://www.kvalitat.com/2011/02/existensminimum-fuglesang/

Top tens for 2010: Kvalität

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:10:36 -0800

Top 2010 from Kvalität

01. www.kvalität.com is online

02. Songs:
Uphill – Korea Campfire
Marken låg stilla – Dungen
Meet a bear – Britta Persson
Måne över Fårösund – Pascal
Whan we go to war – Tobias Fröberg
Play the world – Nina Kinert
David – The Radio Dept.

03. Albums:
0001 – This is Head
Singing from the grave – Anna von Hausswolff
Shallow grave – The Tallest Man on Earth
Clinging to a scheme – The Radio Dept.
Bigfield – Harald Björk
Glöm allt, Släpp allt EP - Riddarna

04. Videos:

05. Newcomers of the year:
Ruset – www.myspace.com/ruset
Hjärtat - www.myspace.com/makemefeelnothing
Riddarna - www.myspace.com/riddarna

06. Kvalität hope 2011 will bring:
Albums from Sonjagon, Ruset, Sibling Sense, Hjärtat, Existensminimum, Pascal and Dr. Alban.

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Kvalität is a live music video site based in Sweden.
http://www.kvalitat.com/

Sirius playlist week #28

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:45:26 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Håkan Hellström - Kann ingen sorg för mig Göteborg
02. TALK 1
03. Enforcer - Katana
04. Existensminimum - 1993
05. Ludwig Bell - Kärlek slutar alltid med bråk
06. TALK 2
07. Karla-Therese Kjellvander & The Rockridge Brothers - New season
08. Lapko - Summer nights
09. CEO - No mercy
10. Night Minutes - Lord I can never be your mirror
11. TALK 3
12. Dungen - Marken låg stille
13. My Brother the Wind - Electric universe
14. Rigas den Andre - W.A.S.P. (R2 remix)
15. TALK 4
16. Waklevören - Oslo spy
17. Okkultokrati - Tail of the snakewind
18. Haust - Vomiting
19. TALK 5

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

New Existensminimum remix EP

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:02:11 -0800

Existensminimum has a new EP out for the single "1993" featuring b-side remixes from the illustrious lineup of artists Rigas, Nordpolen and Fé & Pluto. Preview/purchase here: http://www.klicktrack.com/novoton/releases/existensminimum/1993-remixes

Top 10s for 2009: Absolut Noise

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

My top ten (quite aggressive) questions I ask myself now 2009 is coming to its end

01. Am I the only one to find the "hyped" band JJ boring?

02. Since it took me one year or something to actually find some very good things in Kent's previous record "Tillbaka till samtiden", will I like Kent's 2009 record "Röd" next year? Cause, right now, I think it is... well... not that good.

03. Since some friends told me Lykke Li was a nice person, why do I think she takes herself so seriously every time I see her on stage or in interview?

04. C'mon Sweden! Is there really no Swedish label which can sign Dear Euphoria??? Are you deaf or just dumb?

05. Why the Göteborg music scene is still much more interesting than the one in Stockholm?

06. Since I have been ridiculous in my It's a Trap 2007 top 10 where I said that Du Pacque was about to release their debut album and that it was going to be the best one of... 2008, will I pretend in this top 10 that Du Pacque debut record will eventually be out in 2010 and will be a total killer?

07. Is my iTunes right? Did I actually listen to Mattias Alkberg "Nerverna" more than The Bear Quartet "89" ?!!

08. How could I love so much Existensminimum's album "OK boys" this year, when I found his first one so lame?

09. Will there be in 2010 and how will sound the debut albums of Absolut Noise "darling" bands Bad Hands, Bedroom Eyes, Hajen, Holana, Johan Tenbrink, Love is a Burning Thing, The Open Up and Bleeds, Outmen, Poppets, Palpitation, Sibling Sense, Skatan, This is Head, We Are the Storm and You Say France & I Whistle?

10. Will Promise & the Monster release a new album one day?

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Absolut Noise is a France-based blog devoted to Swedish music.
http://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/

Top 10s for 2009: Daggan Stamenkovic (Novoton/Klicktrack)

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:11:09 -0800

Here's my top list for 2009

01. Buying an old school and moving out in the country again and running a really cool café there this summer with some friends. Lots of work but definitely worth it.
http://www.hablingbo.com/

02. Releasing SKRIET's (Isak from Pascal's side project) debut album. A subdued and dark album which fit my autumn mood perfectly.
http://www.myspace.com/skrietsthlm

03. A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding head. Great album I only which the vocals were a little bit higher, but great none the less.
http://www.aplacetoburystrangers.com/

04. Tap Tap - On my way. Maybe not as perfect as their debut album but great anyway. Maybe it's just that the surprise factor of hearing them for the first time isn't as big this time. I think it will grow on me though.
http://www.myspace.com/taptapmusic

05. Pascal - Orkanen närmar sig (The hurricane is approaching). Technically this won't be released until January 2010 [however] since we have been working with it since July it has made a big impact in me this year. Pascal's best and heaviest album so far. Really great stuff!
http://www.kyssmig.com/

06. Brian Eno & David Byrne - Everything that happens will happen today. Maybe I'm getting old but I really enjoyed this quite mellow album from two of my favorite artists. Nice to see them working together again. It's not as close to being as good as "My life in the bush of ghosts" (which is one of my favorite records) but very enjoyable anyway.
http://www.everythingthathappens.com/

07. Antennas album ("Feeling feline tonight") making great success in Austria and topping their indie charts for week. Also the band having a successful tour in Europe following the album.

08. Bat For Lashes - Two suns. An album filled with gauzy vintage synths and odes to teenage love . It's bravely backward-looking and weirdly prescient at the same time. If only all pop could be this good.
http://www.batforlashes.com/

09. Existensminimum - OK boys. Magnus returned with a synth driven pure pop album and I just love it to pieces.
http://www.existensminimum.com/

10. The Bear Quartet - 89. I never been a huge fan of The Bear Quartet but this album is so fucking good I just couldn't stop listening to it.
http://www.thebearquartet.com/

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Daggan runs the label Novoton and is one of the founders of Klicktrack. Next year he is looking forward to releasing new albums by Pascal, Paper, Norma and Antennas.
http://www.novoton.se/
http://www.klicktrack.com/

MP3: Asha Ali - Hurricane

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:55:36 -0700

When I first heard Asha Ali's "Hurricane" I was underwhelmed. It's a good song, but I expected something bigger and bolder, something more like "The time is now". But then I saw the video above and it clicked. The flatness imposed by the studio is obliterated on stage and she delivers each line with strength, feeling and a touch of desperation. Definitely a strong case for less is more, and hey, bonus points for Existensminimum on drums.

Sirius playlist week #31

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:56:06 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show sirius XMU:

01. Existensminimum - Mirrors
02. TALK 1
03. Solander - Prayer to God
04. Volcanic Places - Goo
05. Zacke - Spela mig på radion (feat. Movits!)
06. TALK 2
07. Hello Saferide - Arjeplog
08. Kristofer Åström - When her eyes turn blue
09. Superfamily - Let's go dancing
10. Barra Head - Undermine
11. TALK 3
12. Pixie Carnation - Little sister
13. The Bear Quartet - I was a weapon
14. Mangrove - Pieces of our yesterday
15. TALK 4
16. Emmon - Lips on fire
17. Eric Ramsey - Enlightened neurotics
18. Håkan Hellström - För en lång tid
19. TALK 5

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Existensminimum Tram Session

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:09:56 -0700

Live music with Existensminimum at The Tram Sessions: http://thetramsession.blogspot.com/2009/06/existensminimum.html

Sirius playlist week #24

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:09:07 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU, a special (almost) all-electronic feature:

01. The Bear Quartet - Sweet beef
02. TALK 1
03. Fever Ray - Triangle walks
04. Antifilm - Mado
05. Pistol Disco - Organ and drum
06. TALK 2
07. Håkan Lidbo - Born in the USA
08. Pan Sonic - Kahalaus
09. Agent Side Grinder - The screams
10. Existensminimum - 1993
11. TALK 3
12. Familjen - Det lilla livet
13. Tiger Lou - Crushed by a crowd (Mikael Jonasson remix)
14. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
15. TALK 4
16. Universal Poplab - I could say I'm sorry
17. Marybell Katastrophy - Hey Frank
18. Dear Euphoria - Pop pills
19. TALK 5

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Existensminimum Ok boys Novoton

Tue, 26 May 2009 12:36:18 -0700

On this album there is a dark, all-too-understanding awareness of the minor tragedies that, despite their relative insignificance, leave their mark on us, possibly for life -- an understanding and mood I've really only ever found before on Markus Krunegård's solo effort. Both Krunegård and Magnus Henriksson (the mastermind of Existensminimum) propose similar answers, too -- get out of the house, onto a bus, and into a bar; it may not change a thing, but at least you're not alone. Accordingly, the thematic landscape of "OK boys" is matched by a dark, cruelly detached, and vulnerable lexicon of musical expression: on "Fugelsang", Henriksson channels his inner Bowie ("They'll send me off to space...") over the droning, lost guitar lines of the chorus; "Signs of human life" has a slight Phil Spector, 60s pop feel to its demure arrangement; "1993" staccato-stabs its way through the account of a life spent trying to find meaning through chemically-saturated escapism; and closer "Messin' up" adopts a Lovekevins-style pop vehicle with which to voice its final, lavishly cynical pronouncement. There is a touch of sub-genre-schizophrenia on here, but this very minor flaw is only noticeable when you skip around the album; as a fluid whole, "OK boys" ebbs and flows, but never quite jumps the banks. By the time you're a few songs in, you wouldn't care whether Henriksson went completely off the rails or not, just as long as he took you with him.

Sirius playlist week #20

Mon, 18 May 2009 11:20:20 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Bruket - Stockholm kallar
02. TALK 1
03. The Skull Defekts - Knives, birds, stones & pyramids
04. Cilihili - Happy without the boy
05. Elenette - Kär (imaginär) pensionär
06. TALK 2
07. Existensminimum - Sound of music
08. Volcanic Places - Goo
09. Sonjagon - Aristocrat
10. TALK 3
11. Superfamily - Let's go dancing
12. The Scrags - TV messed up mind
13. Bastard Priest - Merciless insane death
14. Bacchus Tapes - Hold on Magnolia
15. TALK 4
16. Halph - Cheap points
17. Vadadi - 10 seconds before
18. Wired for Mono - The man behind the wall
19. TALK 5
20. Tomas Halberstad - Travel as I wait

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Sirius playlist week #18

Mon, 04 May 2009 11:08:02 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Isobel & November - Bones long forgotten
02. TALK 1
03. Lacrosse - We are kids
04. Marions - Wonder lady
05. Existensminimum - Mirrors
06. Pintandwefall - Bird of the birds
07. TALK 2
08. Marit Bergman - Halo
09. The Mobile Homes - I'm phoning a friend, and he says that
10. Dear Euphoria - Heal my violence
11. Susanne Sundfør - Morocco
12. TALK 3
13. Tyrant - Armageddon is here
14. Beem - Ducker
15. Twiggy Frostbite - Thrown in two
16. Kitchen & the Plastic Spoons - Ice cream to god
17. TALK 4
18. Gösta Berlings Saga - Bergslagen

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

MP3: Existensminimum - 1993

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:17:11 -0700

Sad truth: Existensminimum are solely a critic's act. Perhaps he'll get his proper due sometime down the road (as often happens for similarly cursed artists), but for now I think that Magnus Henriksson is doomed to empty acclaim. A perfect 5/5 review in Dagens Nyheter? Sure! Popular support from hip young bloggerati? Naah, not gonna happen. His music is too different, too belabored, too lacking in immediate satisfaction. There are no easy shortcut reference points. "1993", my favorite track from the new album "Ok boys", has an obvious Krautrock feel, but it's much more than that. The phrasing of the vocals and the shouted asides amp up the immediacy while the drums and piano continue to pound on relentlessly. Drugs! Death! MTV! What's it all mean? Where's it going? New sounds sneak in, closing in the walls, creating claustrophobia and panic. It's not pop exactly -- I don't know what it is -- but it's good.

Sirius playlist week #16

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:19:43 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. Sonic Ritual - Take the edge off
02. TALK 1
03. Thåström - Kärlek är för dom
04. Elenette - Att göra en hit
05. Maskinen - Bränner
06. TALK 2
07. The Skull Defekts - Habit
08. Grave - Into the grave
09. Murmansk - Moth
10. TALK 3
11. Kite - My girl and I
12. Laakso - Worst case scenario
13. Samtidigt Som - Denna sida mot fienden
14. TALK 4
15. David Åhlén - We sprout in thy soil
16. Knife and Ape - Buck teeth
17. Existensminimum - 1993
18. Cut City - Departure in particular
19. TALK 5
20. Masquer - Hanging garden

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Existensminimum - 1993 (video)

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:42:53 -0700

Existensminimum's new video for "1993" is now streaming at his website: http://www.existensminimum.com/
That might just be my favorite song on the record.

MP3: Bad Hands - Bad hands

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:28:09 -0700

Remember Bad Hands? Per Nordmark's new solo project? Y'know, the drummer from Fireside whose played with all sorts of Swedish elite such as Christian Kjellvander, Britta Persson and so on? Well, I've just been handed their eponymous single and I'm happy to be able to share it with you. Apparently a 10-track album with 10 different guest vocalists is on the way via NONS later this year and this particular track (which you might have already heard via myspace) features Nina Kinert on lead. Sound-wise, it's kind of what I'd expect from a Stockholm-based drummer-led project. Very krauty with a bit of artsy electro, not too dissimilar from Existensminimum (drummer/engineer Magnus Henriksson's solo project). Not very flashy either -- drummers understand it's the supporting players who make the difference, so they often remain in service of the song even when they take the helm. Of course, the beat still takes precedence, even if it's subtle. As a drummer myself, I'm really looking forward to hearing what else he'll come up with.

Sirius playlist week #14

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:23:27 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. TALK 1
02. Small - Highway child
03. Seance - Invocation
04. Halph - New money
05. TALK 2
06. Anna Frank - Directions
07. Kristofer Åström - Me and the snakes
08. The Scrags - Mad passion
09. TALK 3
10. Randy - Who's side are you on?
11. Division of Laura Lee - Violence is timeless
12. Existensminimum - 1993
13. Familjen - Socker
14. TALK 4
15. The Fine Arts Showcase - Lovesick
16. Viola - Cute destroyer
17. Nitad - Nervvrak
18. Penny Century - Just because
19. TALK 5
20. Marions - Another hour
21. BJ Nielsen - Tummen upp
22. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Facelessness erases every trace of humanity

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Existensminimum - Fuglesang (video)

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:09:44 -0800

Check out the video for the new Existensminimum single "Fuglesang": http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=51590953

Sirius playlist week #4

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:33:41 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. C.Aarmé - M.P.P.
02. TALK 1
03. Existensminimum - Fuglesang
04. The Animation - Overboard
05. Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen
06. TALK 2
07. AlabamicA - You can't save the world
08. Franke - Skinnad
09. October Falls - III
10. TALK 3
11. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - 1999
12. Wolfbrigade - Barren dreams
13. Viisikko - Vapaus valita
14. Culkin - Payperfist
15. TALK 4
16. Lowood - Crash
17. Cut City - Departure in particular
18. Wardruna - Dagr
19. Laakso - In my blood
20. TALK 5

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Top 10s for 2008: Daggan (Novoton)

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

01. Pascal - Galgberget
http://www.klicktrack.com/novoton/releases/pascal/galgberget
I know I work with the band, but even if I didn't an album like this would be number one on my list any day. Pascal are back with their sophomore album "Galgberget", and what a follow up it is. They have fine tuned their cave rock and are both heavier and noisier than ever. More anger and bitterness. More hate, longing and much much more love. Just as Pascal likes it.

02. Woven Hand - Ten stones
http://www.myspace.com/wovenhand
I've been a fan of Woven Hand since day one and I know that some older fans didn't like this album, but I love it. I like that there is a little more rawness and energy. It's a great album.

03. Norma - Book Of Norma
http://www.klicktrack.com/novoton/releases/norma/book-of-norma
Another one of my bands and what a debut album they made. They mix ambient, Kraut, noise, electronica, indie often with a strict, repetitive bass/drum pattern and a magnificent, wide and almost hypnotic sound. This is rich, panoramic music with a warmth that you don't hear often from other bands trying to do something in this genre. German Kraut is one obvious thing, but also the spacerock of Spiritualized and Spacemen3 comes to mind. Newer references may be Silverbullit, 120 Days, Serena Maneesh and The Lionheart Brothers. Check out the review here at It's a Trap! and you'll get how good it is.

04. Clinic - Do it
http://www.clinicvoot.org/
Britain's finest psych rock combo return with a great summer album which I listen to almost exclusively the whole summer, and still do. "Corpus Christi now you miss me."

05. Ultravox - Ultravox!, Ha! Ha! Ha!, Systems of romance
http://www.metamatic.com/

05. Gary Numan - Replicas
http://www.numan.co.uk/
Every year I seem to have a trip down the memory lane and this year it was both Ultravox three first albums with John Foxx (don't care much for the ones with Midge Ure though). Still fucking brilliant. Enough said. I also listened a lot to a almost perfect album by Gary Numan - Replicas. Check them all out, it's well worth it.

06. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr. Happy
http://www.klicktrack.com/klicktrack/releases/montys-loco/farewell-mr-happy-2
Montys Loco are back with their forth album recorded in Namibia and Sweden. It explores organic sounds and electronic atmospheres created by Marie Eklund, Monty's guitarist and producer. PJ Harvey meets Suicide and Neubauten!

07. Spiritualized - Songs in A&E
http://www.myspace.com/spiritualized
"Songs in A&E" is a return to fantastic form by Spirtualized. All of Jason Pierce's fascinations of the past years appear here in a beautiful way. I'm always pleased to see old favourites release great albums.

08. Holiday For Strings - Upcoming second album
http://www.myspace.com/holidayforstrings
So it's not out yet but I got a CD with some of the new tracks which I absolutely loved. It's going to be a great album. Head over to their MySpace page and listen to them.

09. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
http://www.glasvegas.net/
I haven't really had time to get into it properly because I am always a little sceptic to bands that are hyped this much. However good music is good music even if it is being hyped, sometime it's hyped because it's good. I am sure this will be listened to a lot the next couple of months.

10. Fatboy - In my bones
http://www.klicktrack.com/klicktrack/releases/fatboy/in-my-bones
And to end the list a little bit of Rockabilly from Sweden. Fatboy's second album is truly genuine. Something with a feel for history, but that is fashionably out of date. A combo that looks like it sounds, that isn't afraid to laugh in the face of expectation.

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Daggan runs the label Novoton and is one of the founders of Klicktrack. Next year he is looking forward to release new albums by Antennas, Existensminimum and Pascal as well as a side project by Isak from Pascal.
www.novoton.se
www.klicktrack.com

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:44:58 -0800

Novoton won't release the new Existensminimum album "Ok boys" until February 25, but you can already hear the first single "Fuglesang" now at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/novoton

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:52:17 -0700

Existensminimum reports that his new Tobias Fröberg-produced album is currently being mixed and is scheduled for a February 2009 release.

Stockholm Perspectives #1: Norma

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

I spent years reading about definitive moments in people's lives, often sitting outside the window of my shared boarding house room, huddled with a book on the bit of roof that extended from under the aperture, smoking a cigarette, watching the light soften and fade as afternoon became evening, as daylight transitioned into twilight and eventually darkness. Already a distant and asocial young expatriate, consistently reading about these moments made me feel even more removed from the spontaneity and vehemence of life. I began to regard those profound, life-changing experiences as works of fiction, accompanying true love and happy endings in some dark masquerade which most of us would never be invited to.

In 2002, I took my first breath of Swedish air and moved into a beautiful villa just across from the Tunnelbana tracks in Kärrtorp. I remembering smiling widely as Ella and Judy Torkelsson helped me with my things across the Arlanda parking lot into their blue Volvo station wagon. It wasn't so much that I was so desperate as to accept any weak breeze as the winds of change, my last year in British boarding school is saturated with many of my most treasured moments, and I grew and matured quite a bit as my A-Levels loomed, came, and passed. There was a genuine moment as I exited the airport into that grey day, the first definitive moment I'd ever had.

Over the coming months, I fell progressively more in love with Sweden, Stockholm in particular. While Ella was in school, I would walk down to the center of Kärrtorp, take the train into T-Centralen, and walk along the water, through the cobbled streets of Gamla Stan, and the parks of Södermalm. I started to feel less like a stranger or a voyeur observing the city around me. As the year wore on, I started to make friends, many of whom I am still in frequent contact with today, and began the life that I am now thoroughly involved in.

People ask me what it is about Stockholm that left me feeling this way, and I've never been able to give them a satisfactory answer, not for myself anyways. It's like asking a true Yankees fan what it is about the Bronx Bombers that attracts their loyalty. There are obvious things you can point to - friends, a coffee shop, the public transportation, universal healthcare, etc. - but much of one's admiration and allegiance is wrapped up in wordless swells of sentiment, and excluding them seems to detract from the whole.

Having one of the more prolific and creative music scenes in the world (in many ways putting breath into those "wordless swells"), I thought I'd ask various musicians in Stockholm the same question that has been posed to me - namely, "What is it about Stockholm?", amongst other pressing inquiries.

The following is the first attempt to scratch below the surface, to paint various pictures of a multifaceted city in the music and words of some of Stockholm's most talented citizens. My thanks to Norma for being my first test subjects.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

How did Norma come about?

We're all kind of weird, in our different ways. I think that was what brought us together. Norma is all about us three. If you would exchange any of the members, the sound would be totally different. You could describe it as some sort of terrorbalance. We all have a lot of ideas going in different directions, but the result of the struggle is Norma.

Where in Stockholm do you guys rehearse? Where have you rehearsed in the past?

Right now, we actually don't have any place to rehearse. That is one of the biggest downsides of being a band in Stockholm, there are just no cheap dungeons for bands to evolve in. So for now, our apartment (Aron Sandell and Petter Bendelin's) will have to do. But you can't do live drums here, and if we continue like this, sooner or later our neighbours will come knockin'... In the past we've been in a couple of different shelters, but when your guitars start rusting and you have to do warm-up exercises for 30 minutes before you can play a song, you feel like there's just got to be a better way.

What inspirations are present on "1"?

Well, the songs that are on "1" all sprung out from sessions in a small shelter in Zinkensdamm in the summer of 2006. It was dark, humid, and kind of noisy because of the concrete walls. When we first came there, we didn't have an A-to-B plan of what we wanted to do, but because of the preconditions in the shelter, it was kind of hard for us to write proper 3 minute verse-chorus songs. So instead we ended up making 6-10 minute songs with non-traditional structures and few chords. You couldn't really tell if anyone changed chords anyway, so it was better to stick to as few as possible. Mentioning different bands as sources of inspiration is kind of boring, but everything from Pink Floyd and Neu! to Postal Service and Hot Chip inspired "1".

How much would you say living in Stockholm impacts you all as individuals and collectively as a band? Does Stockholm feel like home?

I think it impacts us a lot, both as a band and as individuals. Two of us are from the island Gotland which is a few hours by boat from Stockholm. There's a big difference in living on an island with 60,000 other people or in a city of almost 2,000,000. But I (Aron) would still say that I'm from Gotland and not Stockholm.

As for the band, I think it means a lot, too. Just look at the difference of bands coming from say Gothenburg compared with bands from Stockholm. A good thing about Stockholm is that everyone is really good at what they do, no matter if it's art, music, film or writing. So when people start to take notice of you here, you know that you've probably done something right.

Has Stockholm ever inspired a song - for good or ill?

"The storm" is a song inspired by life here, which of course is both good and bad.

Have any of you wanted to move away - and if so, where?

We've talked about moving to Germany because of the possibilities of getting ourselves a warehouse facility which is impossible here. Haven't made it there yet, but we'll see what the future holds.

What bars, coffee shops, dance nights, 'must see places', etc. would you recommend to a foreigner visiting Stockholm for a week or so?

I think all three of us would like to go out more, but there is little money and even less time, so none of us would be a great guide to Stockholm's club life. The classic, both as a concert venue and bar, is of course Debaser. All three of us have spent a lot of time there. Another favorite is Landet. Two of us used to live nearby. And AG, where we had the release party for "1", is cool. We mostly drink our coffee at home, or in the studio. And when it comes to must-sees, well Stockholm is more of a city that you have to experience by meeting people and hopefully learning where the greatest party of weekend is at.

Where do you guys typically hang out?

The new black is Kungsholmen, two of us just moved here. And then there's Söder, and the places I mentioned before.

On a Friday night, would you guys rather go out to bars/clubs, or to a house party?

We would rather go to our own house party than go out clubbing, because house parties tend to be more wild and you can play whatever music you feel like listening to. But, I mean, it's kind of tiring to clean up afterwards... So a little bit of both is a good recipe to a healthy and happy life.

What clubs have you played at in Stockholm? Which were your favorites and why?

Fritz's Corner, Ljummen i Gräset, Musik Scenario, and our release party. That's it. We've only made 4 appearances ever, if you don't count the ones a couple of years ago when we were experimenting a lot. My favorite was definitely Debaser, but all the gigs have been great. Norma live is awesome though, so hopefully we will hit the road soon.

The only show we ever did outside of Stockholm was on Gotland a couple of years ago; weird gig, we didn't have any finished songs, almost no lyrics, and the audience was really drunk... Did far better than you could expect under those circumstances.

Which bands inspired Norma? Are there any Stockholm-based bands that motivated you?

Our friends, Torpedo ( with Love Martinsen on synthesisers), Antennas and Existensminimum are all really great and huge sources of inspiration for us in many ways.

What does the future hold for Norma?

We're in the middle of recording our first album. Hopefully it will be released sometime this coming spring, and then following that there will probably be some kind of tour. We're improving every song we make, so we're already looking forward to making the next record, and then the next, and so on.

Norma is: Aron Sandell, Love Martinsen, and Petter Bendelin.

LINK: http://www.theamazingnorma.com/
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/theamazingnorma

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Death By Kite - Scared of heights
02. TALK 1
03. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Crakkin zombees...
04. Monomen - Asian spacestation
05. José González - Hints
06. TALK 2
07. I Am Bones - Backpackers
08. Ellen Beach - The widespread acclaim
09. Moder Jords Massiva - Ingenting
10. TALK 3
11. Iisole - The words
12. Kornstad - Sweden
13. Cortex - Mind of darkness
14. TALK 4
15. Silverbullit - Run
16. [ingenting] - Hollywood dreams
17. In Flames - The jester race
18. TALK 5
19. Nicolai Dunger - Soul rush
20. Existensminimum - Changing lines
21. Echo Is Your Love - Peace song
22. TALK 6
23. Laakso - The death of us
24. Christian Kjellvander - Words in the wires
25. Mustasch - Double nature
26. TALK 7
27. Tellevika + Firefox AK - Eric
28. Tape - A spire
29. C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
30. TALK 8
31. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
32. Susanne Sundfør - Walls
33. The Hellacopters - Like no other man
34. TALK 9
35. Aerial - You will all die, all things will

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish singer/songwriter Tobias Fröberg is working on a new self-produced record to be called "Turn heads". Guest stars include Peter and John from Peter Bjorn and John as well as Ane Brun, Existensminimum, Linus Larsson, Torbjörn Zetterberg and Kathryn Williams.

Top 10s for 2006: Daggan (Novoton)

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

01. The Black Angels - Passover (album)
The best album this year. This is how it should sound my friends

02. Pascal - Förbi Fabriken (album)
The best thing that have happened to me since JAMC

03. Existensminimum - Last night my head tried to explode and i wrote everything down (album)
Utterly brilliant neo-kraut debut album by Existensminimum

04. Antennas - Sins (album)
Antennas debut album promises greatness for the future

05. Pet Politics - "In my Head" and "The Spring" (EPs)
Two great, now probably sold out, EPs by one of Swedens finest artists

06. The Magic City - The Magic City (Promo EP)
Dark and hypnotic with a groove based on deep bass sound and monotone drumbeat. I know it was made in 2005 but I really got into it this year.

07. Promise and The Monster - Antarktis (song)
Hunting, desolate and beautiful. I just can't stop listening to it

08. Clinic - Visitations (album)
Another great album by one of my fav bands

09. Dödens Lammungar (band)
Neo-goth have never sounded this sweet

10. Danava - By The Mark (song)
Hawkwind lives!

Just outside the list: The new, Jari Haapalainen produced, album ("Two minutes to midnight") by Black Belt. It was recorded by the end of 2006 and I have listened to it a lot but it will be released in the beginning of February 2007 and I know it will end up on my best of 2007. No doubt about it. Paper - Great indiepunkkrautrocknewwave

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Daggan is the head of Novoton Records and also runs the mp3 download service Klicktrack.
www.novoton.se
www.klicktrack.com

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Lars Skoglund (Laakso, Existensminimum) will replace John Eriksson on Peter Bjorn and John's upcoming UK jaunt. Peter Bjorn and Lars? Doesn't sound nearly as charming.

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Novoton has posted the excellent new Existensminimum single "One day I shall die" as a free download: http://www.novoton.se/sounds/existensminimum_oneday.mp3
Existensminimum's album "Last night my head..." is probably the sleeper hit of the year. A great album that's unfortunately slipping under the radar despite many strong reviews.

Existensminimum Last night my head tried to explode and I wrote everything down Novoton

Sun, 18 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Most of you know Existensminimum as the drummer of Moneybrother, and you, like myself, had probably heard the first version of "Running down everyone" over a year ago as a single. With that song, one could see parallels with the two group. Those parallels are have know been extinguished. What Existensminimum has now given us is a stellar experimental/noise/pop/psychadelica record that rips and tears and lilts and flies with each track. The segments of each song interweave with themselves, layering instruments and loads of texture. He suceeds greatly, as none of the tracks are cluttered, and each sound gives way to another. Tracks with vocals, the afformentioned "Running down everyone" (although substantially different now from the older version) and "Cina" hit the listener with hooks. "Sweden" is a true gem, a subtle, delicate number that explodes with vocals chaos towards the end. Existensminimum has created a top-notch debut, and I cannot wait to see what's next.

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Download the Assid remix of Existensminimum's "Changing lines": http://www.existensminimum.com/sounds/Changing_Lines_(ASSIDremix).mp3

Wed, 24 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Novoton has posted a couple new videos for free download:

01. Existensminimum - Changing lines
02. Pascal - Jonnie

MP3: Existensminimum - Changing lines

Thu, 18 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The new Existensminimum album with the long, clumsy title "Last night my head tried to explode and I wrote everything down" surprised me. I didn't have a lot of expectations, but I never imagined that it would end up to be such a lush pop symphony. I suppose it makes perfect sense since Existensminimum mainman Magnus Henriksson made a name for himself as an engineer and producer before releasing this debut solo album. (He's also well-known for being Moneybrother's live drummer, but that's less important in this context) I know that the single "Changing lines" has already been circulated a bit, but it makes sense as the track immediately jumps out with its strong, soaring melodies and driving bass line. The rest of the record is less straightforward and more sonically adventurous, so it's a bit tougher to pick outstanding moments. I think that's a good thing though - it proves the music has lasting value. There's a ton of earcandy to absorb, so grab your headphones and dig in.

Thu, 11 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Speaking of excellent packaging, I also just got a copy of the new Existensminimum disc and it looks damn sweet. Tri-panel digipack, lots of metallic ink - Novoton always does it up right.

Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

MTVe.com is streaming the new Existensminimum album "Last night my head tried to explode and i wrote everything down" in its entirety: http://www.mtve.com/article.php?ArticleId=6295

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Novoton has posted the new Existensminimum single "Changing lines" for free download: http://www.novoton.se/sounds/Changing_Lines.mp3
The track is the second single from Existensminimum's upcoming debut5 full-length "Last night my head tried to explode and I wrote everything down", due out May 5.

Top 10s for 2005: Daggan Stamenkovic (Novoton/Klicktrack)

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800

01. Seeing Pascal live for the first time and signing them on the spot

02. The Klicktrack.com launch

03. Pet Politics - The cold wind blows (song)

04. Paper - our so long (song)

05. Antennas - Always on my mind (single)

06. Existensminimum - Running down everyone (single)

07. Yttling Jazz - Oh Lord, why can't I keep my big mouth shut

08. Photographer Unknown - Sunday afternoon (song)

09. Seeing Efterklang live at Hultsfred

10. Grizzly Bear - Horn of plenty

---------------------------

Daggan is the head of Novoton Records and also runs the mp3 download service Klicktrack. His most recent signing Pascal will release their debut album in January.
www.novoton.se
www.klicktrack.com

Wed, 17 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Novoton Records (Antennas/Existensminimum/Black Belt) has announced the signing of Pascal. Look for their debut album to be released this coming fall.

Fri, 13 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

See that flashing box on the right? There's a new contest going on. I'm giving away a couple sets of singles from Novoton Records - all the latest stuff from Antennas, Black Belt and Existensminimum. Click to enter.

Mon, 09 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Also at Novoton are some pics from Existensminimum's gig at Cirkus opening for Moneybrother. Check 'em out here and here.

Mon, 02 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Today's mp3 is the brand new single from Existensminimum aka Magnus Henriksson, a man who's probably more familiar to a lot of people as the drummer for Moneybrother. Well, not only is he a great drummer, he's also a respected producer and burgeoning solo artist. This is the first single from his forthcoming as-yet-untitled and unfinished debut solo album. It's officially out today, just in time for his gig at Cirkus in Stockholm where he'll doing double-duty opening the show with Existensminimum and then headlining behind the kit with Moneybrother. Of course, the show is sold out already, but hey - there will be other opportunities in the future, I'm sure. Anyhow, check out the track - it's good stuff.

Thu, 03 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Wilmer X - 13 Våningar Upp
02. Pain - Dancing with the dead
03. Lars Winnerbäck - Vatten under broarna
04. E.S.T. - Viaticum
05. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
06. The Ark - State of the Ark
07. Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på natten men inget på dan
08. Christian Walz - Paint by Numbers
09. Daniel Lindström - Daniel Lindström
10. Fernandoz - Minnenas allé
11. Magnus Uggla - Den tatuerade generationen
12. Backyard Babies - Live in paris
13. Dark Tranquility - Character
14. Soundtrack of Our Lives - Origin vol. 1
15. Lasse Stefanz - Röd Chevrolet
16. Melody Club - Face the Music
17. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao!
18. Uno Svenningsson - Ett andetag från dig
19. Barbados - Best of Barbados 1994-2004
20. Totta Näslund - Totta 7: Soul!/På drift

Niccokick, Existensminimum, Convoj and Band of Joy are among the first list of bands confirmed for this year's Emmabodafestivalen.

Mon, 03 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

The nominees for the 2004 Manifest Awards have been announced. Here are a few of the categories:

Pop/rock:
David Sandström - "The Dominant Need of the Needy Soul Is to be Needed"
Jens Lekman - "When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog"
Stina Nordenstam - "The World Is Saved"
Silverbullit - "Arclight"

Hardrock/punk:
C.Aarmé - "C.Aarmé"
Dismember - "When Iron Crosses Grow"
Haunted - "rEVOLVEr"
Koma - "Tsunami"
Totalt Jävla Mörker - "Människans ringa värde"

Hip-hop/R&B/soul:
Helt Off - "Helt Off"
Ison & Fille - "Ison & Fille"
Promoe - "Long Distance Runner"
Snook - "Vi vet inte vart vi ska men vi ska komma dit"
Rico Wondahman - "Takin' Over"

Post-rock/electronica:
Backlash - "Heliotrop"
Andreas Tilliander - "World Industries"
Sophie Rimheden - "Miss"
Hans Appelqvist - "Bremort"
IC1 - "The Birth of Industrial Cool"

Dance/house/techno:
Quant - "Getting Out"
Andreas Tilliander - "World Industries"
Sophie Rimheden - "Miss"
Hird - "Moving On"
Ernesto's - "Album"

Solo/singer/songwriter:
Stina Nordenstam - "The World Is Saved"
Florence Valentin - "Johnny Drama"
Billie the Vision & The Dancers - "I Was So Unpopular in School"
Tobias Fröberg - "For Elisabeth Wherever She Is"
Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - "Visorna"

Best live:
Existensminimum
Mattias Alkberg
Silverbullit
Svenska Akademien
Jens Lekman

Best newcomer:
Tiger Lou - "Is My Head Still On?"
Nanook of the North - "The Täby Tapes"
Fatboy - "Steelhearted"
Jens Lekman - "When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog"
Cirera - "Honestly, I Love You *Cough*"

The Manifest Awards are considered an alternative to the Swedish Grammy in the same way that the Alarm Prize is regarded in Norway. Winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held February 1 at Nalen in Stockholm. More info: http://www.som.a.se/manifest/index.html

Mon, 03 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Novak is hard at work recording a new album with producer/engineer Magnus Henriksson (Existensminimum). Look for the first new single to be released sometime around March/April.

Top 10s for 2004: Daggan (Novoton)

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

01. Starting my own label again (Novoton)
And finding three great bands (Black Belt, Novak and Existensminimum) to work with

02. "This Is For Real" - Pink Grease
Glam slamming neo punks with just a touch of B52's. It's raw, wild and fresh.

03. "Arclight" - Silverbullit
One of the best Swedish bands right now. It's dark and utterly beautiful.

04. "Headspin" - Goran Kajfes
Vibrating mix of electronic and acoustic jazz, brilliant and innovative.

05. "This Is It!" - The Baboon Show
High energy punk the way it should be. Reminds me of Buzzcocks, Poly Styrene and Blondie. This EP was basicly the only thing i played this summer (together with Pink Grease).

06. "i" - The Magnetic Fields
Another great pop album by Stephin Merritt.

07. Power Out - Electrelane
Very ambitious album with one foot in the "krautscene".

08. "Go to War" (song) - Martin Chandra
A 7" single which made me very very happy. A massive "wall of sound" with beautiful harmonies.

09. "For the PC/Traveller/Art Boy" (song) - Kids Of The Ranch
Unfortunately this song is all i've heard by this group but i'm sure if won't be the only one for long.

10. "Ultravisitor" - Squarepusher
After almost 10 years Tom Jenkinson has no intention of getting mellow. Modern, dirty and jazzy beats run through a very inventive brain. Respect!

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As mentioned above, Daggan is the guy behind Novoton Records. Novak and Black Belt both put out albums on the label earlier this year and Existensminimum is scheduled for a spring 2005 release. www.novoton.se

Tue, 25 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

I'm not sure why I haven't done it already, but here's the tracklists for those carious upcoming Startracks-produced Festival compilations:

Accelerator 2004
01. M. Craft – Sweet
02. The Shins – So Says I
03. Electrelane – The Valleys
04. Lali Puna – Faking the books
05. Broken Social Scene – Stars and sons
06. Explosions in the Sky – The only moment we were alone
07. Laakso – Blizzard
08. Jens Lekman – The wrong hands (prev. unreleased)
09. Jonas Kullhammar – Bebopalulia
10. The Go! Team - Panterdash
11. The Von Bondies – C'mon, C'mon
12. Existensminimum – The on and on
13. Franz Ferdinand – Take me out (Naum Gabo re-mix) (prev. unreleased)

Picknick
01. Kristofer Åström – Idiot talk
02. Richard Buckner – Jewelbomb
03. Tiger Lou – Rushmore (prev. unreleased)
04. Ane Brun – Are they saying goodbye?
05. Denison Witmer – Stations
06. Tomas Andersson Wij – Tommy och hans mamma
07. Christian Kjellvander – For the sake of the song (prev. unreleased. Zandt cover, recorded live at Mondo)
08. Anna Ternheim – Troubled mind
09. Nicolai Dunger – Slaves (we're together like)
10. Tomas Andersson Wij – En vän till mig
11. Ane Brun – Fight Song (prev. unreleased. Likely to be recorded for her next album due 2005)
12. Syd Matters – Have a nice day
13. Kristofer Åström – Cardiac (prev. unreleased, from the "There for" sessions)
14. Syd Matters - Bones
15. Richard Buckner – Put on what you wanna
16. Tiger Lou – Like you said
17. Nicolai Dunger - City sun

Thu, 18 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Some of these have mentioned before, but here's the full list of new acts being booked by Luger: Logh, Sophie Rimheden, Heikki, Existensminimum, Peter, Bjorn and John, Stella Rocket and The Tough Alliance.

Wed, 26 Nov 2003 00:00:00 -0800

Flora and Fauna, the label of Moder Jords Massiva, is celebrating their 20th release with a special party at Mondo in Stockholm on December 10. They'll be handing out a free 'greatest hits' label comp to the first 500 entrants and there will be live performances by Huoratron, Hundarna från Söder, MJM, Existensminimum and a "new experimental electronic act." Mark O' Sullivan, DJ Nuteq and Queen Ann will be DJing, too. Check out the flyer here: http://www.brilliant.nu/mailorder/arkflyer.html