Familjen
Huvudet i sanden
Adrian Recordings

I'm a big fan of remixes. In some ways, remixing follows in the jazz tradition of improvising upon others' compositions: quoting their musical passages, reworking and rearranging them, sometimes in a way that deviates very little from the original, though, as is evidenced by Pluxus' reimagining of "Det snurrar i min skalle", other times in almost unrecognizable ways. Familjen's tracks lend themselves quite easily to remixes by other electronic artists, though, as I'd assumed, seeing how wide a range of musicians fall into the category "electronic", there are some remixes that are not quite up to the standard of the others. Kasper Bjørke's remix strays so little from the original framework of "Huvudet i sanden" that I am not entirely sure what the point was. The version featuring Adam T's supplementary hip-hop lyrics drags Familjen's track so far outside of the musical veins that made it appealing, to force in the additional lyrics that the remix feels lopsided and schizophrenic. Both reworkings of "Feber" have a very 90s, Moby-esque feel to them, so these songs will trend one way or the other depending on your own personal preferences. The iffy aspects out of the way, the remix album hold some gems: Mike Dow's phenomenal remix of "Det snurrar...", Perfume Unicorn's fantastic and festive reshaping of "Huvudet...", the aforementioned Pluxus contribution - a luxuriously paced, dark emendation, and Boeoes Kaelstigen's 'hey day of the Haçienda'-reshaping of "Det snurrar...". It's a mixed bag, but the last four tracks I mentioned are well worth the sticker price.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Swedish Showcase, together with help from the Swedish Institute, is sending a group of Swedish acts to Belarus in order to "inspire and develop the Belarusian music scene, its artists and organizers." The acts participating: I Love You Baby!, Alice in Videoland, Paris and Pluxus. Dates and details: http://www.swedishshowcase.com/belarus/

PopMatters on the international release of Pluxus' "Solid state": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/62240/pluxus-solid-state/

Check out the Pluxus remix of Familjen's "Det snurrar i min skalle" streaming at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39c6f2iwpgI

Paper Thin Walls on Pluxus: http://www.paperthinwalls.com/singlefile/item?id=1630

Pluxus/Pluxemburg has a new website: http://www.pluxemburg.com/

Here's the playlist for this past weekend's radio show:

01. Pluxus - Bootstrap
02. TALK 1
03. Marit Bergman - Straight into my lovers arms
04. Grande Roses - Dead town
05. Mikko Singh - Rauha
06. TALK 2
07. Namur - Draw us near
08. Lapko - Sawyer the brother
09. Paper - To her
10. TALK 3
11. Johnossi - Train song
12. Markus Krunegård - Rocken spelar ingen roll längre
13. Printer - You need to
14. TALK 4
15. Firefox AK - Once I was like you (Boeoes Kaelstigen remix)
16. Aerial - Time is on fire
17. Sahara Hotnights - Visit to Vienna
18. TALK 5
19. Siena Root - Time will tell
20. Kristofer Åström - I collect knives
21. Anna Ternheim - Better be
22. TALK 6
23. Anna Leong - Guollotine
24. Folie - Krogg
25. Hearts of Black Science - Empty city lights
26. TALK 7
27. Inuit - En förlorad generation
28. The Psyke Project - Dark halls red floors
29. Memento Mori - Epilog
30. TALK 8
31. The Bear Quartet - Lights out, sound off
32. Fun - I know Ted Kennedy
33. Johan Heltne - Hjärta. Instinkt. Principer.
34. TALK 9
35. Lama - Bussi
36. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
37. Little Jimmy Reeves - Drowsy dogs
38. C.Aarmé - Visions
39. TALK 10
40. No Privacy - Blood over Denmark

Reminder: my show on Sirius Blog Radio runs Saturdays at 12 noon and midnight ET on channel 26 (Left of Center).

FactMagazine talks to recent Kompakt-signees Pluxus: http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=528&Itemid=27
Note the tip at the end for Familjen and Mixtapes & Cellmates.

Swedish electronic/techno act Pluxus has licensed their 2006 album "Solid state" to esteemed German-based label Kompakt for an international release. They also have a new EP called "Transient" on the way and will celebrate with a record release show on May 10 at Teater Giljotin in Stockholm. Samples and more details at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/pluxus

Adrian Recordings will release "Huvudet i sanden" as Familjen's next single as a special 12-track (!!!) special edition. Here's the tracklist:

01. Huvudet i sanden - album version
02. Huvudet i sanden - Kasper Bjørke remix
03. Feber - Krazy Fiesta remix
04. Huvudet i sanden - featuring Adam Tensta
05. Det snurrar i min skalle - Mike Downey remix
06. Huvudet i sanden - Perfume Uniform remix
07. Hög luft – The Field remix
08. Det snurrar i min skalle – Pluxus remix
09. Det snurrar i min skalle - Boeoes Kaelstigen's Tri Tub remix
10. Huvudet i sanden - Tomi Kiiosk remikksi
11. Feber - DJ Wool remix
12. Huvudet i sanden - Kid in the Air remix

Kasper Bjørke? Adam Tensta? The Field? Holy shit, that's a lineup! Look for the whole damn thing to be streaming on myspace beginning on February 27 and also keep an eye out for a new video from director Johan Söderberg.

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

01. Kristofer Åström - Just a little insane
02. TALK 1
03. Darkthrone - Canadian metal
04. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
05. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
06. TALK 2
07. Death By Kite - Bhf. Asta
08. The Alpine - Iceland
09. Pluxus - Bootstrap
10. TALK 3
11. Graveyard - Thin line
12. Hospital - Something in the water
13. Attrap - Just a word away
14. TALK 4
15. Jonna Lee - I wrote this song
16. Paper - My life is going under
17. Broder Daniel - You bury me
18. TALK 5
19. Radio LXMBRG - Score on the floor
20. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
21. Rather Sound Than Safe - The beat
22. Det Gamla Landet - Det heliga landet
23. TALK 6
24. Paris - When I laid my eyes on you
25. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
26. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - If this is the way
27. Barra Head - Overseas
28. TALK 7
29. Superfamily - Warszawa
30. Oskar Schönning - S
31. Brick - Automen
32. TALK 8
33. Miss Li - Leave my man alone
34. Kasper Bjørke - Liquid propagnosia
35. Loveninjas - I wanna be like Johnny C
36. Anti Cimex - Only in dreams
37. TALK 9
38. Pan Sonic - Virta 1

First Floor Power will be making their first live appearance in quite some time at the Pop Dakar Festival on September 1 in Stockholm. It is not actually a reunion (as was suggested earlier and elsewhere), as the band never officially broke up and is continuing on nowadays as a three-piece with Sara Wilson and drummer Per Lager sharing vocal duties. The band is even working on a new record under the working title "Hits and shits" and have already recorded 16 tracks. Guests include ex-member Jenny Wilson along with Andreas Söderström (Ass) and Adam Kammerland (Pluxus).

Festival report: Roskilde

My playlist for this week's radio show on Sirius:

01. Bogus Blimp - By five o'clock tea
02. TALK 1
03. Sivert Høyem - Smalltown supersound
04. Pluxus - Kinoton
05. Brick - No names
06. TALK 2
07. Hebosagil - Let us go
08. Dialog Cet - Crocodile hunt
09. Hurdy Gurdy - Ynglingen
10. Anja Garbarek - The last trick
11. TALK 3
12. E.S.T. - When god created the coffee break
13. Miss Li - I'm sorry, he's mine
14. Afenginn - Ralli i d-mol
15. Magyar Posse - Whirlpool of terror and tension
16. TALK 4
17. Susanne Sundfør - I resign
18. Sällskapet - Nordlicht
19. Nisse Hellberg - Kärlekens express
20. TALK 5
21. The Spacious Mind - Rider of the woodlands
22. TALK 6
23. Him Kerosene - Ladybugs
24. Svenson - Don't get lost
25. Namur - Marching
26. TALK 7
27. Tellevika + Firefox AK - Eric
28. Carpet People - A girl without a skin
29. Anna Ternheim - Lovers dream (feat. Fyfe Dangerfield)
30. Knife and Ape - No arms no legs
31. TALK 8
32. Brighter Death Now - American tale

Pluxus
Solid state
Pluxemberg

"Solid State" has taken Pluxus five years and because of its complexity, you can understand why. It also took me a long time to find my opinion on this record because, although the good songs are perfect, this means the not-so-good songs are a real disappointment. Having said that, it's an album I want to listen to over and over again. Pluxus are unlike anything I've heard in a long time. This album is atmospheric, they say it's their darkest album yet – but in each song there is something inviting and optimistic, which makes it fascinating. "Kinoton" and "Perm", like I say, are perfect. Some of the others, however, need a little perseverance – which is why it isn't a 10 on the scale.
- Jude Ainsworth