IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Presenting: Keep Rising

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 12:43:48 -0700

New Swedish hardcore by way of Black Star Foundation featuring members from Meleeh, Gadget and In Ruins Of. Digital files are available now, the 7" version will be ready on July 22.

BSR to do Keep Rising 7"

Mon, 21 May 2012 18:58:10 -0700

Black Star Foundation will be doing a 7" with Gävle hardcore act Keep Rising, a new-ish band featuring members from Meleeh, Gadget and In Ruins.

SWEHC on new Swedish HC

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:26:46 -0800

Can't say that I'm much of a fan of various acts on display here aside from maybe Keep Rising (ex-Meleeh/Ashram), but SWEHC has a good rundown on new music from various Swedish hardcore acts such asLose the Life, Agent Attitude and more: http://www.swehc.com/2012/01/14/swehc-jan10/
If you're into youth-crew or NYHC-style jams, you'll dig it, but it's not for me.

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!

Gadget on tour

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:19:44 -0700

Swedish grind act Gadget is heading out for a few European dates, many with countrymates Meleeh:

07/21 - Utkanten, Malmö (SWE) w/Meleeh, The Eight Arms
07/22 - Archiv, Potsdam (GER) w/Meleeh
07/23 - Modra Vopice, Prague (CZ)
07/24 - Fluff Fest, Rokycany (CZ) w/Meleeh
07/25 - Zeughaus, Passau (GER)
07/26 - Alte Zuckerfabrik, Rostock (GER)

Sirius playlist week #24

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:29:21 -0700

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

01. Randy - Who's side are you on?
02. TALK 1
03. Randy - Freedom song
04. Far From Tellus - Rosemary
05. Chicagojazzen - 18 år i en ruttnande kropp
06. TALK 2
07. Andreas Söderlund - Hawaii
08. Noisebud - Truck driver
09. Montys Loco - Heavy
10. TALK 3
11. Maim - Maimed
12. Turboweekend - Sweet Jezebel (Efterklang remix)
13. Pearl Fiction - The ruby fever
14. Meleeh - Hells mouth
15. TALK 4
16. Oranssi Pazuzu - Korppi
17. Brutus - Swedish lady
18. Entombed - Something out of nothing
19. Katzenjammer - To the sea
20. TALK 5
21. Robyn - Dancehall queen

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.

Scraps of Tape add new member

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:13:26 -0700

Scraps of Tape have announced that Fredrik Gillhagen (Meleeh) has been added as a new permanent member, replacing Mikael Persson who left last fall. Keep an eye out for new tourdates this coming fall.

Sirius playlist week #16

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:21:23 -0700

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

01. Masshysteri - Dom kan inte höra musiken
02. TALK 1
03. David Sandström Overdrive - How the story feels
04. Ludwig Bell - Jag är en idiot
05. Faster Katt - Strange candy
06. TALK 2
07. Zombiekrig - Döden
08. Vorum - Eyes burning red
09. Okkultokrati - No light for mass
10. TALK 3
11. Björn Kleinhenz - Dackes drabanter
12. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Transparent for you all
13. EL-SD - Sösjö
14. Robert Svensson - Beat
15. TALK 4
16. The Aches - Something to die for
17. Meleeh - Trauma
18. Grande Roses - Hell's own trial
19. Underachiever - Keep an eye
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.

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.

Sirius playlist week #10

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:24:34 -0800

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

01. TALK 1
02. Familjen - När planeterna stannat
03. Elephant9 - Fugi fønix
04. Yosei - The raven
05. TALK 2
06. The Tarantula Waltz - Bacchus
07. Hortlax Cobra - Smoke
08. Sonic Ritual - Early graves
09. Meleeh - Vowbreaker
10. TALK 3
11. Khoma - From the hands of sinners
12. The Ark - Echo chamber
13. Darkthrone - Those treasures will never befall you
14. Fun - Slonko
15. TALK 4
16. Degrees - Can't walk thru this alone
17. jj - Let go
18. Bruket - Polisen lägger pussel
19. Dreamboy - Pay attention
20. TALK 5
21. Moto Boy - IF you your bed could cry

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: Meleeh - What I carry with every heartbeat

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:30:16 -0800

I've long regarded Meleeh as a decent band, still their new album "To live and die alone" took some time to grow on me. I think it's because it confounded expectations; I thought I'd hear more post-Refused style Swedish hardcore, but what I got was something far looser, darker, rawer and way more in line with 90s screamo, in the best possible way. I should've been tipped off by the song title -- "What I carry with every heartbeat" screams HeartattaCk, bikes, patches, vegan potlucks -- yet, it wasn't until this past weekend that I had my a-ha! moment. Aside from the vocals, which are still the weakest link, the music isn't too far off from Modern Life is War, albeit more burly and driven. Add a few extra bursts of melody and some subtle syncopation and we've got a band doing their best to push their sound forward. And it gets better and better with every listen too.

Meleeh - Trauma (video)

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:25:09 -0800

Swedish hardcore act Meleeh have a new video for the track "Trauma": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj1Of24HeJk
The band's new album "To live and die alone" comes out on February 24 via Black Star Foundation.

Meleeh - Trauma

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:23:08 -0800

Swedish hardcore act Meleeh are now streaming a new track from their forthcoming album "To live and die alone": http://www.myspace.com/meleeh

New Meleeh in February

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:43:51 -0800

Swedish hardcore act Meleeh report that their new album "To live and die alone" is done and on track for a February release via Black Star Foundation and will be available on both CD and vinyl.

Meleeh set to record third album

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:15:24 -0700

Swedish hardcore act Meleeh will be going into Boccadillo Palace Studio with Magnus Björk on October 5 to begin recording their third album. Expect a February 2010 release to coincide with a 2-week European tour.

First rookie artists confirmed for Hultsfred

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:57:44 -0800

Here's the first batch of artists confirmed for this year's Rookiescenen at Hultsfred: Twiggy Frostbite, Meleeh, Pretty Whores, The Koo Koo's, Walking With Strangers and The Sacred Sailors.

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:10:26 -0700

Meleeh has been forced to cancel their upcoming Finnish tour due to complications from their vocalist's recent surgery: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=86577905&blogID=444556837

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:30:49 -0700

Swedish hardcore act Meleeh has licensed their album "Heartland" to Zestone Records for release in Japan on October 22.

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:03:45 -0700

Swedish hardcore act Meleeh will be blogging their upcoming tour: http://meleeh.blogspot.com/

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:41:02 -0700

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

01. Boys of Scandinavia - Worse than a girl
02. TALK 1
03. Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
04. Deathbed - Neon light fantasy
05. The Grand Opening - Dark dark dawn
06. TALK 2
07. The Bear Quartet - I have an itch
08. C.Aarmé - Dustin
09. Noxagt - Wall's end
10. TALK 3
11. Menfolk - Hell is in Texas
12. Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen
13. Folk&Røvere - Solveigs sang
14. TALK 4
15. Bobby Baby - Goodbye love
16. Häive - Raina: Yömyrsky
17. Peter Bjorn and John - All those expectations
18. TALK 5
19. Meleeh - Vittra
20. Rigas - The hardest pocket to pick
21. The Kid - Mayhem troopers
22. TALK 6
23. Cortex - Warrior night
24. Tiger Lou - The war between us
25. Sophie Rimheden - Stay the night (ft. Adam Tensta)
26. TALK 7
27. Moto Boy - Beat heart
28. Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Kanske jag kommer hem
29. September Malevolence - Who watches the watchmen?
30. TALK 8
31. Säkert! - Sanningsdan
32. Paper - Before that day
33. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
34. TALK 9
35. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
36. Stina Nordenstam - Trainsurfing
37. Red Moon - The height
38. TALK 10
39. Broder Daniel - When we were winning

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:02:50 -0800

Lords of Metal interview Swedish hardcore act Meleeh: http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showinterview.php?id=1980&lang=en

MP3: Meleeh - Malign

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 11:16:02 -0700

Musically, I like Meleeh quite a bit. They've got a great balance of aggression and melody and they throw in just enough little rhythmic tricks to keep things interesting without overdoing it. The weak link however, are the vocals. They aren't bad per se, but they're definitely far too screechy for my tastes. Of the many influences they draw from Refused, that's definitely the one I appreciate the least. The syncopated breakdown on "Malign" on the other hand, is pretty damn awesome.

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:11:54 -0700

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Isolation Years - Frosted minds
02. TALK 1
03. Hyacinth House - Lucky stranger
04. Immanu El - Kosmonaut
05. Kamera - Fragile
06. TALK 2
07. Pay TV - Fashion report (clubmix)
08. Fun - I've got a truck
09. Timo Räisänen - Sixteen
10. TALK 3
11. Superfamily - Warszawa
12. Majessic Dreams - Still inside
13. The Indecision Alarm - Time for the big guns, baby
14. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
15. TALK 4
16. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
17. Karin Ström - Ordlös
18. Meleeh - Malign
19. TALK 5
20. Kongh - Pushed beyond
21. Baby Woodrose - Let yourself go
22. TALK 6
23. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet (Cat Burgler remix)
24. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Rhythm
25. The Bell - I need nothing
26. September - Satellites
27. TALK 7
28. Piroth - Waltz for prima ballerina
29. Sällskapet - Järnstaden
30. Montt Mardié - Birthday boy (drama)
31. TALK 8
32. CS Nielsen - Bottle for the road
33. Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - Love will tear us apart
34. Voices Break the Silence - Mopo3
35. TALK 9
36. Plain Fade - Blue skies ahead

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:15:44 -0700

Swedish hardcore act Meleeh kicks off tour tonight with a record release party in Gävle for their new album "Heartland":

09/21 - Spegeln, Gävle (SWE)
09/22 - 1000fryd, Aalborg (DK)
09/23 - Rostock, (GER)
09/24 - Fraktal club, Mikolow (POL)
09/25 - AzConni, Dresden (GER)
09/26 - Elektromadonna Squat, Czesochova (POL)
09/27 - Subway to Peter, Chemnitz (GER)
09/28 - ann and pat, Linz (AUS)
09/29 - Hopa, Bratislava (SLO)
09/30 - Tuewi, Wien (AUS)
10/01 - Kultiplex, Budapest (HUN)
10/02 - CK13, Novi Sad (SER)
10/03 - Capolinea, Faenza (ITA)
10/04 - approdo caronte, Milano (ITA)
10/05 - Tetrisclub, Trieste (ITA)
10/06 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
10/07 - Cafe Revolt, Malmö (SWE)
10/08 - Råhuset, Copenhagen (DK)
10/09 - Insikten, Jönköping (SWE)
10/10 - Cafe MIC, Vänersborg (SWE)

Also check out the band's brand new website: http://www.meleeh.com/

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Upcoming tourdates for Swedish synth-hardcore act The Grizzly Twister:

09/13 - Lades Kaelder, Copenhagen (DK)
09/14 - Elverket, Helsingör (DK) w/Imagine I had hands
09/15 - Help?
09/16 - Poortgebouw, Rotterdam (NL) w/The Office Rules
09/18 - Rockhal Café, Luxemberg (GER)
09/19 - Juz, Mannheim (GER)
09/20 - Clubkeller Frankfurt (GER)
09/21 - AZ Mühlheim, Ruhr (GER) w/Siffing Glue, Mühleim A.D.
09/22 - 13eins, Ansback (GER)
09/23 - Leonkavallo, Milano (ITA)
09/24 - Help?
09/25 - Help?
09/26 - XM 24, Bologna (ITA)
09/27 - Club Palach, Rijeka (CZ)
09/28 - Ann and Pats, Linz (AUS) w/Meleeh
09/29 - Q-bar, Berg Im Drautal (AUS) w/Asstronauts
09/30 - Tuwi, Wien (AUS) w/Meleeh
10/02 - Le Metallic, Orleans (FRA) w/Robot Orchestra
10/03 - Mars Attack, Angouleme (FRA) w/Robot Orchestra
10/04 - tba, Poitiers (FRA) w/Robot Orchestra
10/05 - Heretic Club, Bourdeaux (FRA)
10/06 - WBC, La Rochelle (FRA) w/Robot Orchestra
10/07 - Lilo, Tours (FRA)
10/08 - tba (FRA)
10/09 - The Fenton, Leeds (UK) w/Rolo Tomassi, Omerta
10/10 - Engine Room, Brighton (UK) w/Daughters
10/11 - Croft, Bristol (UK) w/Daughters
10/12 - Idenpendent, Sunderland (UK) w/Daughters, Lavotchkin
10/13 - The Fly, London (UK) w/Lavotchkin, Rolo Tomassi

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Upcoming tourdates for Rumble in Rhodos:

09/28 - Lades kælder, Copenhagen (DK)
09/29 - Magnet Club, Berlin (GER)
10/03 - PDZ, Besancon (FRA) w/Welcome To Miami
10/04 - D:QLIQ, Luxembourg
10/05 - JH Bunker, Glabbeek (BEL) w/Meleeh, Autumn Delay
10/06 - tba, Gee (BEL) w/Autumn Delay

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish hardcore act Meleeh has posted the brand new track "Vittra" on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/meleeh
It will appear on the band's forthcoming album "Heartland", due out September 21 via Black Star Foundation.

Top 10s for 2006: Emil Björkander (Black Star Foundation/Khoma)

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

01. Finally moving from Malmö. Moving to Umeå for a while...

02. The Book of Daniel

03. Wing tsun, never thought Martial arts could be such fun.

04. Skateboarding, I'm not good at it, but I'm trying...

05. Playing live with Khoma

06. Finally sold the Children of Fall tour van.

07. Roadtrips during this amazing summer.

08. Frisbee golf

09. Tias Carlson's pre-recordings for his new album

10. Meleeh live

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

BSF recently released The Book of Daniel's "Song for the Locust King", one of IAT's top picks for 2006.
www.blackstarfoundation.com
www.myspace.com/blackstarfoundation

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Dates for the upcoming Set My Path/Meleeh European tour are now posted: http://www.meleeh.com/

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish electro/hardcore act Grizzly Twister will be recording their new album in November with producer/engineer William Blackmoon (Children of Fall, Lack, Gadget, Meleeh). Look for them to tour France in late October/early November as well.

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Meleeh and Set My Path will tour Europe together starting in mid-September. Dates soon.

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Guitarist Jonas Sjöberg has left Meleeh. The band says "We've felt it coming for some time now," and "it was a win-win situation for both parts."

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Meleeh on tour in April:

04/06 - Tunan, Eskilstuna w/The Grizzly Twister, The Sound O.E
04/07 - Inkonst, Malmö w/The Grizzly Twister, Some Girls
04/08 - Meeths, Göteborg w/The Grizzly Twister
04/09 - Köpenhamn (DK) w/The Grizzly Twister
04/10 - Århus (DK) w/The Grizzly Twister
04/11 - Berlin (GER)
04/12 - tba (GER)
04/13 - tba (GER)
04/14 - Piren, Helsingborg
04/16 - Rotundan, Karlskrona
04/17 - Monokrom, Kalmar

Also look for Meleeh to tour Europe with fellow Swedes Set My Path in September.

Mon, 06 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Swedish label Blackstarfoundation will be releasing all three of the following records on June 15:

Lasse Fabel - "Ordkanonbatteri" CD
Meleeh - "Another low a new hollow" CD
Rob and the Pinhole Stars/Björn Kleinhenz - split MCD

Fri, 20 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Upcoming releases planned for Malmö-based label Blackstarfoundation:

bsf19: Rob & The Pinhole Stars/Björn Kleinhenz - split CD
bsf20: Meleeh - "Another low a new hollow" CD
bsf21: Lasse Fabel - "Ordkanonbatteri" CD

Tue, 22 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Blackstarfoundation reports that Meleeh are currently in the studio and should have their debut album ready for a May 1 release.

Thu, 16 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0800

After spending the last half of the year or so doing various side-projects (Holiday With Maggie, Meleeh), Monastir reports that they will be starting preproduction on a new album in January.