IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

V. Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble - Malmö 2012

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:56:00 -0700

Quote bandleader Viktor Sjöberg: "A little while ago, Me and my dear V. Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble did our first performance in two years. We recorded it in open air. Now, we are sharing it with you." Dig in! Also, note that there's also a free download as wav or mp3 via Kalligrammofon.

Death And Vanilla - Cul-de-sac (video)

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:57:39 -0700

Visual stimulation from Death and Vanilla. The first press of the band's self-titled debut is sold out via Kalligrammofon, but another run of 300 on white are on order and should in around mid-April.

Death and Vanilla preview

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:52:50 -0800

Kalligrammofon is now streaming the new Death and Vanilla album in full. Ordering details and more are available here.

Elefantkvinnan - Contemporary worldly music

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:26:06 -0800

An audio retrospective of Elefantkvinnan, the 2005-2009 label curated by Viktor Sjöberg (V. Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble, Jens Lekman) and Gustav Rosengren (Kalligrammofon).

Kalligrammofon/Hands in the Dark to release Death and Vanilla

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:55:56 -0800

Kalligrammofon is teaming up with French label Hands in the Dark to release the self-titled debut full-length album from Death and Vanilla. 300 copies on yellow vinyl, 150 CDs; preview some older tunes at Bandcamp: http://deathandvanilla.bandcamp.com/

Kalligrammofon to release new Testbild! album

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:25:41 -0700

There will be a new Testbild! album on Kalligrammofon in May called "Barrikad" which will be quite different than anything they've done before; a) it is almost entirely acoustic and b) it is sung in Swedish. Preview here: http://kalligrammofon.com/barrikad/

Råd Kjetil Senza Testa Vinlinden Kalligrammofon

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:44:54 -0800

This collaborative debut from Sweden's Råd Kjetil & the Loving Eye of God and Orchestra Senza Testa is quite the enigmatic release given its unique perspective on the ambient genre. It's as if the creepy, digitized sounds of the early John Carpenter soundtracks found themselves mixed up with the earthy, natural sounds of Norway's Wardruna and somehow wound up as an otherworldly, out-of-body sonic experience. It's most evident on the first of the two tracks, "Flarkmyr'n" while second and final track "Orrvin över Nattmyrbäcken" offers a bleaker vision within the same realm. That said, the overall vibe of "Vinlinden" is one of an epic journey across vast expanses, where the natural sounds seem more implied rather than at the forefront of the compositions. This will appeal to anyone who likes to coil into their own headspace in order to travel to far off lands. Dark, ethereal ambience as nature wraps itself around the synthetic. An off-kilter bliss, almost.

Infrastruktur - Ryssland (video)

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:55:40 -0800

From the forthcoming album "Osolo", due out soon via Kalligrammofon. Direct link: http://vimeo.com/17123405

Kalligrammofon to release LP from Peder Nabo

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:11:07 -0700

Kalligrammofon's next release will be a vinyl LP from Peder Nabo (Ragnarök) called "Ur nattens prinsessa" which will feature six tracks from Peder's album "Nattens prinsessa", due to be released at the same time. 250 copies, due out November 26.

Råd Kjetil and the Loving Eye of God + Duo Senza Testa = Råd Kjetil Senza Testa

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:57:17 -0700

In addition to the previously mentioned cassette by Råd Kjetil and the Loving Eye of God out now on Kalligrammofon, the band is also teaming up with the label and labelmates Duo Senza Testa under the name Råd Kjetil Senza Testa for a full-length album. Entitled "Vinlinden", the LP will be out in August and will contain a 20-minute track featuring French electronic/experimental music legend Richard Pinhas (Heldon).

Three new releases from Kalligrammofon

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:41:41 -0700

The excellent Swedish experimental label Kalligrammofon has unveiled three new releases:

Råd Kjetil & The Loving Eye of God - s/t CS
Bird by Snow - Songbread/Another ocean CS
Tsukimono - Gotta sing b/w gotta dance 7"

Hit up their website for full details: http://www.kalligrammofon.com/

Free Jazz on Swedish Azz, Originalljudet

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:33:35 -0700

The Free Jazz blog reviews the new vinyl-only release "Jazz på Svenska" from Swedish Azz (yet another act featuring Mats Gustafsson): http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2010/05/swedish-azz-jazz-pa-svenska-not-two.html
Also reviewed, Originalljudet's excellent self-titled release on Kalligrammofon: http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2010/05/originalljudet-kalligrammofon-2010.html

Originalljudet at Fluid Radio

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:10:51 -0700

Fluid Radio profiles Originalljudet, a new act on Kalligrammofon: http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2010/04/originalljudet/

Kalligrammofon presents Originalljudet

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:10:44 -0700

The excellent Kalligrammofon label has a new CD out from the Stockholm-based avant/jazz group Originalljudet: http://www.kalligrammofon.com/main.php?artist=11
Listen at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/originalljudet

The Sound Projector Invasion Table

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:51:26 -0800

The Sound Projector rounds up a batch of recent releases from the always-excellent Kalligrammofon label, including stuff from Tsukimono, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words and more: http://www.thesoundprojector.com/2010/01/30/invasion-table-vacant-stare/

Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words Fall, fall, falling Kalligrammofon

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

Like searching for beauty in a canvas saturated with black paint, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words isn't necessarily an easy project to understand or enjoy, but there is magnificence hidden under the convoluted layers and crushing waves of distortion and noise. "Fall, fall, falling" is a soundtrack to fragmenting. In Ekelund's own words, "It's about breaking down...apart... up. It's about grotesque reactions and the distortion of memories..." This is an album for those who found "Requiem for a Dream" beautiful, for those who can see the splendor in fractured sections of marble that once were brilliant statues, who understand the freedom that comes with knowing you've hit rock bottom, and that time and experience and maturity no longer necessarily matter in moments of pure, raw emotion. The most focused of Ekelund's records, "Fall, fall, falling" is a dark, flawed masterpiece, and made the more poignant and impressive because of its imperfections. This album will not lift your spirits, nor will it assure you that things will be alright – it lavishly depicts landscapes that we all have traveled, darkened corridors or self-analysis, painful tracts of introspection in the face of despondent moments of our lives, and ultimately is a record that assure us that others have traveled similar roads and have survived even the worst that we can build for ourselves... and that we can demolish.

Tsukimono Née Kalligrammofon

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Johan Gustavsson is young, at only 23, but his music, under the name of Tsukimono, seems much more mature. The feel of the album is always out of step - awkward and dysfunctional, but strangely beautiful at the same time. Fragments of each track are picked up throughout the album, which links the tracks with a classic ambient narrative. For instance, a backdrop of torrential rain is returned to, as is the same shadowy, heartfelt piano. Melodies are often repeated with subtle changes to the general sound and feel of the instruments. This leads to a lack of memorable, standout tracks, rather a combination of tracks that should be listened to as a whole. It took a lot of time for me to really appreciate "Née" as it is so jumbled, but it gradually becomes easier to follow and easier to enjoy. The acoustic element to Gustavsson's music earns him a reference to Four Tet - who some would say is a more experienced artist, but both produce work that is descriptive and visual. With a 'sister-album' entitled "Heart attack money", I'm looking forward to hearing more from Tsukimono.

Viktor Sjöberg On a winter's day Kalligrammofon

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700

I'm not sure how many people would consider ambient music to be romantic, but I definitely think the best of it can be (depending on your definition of romance). Swedish instrumentalist Viktor Sjöberg must also think so. On the sleeve of this recording, he writes: "'On a winter's day' tells the story of living with the sweetest human being in the world. This music is an attempt to reflect this experience through acoustic guitar. The setting is Gothenburg, Sweden." It's quite charming to know this while listening, because rarely does quiet, minimal landscape music seem (at least overtly) to be inspired by love. Sjöberg's music is mostly built around processed guitar tones, and he sure makes them glow throughout this CD. There's often a distinct acoustic guitar in the mix, but sometimes the timbre of the instrument is almost unrecognizable. The standout track "Further variation" creates a spellbinding mood out of a simple repeating guitar interval, layered keyboards (or is that densely processed guitar?) and some lo-fi static. "24:00" is punctuated by muted snatches of trumpet and a bit of glitchy electronica, building on a rather mesmerizing airy drift that seems to commence about halfway through this record. The heartfelt title "The sensation of your head on my chest" and the truly blissful "Protect you from all evil" have that inner glow that the best ambient music offers the patient listener, reminiscent at times of Eno's early work. Other pieces such as "Something to be learned from a rain storm" favor Sjöberg's minimal guitar plucking and tend to be under three minutes long. This is not hi-tech stuff, and you have to be willing to go with its languorous drift to really appreciate it. But a peaceful heart beats within this music, and it has numerous moments of warmly enveloping ambient beauty.