IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

The Universe - There are no survivors on this Earth (video)

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:52:13 -0700

As mentioned before, The Universe is ex-members of Iisole creating heavy instrumental postrock. This is their first video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow76V2ax51c

Listen to the sound of The Universe

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:19:05 -0700

Swedish instrumental act The Universe (ex-Iisole) are streaming their new album at Bandcamp, as well as offering it up as a paid download to raise money for an eventual vinyl release: http://theuniversemusic.bandcamp.com/
If you're into the kind of stuff that Tenderversion Recordings puts out (ie, Scraps of Tape, September Malevolence, etc.), you'll probably be into this as well.

New music from The Universe

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:52:29 -0700

The Universe, the instrumental act that formed out of the remnants of Iisole, are streaming a bunch of new tunes at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theuniverse_music

Sirius playlist week #32

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:15:14 -0700

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

01. TALK 1
02. Elias and the Wizzkids - Mr. Right Guy
03. Marit Bergman - Thoughts grow darker in the night
04. Jomi Massage - I see those who died
05. The End Will Be Kicks - Luleå Los Angeles La Paz
06. TALK 1
07. Viola - Shimmery summary (sha-la-la-love)
08. The Bear Quartet - Sailors
09. [ingenting] - Halleluja!
10. TALK 2
11. Erik de Vahl - Got it all
12. The Scrags - Twist at the graveyard
13. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - DOA
14. Iisole - The words
15. TALK 4
16. Death By Kite - Scared of heights
17. Sonic Ritual - Take the edge off
18. Mainliners - Olivia
19. Ted Gärdestad - Räcker jag till
20. TALK 5
21. Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks

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.

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:49:25 -0800

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

01. Soviac - I got the ribbah
02. TALK 1
03. Downstairs - Peephole city
04. Moonbabies - At the ballroom
05. Tar... Feathers - You are lucky to have nothing
06. TALK 2
07. Truckfighters - Atomic
08. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Corny waltz
09. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
10. TALK 3
11. Norma - The dark
12. Karin Ström - Klaustrofobi
13. Vapnet - Tjernobyl
14. TALK 4
15. Montt Mardié - The windmill turns all the same
16. Motorpsycho - Hyena
17. Musti Laiton - Tämän iltainen
18. Holiday Fun Club - Hamburg in the night
19. TALK 5
20. Rigas - It's a shame
21. Repoman - Jawbone night
22. Iisole - The words
23. TALK 6
24. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
25. Kasper Bjørke - Back & spine (Fidel Astro remix)
26. Promoe - Headache
27. TALK 7
28. Viola - Imaginary times
29. New Decade - While tonight still is
30. Promise and the Monster - Sheets
31. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Choking on teeth
32. TALK 8
33. Totalitär - Nej vi ska inte ha nåt
34. Him Kerosene - Whatever get you by
35. The Social Services - Up in arms
36. Jens Lekman - The opposite of hallelujah
37. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
38. TALK 9
39. Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy

MyFriends: The Deed, Hymns from Nineveh, In a City By the Sea, The Mymmelins, Twin Piloda

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

This time out, I'm all about sideprojects.

The Deed
SOUNDS LIKE: The guys from Iisole are involved in a bazillion different projects so here's one featuring Martin Nilsson. Like his main band, this is definitely in the melancholic (post-)rock realm (think: Logh), but a bit more laid back.
HIGHLIGHTS: All three tracks are great, you only gotta give 'em time to reveal themselves
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/nilssonmartin

Hymns from Nineveh
SOUNDS LIKE: Devotional music from Jonas Petersen of Danish act Attrap. Take it from a non-Christian - this is very well done.
HIGHLIGHTS: Rejoicingalongsong, A tired man sings abide
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/hymnsfromnineveh

In a City By the Sea
SOUNDS LIKE: More melancholic musings, this time from Mikael Kærsgaard of Munich, a band who happens to be good friends with the aforementioned Attrap. Again, quite nice.
HIGHLIGHTS: He's allright [sic], Shipwrecks
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/inacitybythesea

The Mymmelins
SOUNDS LIKE: Fun's younger, grungier brother.
HIGHLIGHTS: Vompat disco, Conflict in the backyard
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/themymmelins

Twin Piloda
SOUNDS LIKE: High quality pop from Måns Wieslander, a man best known to me for his work with Moonbabies.
HIGHLIGHTS: Shut up and wave, Cousin evil
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/twinpiloda

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

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

New profile piece today on Tobias Hellkvist, a very promising young artist: [click here]
Buy his latest record "Transports" right here. Oh, and the label he's talking starting? Should everything work out according to plan, his first release will be from Martin Nilsson of Iisole, yet another promising young act I've been a big fan of. Listen to Martin's music here: http://www.myspace.com/nilssonmartin

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Today's top 10 is courtesy of Iisole, one of the most promising, up-and-coming bands I've heard in 2006: [click here]

Top 10s for 2006: Iisole

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Highlights from 2006, in no particular order:

The birth of the love affair between iisole and Jezebel recordings.

Our first encounter with the Norwegian crust scene. Lesson learned: 'Norway sucks, buy a t-shirt.'

Itsatrap.com. Most dedicated person around.

The start of a new musical era. In other words, the construction of Studio Nilsson.

The ten year jubilee of the album "Do not tailgate" by Sweden's finest: Fireside.

When living in such a stressful environment as Stockholm, we sometimes miss the tranquil isolation of Dalarna. The music of Anders Persson gets us thru.

Drunk & Naked Tour 2006: Schnuskpunk vol 1 & 2, vegan delights and pig stew meals, the tour bus and the endless singing, intoxicating and lack of sleep, all the D.I.Y shows for all the D.I.Y people… haha. And of course When We Fall, we love you... Änna.

Best concert 2006, attended by all of iisole, would undoubtfully be the Mogwai show at Berns. Take me somewhere nice…

Daniel Loefgren – "The Engine". Great album…. only took about five years. But hey, better late then sorry.

New haircuts in the band. 'Hey, I look like Conor'...

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

Iisole's debut full-length album will be out on Jezebel Recordings this coming spring.
www.iisole.com
www.myspace.com/iisole

Top 10s for 2006: It's a trap!

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Official top 10 releases for 2006, in alphabetical order:

There was a glut of good music in 2006, but only a few truly great albums. I found myself enjoying a very high percentage of the music that came my way, but very little remained in regular rotation for any length of time. Too much of a good thing? Perhaps. Regardless, I had some trouble compiling my list since I wanted to ensure that my selections were fit for posterity. That means albums like The Knife's "Silent shout" and Motorpsycho's "Black hole/black canvas" were out, despite being admirable pieces of work. They deserve high praise, but I simply didn't listen to them that much. Similarly, I'm From Barcelona and Peter Bjorn and John were off the list because their 2006 releases pale in comparison to what came before (both the original "Sing!!" demo EP from IFB and PB&J's "Falling out" are 100% unfuckwithable). What's left? Well, lots actually. The difficulty is separating all the 8s from the 9s and 10s. Let's get going then:

01. Aerial - Black rain from the bombing (Nomethod)
It came out in January and stuck with me throughout the entire year. That alone says something. As for the music, it's an amazing display of epic bombast and twisting riffs. Why can't more post-rock be noisy like this?
MP3: Time is on fire

02. The Book of Daniel - Songs for the Locust King (Black Star Foundation)
A late in the year release so I was reluctant to list it, but there's no denying the quality. Full of wisdom and poetry.
MP3: The camels parade

03. C.Aarmé - Vita (Carcrash/Burning Heart)
The brightest stars always burn out the fastest. RIP.
MP3: We are the world

04. Closer - Tokpela EP (Closersounds)
One of those bands I fell in love with the moment I first heard it. Heavy rock doesn't get better than this.
MP3: Open casket

05. Johndoe - Dødvinkel (JHND)
This one snuck up on me and is probably the one record on this list I've listened to the most.
MP3: Kjøtere

06. Montys Loco - Man overboard (NONS)
God, I hate the genre label 'folktronic', but I really can't think of a better way to describe this. Quirky instrumentation and arrangements aside, the music is simply brilliant and would work in any context.
MP3: Wasteland

07. Namur - Songs from the Valley of Baca (Thehourislate)
It's probably for the best that David Åhlén retired this stage moniker because this will be hard to top. Nothing wrong with quitting while you're ahead.
MP3: Marching

08. Raison d'Être - Metamorphyses (Cold Meat Industry)
I honestly don't believe I've heard another dark-ambient album this good. Ever.
MP3: Metamorphyses phase I

09. Oskar Schönning - Happy jazz, please (Amigo)
Another one of those records that found its way into steady rotation without much thought. Echoes of that other famous bassist/bandleader Charles Mingus along with fellow Swede Jan Johansson, but with an ear to the future.
MP3: Happy jazz, please

10. Sonores - Elefanten (Structures Sonores)
These guys asked me if I wanted to co-release this with them and I said no because I thought I was too busy. I blew it.
MP3: Jonathan

Best two demos I heard all year: Circle Six and Iisole

Four favorite non-Scandinavian releases:
Converge - No heroes (Epitaph)
Kayo Dot - Dowsing anenome with copper tongue (Robotic Empire)
Jesu - Silver (Hydra Head)
Rome - Berlin (Cold Meat Industry)

Two old metal warhorses who prove that age doesn't mean a thing: Iron Maiden & Slayer

What to expect for 2007? Well, my predicted goth revival for 2006 didn't live up to expectations even though it seemed to spawn quite a few excellent releases (The Kid and 1999, for example). Regardless, I'm not going to let that stop me from making more asinine predictions. My pick for the new trend of 2007: industrial/EBM. I swear, it's gonna happen. It's time.

Honorable mentions:
Asha Ali - s/t (NONS)
Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen (Danarkia)
The Fine Arts Showcase - Radiola (Adrian Recordings)
Kazakstan - s/t (Katalyst)
Knife and Ape - Hex! (Deleted Art)
Lampshade - Let's away (Glitterhouse)
Lemonator - At the presence of great beauty (Odor)
Once We Were - Contra (Tenderversion)
Britta Persson - Top quality bones... (Amigo)
Plain Fade - Aure (Punos Sound)
Promoe - White man's burden (Burning Heart)
Tsukimono - Neé (Kalligrammofon)

Iisole They call me Tjuchna Jezebel Recordings

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Here is a band with a classic Touch & Go sound, but also a melodic sensibility that totally different than anything T&G had on their roster. Iisole have a weird and different way of approaching progressions and vocal arrangements that make something old new again. Seriously, one second they sound like Yow-less Jesus Lizard and the next the majestic beauty of Do Make Say Think. They combine those two elements with such grace and ease, always with the vocal arrangements making the bridge and making sense of all this. This is a pretty good record.

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Jezebel Records has just released a digital EP from Iisole, one of my favorite up-and-coming bands: http://www.klicktrack.com/shop/release.jsp?r=14693&cp=195
Highly recommended and well worth the price.

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Iisole, one of my favorite new acts, has made their most recent 6-song EP available for streaming: http://www.octopus-tv.se/iisole/streambox.html

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Go here to hear some new soundclips from Iisole and Devotion to Trust: http://www.norinism.com/ (click on studio)

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

New profile piece posted today on Iisole, a band that could not be more perfect for my tastes: [click here]

Profile: Iisole

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Name: Iisole

From: Stockholm, Sweden

Sounds like: Melancholy post-hardcore. Not quite metal enough for doom, but definitely heavier than most indierock.

Listen: The words

Discography:
2006 - s/t EP (self-released)
2005 - s/t EP (self-released)

Links:
www.iisole.com
www.myspace.com/iisole

Iisole is a band that seems almost tailormade for my tastes. They have driving, noisy guitars like my mates KVLR, but they also indulge in gloomy post-rock ala Logh, another one of my most favorite acts. Seriously, it doesn't get much better than that in my book. So why are they still unsigned? It makes no sense. Explore the mystery!

Who are you and where are you from?

I am iisole. I consist of four individuals with their own agendas.
I try to make them move in the same direction, but most of the time they don't, just to piss me off.
I currently live in Stockholm but sometimes I need a break from the big city and then I go to small places that are surrounded by trees, mountains and weaponfactorys.

What makes you special and why should anyone care?

I got three nipples, a gay dad, a crooked nose and I´ve got a bastard child (love him). That's why.

The power of flight or invisibility - which do you choose and why?

I have to go with invisibility on this one. Then I could sneak on a plane and then I would both be flying and be invisible. And of course rob a bank, start a record label and hire a lot of important people to do all my dirty work.

Tell me about one of your favorite childhood memories.

I'm still a child.
- I was drunk on stage in Norway... "Norway sucks...buy a t-shirt". Never seen people shop away like that.
- When I stole my favourite drum beat...pi-zza ka-tong, ka-tong — ka-tong me pi-zza. That was a good one.
- When I got dismissed by a record label due to alleged attitude problems.
- When I performed in Umeå this dirty punk yelled out, during a slow part in a song, "play faster!". After the show I hated myself for not responding "dance slower".

What's your strongest vice?

Discovery channel, showers, drinking beer while showering, Russian literature, laziness, anything smokable, anything drinkable (green yellow), food magazines, Emmerdale, df, skunk.nu... and my own music.

Tell me about some of the other bands various Iisole members are involved with.

Vi - heavier and slower. (jhd)
Iskra - my ego, indiepop project. Started in a livingroom standard in minor. (Iisole members + a bunch more)
Deud - garagenoise duo (jhd, hmn)
Avsmak - gory horror hip-hop in swedish (iaeb)
Suffocate for Fuck Sake - Breach, Sigur Ros, Cult of Luna and Mogwai at the same time. (emm, jhd)

What does the future hold for Iisole?

Iisole will be appearing on a 12" compilation by Jezbel Recordings set to release in June. We will also appear in the June issue of a Swedish music magazine called Groove and have a song on their monthly cd.
We will do pretty much anything to get a record deal, it would be so fucking nice not having to burn our own cd's or pay for doing gigs.
Other than that, we'd like to play live as much as possible.
Om inget händer innan imorgon så kommer jag.

Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The May edition of Famous for 15mb is now online and, as always, features an amazing array of musicians from all over the world: http://www.famousfor15mb.com/
Scandinavian contributors include renown Norwegian noise artist Lasse Marhaug and Swedish noiserockers Iisole (one of my recent favorites) as well as Sekvens, Synt Tofs and Zerofication.

Tue, 09 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Check out Swedish post-hardcore act Vi, yet another amazing act featuring a member from Iisole: http://www.myspace.com/vi2006

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Iisole, one of the many young promising acts I posted about last week, will be contributing a track to a 12" comp of European noiserock being compiled by the very excellent Swedish label Jezebel Recordings. Hopefully I'll be able to get the full tracklist soon.

MP3: Iisole - The words

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

We continue our glut of great new music with another full week of daily tunes, 'cept this time it's all demo/self-released material. My first choice was easy - all of Iisole's previous material has been strong, but their latest demo is a stunner. The band has started to incorporate more post-rock tendencies into their noisy, guitar-heavy sound and the result is something like a cross between KVLR and Logh, two of my most favorite bands. How could I not love it? Hopefully you will too.

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Swedish noiserockers Iisole have posted two tracks from their latest EP for free download: http://www.iisole.com/
Definitely recommended - these guys just keep getting better and better with each new release.

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Swedish noiserockers Iisole have a new self-released EP out and are streaming a few songs on myspace: http://myspace.com/iisole

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Swedish noiserockers Iisole will be going into the studio on February 23 to record some new songs and will also be playing a short tour in Sweden and Norway with When We Fall in mid-March. If you're into stuff like KVLR, be sure to check these guys out.

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Check out some new tracks from Iskra, a mellower sideproject of Iisole: http://www.purevolume.com/iskra
The tracks come from the group's just-released third EP "Sunflower surrealism".

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish indierockers Iisole have posted some new tracks on their website: http://www.iisole.com/
Kinda reminds me of older KVLR stuff, so of course I like it.

Mon, 11 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Help fight Big Brother and the Antipiratbyrån! Download some new tracks from Iisole at their website: http://www.iisole.com/

Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Lawnchair Records has signed Iisole, a new hardcore/post-rock/indie band featuring members of Feeble and Iskra. Head to the label's site to download two new mp3s: http://www.lawnchairrecords.com/