IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Interview: Rasmus Kellerman

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:59:08 -0700

Rasmus Kellerman has a new band, but he won't tell us what it's called, or who else is in it.

If you've wanted more of the arrestingly heart-felt acoustic music that Kellerman began to explore with the album "The 24th", you won't be getting it (or at least, not right now). The album that Kellerman released under his own name was marked by a stripped-down honesty carried by his clear voice and lone guitar, with lyrics more autobiographical than his project Tiger Lou. It's brave when a musician takes on the "I" persona, and maybe, if you're blessed (or cursed) with the humbleness of a Swede, it might be a bit difficult for you to sell.

About a year ago there came a slightly dark time in Kellerman's blog that seemed to reflect his struggle with the sheer difficulty of standing alone on a stage without a band to share in the creative jam. Performing alone, no matter how honest the music and emotion, seemed vastly different from the joy that Kellerman expressed in past interviews about the musical collaboration that occurred onstage with Tiger Lou. But in the moment when an artist is in creative turmoil, soul-searching and changing, the most interesting music often occurs; as if feeling lost is the best place to begin something new.

If you're a follower of Kellerman's blog, you'll know that plenty of music is going on right now in Kellerman's life -- but it's all behind the closed doors of the studio. Kellerman has lately formed the first band in which he is collaborating on the actual musical creation itself (unlike Tiger Lou, in which the collaboration happened after album production and during performance), and while he has been hesitant to talk much about the band before the music hits the world, it seems to mark a new musical perspective and direction for him.

The way he speaks of it is of an ensemble effort, very much a meeting of minds and talents, and he digs waiting for the music that emerges from it. Rasmus is making us wait for more details too, but he's taken the time to tease us about it. It's a Trap interviewed him this past week.

I would like to learn more about your new project! I understand from your blog that you're not yet ready to talk about it beyond "It's with two friends and it really inspires me," but to me it means a break from how you seemed to write about music in your blog a few years ago.

I guess you're right about that! The difference this time around is that I'm in an actual band, with actual people. It's not just me, a guitar and a computer, writing music, and figuring stuff out as I move along. For now, the info is sparse, partly because there's not much to tell, and partly because we really want the music to be the first thing people encounter. There's is an idea to it, and we're not being elusive for the sake of being elusive. I like sharing the writing and recording process, and loved writing about my recordings etc., but those projects were so different from this one.

I seem to recall a post from the end of 2010 that seemed incredibly glum about your creative process and music in general. In the humble view of a stranger, it seemed that you put a lot on the line to sing your autobiographical songs, and maybe felt a bit disappointed by the results. 2011 was a year in which you picked up from that, and then in October of 2011 you were signed to Razzia Records and things seemed to kick back into gear...

Every time I've finished a record or a tour, I feel like it was my last one. Not because I don't love making records or touring with my friends, but because I think I can never write a new album, or possibly make another tour break even. And also because I'm very dependent on things being progressive.

When I wrote my acoustic album, I had no intention of making it a "proper" release. I was living in Berlin, Tiger Lou were on indefinite hiatus, I had an office and was doing graphic design full time, walking the dog and enjoying the slow road. Then I sent some stuff to Startracks, and the A&R Fredrik Holmgren was so stoked about it, which in turn rubbed off on me. So I figured I'd give it another go, but with a very different approach than usual. I wanted to keep everything very simple.

I booked two weeks in Rolf Klinth's studio (where I always record) and called my friend Thomas Hedlund, asking him to play drums on some of the tracks. We never rehearsed beforehand, it was just me, Thomas and Rolf, trying the song out a couple of times, and then punching the record-button. After that we brought in some more people for a few overdubs, but essentially, no editing was done, everything is live and very much on the spur of the moment.

All the vocals were recorded during the same night (due to me having the flu for ten fucking days straight, and no voice to sing with). All the songs are very personal, some were several years old, some brand new. My main goal was to do everything differently, and I'm very happy with the outcome. In regards to everything else, I guess most people just weren't as stoked about the outcome as I was. That's life for you.

So where does this leave you musically now? At some point in your blog you wrote about wanting to make stuff that wasn't like anything you'd done before (in Araki or Tiger Lou or under your own name).

As for now, I'm working full time at a huge ad company, so finding the time and energy to make music is sometimes difficult. However, I'm fortunate enough to be able to take time off sporadically, and lock myself into a studio someplace, trying to make something beautiful again. That is what the new band is about.

So what's it like?! What do you have to say about your music right now?

Shit, I dunno. It's always weird. When I was younger writing was so easy. These days, sometimes it feels like a chore. But in a good way obviously. It just takes a true effort is what I mean, and I'm good with that. Once a new song is finished, that feeling is one of the best ones there is.

And now, with being in band, it's even better in the end. Because now, there are other people involved, who've added and subtracted from the equation, making the music so much bigger that what it originally was. That's why I try to do a lot of collaborations and remixes these days, there are elements in there, much bigger than me. A very big world, waiting for me to explore it.

So you mention how exciting it is to work with other people in a band, rather than having all of the reins yourself. What have you gained? And do you feel like you've lost anything (like, obviously, total control), and is it a worthy trade?

I don't really see it as a trade, as I still have the ability to do another Tiger Lou album anytime I choose to. When I need to hide away, write every single note of music, play every instrument, produce it myself, I'll do so. For now I'm really happy doing something new, and sharing the experience. The best being that the sum of the group is greater than the sum of its parts.

I could ask about musicians and if we're familiar with them from other musical projects, but I'll wait to be happily surprised. Instead, what I'm most itchingly curious about is what this music sounds like. Any hint at all? "Sounds like a sunny day in Berlin" ?

The soundscape is very much 80s oriented, mainly using vintage analog synthesizers like Jupiter 8, CS-80 and Mirage. One of the guys is a techno/house producer so his influence on all things rhythmic is very noticeable. And I guess I have a personal style of writing songs, melodies and words, so that shines through as well. The third person is a melodic genius and whenever his fingers touch the keys, magic happens. The sound is very big, very emotional and very danceable.

This all sounds extremely exciting, can't wait to hear it!

Interview by Tanya Rezak, photo by Pär Hugo Kjellén

From eagle to white vinyl

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:39:15 -0700

Startracks pressed up a new run of Kristofer Åström's latest record "From eagle to sparrow" on white vinyl; get it here.

New Loosegoats album gets title, release date

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:47:32 -0700

The new Loosegoats album "Ideas for to travel down death's merry road" will be released on April 18 via Startracks. The lead single "Montananas" premiered on P3 yesterday and should be hitting digital platforms next week.

New Noise - Old Kids

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:18:06 -0800

Tour doc: José Saxlund (ex-Abhinanda, Out of Vogue) and Fredrik Holmgren (Startracks) travel from Stockholm to Umeå for Refused's secret reunion warmup gig. Many misspelled English subtitles are provided for the Swedish illiterate.

From eagle to sparrow teaser

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:53:40 -0800

A quick preview of the upcoming Kristofer Åström album "From eagle to sparrow", due out February 24 via Startracks.

Love Antell (Florence Valentin) going solo

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:30:01 -0800

Florence Valentin frontman/songwriter Love Antell is currently working on his debut solo album for release later this spring via Startracks.

New Kristofer Åström gets release date

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:05:17 -0700

Good news! Startracks has confirmed that the new Kristofer Åström album will be released on February 3, 2012.

Rasmus Kellerman The 24th Startracks

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:11:50 -0700

For fans of Tiger Lou, "The 24th" will feel a little like coming home after a long absence –– echoes of tracks like "Sam, as in Samantha" and "Like you said" quietly haunt the album's more melancholy works, and the overall feel of "Is my head still on?" is recognizable throughout Rasmus Kellerman's debut solo effort. The optimism of the self-titled opener, which finds Kellerman reflecting on his youth, fades into "The greatness & me", a track that starts with fond memories of childhood, images that are used as comparisons to a bleaker present and the unknown future, the theme of the following track, "Five years from now". These opening three compositions move wonderfully through past, present, and future, showcasing not only the musical and vocal talents of their creator, but Kellerman's vision and strength as a storyteller. Not all of "The 24th" is as obviously interconnected as these first three tracks, but numerous images and themes recur throughout the album –– laying in the shade of trees, houses by the ocean, the seeming incompatibility of one's past and present coloring their idea of the future, to name a few –– granting "The 24th" a powerful sense of coherence. While not all of the songs are of the caliber of "The greatness & me" or "Five years from now", the record never stumbles, and, as an album that can be played through in its entirety, has grown on me a little more with each listen.

Manifest 2010 winners

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:11:30 -0800

Here are the winners of the 2010 Manifest Awards, Sweden's alternative Grammy:

Punk/Hardcore: Troublemakers - Made in Sweden (Svindel)
Dance: Samuel L Session - The man with the case (Be As One Imprint)
Jazz: The Opposite - Intertwined (Kopasetic)
Dansband: Blender - Välkommen in (Blender Records)
Rhythm: Jaqee - Kokoo Girl (Rootdown Records)
Composer: Lisa Nordström and Lisen Rylander Löve (Midaircondo)
Lyrics: Ken Ring
Rock: Makeouts - In A Strange Land (Bachelor Records)
Pop: El Perro Del Mar - Love Is Not Pop (Licking Fingers)
Hårdrock/Metal: Abandon - The Dead End (Black Star Foundation)
Synth: Arvid - Andetag (Wonderland Records)
Singer/songwriter: Kristofer Åström And The Rainaways - Sinkadus (Startracks)
Folk/ballad: Tore Berger - I huset långt på landet (Brus & Knaster)
Hip-hop: Mohammed Ali - Processen (Bad Taste Records)
Best poplabel: Information
Best live: Fever Ray (Rabid Records)
Best unsigned: Fulmakten

Manifestgalen 2010 nominees are go

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:43:31 -0800

The nominees for the 2010 Manifest Awards, Sweden's alternative Grammy, have been announced:

Punk/Hardcore:
En Svensk Tiger - Versace style (Buzzbox records)
Troublemakers - Made in Sweden (Svindel)
Tysta Mari - Sveriges Casino (11743)
The Clichés - Monkey see, monkey do (Randale)

Dance:
Minilogue - Samlad årsproduktion
Samuel L Session - The man with the case (Be As One Imprint)
The Field - Yesterday and Today (Kompakt)
Tomas Andersson - Stiff Disco (Funk Noir)

Jazz:
Bengt Berger - Beches Brew (Country & Eastern)
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - The Half Naked Truth 1998-2008 (Moserobie)
The Opposite - Intertwined (Kopasetic)
Plunge With Bobo Stenson - Origo (Kopasetic)

Rhythm:
Calle Real - Me Lo Gané (Timba Records)
Jaqee - Kokoo Girl (Rootdown Records)
Music is the weapon - Music is the weapon (Music is the weapon)
Syster Sol - Dömd att bli bedömd (Swing Kids)

Rock:
Florence Valentin - Spring Ricco (Startracks)
Makeouts - In A Strange Land (Bachelor Records)
Murder by guitar - Murder by guitar (Jeet Kune Records)
Skriet - Skriet (Novoton)

Pop:
Anna Järvinen - Man var bland molnen (Häpna)
El Perro Del Mar - Love Is Not Pop (Licking Fingers)
JJ - JJ n° 2 (Sincerely Yours)
Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen (Hybris)

Hårdrock/Metal:
Abandon - The Dead End (Black Star Foundation)
Candlemass - Death Magic Doom (Nuclear Blast)
Katatonia - Night Is The New Day (Peaceville)
Tribulation - The Horror (Pulverised)

Synth:
Arvid - Andetag (Wonderland Records)
Dupont - Entering The Ice Age (Progress Productions)
Emmon - Closet Wanderings (Wonderland Records)
Rupesh Cartel - Anchor Baby (Megahype)

Singer/songwriter:
Ane Brun - Live at Stockholm Concert Hall (Balloon Rangers Recordings)
David Åhlen - We Sprout In Thy Soil (Compunctio)
Jonna Lee - This Is Jonna Lee (Razzia)
Kristofer Åström And The Rainaways - Sinkadus (Startracks)

Folk/ballad:
Taken By Trees - East of Eden (Rough Trade)
Miriam Aida - Letras au Brasil (Ajabu)
Tore Berger - I huset långt på landet (Brus & Knaster)
Esbjörn Hazelius - Blunda och du ska få se (Amigo)

Hip-hop:
Mohammed Ali - Processen (Bad Taste Records)
Organismen - Om Gud vill och vädret tillåter (Organismen)
Promoe - Kråksången (Pope Records)
Stor - Nya skolans ledare (Redline Records)

Best live:
Frida Hyvönen (Licking Fingers)
Jenny Wilson (Gold Medal Recordings)
Fever Ray (Rabid Records)
Florence Valentin (Startracks)

Best unsigned:
Den Svenska Björnstammen
Extended Heads
Fulmakten
Nora

Go here for more: http://www.manifestgalan.se/122.aspx

MP3: Nirvana 2002 - Slumber

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:45:34 -0800

The best new music is old, that's a fact. I may have an ever-increasing list of upcoming releases I'm excited about, but when I go to the record store I'm either thumbing through used bins or, more likely, checking out all of the excellent vinyl reissues that have been hitting the shelves. Another fact: wwo of 2009's best releases were from Death and Zero Boys, two mostly forgotten acts whose OG material smokes current up-and-comers. Similarly, the reissue of Nirvana 2002's discography by Relapse Records proves they don't make 'em like they used to when it comes to Swedish death metal. Yes, we are in a genre resurgence and there are plenty of fine acts out there keeping the flames burning, but I don't think any of them are this good. Nirvana 2002 was always a band I saw referenced in countless thank-you lists back in the day, but whose music I never heard, so I'm way stoked to finally get a chance to hear what I was missing and damn, I was missing a lot. Not all lost gems are worth recovering, but this one certainly qualifies.

"Slumber" first appeared on the "Disembodied spirits" EP back in 1990, released by Fredrik Holmgren's CBR Records, the precursor to Startracks (not that you'd know it style-wise). This particular version is newly remixed for the reissue and sounds much clearer and more brutal than the original, but even that take is included on the flip of the LP just in case you miss the tape hiss. In case it wasn't obvious, the sound is pure Sunlight Studios, the blueprint for the burgeoning genre to come. And of course, the song itself totally slays. It's a fact!

Top 10s for 2009: It's a Trap!

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Avi Roig, Editor-in-Chief

10. [ingenting] - Tomhet, idel tomhet (Labrador Records)
A record that is expansive in sound, but still very direct in feeling. [ingenting] aimed for the stars with this one and nailed it.

09. Agent Side Grinder - Irish recording tape/The transatlantic tape project (Enfant Terrible)
Enjoyable as separate entities, though far better when considered as a matched pair. This band has not only mastered the sound of old-school industrial, they can also write great catchy songs (see: "Irish recording tape") and create engrossing abstract soundscapes ("The transatlantic tape project").

08. Pistol Disco - Evergreen (Celebrity Lifestyle)
This group gets better and better with every release and now, with the addition of live drums, they've soared to new heights of brain-roasting awesomeness. Listen LOUD!

07. The Bear Quartet - 89 (Adrian Recordings)
A no-brainer. Still reigning as Sweden's best band.

06. The Fine Arts Showcase - Dolophine smile (Adrian Recordings)
The rawest of breakup records, the grandest of pop. Gustaf Kjellvander's defining moment as an artist (thus far).

05. Wadruna - Runaljod - gap var Ginnunga (Indie Recordings/Fimbulljóð Productions)
Pure pagan beauty, performed in the old ways to appease the old gods. If you don't like this, you're no fan of Scandinavian music.

04. Björn Kleinhenz - B.U.R.M.A./Head held high on fearsome pride (DevilDuck Records/SellOut! Music/Tomt Recordings/Eget Bevåg Grammofon)
Another twofer, except this time I've listened to all these songs on shuffle so many times I can't separate them anymore. 2009 was the year that Björn Kleinhenz dedicated himself to his art 100% and it shows. I always have high expectations for his work, but these two records blew me away.

03. Samuraj Cities - Mixed up record collections (Imperial Recordings)
The music reflects the title; a brazen mix of different sounds and ideas, leading the way for the future of Swedish indierock. Sometimes it's a noisy mess, but that's also what makes it so great.

02. David Åhlén - We sprout in thy soil (Compunctio)
Devotional music is incredibly powerful when performed with such fervent conviction and grace as this. There is a new strain of inspirational music coming out of Sweden right now and its artists are creating some of the most exciting music I've heard in years.

01. Elmo - Once (BD Pop)
Far and away my absolute favorite album of 2009. Elmo takes the melodramatic teen-angst pop of Broder Daniel and ups it to near-farcial levels of hysteria, but they never ever falter. When frontman Magnus Ekelund said that this was the "ultimate Elmo album", he was telling the absolute truth. You can't go up from here.

Honorable mentions

2009 was a very good year for music and there are many worthwhile albums that didn't quite make the cut. Here's 5 more in alphabetical order:
Pintandwefall - Hong Kong, baby! (Supersounds Music)
Thåström - Kärlek är för dom (Universal)
C.Aarmé - World music (Spegel)
Turboweekend - Ghost of a chance (Mermaid Records)
Dear Euphoria - Heal my violence (La Paloma)

Heard too late

These records would've made the list if I had properly heard them at their time of release:
The Scrags - s/t (Alleycat Records)
Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Lost in reflection (Fang Bomb/iDEAL Recordings/Release the Bats/When Skies Are Grey)
Tyrant - The rebirth (reclaim the flame) (Listenable Records/Hells Cargo)

Contributor Lists

Simon Tagestam

Albums

01. Samtidigt Som - Flykt, kärlek & broderskap (Luxury)

02. jj - jj n° 2 (Sincerely Yours)

03. Fever Ray – s/t (Rabid)

04. Lorentz & M.Sakarias - Vi mot världen (Epic)

05. Frida Hyvönen – Silence is wild (Licking Fingers)

06. Maskinen – Boys II Men (Pope Records)

07. Taken By Trees – East of Eden (Rough Trade)

08. Körsbärsfettera - Alla ska ha linne (self-released)

09. Sad Day For Puppets - Unknown colors (HaHa Fonogram)

10. Christopher Sander - Hej hå! (Vesper Records)

Songs

01. Montt Mardié – Gloria

02. jj – Are you still in Valda?

03. Anna Järvinen – Äppelöga

04. Samtidigt Som – Tienes mi corazón

06. Maskinen – Pengar

06. Alexis Weak – Disney på is

07. Lorentz & M.Sakarias - Unicorn

08. Christopher Sander - Fattig bonddräng

09. [ingenting] – Halleluja!

10. Makthaverskan - German boy

Arnulf Koehncke

01. Moritz von Oswald Trio - Vertical ascent (Honest Jon's Records)
While technically hardly a Scandinavian album (percussion is handled by Finn Vladislav Delay, electronics and programming by German techno- and dub-mastermind Moritz von Oswald plus modular synths by German Max Loderbauer), I just can't not list this record here. For me, it's this year's equivalent to last year's highlights by Auton or Viktor Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble: A demanding record that pulls you in with its hypnotic patterns and movements, makes you smile at its more obvious moments, and makes you miss it when you're without the beautiful gatefold vinyl and a record player.

02. Kings of Convenience - Declaration of dependence (Virgin/EMI)
I was looking forward to this album and the accompanying gig this fall. The gig did not disappoint -- like always, Erlend still wants to own the stage while Erik charmingly stresses his storytelling-skills and seems to divide his time between his baby and the gym nowadays. But the album surprised me at first. Judging from the last record, I had expected more sixties pop and less starkness and quietude. But I like how this album is less easily had, doesn't let the listener in as easily, but will grow on you nonetheless.

03. [ingenting] - Tomhet, idel tomhet (Labrador Records)
This records sees [ingenting] exchange the more obvious references in their music for more subtle nods to pop music's giants paired with impressively direct lyrics and straight-to-the-point arrangements. If maturity didn't have such negative connotations, one could call the album just that. And "classic" of course, like 80's indiepop is classic, or Sibiria and Vapnet maybe, though in more cynical ways than this record. It seems only fitting that [ingenting] chose to finally drop those "nothing"-puns from their album titles.

04. Frida Hyvönen - Silence is wild (Licking Fingers)
I've always been unsure about the reference points of year-end lists. Is it calender years or more likely personal years? I'm in favor of personal, so I list this album because to me, despite technically being from 2008, it's really a 2009 record. Somehow, the album's full potential -- its melodies, its power, and most of all, its soul (in the secular, Phil Spector meaning of the word)---had passed me by until I saw Frida and her bandmates play live in Berlin in the spring of 2009. So I'm only making up now for not listing it in 2008.

05. The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules (Bubbles)
A friend of mine once compared TWBA to IKEA. They make highly functional music that's devoid of any ornaments and goes straight to the point. And like IKEA-furniture, TWBA's music works extremely well for its purpose: I've seen them play in a gallery's shopwindow for more than 1000 dancing people gathered in the February-cold street before them, and their songs never fail to fill any indie-dancefloor. I guess I'd rather have IKEA than the "next big thing" from England then.

Singles

01. [ingenting] - Dina händer är fulla av blommor
From the first time I heard this song when [ingenting] performed it on Nyhetsmorgon, I was struck with its directness, the way it seems to speak to every single listener. I really like how non-cynical popmusic can do that sometimes!

02. The Fine Arts Showcase - Friday on my knees
It's great how Gustaf and his bandmates deconstruct this song about two-thirds through, dropping riff and chorus for 120 gloomy seconds of noisy guitar and bass, only to shortly resurrect it all before the end. Who needs radio-oriented hits when we can have this instead?

03. The Radio Dept. - David
Yet another year without an album by The Radio Dept. And still I consider them my favorite Scandinavian band. I'm left hoping the new album will sound more like this single and less like its unfocused b-sides. Still, allowing myself a nostalgic moment, they most probably just won't make another "Lesser matters".

04. The Whitest Boy Alive - 1517
We all need our functional dancefloor-fix from time to time, don't we? Especially when it's this well-done.

05. Kommun - Death of a CEO
I've been looking forward to the Kommun-record ever since the people behind Vapnet and Sibiria announced that, since everyone was making "serious" Swedish records now, they'd make a "non-serious" English record instead. And while I haven't fully connected with the album yet, I can't really escape this deeply political singalong about a businessman's afterlife.

Less obvious non-scandi mentions (besides those Grizzly Bears, Animal Collectives, and Pains of Being Pure at Heart): My friend's sister's project Music for Your Heart, Brooklyn's giddy Uninhabitable Mansions, the new Au Revoir Simone record, that Thom Yorke song on the "New Moon" Soundtrack (less movie, more music), and finally moving to and living in Phnom Penh.

Matt Giordano

01. [ingenting] - Tomhet, idel tomhet (Labrador Records)
It was always going to be difficult to follow up "Mycket väsen för ingenting", and for a while I thought that this one fell short. The one day it clicked, I could not even compare the two. This is another stellar release for the band.

02. The Bear Quartet - 89 (Adrian Recordings)
A triumph, but honestly I did not even expect less. The Bear Quartet have returned in the only way they could -- a bludgeoning, brooding album that closes their decade of output by making the audience reconsider what The Bear Quartet is once again.

03. Markus Krunegård - Prinsen av Peking / Lev som en gris dö som en hund (V2)
I try to imagine what pop music in English would sound like if we had an artist like Markus Krunegård. But then I realize that the industry here is exponentially more vapid, someone like Markus would be swept into the corners of dimly lit rooms, never to see his due.

04. Asha Ali - Hurricane (3NO)
Three years after her magnificent debut, Asha Ali gave us a devastating album of loss and internal strife. This album is so personal and fragile it must have been difficult to release it.

05. The Fine Arts Showcase - Dolophine smile (Adrian Recordings)
Another album of loss, but with a very different approach. Gustaf Kjellvander gives us an outside view of the degradation of his relationship, which is always quite to difficult to do. However, in typical TFAS fashion, he succeeds greatly.

06. Pistol Disco - Evergreen (Celebrity Lifestyle)
Falling into the category of noise and shoegaze, which I've been listening to a lot lately, Pistol Disco reach amongst the highs. Put this record on and just ease your mind, and it will take your imagination places.

07. Kristofer Åström - Sinkadus (Startracks)
A new Kristofer Åström album always yields quality. This time, he has rotated three backing bands on record, and it adds so much to his already well-honed songwriting craft.

08. Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen (Hyrbis)
What a way to start a career. Jonathan Johansson created one of the better pure-pop albums of the year.

09. jj - jj n° 2 (Sincerely Yours)
Another very good debut, and another very good pop album. jj borderlines on twee, yet mixes soft beats and great vocals.

10. Montt Mardié - Skaizerkite (Hyrbis)
David Pagmar keeps getting more bombastic with each release. Top-notch songwriting and arranging keeps Montt Mardié fans guessing where he'll take his sound next.

Songs:

01. Peter Bjorn and John - Stay this way

02. Elias and the Wizzkids - Mr. Right Guy

03. Montt Mardié - Bang bang (An echo in Warsaw)

04. Asha Ali - The contract

05. The Bear Quartet - Northern

06. Ingenting - Lång våg

07. Markus Krungegård - Prinsessan av Peking

08. The Fine Arts Showcase - London, my town

09. Kristofer Åström - A song for while I'm away

10. Markus Krunegård - Kär i en borderline

Tiger Lou A partial print Startracks

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

I'm going to admit from the start that I had some difficulty with "A partial print" when I listened to it on Startracks' page a week or so before its release. I was overwhelmed and excited by the opening five compositions, and then this feeling slipped a little - the abandonment of Tiger Lou's typically quite structured, complete arrangements on tracks like "Trails of spit" seemed to dilute the weight of the songs' conclusions, and the closing, nine-minute long opus felt too ambling and unfocused to be a proper culmination of the album's energies. I admit these issues here only to demonstrate that "A partial print" is not an album that reveals its immediacy, its intentioned presence on a first or second listen - what you are presented with is a collage, a collection of images, all of them darkly beautiful extensions of the emotional landscape of "The loyal", but the connections between these impressions can take some time to present themselves, but they will, and then "A partial print" comes fully into being.

The tone of "A partial print" is a dark one, represented not only in the recurring theme of leaving a small fragment of yourself behind, but in the intricate abandon and melancholy of the instrumentation which, on a number of occasions, evolves into heavy, post-hardcore breakdowns akin to the efforts on Small Brown Bike's brilliant swansong "The river bed". The production on the album is fantastic, accentuating the full drum arrangements, the beautiful guitar and bass work, and, of course, Rasmus Kellerman's magnificent, haunting voice. "The less you have to carry", in my opinion the greatest song Tiger Lou have crafted, is the first to truly bear the burden of "A partial print", and is therefore the song that fashions the aesthetic tenets of the album. The line "A partial print is all that I'm leaving behind, a little something to remember me by" is repeated in the closing title track, giving the record an unsettling conclusion - that of an endless cycle of departure and loss, but, as Tiger Lou established themselves as the masters of harrowing grace with "The loyal", this journey doesn't feel haunted or disillusioned, not even as you retrace your footsteps. Nor is it all a cynical, disheartening experience - glimmers of hope shine through in "So demure" and the single "Crushed by a crowd".

"A partial print" is difficult, complicated, heartbreaking, and inspiring - everything we've come to expect from Tiger Lou.

Niccokick The good times we shared, were they so bad? Startracks

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Niccokick don't seem to have changed much since I last saw them live with Snook four years ago (no, not in Uppsala). They still very much embody the typical sound of "Swedish" indie-rock with its anthemic melodies and carpets of distorted guitars. Singer Andreas Söderlund has been pretty active in the meantime (in sideproject Sounds like Violence and as producer of acts such as Hello Saferide and David and the Citizens) and it shows. Niccokick's sound is more diverse on their second LP than previously -- the additional synths and the odd cello have definitely helped. And while Andreas' voice comes across as desperate as ever, it's nice to hear him cover other emotions as well. The songwriting is similarly passionate and direct, yet never embarrassing, and generally very dancable and catchy. Actually, that's also the record's main problem: all that energy, passion, and directness can become a bit too much at times. It's still a very good indierock album though, great for the dancefloor and probably even better when performed live on stage.

Christian Kjellvander I saw her from here/I saw here from her Startracks/V2

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Whereas "Faya" was more an extension of "Songs from a two-room chapel"; on his third solo album, Christian Kjellvander has not only been able to carry his lyrical ability through, but the arrangements on this album are such leaps forward. With the tempo brought up to Loosegoats levels on "Poppies and peonies", the single "Two souls" and "The road", the captivation is set for the true improvements: the soft numbers. Strings and distorted guitar solos flesh out "While the birches weep" over a very soft, yet pulsating beat; "Sons of the coast" is over held organ chords and ambiance. Kjellvander's trademark fingerpicking only really comes through on "Somewhere else" although a bit more sparse that usual, but fitting in context of the album. I have not seen much press on this album to date, but on "I saw her from here/I saw here from her", Christian Kjellvander has quietly delivered his best solo outing thus far.

Kristofer Åström RainawayTown Startracks/V2

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

A new Kristofer Åström release is always something I make a mental note of, as he has long been a sentimental favourite of mine, Fireside being the band that really got me into Swedish music. "RainawayTown" may come as a bit of a surprise, as this is the first full-length to be recorded without his long-time backing band Hidden Truck. To compare this album to one of his peers, It would be safe to say the consistency prevalent on this album, his first full-fledged alt-country venture, is that which Ryan Adams has been searching for, as this surpasses his excellent "Cold roses". After the stellar (and very indie) "So much for staying alive", I wasn't sure what Kristofer Åström had in his bag of tricks, but I'm very glad that he'd still got a lot in there.

Moonbabies At the ballroom Startracks/Hidden Agenda

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

I have been quite interested in hearing the upcoming Moonbabies record ever since hearing "Take me to the ballroom" on "Reader's companion volume two" last spring. The album version of said track is just stellar, which is hard to imagine based on the quality of the older version. I still consider that to be one of the album's top tracks, and actually, the band's success on the album lies mostly in the uptempo numbers. "Don't ya know?" carries the album into the danceable stratosphere, whereas "Weekend a-go-go" harkens back to some of the best alt-rock that come out a decade ago. The production on this album is just so full, yet retains a playful atmosphere. I can see this album really bringing the band a ton of success especially in the States, as I can easily see the songs on both radio and TV.

Kristofer Åström Black Valley EP Startracks/V2

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

His somewhat delayed new EP starts off very strong, with the vocal energy in "So much for staying alive" carrying the listener through the fingerpicked guitar and beautiful organ lines. However, the energy of that track is lost with the second track ("Black Valley theme") on the record being an instrumental, and it's kind of out-of-place on a four song EP (thus making it only three tracks with vocals). While the final two tracks ("Finally home" and "The blackest pond") are great songs, I feel as if they'd flow better on a complete album. Overall, the songs on this record are good, but it's lacking as a cohesive unit and I feel as if this is only a teaser for a new album.

Tiger Lou Nixon CDS Startracks

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Sometime at the end of last year, my next-door neighbor emerges from his door and tells me he's on his way to see a band called Tiger Lou and that I should probably do the same. Operating under the assumption (sorry to say, but from the name of the band) that TL was probably just going to be another band of indie-rock sissies in horizontal stripes, I opted to go to a cheesy dance club in Malmö instead. Whoops. Tiger Lou are one of the more promising new bands to hail from Sweden within the last couple of years and exhibit a considerable aptitude for penning catchy pop tunes of a darker persuasion: while the songs on the "Nixon" single exude a sort of characteristic moodiness, they never quite veer into truly somber territory – at least not sonically. Most of the songs on the "Nixon" single can be found in one form or another on TL's full-length, "The loyal". The last two tracks are remixed versions of "The loyal" (by Martin Vogel) and "The war between us" (by Rupesh Cartel). The remix of "The loyal" is at best, a little dull: the only thing that salvages the track's tired electro-pop is the quality of the original song itself. The "War between us" remix is even worse as it epitomizes the awful b-side dance remix: imagine the Pet Shop Boys without the nuances that make the Pet Shop Boys well... palatable. The verdict? Ditch the single and buy the album.

Christian Kjellvander Faya Startracks

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

I've been a fan of Christian Kjellvander for a long time, I really like his old band Loosegoats, and I adored his last solo album and the Songs of Soil record that he did with his brother was better than butter. So for a long time now I've been a bit baffled that I haven't listened to "Faya" more than I have. I've only put it on with the intention of 'checking it out', or for me being able to review it. The songs on the album give a bit of more 'refined' impression than on his earlier releases (a bit more mature, I guess), but they also lack something that has been the key to Kjellvander's songs previously. Sure, the songs are pretty good, but I expect something more than standard alt. country numbers from someone like Christian Kjellvander and I try to tell myself that "Faya" is just nothing but a singular half-good album in a great career which will surely be followed by much greater things. Yeah, this is what I think will happen and in the future it will make perfect sense when you think of how "Faya" was such an obvious stepping stone for the greatness that came afterwards (just like how Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, for example, have released some dubious stuff throughout their careers). These are not just mere fantasies! Oh well, they are, but soon they'll be facts! FACTS!

Tiger Lou The loyal Startracks

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800

If you are in a band and you are reading this: You know when the label says we need a hit record? Well take heed - "The loyal" may be a blueprint for others to follow. Oh yeah, of course there's one modicum of criticism levied - let's just say the old maxim: If you are going to plagiarize, plagiarize with conviction. So to sound like Genesis with 'I'm still standing' on "All I have" matters not one iota. And "The loyal" is carried off so competently that even that modicum is delivered to positive effect. But screw it because TL swears on it, and vernacular is good over here. I like the word 'fuck' - think about it. We all do?! This album is shocking. Shockingly good. They say sometimes it has to hurt to enjoy. So any masochists out there can unite on this disc, at least via track 6, "Nixon". The Loyal conjures up images of "Blair Witch Project", a horror scene, the video could have been a torch lamp and a forest. There's some distortion for underlay, digital drums and a effects textured to the song swagger. Swagger is a theme throughout and a darker edge to this disc than "Is my head still on?" "Patterns" is a blast of 80's pop, a blast of the Mudd Club circa '87 – foot tappingly deft... and this is the continuum. Darker production, dance floor hits. Hits Hits Hits. If you missed the beauty of Tiger Lou, get this album, lock all the doors, stay up until 4am, put your headphones and be very frightened.s

Britta Persson Found at home Startracks

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700

I got goose-pimples when I heard Britta perform at Vinterviken in '04, and still do every time "I search in you, you search in me" from "Demo 2" is played. So with great anticipation "Found at home" was initially welcomed here at review HQ. So lest not beat about the bush: much of Persson's attraction is her relationship to the KÅ/Hidden Truck/Fireside/Startracks family, and the natural interest which that brings. This is singer/songwriter Persson's first a "real" release. It has a fuller more complete sound, thanks perhaps largely to bedfellow Kristoffer Åström's backing vocals, production, and guitar playing. Åström guests from on "A dad for you" and again on track 4 "The past is not for real". This is a predominately two chord, slightly folkesque song (in her voice there is a Irish lilt, sometime shrill, in his a gruff hung over tone!). Neither a bad thing, because I want to rave about this release. But it is hard. Persson sounds like Cranberries singer O'Rioden or Sinead O'Conner (read again: Irish lilt) just a bit too often for my tastes. Sad, it would seem because Persson is definitely doing something... although the songs are lyrically naive. This EP somehow falls short of the virgin feeling created on her own self released EPs from 2004. The positive effect of considered production seems, in my ears, to detract from the former urgency held on the DIY demos. Next question: When will this singer try out a backing band? It might be the progressive step she needs.

Kristofer Åström So much for staying alive Startracks

Sat, 12 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Sounds to me like someone's been listening to quite a bit of country music. More specifically, the "countrypolitan" style of the 70s. Unfortunately, I think it's going to rub a lot of people the wrong way, especially with sappy, heavy-handed numbers like "Until tomorrow". That tune sounds straight-up like something producer Billy Sherrill could've done. Lucky for me, I'm already a fan of that stuff, so I'm cool with it. I do have one major complaint about this record though - the vocals sound really bad. It has nothing to do with Kristofer's performance which, as always, is spot-on. Rather, the timbre of the recording is sub-par and makes Kris' voice sounds thin and tinny. I can't tell if it's the choice of microphone or the mix that's the problem, but it's quite disappointing because it brings down the entire album. I still enjoy the record, just not as much as I had hoped.

The Fine Arts Showcase Gustaf Kjellvander presents... Startracks

Mon, 31 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

This is one heckuva big pop record. Everything about it is huge: the production, the hooks, the songs. We're talking full-on indie arena rock, akin to bands like Guided by Voices or maybe the Flaming Lips. There's all sorts of quirky instrumentation too, from the North African woodwinds the ghaita and arghul, to electric cicada sounds, theramin, bowed satellite dish and tons more. This is a fun, sugary-sweet album and I like it a lot, but just like candy, it's best enjoyed in small doses. After having it on constant rotation for a couple days in a row, I grew sick of it and had to put it away for a week or so. I don't want to get a cavity, y'know.

Kristofer Åström There for / Loupita Startracks

Mon, 31 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Two new acoustic-based releases from the Fireside frontman. The "There For" EP is a mostly bare-bones affair with just a bit of string augmentation and not much more. Good stuff, but probably just for people who are already fans. Now "Loupita" is a different story. It's all acoustic as well, but it's much more fleshed out and features plenty of guest vocals from Britta Persson and beautiful slide guitar work from Mattias Friberg of Logh. The obvious point of reference is Iron & Wine for the style and instrumentation, but the recording quality is not nearly as quaint. Well, except for the one home-recorded instrumental track "Loupita #2". At first I was thinking this was going to end up more as a teaser for the upcoming full band album due out later this year, but it is more than capable of standing on its own. As always, the songs are great. There's no question about that, but it's the vibe that takes it to the next level. The atmosphere is so relaxed and comfortable that Kristofer breaks a string on the song "Devil" and they left it on the final CD version. That sort of touch brings an extra sense of humanity and intimacy to the music which is something that can't be manufactured with rack units, mixing consoles or the like. And unlike a lot of stuff I've been hearing lately, the CD gets better the deeper you get into it. The second half (including the Friberg-penned track "I collect knives") is absolutely sublime, right through the end with the closer "Just another lovesong". Highly recommended.

Tiger Lou Is my head still on? Startracks

Sun, 22 Feb 2004 00:00:00 -0800

I'm really impressed by this record. I've liked everything I've heard from the Tiger so far, but this really raises the bar. The material here has much more depth and personality than his previous work and the mood tends towards the somber and dark. It's obvious that he's really been developing his craft. The production is more heavy-handed on this album, too. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I just know that when I saw him play "The war between us" live solely accompanied by guitar, it was quite powerful. The studio version is great, but it lacks the emotional impact of the sparser arrangement.