Tag: Mp3s
Lars Pellarin is a minimalist techno artist from Denmark, probably most recognizable to readers here as being a member of Printer (via the Malmö-based Adrian Recordings). He also runs his own label Statler & Waldorf and puts out an assortment of elegant/eloquent techno records from other artists such as Mikkel Meyer and Melk. His new solo album "Gundsø" is named after the city he grew up in, north of Roskilde and is mostly a subdued affair, minimalist to the nth degree. Melodies struggle to rear their head above the smooth plateau of sound; generally speaking, it pulses along smoothly, content to elicit the barest of head-bobs. "Whistle like you're 56" is easily the most "pop" track on said record as it's one of two that feature vocals and, of those two, the only one to feature actual recognizable words. Still, the pop label is a bit of a stretch as I wouldn't expect to see it climbing the charts anytime soon -- not that it means it isn't worth hearing (it is!), it's just not that kind of track. This is head music. Crank it up and zone out!
Pellarin - Whistle like you're 56
I'm a fan of the new Håkan Hellström album "För sent för edelweiss". I fully agree with Lars that it's his best work since his solo debut, but despite its many charms, I have not fallen completely in love with it. Håkan's youthful charm has given way to retro nostalgia, a fitting touch I must say. Those of us who came of age with "Känn ingen sorg för mig Göteborg" are no doubt similarly settling down, so looking backwards to the music of the past feels quite natural. I can relate; it makes sense. I'm okay with that. But I can also see how one may find fault and that's where contributor Simon Tagestam comes in. Today's mp3 post belongs to him:
Håkan Hellström's got a new album out (his fourth proper one) that seems to have every Swedish journalist trying to outdo each other coming up with texts praising the album and Hellström himself. Personally, I think the album is quite disappointing, there's too much dodgy (Swedish) prog rock on it for my liking. However, there are a handful of fantastic tracks on the album, one of them being the title track, which is also a b-side from "Klubbland" that came out two years ago. It's a very bleak song, lyrically it's quite close to the "loser lyrics" of Broder Daniel (where Hellström played the drums). I love it, it's one of those songs that if I could only listen to 5 songs for the rest of my life, it might just have a chance to be included, since I always welcome songs that make me feel like shit with open arms.
What do you think?
Håkan Hellström - För sent för edelweiss
Another week, another chapter in our ongoing 2008 Göteborg music spotlight. This week's guest: Martin Lundmark from September Malevolence/A TenderVersion Recording.
So what's up with the Gbg postrock scene anyway? Does September Malevolence consider themselves a part of that? Does it even exist?
Well no, I don't really think there's a specific scene for postrock here, the city is too small. There are some bands though, and I guess we all more or less know each other, but scene? Nah.
How would you say the music scene in Gbg compare to other cities in Sweden? What makes Gbg better (or worse) in comparison?
I think it's pretty good, there are loads of bands here. It's also far more diverse than people in general believe. The underground is so much better than the mostly boring bands that get media attention...
As far as TenderVersion goes, do you consider yourself a regional label, dedicated to documenting the local scene? I know you have those shitheads Scraps of Tape from Malmö on your label, but let's forget about them for now, especially that Johan guy. How important do you think it is that there are labels around to do that?
Haha... everybody knows Johan's a dick! I haven't really thought of TenderVersion as being a regional label, and now that Audrey is spread around the country and I've signed Yamon Yamon from Sthlm, I guess it's not the case. It kind of was in the beginning when Once We Were, Audrey and September Malevolence all lived in Göteborg though. The main focus for TenderVersion has always been to get outside of Sweden, that's where the action is.
Jerry Bowman seems to resent me calling him a scenester in an earlier entry of this Gbg spotlight series (see here and here). Was I off-base? What's his deal anyway? Pen Expers are not a good band.
Well, I've only read his blog a few times. And scanning through it now to be able to answer this question, I think you are right. And we don't share the same musical taste for sure. File under: Yawn...
What do you see as the future of the Gbg music scene? Any upcoming trends to keep an eye on?
Hm, that's a tricky one. I hope to see more experimental stuff coming out of Gbg soon. That would be awesome! And that they get some attention mediawise! The 40-year olds at GP write about Håkan Hellström and Kent, the 30-year olds write about Hästpojken... not my cup of tea. What we need now are some passionate kids with a taste for the new and eclectic! Rise above the mainstream, anyone?
And as for September Malevolence, what are your upcoming plans? Care to share a new song?
Well, the new album is released May 30th in Europe and a bit later in Japan. We are hitting the road for three weeks in May/June doing our 5th European tour and are hoping to go to Japan later this year. Basically we want to tour as much as possible... why don't you hook us up in the US dude? ;)
I've attached "Who watches the watchmen?", the first track from the upcoming CD/LP "After this darkness, there's a next". It's a killer!
Indeed it is...
September Malevolence - Who watches the watchmen?
Anders Göthberg, rest in peace. You will be missed.
Broder Daniel - I'll be gone
Hi, my name is Avi and I'm an idiot. Here's the excellent new single from The Kid. It's a Cortex cover.
(yes, there was a different post here before, but it has been removed due to my embarrassment)
The Kid - Mayhem troopers
Snöleoparden likes the xylophone. It appears on many tracks on his self-titled debut and is even claimed as the title for one of the pieces. Wood, metal, maybe even plastic- all forms are put into play. At first I wasn't into it at all and wrote him off as an amateur Alog wannabe (no pun intended), but further listens have proven to be far more rewarding. The utilization of instruments typically associated with children's music is supposed to evoke feelings of naive wonderment, though unfortunately that doesn't always sit well with me and my often sour mood, so it's no surprise that such feelings often turn to annoyance in my world. However, when it does work, it works well, especially when Snöleoparden is able to latch onto a simple melody or repetitive rhythm. "Nr. 1" stumbles a bit in a wonky sort of way, but the more it gets tweaked out towards the end, the more interesting it is. I'm not completely wowed, but the live first-take feel is not without its charms. The spirit of playfulness is something I most certainly can endorse.
Snöleoparden - Nr. 1
I wasn't able to get a copy of Samtidigt Som's new single "Constant in motion" in time for Saturday's interview/Gbg spotlight piece, but I've got it now and holy shit is it great! Such a perfect amalgamation of everything I love about classic Gbg indierock- loud, snotty, overflowing with exuberance and love of life. In short, exactly what I needed to get me through these slushy, overcast days we've been having up here in the Pacific Northwest. Will spring ever really come? Did yesterday's hailstorm kill my newly planted vegetables? Gah! What to do? And then I play this song and feel optimistic. Somehow summer doesn't seem so far away anymore.
Samtidigt Som - Constant in motion
It's no secret that I'm fond of folk-influenced jazz (and other music), as I've touched on the subject many, many times. I love the ways old melodies come alive in new contexts, bridging the gap between old and new. But while I know why I'm drawn to it, I've often wondered where the musicians themselves get their influence and inspiration. So when I received a few CDs from pianist/bandleader Ira Mogilevsky recently, I decided to track her down and find out where she's coming from.
From Russia to Israel to Sweden? Why end up in Stockholm? What brought you there and is it everything you hoped it would be?
My family moved to Israel from Russia in 1991 when I was 16 y.o. Actually, the final "switch" from classical music to jazz happened to me in Israel. I studied in Jerusalem Academy of music with Slava Ganelin, widely known on the international contemporary jazz scene. This wonderful musician and inspiring teacher has been guiding me in the world of music for many years. He was the one who first suggested the idea to try "something new and fresh" and continue my education abroad. Stockholm was the best choice for me at that time: I have heard about very high level of Swedish jazz (it has appeared to be very true!), Sweden seemed enough far and different from Israel to make me feel the freshness of change. Besides that, The Royal College of Music in Stockholm offered me a really interesting and flexible program. So, I ended up in Stockholm and live and work here since 2002. I didn't have so many expectations, just wanted to explore the world and test my own "limits". I am at the middle of this adventure and many exciting things happen to me here in Sweden music-wise.
How did you first become interested in Swedish/Scandinavian folk? What do you think are the similarities between it and other Eastern European/Russian folk traditions that you are familiar with?
One of my first jobs in Sweden was comping the amateur choir. I was very impressed to see how people love singing their folk songs and hundreds - years - old psalms. It is something that I haven't seen either in Russia nor in Israel. I tried to play these tunes in my own way, as any jazz musician would probably do. Some people thought it sounds very fresh and unique. That's how "Nybakat!" band started. (means "fresh-baked" in Swedish)
Probably the fact that I wasn't familiar with traditional performance of Swedish folk music let me approach this material in a quiet free way without a fear of "breaking a taboo". Apparently I broke quite many "traditions" by using odd rhythms, freely changing characters and styles of the songs. Once it even led to a confusing situation: I wrote a very happy up-tempo arrangement for an old psalm "I himmelen, I himmelen" ("in heaven") and after some months realized that it is a funeral psalm!
I must admit that Swedish audience has appeared to be very open minded and supportive regarding my experiments with their folk music!
There are certainly some similarities in the melodism and "modes" of Swedish and Eastern European folk songs. I'm not an expert in folk music, but I think the reason is long- time cultural and historical connections.
In fact, our alternative and humoristic solution for the problem of the funeral psalm mentioned above, was to present it as an Ukrainian folk song "Carnaval" (there is no such a folk song as there is no Carnival in Ukraine!).
Probably the melodic "mode" of this Swedish song was so close to the Ukrainian, that no one felt any suspicions. Perhaps that's good proof for the similarity in folk music traditions.
Of the songs on the Nybakat! CD, is there one piece that's a particular favorite?
Frankly speaking, I like all of them. Probably because I am emotionally involved. In my opinion they are quite different and it's impossible for me to pick up the best. Well, may be it is a mission of independent reviewers to choose the "best", "worst" and "in between". I must say that a great contribution to the CD of Nybakat! were songs and arrangements of the saxophone player Björn Dahlberg and creative approach and support of drummer Vlad Nedelin and bass player Markus Hängsel.
Naturally, I understand your reluctance to pick favorites, but how about I rephrase it- if you had to pick one song and one song only to show listeners what Nybakat! was about, which song would that be?
Hmm..... in this case maybe "Fjäriln vingad syns på Haga"
A fine choice, as far as I'm concerned! Listen below...
Nybakat! - Fjäriln vingad syns på Haga
This week's guests in our ongoing Göteborg spotlight series is Samtidigt Som.
How long have you lived in Gbg? What brought you there and what's keeping you from relocating elsewhere?
We're all from the GBG area and all of us has always lived in or really close to the city. We really love GBG and as a band who sings in Swedish, there's really no place else. GBG has been the major city for music in Sweden for several years and still is. It's a city with a strong identity and legacy music wise. The alternative in Sweden would be Stockholm (Malmö doesn't have a music scene worth mention) and it's no point to relocate since Stockholm is cold and soulless. And they have the worst football teams.
Your music reminds me a lot of classic Gbg indierock- is this something that you are aware of? Do you think there's an important legacy of Gbg music to live up to? What other influences do you draw from?
There is no doubt that we are strongly influenced by GBG indierock. For instance, our debut-EP are recorded and produced by old Bad Cash Quartet guitarist Kalle Von Hall. The thing was, when me (Erik Grahn, guitar) and bassist Erik Weiman were beginning to talk about forming a new band together again, things that came up was that we shouldn't try to complicate things, keep it simple and pure and don't be embarrassed of our influences. I think that both me and Erik have strong sense for melodies and even if you can hear that we're from GBG, which we're very proud of, I think you can hear that it is Samtidigt Som. Basically we just want to play fast and loud because it's more fun that way.
How friendly is the local scene? Is it easy for a new band such as yourselves to get noticed?
I think that it's probably friendlier than many other places. There are a few really good clubs where most of the scene hang out. In a way you can see that a new generation is growing and taking more space, it's about time that a new generation steps forward.
With bands like us, Almedal, Boat Club and My Darling You!, I think that our small label Luxury done a great job, and it is, togheter with the club "Svanen" at Jazzhuset, the two most important things for having the good scene we have.
I think that it's quite easy to get noticed in GBG if you're good. I know loads of bands that been playing for ages without getting anywhere simply because they're not good enough, but in contrast, you have us who got a record deal after our first gig. Of course, I'm quite sure playing the way we do helps us, we give 110% when we play live and we do really catchy songs. But that is what we want to do and if people like it, I wont have some pretentious idiot telling me that we get everything for free and that we do brainless music (which we do, but we like it brainless).
Are there any rivalries or are other bands generally happy to help eachother out?
I'm a strong believer in helping each other out. I don't believe you can compete in music and I hate when I hear people trash talk other bands just because they doing better then them. GBG is to small for rivalry and to keep our position as Sweden's music city number one, we should all just try to promote other good bands.
What are the advantages of being an artist in Gbg? Disadvantages? Is there anything that the city is lacking?
The good thing about GBG is that it's small. The bad thing about GBG is that it's small. It's good in that sense that it never gets too elitist, but bad that sometimes it feels like a small group of people have way too much power over the scene. If it was bigger, it would be easier to fight that. But as I said before, a new generation is on its way and it's inevitable for us not to take over.
Got a song you'd like to share?
If it should be a song of ours, I would say our new single "Constant in motion". That one sounds really GBG. And a song from another GBG band would be "No time for us" by Broder Daniel. It's one of my favourite songs ever and still gives me the shivers.
Unfortunately, "Constant in motion" was not available to me at press time, but since I strongly feel that Samtidigt Som is worth hearing, here's "För jag tror att ingen annan kan känna såhär för dig" instead.
Samtidigt Som - För jag tror att ingen annan kan känna såhär för dig
Weeping Willows' 2002 album "Into the light" marks the band's transition from retro-pop into modern rock and, as such, signified the downfall of the band for a lot of people, myself included. However, due to patience and hindsight, I've changed my mind about the band progression on this album and now find that I enjoy it very much, thank you. The first two records are still superior (AMG's assessment that they lost their originality when they tried develop their own sound is dead-on), but "Into the light" is a not-so-distant 3rd. Singles like "Touch me" are undeniably catchy and aching ballads such as "Somewhere" and "If I could see you one more time" (today's mp3) are startlingly effective. Frontman Magnus Carlson has a near-perfect croon, making even the lamest lyrics seem powerful - "Stairs" from the album "Presence" is a prime example. When his words hit their mark, it's powerful stuff, despite all obvious clichés and sappiness. Melancholy pop rarely gets better that this in my opinion.
Weeping Willows - If I could see you one more time
I spent something like 10 hours yesterday banging my head against the wall, trying to get some code to work. Every time I'd fix one problem, it would cause something else to break. Just another day at the office, eh? To top it off, it started snowing in the late afternoon. I mean, c'mon- wtf is going on here? It's almost April for crissakes and I don't even live that far north. As for my soundtrack, I'm glad I had the new Bloodbath EP "Unblessing the purity" to keep me company. I know that listening to brutal death-metal might seem counterintuitive when you're having a stressful day, but it works for me and was exactly what I needed to make it through. Compared to that other all-star old-school Swedish death-metal act Death Breath, Bloodbath is bit more 2nd gen; think "Clandestine", not "Left hand path" if you catch my drift. Far less punk/thrash influence, way more blastbeats and overt techinicality. Unfortunately, I can't say that it's my favorite thing that Bloodbath has done, but it does hit the spot and there's more than a few stellar moments to make it worth your while. Listen for the brutal breakdown around 1:45 followed by the summoning of demons- I love that shit! Classic death-metal was often quite fun and far too many bands seem to forget about that. Yes, it's goofy, but that's fine. It's pure escapism, like a comic book or a Stephen King novel. Don't think too hard about it! That's why I can find it relaxing.
Bloodbath - Mouth of empty praise
Songs I Wish I Had Written is doing a great job of leading the 80s pop revival. I don't say that to disparage them either, I'm all for it. I barely even care that Gentle Touch's "The view" cribs a melody from "Policy of truth" by Depeche Mode. It takes serious panache and, despite the odds, I think they manage to pull it off. Gentle Touch keeps it simple: a nice, steady pulsing bassline, some light ethereal guitar; similar enough, but not a full-on rip. More of a homage, if you like. Maybe they'll develop a bit more of their own identity down the road, but for a debut, this is way decent.
Gentle Touch - The view
Lapko is a band I stumbled across recently, somewhat randomly (thanks for the totebag Daniel!). I had seen their name before, but had never fully investigated due to their affiliation with Fullsteam Records, one of Finland's biggest indie labels. I know that it's unfounded (and unfair), but I can't shake my prejudice that they only put out watered-down punk/hardcore records from bands like Disco Ensemble. Anyhow, Lapko proves to be an exception (along with Downstairs, Callisto and many other bands the label represents) and their most recent album "Young desire" sounds surprisingly fresh. Opening track "This is aggressive melancholy" serves as an apt descriptor- before I even peeped their bio I was thinking that they sounded like a mix of Mew and Tool, two very obvious comparisons. And after watching the video for today's mp3 selection "Killer whales", you might want to add The Cult to that list as well. This is the kind of stuff I find to be woefully underserved in today's "hip" quarters, as intelligent hard-rock with obvious arena-sized aspirations is not nearly as fashionable as willfully obscure indierock. Too bad, 'cuz all too often, you're missing out.
Lapko - Killer whales
Bands like Hellsingland Underground frustrate me. On one hand, I can totally understand why a bunch of Swedes would want to start a Southern boogie-rock band ala Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Allman Bros. I bet they have a great time doing it and I imagine that local audiences lap it up. But why record a full album? Do they really think they'll appeal to a more widespread audience? At least the single "Northern country boy" attempts to redress the usual redneck clichés according to the band's true origins, but I'm still left thinking "so what?" Is it because I feel like they could do so much more with it? Or maybe it's because the music simply isn't all that great. I know this stuff is supposed to have a laidback feel, but they've crossed over the line to tepid. Perhaps they should indulge in a bit more of that hembränt and weed they're talking about in order to loosen up. Disappointing.
Hellsingland Underground - Northern country boy
The Göteborg spotlight series continues! This week's guests: Pistol Disco.
How long have you lived in Gbg and what keeps you there?
Alex: All my life, and what's keeping me here is Mikael. But I will probably move to Stockholm soon since my girlfriend is getting homesick.
Mikael: Lived here all my life, too. The idea of leaving has crossed my mind. But not yet.
You guys seem to gain appreciation from both the indie/pop and the avant/experimental scene. Is there any side that feels more "at home" to you? Or are the lines so blurred that it doesn't even matter?
Alex: I guess its so blurred it doesn't really matter
Mikael: Our "home", music-wise, has always changed and scattered (in a good way).
I noticed that you appropriated the Broder Daniel logo on your myspace page - is there a certain Gbg musical heritage that you are trying to play up?
Alex: Haha, no not really. Well, Broder Daniel has always been an exciting band, but we dont really play up any kind of heritage. We really like their music and the logo rip is more or less an homage. We played in France two years ago and the French thought the logo was really funny since "PD" (pronounced PeeDee) in French means "pedophile".
Mikael: Henrik, the singer of BD, once saw us wearing the 'PD' pin. Everyone was drunk, and I tried to explain to Henrik that 'this is a tribute, nothing else'. Of course he didn't belive me. But I was telling the truth, because I like that band, especially at pre-parties.
Are there any other cities in Sweden that you think have impressive music scenes? What about internationally?
Alex: I have no idea, really. But when we toured through Europe I was really impressed with the art scene that seems to be growing like weeds through concrete. Dennis Tyfus and all that stuff, people just going bonkers and doodling down whatever hits their mind. Really exciting stuff! Music wise, hmm, I guess Portugal became more attractive since Panda Bear moved there.
Mikael: I think Malmö has a great music scene, keeping in mind that Malmö is smaller than Gothenburg. Malmö has a number of interesting venues and the people arranging clubs seem a little more unpretentious and laid back than their Stockholm and Gothenburg counterparts. Other than that, I don't really know which place to go in this country, except my hometown. I guess you have to dig deep down the internet, there are different underground-ish festivals happening during summertime all around Sweden.
Alex: Yeah ,what Mikael said, Malmö is really great. The guy who made our latest cover art is from Malmö, His name is Rasmus Svensson (Push the Button) and don't you forget it! Also our dear friend Jason used to live in Malmö, he is now back in the states and is gonna release our next next album on his label Ormolycka. And we have to give a shout out to our label Celebrity Lifestyle Recordings (Stockholm), they are the best.
Do you have a particular song that you feel is reflective of the city?
Alex: Not really, but we have this new tune that is really great, we are recording in a studio now ("wow" I know!). Mattias Persson is the producer and he is a bless from heaven, I never knew we would have such luck to be produced by such an understanding and talented person.
Mikael: I am very happy with the drums in this track. Mattias Persson really knows the art of recording sound.
Pistol Disco - Beat of the tune