Top 10s for 2011: It's a Trap!
Artist: Mattias Olsson
Viewing posts 1-15 out of 21Recommended: Elephant & Castle
Looking for a little Halloween music and don't want the usual goth/industrial recommendations I hand out? I highly recommend Matti Bye and Mattias Olsson's collaboration album "Elephant & Castle" -- it's the perfect soundtrack of creepy calliope tunes ala "Something wicked this way comes", great any time of year but especially perfect for this particular weekend. Listen via Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/1zJYHaNEwFdMkXCQcnH13E
And if someone from is watching, I'd sure love a copy of that limited edition box set w/the Edison cylinder, but somehow I imagine I'll have to settle for one of the less-fancy copies. Full details here: http://www.kningdisk.com/index_elephantandcastle.htm
Vera Vinter - Du gör mig rädd (video)
Vera Vinter, one of the first signings of the recently relaunched , has just released her debut 7" single "Du gör mig rädd", the video for which you can see above. Said record was recorded by Mattias Olsson (Pineforest Crunch, Gösta Berlings Saga, Änglagård, etc.) and is limited to 500 numbered copies with a fold-out poster cover featuring artwork by Knut Larsson (who also directed the video). A full-length album will follow in fall.
Rising Shadows offer new album for free download
Swedish atmospheric prog/neofolk act Rising Shadows are giving away their latest album "Finis Gloriae Mundi" as a free download, either as mp3s or lossless files: http://www.risingshadows.net/
Said album was recorded with the always-interesting/always-analog Mattias Olsson and features a guest appearance by Stefan Granberg of Randy on bouzouki.
Matti Bye + Mattias Olsson - Elephant & castle
"Empty chairs", the song streaming about, comes off of the album "Elephant & castle", a new musical collaboration between Matti Bye, a Swedish artist known for his soundtrack work, and the prolific analog/keyboard enthusiast Mattias Olsson. Said album "was created in relation to the photographic work of Martina Hoogland Ivanow," whose images provided inspiration for the music during the recording session, fourteen prints of which will also be including in the LP's box along with a phonograph cyclinder. The official release date is April 24 via .
MP3: The Opium Cartel - Flicker girl
One of the perks of running this site that I enjoy most is developing relationships with artists I admire. It's not just interacting via email interviews, but moreso the conversations that go on off the record. Stuff like talking Broder Daniel with Gustaf Kjellvander or even shooting the shit with the dudes from The Swedish Model, discussing the future of physical products. Of course, it's always about the music in the end and so when I get a chance to peep in on the creative process, that's always the best. I'm not much a collector of b-sides and alternate mixes for the most part, but sometimes that really is the best way to get inside an artist's head to see how they work. Moonbabies are a great example -- their songs go through so many variations before arriving at the finished product and it's amazing to hear how many different ways a single piece of music can be expressed. Another great example is Jacob Holm-Lupo and his current project The Opium Cartel. Like Moonbabies' Ola Frick, I get the impression that Jacob labors endlessly in the studio, adding endless layers of instrumentation until he can finally realize the symphony in his head. Ah, the double-edged sword of modern technology! So naturally, when presented the opportunity to share a work-in-progress from him, I gotta jump on it.
If you remember the previous Opium Cartel track I posted last September, this one mines similar territory, though is a bit quieter/folksier. I still hear a bit of the same dark, atmospheric vibe that's in all of Jacob's work dating back to White Willow, however the guest vocals from Rachel Haden (currently on tour with Todd Rundgren, believe it or not) push it closer to Kate Bush avant-pop territory. It starts off twinkly, but slowly progresses into, well, progressive territory. This mix isn't even close to refined so I'm sure the finished version will be even bigger (Jabob: "None of the TOC tracks have actually been mixed yet, and this one suffers a bit from that, as it has like a million tracks"), but it's pretty damn good as-is, so listen up and let your mind fill in the blanks for its as-yet untapped potential. The song and the main melody are in place and that is what's most important.
Errata: the lineup for this recording is Jacob and Rachel plus frequent collaborator Mattias Olsson (Pineforest Crunch, Molesome, etc.) and flautist Ketil Einarsen (Jaga Jazzist). Expect a late 2008/early 2009 release.
The Opium Cartel - Flicker girl (ft. Rachel Haden)
Molesome, the solo project of Swedish producer Mattias Olsson (he also plays/ed with Pineforest Crunch, Nanook of the North and Two Times the Trauma to name a few), has a new limited edition experimental album called "Dial". Read more: http://www.roth-handle.nu/news/2008/01/molesome-dial-it-feels-slightly-odd-to.html
MP3: The Opium Cartel - Three sleepers
New (exclusive?) track today from Norway's The Opium Cartel, the solo project of Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow). On this particular track, he's joined by fellow WW member Sylvia Skjellestad on lead vocals, so if you're at all familiar with that band, this will probably sound quite similar. But whereas WW displays a strong prog influence, The Opium Cartel is far, far mellower no doubt largely due to the influence of producer and fellow collaborator Mattias Olsson (Pineforest Crunch, Änglagård, Nanook of the North, etc). For recording nerds like myself, it's possible to let Mattias' signature warm synth sounds and excellent layering skills overwhelm the track, but it can also be enjoyed as a fine atmospheric pop song. I'm reminded a bit of fellow Norwegian artrockers The 3rd and the Mortal, but it's probably a bit more akin to David Sylvian or Kate Bush as this style of prog/pop is far more weighted towards the pop side of things. Y'know, the kind of thing that appeals to 'serious' music types and high-minded critics without alienating the general listening audience. It's possible to geek out on it, but can be readily enjoyed by anyone as the the overall prettiness of the music is by far its strongest asset.
The Opium Cartel - Three sleepers
Norwegian act The Opium Cartel, the sideproject of White Willow's Jacob Holm, is currently recording a new album with Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, Pineforest Crunch, Nanook of the North, etc.) and will also be doing some recording/mixing with producer Brian McTear (Espers, Swearing at Motorists, etc.) later on at his studio in Philadelphia. Holm also reports that he is mixing songs for an album with Italian electronica artist Giancarlo Erra and No-Man/fellow Opium Cartel collaborator Tim Bowness. Read more about the process on Mattias Olsson's studio blog: http://www.roth-handle.nu/
MP3: The Tarantula Waltz - Two arrows
The Tarantula Waltz may sound like a scary band name, but they really aren't scary at all. A little dark perhaps, but that's about it. If you were expecting Halloween frights, sorry - not gonna happen. The band, the brainchild of Swedish singer/songwriter Markus Svensson, recently completed work on their new album "A waltz" at Roth Händle Studio with producer/engineer Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, Pineforest Crunch, Nanook of the North, etc.) and is looking for a home. If you were blown away by Mattias' work on his own record as Two Times the Trauma like I was, you'll love this. It's just filled with all sorts of clever little details, absolutely begging for the headphone treatment. I've been fortunate enough to offer up this one track to you today, but you can also hear three more at myspace. Now who's gonna put it out?
The Tarantula Waltz - Two arrows
We continue our week of daily new music with a song from Vijaya off of her self-titled debut full-length album. Like most everything on the Exergy label, the sound of the melancholy singer/songwriter is greatly enhanced by the talented Mattias Olsson. Not only is he a gifted producer with a great ear for talent, but his instrumental abilities also add quite a bit to his records. And with that, let me turn it over to Jason Christie to speak more specifically about this particular song:
In my book, music equals art when it combines quality with sentiment and attaches balance. Then a strong message is always good. So like yesteryear anti-star who sang war protests, you have a very timely political impetus to Vijaya's "Your gun will never set you free" - a metallic march and bitmap combined with lazy deadpan tracks in the Chrissie Hynde school. Yet, when did Hynde ever sprinkle C86 in there? This is good gear. Stick it in your gun and smoke it.
MP3: Vijaya - Your gun will never set you free
We continue our week of daily new music with a song from Vijaya off of her self-titled debut full-length album. Like most everything on the Exergy label, the sound of the melancholy singer/songwriter is greatly enhanced by the talented Mattias Olsson. Not only is he a gifted producer with a great ear for talent, but his instrumental abilities also add quite a bit to his records. And with that, let me turn it over to Jason Christie to speak more specifically about this particular song:
In my book, music equals art when it combines quality with sentiment and attaches balance. Then a strong message is always good. So like yesteryear anti-star who sang war protests, you have a very timely political impetus to Vijaya's "Your gun will never set you free" - a metallic march and bitmap combined with lazy deadpan tracks in the Chrissie Hynde school. Yet, when did Hynde ever sprinkle C86 in there? This is good gear. Stick it in your gun and smoke it.
Vijaya - Your gun will never set you free
It's funny how a vacation can somehow make you more tired than when you left. Maybe it's the cold I seem to have caught or maybe it's the hour-delayed flight or maybe it's the unexpected 4am wake-up call from work. All I know is that I'm beat. But I did promise new music and I'm determined to deliver. Underprepared, but not undeterred. So here's the title track from Two Times the Trauma and their newest album "I fell in love with an ocean". TTtT is essentially the solo project of singer/songwriter Mattias Eriksson, but the invaluable production and instrumental assistance of Mattias Olsson must not go unmentioned. If you're even remotely familiar with any of Olsson's other work, you'll know that he loves vintage keyboards and the whole album is absolutely bathed in them. On this song however, it's the drumming that really get me. So understated, but still quite powerful and perfect for the song. And then when the chorus comes in towards the end, it's just so fitting. Really nice.
MP3: Two Times the Trauma - I fell in love with an ocean
It's funny how a vacation can somehow make you more tired than when you left. Maybe it's the cold I seem to have caught or maybe it's the hour-delayed flight or maybe it's the unexpected 4am wake-up call from work. All I know is that I'm beat. But I did promise new music and I'm determined to deliver. Underprepared, but not undeterred. So here's the title track from Two Times the Trauma and their newest album "I fell in love with an ocean". TTtT is essentially the solo project of singer/songwriter Mattias Eriksson, but the invaluable production and instrumental assistance of Mattias Olsson must not go unmentioned. If you're even remotely familiar with any of Olsson's other work, you'll know that he loves vintage keyboards and the whole album is absolutely bathed in them. On this song however, it's the drumming that really get me. So understated, but still quite powerful and perfect for the song. And then when the chorus comes in towards the end, it's just so fitting. Really nice.
Two Times the Trauma - I fell in love with an ocean