IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Ikons - Sister (video)

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:47:21 -0700

New stuff from Ikons off their forthcoming album "Life rhythm", due out in May via Service. Seems like they've officially abandoned their previously darker, more interesting and instrumental/Kraut-heavy sound for a lackluster baggy/Madchester sort of pop thing. Forgive me if I can't conceal my disappointment, but this isn't very good.

Ikons - Free spirit

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:41:37 -0800

Via Service, here's a new track from Ikons which shows the band going in a far less dark direction than before: http://servicedecennium.tumblr.com/post/18553370783/ikons-free-spirit-on-all-three-albums-coming

Frengers en français

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:17:46 -0800

Sometime IAT contributor Laura Studarus waxes rhapsodically on Mew for Under the Radar: http://www.undertheradarmag.com/blog/frengers_en_francais/

Ikons album in April

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:23:13 -0800

Göteborg act Ikons will release their debut album on April 25.

Top tens for 2010: It's a Trap!

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:17:20 -0800

Not everything in the picture above is officially a 2010 release, but they are all various things I picked up this past year and would recommend you do the same, should the opportunity present itself. Bonus points to anyone who can name every record pictured! Anyhow, as I was saying, there was quite a lot of really good music released in 2010, but at the same time, very few crossed the line into greatness. This year, only three albums made the cut.

Dear Euphoria - This night will flee (Given Productions/Herbivor Music)

A deep and richly satisfying listening experience that speaks of love and emptiness and the vast space between, with each repitition revealing new insight. Beautifully haunting.

Masshysteri - s/t (Ny Våg/Feral Ward)

The perfect pop-punk album. RIP.

Okkultokrati - No light for mass (Fysisk Format/Lilla Himmel/Odio Sonoro/Ormeyngel Records)

Apocalyptic visions set to a soundtrack of the rawest metal/punk sludge. A zeitgeist-defining album of unmatched ugliness.

Best Song:

Susanne Sundfør - The brothel
I still get goosebumps every time.

Best Demo:

Underachiever - This is where I lost the ability to love
Faster Katt - Demo 2010

The notion of a demo is almost completely lost in this digital age, but there are still those who carry the torch, preferring to test the waters with honest, rough-edged recordings before commiting to any sort of "official" release. In 2010 I listened to way more, way better demo/self-released material this year than any big-name releases, so this list could be a lot longer, but these two stuck with me the longest.

Other Records Worth Mentioning

Like I said at the top, there really were a lot of really good albums this year. Here's a few more that might not rate as high as the three above, but are all well worth your time:

The Bear Quartet - Monty Python (Adrian Recordings)
BQ's endless restlessness and constant desire to innovate remains one of their greatest assets, but it also means that they sometimes miss the mark. Still, the band remains one of Sweden's all-time greats, if not the greatest.

Darkthrone - Circle the wagons (Peaceville)
The opposite of BQ in that the band is continually regressing, but very similar in the approach that they continually churn an almost overwhelming amount of quality material.

Enforcer - Diamonds (Earache/Heavy Artillery)
Too goofy to be truly great, but guaranteed to stay in steady rotation for years to come.

Johan Helte - Sara, (Raffaella)
On the cusp of greatness. Ask me again about this record in six months.

Kimono - Easy music for difficult people (Kimi Records)
My sleeper pick of the year. It's hard to cite exactly what's so gripping about this record, I just know that I keep listening to it regularly.

Monzano - By this time last year everything will seem younger (Spoon Train Audio/How is Annie Records)
Another one on the cusp. Not sure anymore if I permanently burned myself out on these literary indie gents from Norway or if it's one that'll come back to me after some time apart.

Britta Persson - Current affair medium rare (Selective Notes)
More than a few exceptional moments (see "Toast to M" for example), but not enough cohesion.

Robyn - Body talk (Konichiwa Records)
There's a reason this is on everyone's list.

Säkert! - Facit (Razzia Records)
A good album that simply hasn't connected with me as much as I had hoped.

The Tallest Man on Earth - The wild hunt (Dead Oceans)
Another one that made a lot of year-end lists for good reason.

Tiger Tape - I woke up in Hökarängen (Cosy/Lo And Behold)
My favorite indiepop album of 2010.

Plus a few more names: Ikons, Haust, Slöa Knivar, Lapko, Fun, Meleeh, Moto Boy... and let us not forget all of the amazing reissues from The Crypt such as Pan-Thy-Monium, Crypt of Kerberus, Uncanny, Furbowl and so on. So yeah, lots of good music. No complaints!

Sirius playlist week #39

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:31:05 -0700

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

01. Simian Ghost - Beat on the brat
02. TALK 1
03. End of All - Folkhemmet
04. In These Woods - Bear
05. The Bells - Outside
06. Britta Persson - Some girls some boys
07. TALK 2
08. Kråkesølv - Nordavind mot varme kinn
09. Tomas Halberstad - The pendulum swings again
10. WhoMadeWho - Left hand of the boxser
11. TALK 3
12. Säkert! - Köttet är svagt
13. Next Life - Battle tactics
14. Kaka - Candyman
15. The Fine Arts Showcase - Spanish kerosene
16. TALK 4
17. Kimono - Black
18. Axe - Up against common sense
19. NNDC - Mouthful of diamonds
20. Slöa Knivar - Anticimex
21. Enforcer - Take me to hell
22. TALK 5
23. Ikons - Imperiet

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 #19

Mon, 10 May 2010 11:16:34 -0700

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

01. Sweatmaster - Turnover
02. TALK 1
03. Viola - Leave it all again (feat. Bääbs)
04. Regulations - Down the street
05. The Bear Quartet - Sweet beef
06. TALK 2
07. Mattias Alkberg - Lys upp mig en stjärna
08. Susanne Sundfør - Turkish delight
09. The Skull Defekts - Remain in cruxus (dub)
10. TALK 3
11. Obliteration - Ingesting death
12. Zombiekrig - Håll käften ge mig dina pengar
13. Grande Roses - The astronaut
14. Brutus - Solution
15. TALK 4
16. Ikons - Guns
17. Rising - Grail of bone
18. The Aches - Dancing syllables
19. TALK 5
20. Eskatol - Fane av løgner

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.

Ikons interview at Fairtilizer

Mon, 03 May 2010 19:16:06 -0700

Fairtilizer interviews Swedish darkwave shoegazers Ikons: http://blog.fairtilizer.com/pop/ikons/

Sirius playlist week #15

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:29:58 -0700

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

01. Johan Heltne - Din alkoholism är ingen alkoholism
02. TALK 1
03. Per Egland - Merkurius brinner (Martin Senter remix)
04. Gösta Berlings Saga - Bergslagen
05. TALK 2
06. Moses - Warning
07. Repoman - Flock of jackdaws
08. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
09. TALK 3
10. Pallers - The kiss
11. Ikons - Slow light (Pistol Disco remix)
12. TALK 4
13. Herätys - Pelkkää pahoinvointia
14. Love Is All - Bigger bolder
15. Susanne Sundfør - The brothel
16. 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.

Ikons - Slow light (Pistol Disco remix)

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:28:22 -0700

Download the Pistol Disco remix of Ikons' "Slow light": http://www.rcrdlbl.com/artists/IKONS/track/Slow_Light_Pistol_Disco_Remix

Ikons s/t Service

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:04:06 -0700

There's nothing quite like the feeling induced by an airy, nostalgic collection of music that appeals to all the senses rather than simply landing on the ears and, well, sounding like the average album does. Thankfully, "Ikons" is not your average album. Simply listening to this results in a variety of sweeping images being projected into the mind's eye. For example, opener "Slow light" conjures up images of gliding through clear blue skies, ultimate freedom and joy at the forefront of the imagination. And maybe this isn't even the correct interpretation -- if there is one. That's one of the appeals of this album; the ability to induce imaginative visuals and for each listener to have his own ideas of what the music represents. Vocals are used very sparingly here, and when they do appear they offer a distinct '80s new-wave aura that fits perfectly with the rest of the music. "Ikons" is one of those albums that offers a wide variety of styles from song to song while remaining completely coherent as a single entity. There's the chill-out ambience of "Domine", the anthemic "Bye", the pure rock of "The hawk" and everything in between. The oblique return to "Slow light" for closer "Untitled" works unbelievably well in winding the album down on a positive note. While "Ikons" is a wonderful album sonically, it must surely come into its own in the live environment, since an integral part of the band's lineup is visual artist Patrik Johansson, who plies his trade onstage by creating stunning visual concepts to complement the music. They've been lauded for their live shows in the past and one can only imagine how sublime the coupling of the two artforms would work in that setting.

Sirius playlist week #11

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:33:31 -0700

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

01. Laakso - Worst case scenario
02. TALK 1
03. Du Pacque - Walk straight
04. Pascal - Tutti frutti
05. Nirvana 2002 - The awakening of...
06. Lapko - I shot the sheriff
07. TALK 2
08. The Floor is Made of Lava - The bigger picture
09. No Balls - Guilt blocker
10. Obliteration - Styxerian path (into darkness)
11. Next Life - Anti matter
12. TALK 3
13. Ikons - Imperiet
14. The Skull Defekts - Habit
15. Familjen - När planeterna stannat
16. TALK 4
17. Meleeh - Sun and moon
18. Kite - I give you the morning
19. Ef - 401 Lwa
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.

MP3: Ikons - The hawk

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:41:02 -0800

After banging my head against CSS coding problems for five or so hours yesterday, I need to hear something that adequately reflects the state of my brain. Something noisy and repetitive. Bonus that it fills the gap between this week's other postings of Monument and Du Pacque. That something: Ikons. Monotonik beats meet loud guitars under a black shroud of destructive noise. "The hawk" is way more Kraut than goth, but they have those tendencies, let me assure you. Keep on droning, let me forget my problems, clear my mind; melt away the cobwebs, the fuzz. Block/black out the world around me.

Sirius playlist week #8

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:39:06 -0800

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

01. Agent Side Grinder - The screams
02. TALK 1
03. Susanne Sundfør - The brothel
04. The Skull Defekts - Millions
05. Torpedo - Accelerate
06. TALK 2
07. Donkeyboy - Ambitions
08. Haust - Skate rock
09. Ikons - The hawk
10. Dyno - Deliverance
11. TALK 3
12. Monzano - Waterways and altitude
13. Moto Boy - The heart is a rebel
14. The Graviators - Back to the sabbath
15. Sonic Ritual - (Don't wanna) Feel alright
16. TALK 4
17. Oskar Schönning - Farsan

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.

Ikons album now streaming

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:04:38 -0800

The new Ikons album is now streaming at Service's website: http://www.srvc.se/
Scroll down for preorder details.

Ikons - Slow light (video)

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:40:41 -0800

Check out the new Ikons video for "Slow light": http://vimeo.com/7848846
Apparently the band's new self-titled album will be available for streaming starting tomorrow.

Ikons - Skull city

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:59:32 -0700

The new Ikons single "Skull city" is out now via Service Coop. Listen here: http://srvc.se/catalog/item.php?catno=SRVC008
The band's debut album will be out this fall and if it's a continuation of what we've heard so far, I'm sure it'll be great.

Sirius playlist week #22

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:23:39 -0700

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

01. Zacke ft. Movits - Spela mig på radion
02. TALK 1
03. Florence Valentin - Såld är såld
04. Ikons - Guns (Pistol Disco remix)
05. Logh - Death to my hometown
06. TALK 2
07. Thåström - Långtbort
08. Le Corbeau - Night stroll
09. Skriet - Fåglarna
10. TALK 3
11. Kongh - Unholy water
12. C.Aarmé - Blodet
13. TALK 4
14. The Bell - On and on
15. Heroes & Zeroes - Cipramillion
16. Ison & Fille - Jag skratter idag
17. 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.

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:33:09 -0700

Ikons have a new website: http://www.1kon5.com/

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:58:51 -0700

Pistol Disco's upcoming album "Evergreen" will be released later this year via Celebrity Lifestyle Records and will be available either on 12" vinyl or as a free digital download. Look for new remixes from them for artists such as Ikons and Maria in the near future as well.

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:00:24 -0700

Airwaves Music will be putting on their 2nd annual Krautrock festival in Stockholm on May 23. German masters Faust headline and they've also got IAT-tipped favorites Pistol Disco and Ikons on as support. More info: http://www.airwavesmusic.com/krautrocksthlm2008/

Wed, 07 May 2008 12:24:40 -0700

Swedish label Service (Jens Lekman, The Embassy) has announced the signing of Ikons (remember?). Check out the new single "Guns" right here: http://srvice.com/catalog/item.php?catno=SRVC001
Service has also relaunched themselves as a cooperative and is offering up public membership in exchange for use of their new subscription service: http://srvice.com/catalog/item.php?catno=JOIN_SERVICE

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:45:11 -0800

IKONS-affiliated act Outmen have two new tracks up on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/outmen

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:00:44 -0800

Ikons sideproject Outmen has two new tracks on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/outmen

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:25:51 -0800

It's been awhile since I've posted a new profile piece, too long if you ask me, but that dry spell has come to an end! Just posted, a profile on GBG-based act IKONS. Even better, they've provided a brand new exclusive track for download, so check it out!

Profile: IKONS

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Name: IKONS

From: Göteborg, Sweden

Sounds like: Dark, dirty and droning

Listen: ~~Good things (into my mind)~~

Discography:
2005 – EP1 (Militärindustri)

Links:
www.1kon5.com
www.myspace.com/1kon5

Give me a wall of bracing feedback. No, make it a wave - I want to get lost in it and let it carry me away. That's the feeling I get from listening to IKONS. The band has been around a few years, always lurking just below the surface, but the time has come for them get the attention they rightfully deserve. Finally, some new Swedish rock'n'roll that actually succeeds at sounding dangerous.
- Avi Roig

Who are IKONS and where are you from?

IKONS are Torbjörn Johansson, Jonas Bengtsson, Martin Olsson, Rikard Johansson and Carl Riis. Additional players are Magnus Wahlström and Magnus Delborg. All members share the experience of growing up in suburbs outside of Gothenburg, close to airports and woods.

What separates Ikons from the various other bands you are involved in?

Jonathan from Samuraj Cities is not with us anymore. Magnus Wahlström's main- project is Boat Club and he joins IKONS whenever there is time, and Karl Riis, whose project Outmen right now seems to start off pretty good. Musically there are some differences, but on the idealistic there are none. Everyone has a good ear for what fits and what we are trying to do. And whenever IKONS is working or playing, nothing else exists.

What do you do when you're not playing music?

Universities and factories.

What's your take on the current GBG music scene? How does it rate with what's happening in the overall Swedish scene?

I don't see how IKONS has anything to do with the current GBG-scene. And I don't even know if there is one. It feels like the trend right now and the trend that has been for the last few years everywhere, has been some sort of freight for the use of analog instruments. Not that there is anything particularly wrong with using laptops or ipods, but it seems to be some sort of stagnation in the process of using it, it has no direction, a bit boring now, and has been going on a bit to long. There are some really great bands in Gothenburg, like Studio, or Pistol Disco who're doing their own thing. The "Krautscene", or what you should call it in Stockholm seems to have some really interesting stuff going on. And the Swedish music-scene? Don't know, maybe not that interesting, and probably has nothing to do with us.

Name one trend you'd love to see get popular. What about one you wish would disappear completely.

Everything that takes a really long time to do, maybe chess playing. Current flirts with rightwing idealistics and tennis fashion.

Best film you've seen recently?

"Persona" – Bergman.

What's the future for IKONS? Where will you be in 6 months? Next year?

We never know anything; this band could die at any time, or start conquering the goods. Right now we are in a good spin, with new songs and new people in the band, and some gigs coming our way. Hopefully we will have some release out, if well just found someone who would like to release it. Give us an EP! The new song "Good things (into my mind)" we'll post for you is some kind of new direction, but definitely not the only direction the music is taking. We like to see the songs as contrasts to each other, and give much room for them to evolve. Unity in songs can be really important, but for us right now it tends to be boring, we want to see the larger spectrum of musical opportunities. We are in a creative mood of experimenting; new songs will point in a more Krautrock direction as well as the psychedelic sides of bands like Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and Hawkwind. That's the ideals; the musical reality is something for us to deal with. But, there will be soul.

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Check out the Pistol Disco remix of "Guns" by Swedish dark rock act Ikons: http://www.myspace.com/1kon5
Ikons features members from Samuraj Cities and Boat Club and, like all Pistol Disco-related sounds, this track is a total face-melter.

Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Absolut Noise talks to Swedish goth/post-punk act Ikons, a band that features one of the guys from Samuraj Cities: http://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/2007/05/cracking-up.html

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

The nominees for the 2007 Manifest Awards, Sweden's alternative to the Grammy:

Hip-hop/R&B/Soul:
Up Hygh! - Venus - The Album (Raw Fusion/Border)
Ison & Fille - Stolthet (Hemmalaget/V2/BAM)
Supersci - Pinetrees On The Pavement (Flyphonic/Lights Out/Border)
Lazee - It Is What It Is (Skrilla Music)
Promoe - The White Mans Burden (Burning Heart/BAM)
Electronica/Post-rock/Synth:
Covenant - Skyshaper (Subspace Communications/Playground Music)
Ebb - Loona (Gaymonkey Records/Border)
FAP - Malekasino Dondolo (Stupid Dream Records/Musicspot)
System - Sample And Hold (Progress Productions/Border)
The Idealist - I Am The Fire (AA/Nosordo/dotshop.se)
Pop/Rock:
The Radio Dept. - Pet grief (Labrador/Border)
Nicolas Makelberge - Dying in Africa (*Rico/Border)
Fibes, Oh Fibes! - Emotional (Pluxemburg/Playground Music)
The Concretes - In Colour (Licking Fingers/Playground Music)
Ebba Forsberg - Ebba Forsberg (EBOTH Production/BAM)
Jazz:
My Engström Renman - Abdominous (Footprint Records/CDA)
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Son of a Drummer (Moserobie/BAM)
Oddjob – Luma (Amigo/BAM)
Oskar Schönning - Happy Jazz, Please (Amigo/BAM)
Lennart Åberg with Peter Erskine - Free Spirit (Amigo/BAM)
Singer/Songwriter:
Andreas Mattsson - The Lawlessness Of The Ruling Classes (Hybris/Playground Music)
Britta Persson - Top Quality Bones And A Little Terrorist (Amigo/BAM)
The Lancaster Orchestra - Never Cried Once When I Could Have (Rootsy.nu/Border)
Loney, Dear - Sologne (Dear John Recordings/Dotshop.se)
Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Jazzen (Amigo/BAM)
Dance/House/Techno:
The Knife - Silent Shout (Rabid Records/Border)
Unai - A Love Moderne (Force Tracks/Intergroove)
Dibaba - samlad produktion 2006 (Plong!/Kompakt mfl)
Pluxus - Solid State (Pluxemburg/Playground Music)
The Studio - West Coast (Information/Border)
Hard-rock/Punk:
In Flames - Come Clarity (Nuclear Blast/Sound Pollution)
Fingerspitzengefühl - Happy Doomsday (Kooljunk Communications/CDA)
Asta Kask - En För Alla Ingen För Nån (Burning Heart/BAM)
Wolverine - Still (Candlelight Records/Sound Pollution)
Memfis - The Wind-Up (Dental Records/TMC Nordic)
Folk/World/Reggae
Bosse Skoglund – Groovesopor (Rub-a-dub Records/Border)
Göran Månsson - Mon (Nordic Tunes/CDA)
Bebo Valdés – Bebo (Calle 54/BMG Dist)
Lena Willemark - Älvdalens elektriska (Amigo/BAM)
Ranarim - Morgonstjärna (Drone/CDA)
Best live act:
The Radio Dept.
Mapei
The Knife
The Je Ne Sais Quoi
Slagsmålsklubben
Best newcomer:
Vapnet - Jag Vet Hur Man Väntar (Hybris/Playground)
Britta Persson - Top Quality Bones And A Little Terrorist (Amigo/BAM)
The Kid - La Société Nouvelle (Hybris/Playground)
Loney, Dear - Sologne (Dear John Recordings/Dotshop.se)
Lo-Fi-Fnk - Boylife (La Vida Locash/dotshop.se)
Best unsigned act (Digfi Prize):
The Wonderful Guinea Pigs (Linköping)
Denver Mod (Jönköping)
The Open Up And Bleeds (Stockholm)
Trucker Cleavage (Stockholm)
Ikons (Göteborg)