Andreas Tylden (from JR Ewing) and Sten Ove Toft (Utarm, Ryfylke, Roggbif, etc.) have formed what Andreas describes as "an avant garde metal, post metal band", whose influences include Phillip Glass and John Cage. "We're a brand new band, we've only done five shows," he explains. That might explain why the crowd for the show was small, but everyone present -- include NME reporter Matt Wilkinson, and Edgar Smith of leading British indie mag Loud and Quiet -- instantly became a loyal fan.

Sten tells IAT: "it would be too easy to do nothing but noise, nothing but metal... but at its best, black metal is one of the most carefully composed musical genres, with great melodies, it's just that there's lots of noise around them."

So far, so civilised. They are even sharing their Tuborg with everybody -- nice guys. So Altaar aren't into burning down churches, then? "There are other ways to break down Christianity," muses Andreas. "If we burned down a church the state would have to pay for it and it would cost the tax payer money, so that's why we wouldn't want to do that." Sten adds: "Burning down churches makes the Christians feel stronger and makes them unite. It's better to ignore them." There were certainly enough candles on stage to fill any Catholic crypt, and it took the band some time to personally blow them all out before they left the stage.

Also getting a warm reception in frosty Oslo were Iceland's Seabear, who are playing again tonight. Initially a solo project by Sindri Mar Sigfuson -- who was once described by Rolling Stone as "the Icelandic Beck", the group from Reykjavik now has seven permanent members.

Tonight will see a repeat performance from Bergen's Social Suicide, too, whose set yesterday was arguably the festival's most exciting so far. Any New Yorker who hung out upstairs at Max's Kansas City in 1970s would, I imagine, have felt quite home here last night. The bigger name bands to have played so far include Casiokids and Oh No Ono, but many of us were far more taken by a group of Gothenburg Krautrockers called Fontän. Member Johan Melin tells IAT "I hope people hear us, like us and like the fact that something is going on in the psychedelic scene. We have a disco thing going on in Scandinavia right now. We're influenced by bands like Can but it's nice to merge different genres. We're trying to do it. I'm into drum and bass and electronic music, and when I was 15 I listened to a lot of British hip-hop like Killer Instinct, but you wouldn't guess that to listen to us... We listen to everything."

I'm going back into the conference now, but if anyone has any tips for bands I should check out while here, please drop me or Avi a line [or post a comment here -ed]. Apologies for my poorly articulated reporting, but I am very hung over.

Over and out for now Scandi-philes.
- Sophy Grimshaw

Newcomer:
Fever Ray
Erik Hassle
Lorentz & M.Sakarias
Maskinen
Miike Snow
Song:
Agnes - Release Me
Erik Hassle - Hurtful
Markus Krunegård - Hela livet var ett disco
Mando Diao - Dance With Somebody
Promoe - Svennebanan
Group:
Fibes, Oh Fibes! - 1987
[Ingenting] - Tomhet, idel tomhet
Kent - Röd
Mando Diao - Give me fire
Takida - The darker instinct
Artist:
Amanda Jenssen - Happyland
Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen
Markus Krunegård - Prinsen av Peking
Miss Li - Dancing the whole way home
Lars Winnerbäck - Tänk om jag ångrar mig och sen ångrar mig igen
Guldmicken (best live):
Miss Li
Promoe
Takida
Jenny Wilson
Lars Winnerbäck
Dance:
Adam Beyer – Various productions
Axwell – Various productions
Dada Life – Just do the dada
Fever Ray – Fever Ray
Samuel L Session – The man with the case
Hip-hop/soul:
Lorentz & M. Sakarias – Vi mot världen
Mohammed Ali – Processen
Näääk – Näääk vem?
Promoe – Kråksången
Stor – Nya Skolans Ledare
Pop:
Deportees – Under the pavement – the beach
Fever Ray – Fever Ray
Fontän – Winterwhila
Miike Snow – Miike Snow
Taken By Trees – East of Eden
Rock/metal:
Abramis Brama – Smakar söndag
Babian – Fullproppad, listtoppad, livrädd & uppstoppad
Gösta Berlings Saga – Detta har hänt
Satan Takes a Holiday – Satan takes a holiday
Switch Opens – Switch Opens

Go here to vote: http://www.sr.se/sida/default.aspx?ProgramId=3636

01. Samtidigt Som - Constant in motion
02. TALK 1
03. NEI - Summertime
04. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Soon
05. Brothers of End - Wish
06. TALK 2
07. Tutankamon - Have you ever been in love?
08. C.Aarmé - British breakfast party
09. Okkultokrati - Hand of glory
10. Pintandwefall - Angus
11. TALK 3
12. Turboweekend - Something or nothing
13. Florence Valentin - Du kommer gå längt
14. Sofia Karlsson - Visa från Kåkbrinken
15. Melkeveien & Niño - Yo!
16. TALK 4
17. Beatbully - Buck Ferfen
18. Fontän - Neanderthaler
19. Bröderna Lindgren - Som raketer (feat. Mattias Alkberg)
20. TALK 5
21. Breach - Seven

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.

Bluebridge the Quartet
SOUNDS LIKE: Postjazz? Well, that's what they call it. Imagine what it sound like if EST indulged their rock side a bit more and I think you'll be close.
HIGHLIGHTS: Bergman, Torsdag, 2008 exclusive
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/bluebridgequartet

Desktop Orchestra
SOUNDS LIKE: It's amazing what you can accomplish with even a basic home studio these days. This is interesting electro/acoustic pop that should appeal to fans of acts like Fredrik or Fontän. Skirts the edges of experimentalism, but never alienating.
HIGHLIGHTS: Both tracks are great
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/desktoporchestradk

Epidemics
SOUNDS LIKE: Ex-members from Disconvenience soldier on with the punk-rock thing, 'cept now the vocal hooks are way bigger and the songs are better. Match that up with some excellent walking basslines and I can't help but think of The Rezillos. Nicely done!
HIGHLIGHTS: Bloodstains, Never grow up
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/epidemicspunk

Gentil
SOUNDS LIKE: Takes the weirdo electro/fucked-up indierock stylings of latter-era Bear Quartet and runs with it. Still a bit rough around the edges, but bursting with potential. Of course that probably means they'll be doomed to obscurity, but I'll be listening.
HIGHLIGHTS: Chapter 1 why language matters, Debaser
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/gentilmusic

Harasser
SOUNDS LIKE: Normally I'd say that attempting to emulate Swedish hardcore legends Breach is an idea that's doomed to fail, but somehow these Danes pull it off. Bravo!
HIGHLIGHTS: Fortabelse
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/fasterkatt

Panter
SOUNDS LIKE: Easily fits within the paradigm of modern indie MOR, but they do it well, so who am I to say it's no good? Again, tons of potential.
HIGHLIGHTS: Every song is eminently likable, but I like the low-key "Part time queers" best
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/pantermusic

01. Frivolvol - Out come the knives
02. TALK 1
03. Lapko - Dead disco
04. Gentle Touch - Once you used to
05. Pellarin - Whistle like you're 56
06. TALK 2
07. Björn Kleinhenz - Light of love
08. Pascal - Smärtsillande
09. Ljudbilden & Piloten - Weddings
10. TALK 3
11. Margaret Berger - Samantha
12. Doughnuts - Become one
13. Kusowsky - Jonny
14. NEI - The devil
15. TALK 4
16. Happiness - Loot at that rabbit go!
17. Firefox AK - Pushing
18. Fattaru - Hörde jag skål
19. TALK 5
20. Britta Persson - Cliffhanger
21. Grizzly Twister - Black box
22. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
23. TALK 6
24. Montys Loco - Criminal
25. Fontän - Alla kan se dig
26. Animal Alpha - Pin you all
27. TALK 7
28. Astrid Swan - Spartan picnic
29. Barra Head - Undermine
30. Fun - 2:22men
31. TALK 8
32. Ted Gärdestad - Oh, vilken härlig dag
33. Christian Kjellvander - Poppies and peonies
34. Echo Is Your Love - Lion tamer vs tigers
35. TALK 9
36. I Am Bones - Home is the one corner of hell that didn't catch fire
37. Miss Li - I'm sorry, he's mine
38. The Deer Tracks - YesThisIsMyBrokenShield
39. TALK 10
40. Entombed - Damn deal done

01. Kaizers Orchestra - Ompa til du dør
02. TALK 1
03. Logh - Thieves in the palace
04. Élodie - At the end of the line
05. Beem - Ducker
06. TALK 2
07. Hell On Wheels - Alexander
08. Isolation Years - Albino child
09. Honey Is Cool - Bolero
10. TALK 3
11. Mob - Wait for me
12. Skywriter - For heaven's sake
13. Menfolk - Zero is also a number
14. TALK 4
15. Plain Fade - Datura
16. Division of Laura Lee - Dirty love
17. Det Gamla Landet - Det heliga landet
18. TALK 5
19. Elope - Black eyed citizen
20. Fontän - You, me & a tree
21. Gehenna - Touched and left for dead
22. TALK 6
23. Mustasch - I hunt alone
24. Cobolt - The Atlantic Ocean takes her back
25. Blinders On - Blinders are on
26. Madrugada - Higher
27. TALK 7
28. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - I could have sworn I heard them SING
29. Notre Dame - Into the coven
30. TALK 8
31. The Motorhomes - The man]]> Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 news http://www.itsatrap.com/n/27894-mp3-fontan-you-me-a-tree http://www.itsatrap.com/n/27894-mp3-fontan-you-me-a-tree http://www.itsatrap.com/n/27894-mp3-fontan-you-me-a-tree#comments The word that best describes Fontän is cinematic. It's an intriguing blend of electronic and acoustic instrumentation painted with a broad emotional palette. Often playful, joyous even, but also languid and brooding as on the track I've posted today (which happens to feature guest vocals from Sarah Assbring aka El Perro Del Mar). What can I say? I like droning pop. But I also like how the album "Aktionskammarn" runs the gamut from happy to sad and back again, sometimes within the context of single track. The composition and arrangements are exceptional as well - Fontän shows deft control over their pieces despite the variety of sound. Again, it's this embrace of diversity that makes the music so strong. Cerebral, but not necessarily challenging if you catch my drift. Very recommended.]]> Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 mp3s