Tag: Mp3s
Hey, look! More jazz to bore all you indie music fans. I make no secret that I'm a huge fan of Nordic folk-inspired jazz such as Jan Johansson and Cornelis Vreeswijk and other modern folk-influenced acts such as Detektivbyrån, Det Gamla Landet and Hedningarna, but did you know that I am also a soprano sax player? Or was I guess I should say, as I am waaaay out of practice. I know most people immediately think Kenny G when they think soprano, but please put such thoughts aside! Think John Coltrane, Steve Lacy. Anyone else! Or maybe start thinking Jonas Knutsson & Horn Please. Six sax players (from sopranino to baritone, but mostly soprano) plus a rhythm section playing "Country & Eastern" music (as the cover proclaims), or as you may have guessed, ethnic folk-inspired jazz. I became hooked on this stuff way back when John Zorn first started his acclaimed Masada project- I had been a fan of his work with Naked City among other projects, but it's his roots-based work with Masada that I consider to be his best. Did you realize that there are many similar tonal qualities in Middle Eastern, Eastern European and Scandinavian folk? It's true. The styles blend together far more easily than you might expect. That's why me, as some Jewish kid getting into Masada, can also similarly appreciate a "polska" piece from Jonas Knutsson. Now, I'm not actually posting a polka today, but you get the idea, right?
Jonas Knutsson - Bosambo-Revati
KakoFone is new label out of Denmark focusing on avant-jazz or "modern composition and improvisation" as they put it. At least that's the territory they've covered so far with their first two releases, but I suppose anything is possible since their mission statement leaves things fairly wide open. So keeping that in mind, let's take a look at Saft, a young sax/keys/drums trio out of Århus. First off, this is not atonal free jazz so don't let any avant-garde labels scare you off just yet. Yes, there are strong improvisational elements, but the piece I'm posting for you today has a very strong compositional structure. It might not seem obvious for non-musicians, so let me encourage you to not just listen to the piece I've posted today, but also to watch it as well. Personally, I find the visual aspect of jazz performance very appealing. Sure, they're reading charts in this instance (hence my comments on strong composition), but they're also interacting and playing off of one another and that's what makes it so exciting. No the subtle differences between the two versions as well - that's what makes it such a fluid art form. However, the thing I like best about the piece is the way they let it build before settling into a groove. Often times with this kind of stuff, the artists seem to forget that challenging music is not incompatible with enjoyment and let themselves get suckered into making music that only appeals to other musicians. Saft makes complicated music with broader appeal and I appreciate that.
Saft - I do not smoke
If it wasn't for At the Gates, It's a Trap! would not exist. They were the very first band I ever heard that I associated with having a distinctive "Swedish" sound and I can still fondly remember the day I brought home "Terminal spirit disease". I must've listened to it at least three times in a row; it was an absolute revelation. When the follow-up album "Slaughter of the soul" came out, I listened to it at least once a day, every day for six months straight. So yeah, when I say that At the Gates changed my life, I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. Taking that into account, I am extremely flattered that AtG guitarist Anders Björler agreed to participate in this week's Göteborg feature.
Would you say there is a particular Gbg sound or attitude? If so, how would you describe it?
Gothenburg stood for melody, while for example the Stockholm sound was more Punk / Rock influenced. However, the Gothenburg bands didn't have that much in common. They all had unique styles.
Was there already an established metal scene in Gbg back when AtG first started? Was there ever a point when you realized that there some something special or distinctive going on or did that only happen once you started to get international attention?
There was no metal scene at all. There was only Grotesque [vocalist Tomas Lindberg's old band with scene vet Kristian Wåhlin aka Necrolord plus fellow AtG founding member Alf Svensson] in the Death Metal scene. A couple of Thrash bands like: Intoxicate, Pagandom, Dead End, Valcyrie, Megaslaughter etc...
We didn't realize how big it was going until after we split up. At the Gates were never a big band. We were basically a very small punk band that played melodic death metal.
How close-knit was the Gbg metal community back in the early 90s? Were there any rivalries?
It was very close. Especially the Billdal scene with bands like Dark Tranquillity, Desecrator (Anders Iwers, now Tiamat, and Oscar Dronjak, now Hammerfall). It was a very creative atmosphere. If there was any competition, it was a silent one. i.e - you tried to create the best music possible.
We all met at eachothers' parties, and we hung out at gigs etc. It was basically a large group of friends.
How do you think the city influenced the sound? Are there any particular artists, labels, zines, venues, etc that stand out as having helped shape the scene?
Dolores records was very important. It was also a record store. Through them I got into Carcass in 1989, the rest is history.
I also think that the Gothenburg weather served as an influence for the sound somehow. It's really melancholic sometimes. Very grey and rainy. I think it's very similar to let's say: Seattle.
Are you still based in Gbg nowadays? If so, what keeps you there? How would say things compare now to the old days?
Me and Martin live in Gothenburg. Adrian lives in London. Tomas lives on the east coast of Sweden. Jonas in the middle of Sweden.
We are all older. We experienced the At the Gates thing when we were kids basically. Everything has changed. The venues are closed down. People have moved or they have quit playing music. Basically what keeps me here is friends and family, but I can almost live anywhere in the world. I don't like to be stuck at one place too long. I have lived in other places in Sweden for a while, but always seem to come back to Gothenburg in the end.
Lastly, do you have a particular song that you think best reflects the city?
Cold :D
HUGE thanks again to Anders for contributing and be sure to check out the various At the Gates reunion gigs happening this summer. Also, keep an eye out for a new record from his current band The Haunted as well!
At the Gates - Cold
Remember De Stijl? They were one of the many Swedish garage-rock bands that got hyped on the coattails of The Hives' success. At least that's the way it appeared to me, though Sweden has a long tradition of great bands in this vein, stretching back to scene godfathers the Nomads. Like many people (I imagine), I first became aware of the stuff through The Hellacopters before discovering the superb "Swedish sins '97" comp which of course led to more and more bands. But that's a post for another time- today we're talking about De Stijl and the single "Date times" off the 2003 record "Yeahvolution!". It's snotty, brash and undeniably catchy, especially with those tuneless frat-rock backups. It's not the kind of thing that'll change your life, but it'll certainly brighten up 90 seconds of your day. So where are these guys now? I know they released a follow-up in 2005, but I haven't heard anything since?
De Stijl - Date times
I love love love self-depreciating/self-referential songs like this. Isolation Years' "Yellow cross on blue" edges it out ever so slightly in the end, but hey- there's no shame in being #2. My favorite couplet: "I feel good when I am pissed / I don't think that god exists" You can't go wrong when tossing in an acknowledgment of Sweden's status as a secular state as far as I'm concerned. I know it's goofy, but as a former religious studies student, I'm all about it. And the tacked on "P-I-G is the police" line that doesn't quite fit? It's so dumb, it's brilliant! If you don't like this, I don't like you.
High Hats - Bitterswede
Meshuggah, at this point in their career, has lost the element of surprise. However, they continue to impress as they remain the world's greatest math-metal champions. I suspect that if anyone even attempted to challenge them, they'd be written off as mere imitators no matter how good they are because, let's face it, Meshuggah has the market cornered for hyper-syncopated metal. They wrote the damn book. So taking this into consideration, it's hard to give a fair assessment of the band's new album "obZen". It sounds like Meshuggah as only Meshuggah does. Personally, I find that it hearkens back a bit towards "Chaosphere" in that there's a fairly consistent mid-tempo 4/4 beat in the drum pulse. They mix it up a bit of course, but it's those deceptively simple riffs that are often their heaviest and most memorable and that's why I've chosen "Pravus" as today's mp3 selection. All the Meshuggah trademarks are present, including Fredrik Thorendal's signature discordant leads, though the best part though comes after the solo section in what I guess you could call the breakdown. When they settle into a groove like that, they're unstoppable. And the subtle melodic counterpoint is absolutely killer as well. It's great, but it's also exactly what you'd expect, so it's a bit tougher to get excited about it.
Meshuggah - Pravus
The Second Band of 2008 is a bit different than the one you might remember from 2006's "Your dark side is on the phone". Less members, a bit rougher around the edges. Less straight-up pop, less optimistic, more yearning, more weary. Seems appropriate to me as the world is not as nice a place as it was two years ago. On the other hand, this also means they're sounding less unique. Do we need another Arcade Fire or Shout Out Louds? When they sound more like the former as on today's mp3 pick, I say yes. The song has drive and, as the title suggests, an urgency. Also, as with yesterday's mp3 selection, they throw in the odd off-notes to add atmosphere and tension. It's a clever ploy and without it, the song wouldn't be nearly as interesting despite that lovely drifting melody line during the verses. However, as self-assured as such tactics may be, I still get the impression that the band is having a bit of an identity crisis as the rest of their new album "The definite form" is anything but. They seem torn between embracing modern indierock and exploring their quiet, jazzier side which, come to think of it, kinda reminds me of The Book of Daniel the more I listen. I like this song a lot, but am not so sure it's the direction they ought to embrace.
The Second Band - The urgency of now
The new Anna Leong single "Guillotine" is pure Umeå pedigree. The folkiness of Isolation Years, the melodic melancholy of The Perishers; it's all there amidst the pleading and prostration. And though the sound of the city is obvious, they make it their own by adding various subtle touches. For example, listen to that organ refrain - it's maddening, like something you'd expect to hear at an evil carnival ala "Something wicked this way comes". Compared to feeling conveyed by last Friday's Caesars Palace post, this is the polar opposite, despite the actual tone not being all that different. What I like best about the song though are all the little, unexpected melodic shifts that carry it along. Like the way the bridge sounds so uplifting before the triplet fill into the chorus. And those tossed off blue notes in the guitar solo - that seals it for me. They seem so ugly at first, but they really take the song to another level. Without them, the piece would be pleasant but forgettable. As-is, it's a great track which makes me excited to hear the rest of the album.
Watch the video here.
Anna Leong - Guillotine
It's Saturday again so that means it's time once again for our weekly series on the music of Göteborg. Our guest: Dieter Schöön.
How long have you lived in Gbg? Where did you move from and why?
Since 92, moved from smaller town called Alingsås about 30 minutes away by car. I moved to join a funkband based in Gbg called The Punk Funk Union.
Do you think that there's a particular Gbg sound?
I don't think there has ever been a particular Gbg-sound, I think it's more like an attitude and vibe around the very purpose of making music that could maybe be described as a Gbg thing, rather than sound.
In my opinion, the main Gbg purpose of making music has always been more about making great music rather than great money or success. This might be cause of the fact that there never really was a big record company operating in Gbg at all; the big ones have always been seated up in Stockholm.
Maybe people are just more serious about music here.
What advantages does living in Gbg offer artists? Disadvantages?
I think the lack of bigger record companies is both good and bad.
If you could pick up and move anywhere else in the world, where would you go?
Köln is a great town! Big river splicing the town up in two parts with four or five big bridges along the river, the terrifying dirty drome wich is covered by creepy sculptures of demons and devils on the surface... Köln is nice I think.
How has the city inspired you? Are there any particular songs of yours that you would say are a direct reflection upon the city?
I think the harbour is a very inspiring place at night with its orange lights and stillness and yes, I think "The harbour's cold" and "I'll go there", both of them are fairly reflective of the city.
Seeing as how I've previously posted "The harbour's cold", here's "I'll go there". Enjoy!
Dieter Schöön - I'll go there
Between the weakness of previous record "Paper tigers" and the total media saturation of "Jerk it out", it's easy to forget just how good those old Caesars Palace/Caesars albums really are. Any good will I had left was sapped out. So with a promising new double-album on the way (the half-dozen or so tracks from "Strawberry weed" that I've heard so far are all surprisingly strong), I figure it's time to pay 'em a visit and hopefully rekindle what we once had. It's actually quite easy as their distinctive garage-pop sound, when done right, goes down effortlessly. Yes, even the ubiquitous "Jerk it out" remains a great song even after a million-and-a-half listens. But I'll be damned if I post that one as they've got stacks of other songs in their back-catalogue with just as much hit potential. "From the bughouse" off of 2000's "Cherry kicks" has it all: the trademark vintage organ tones, a revved-up tempo, an irresistible chorus. I'd have a hard time trusting anyone who says they don't like this.
Caesars Palace - From the bughouse
Ok, so here we have the debut solo single from Laakso frontman Markus Krunegård, "Jag är en vampyr". The myspace page says "gothic" and the synth reinforces that, as does the title ("I am a vampire"). Otherwise, aside from the choice of language, it's not really all that different from Laakso. I don't have the recording credits in front of me, but I'd be mighty surprised if that wasn't Lars Skoglund on the drums, as that hi-hat heavy playing is most certainly his style. Which is to say, it's good. Surprise! Actually, it is a bit more low-key than usual as Markus never totally lets loose and wails, but whatever- it's good to confound expectations every now and then. Now, as for what this portends with regards to the upcoming album "Markusevangeliet", I can't say for sure as I've only heard a few tracks. I'm excited though.
Markus Krunegård - Jag är en vampyr
"To her" is the lead single from Paper's upcoming debut album "An object", due out March 15 via Novoton Records. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is yet another one of my most anticipated new releases. The demo tracks were great (see here), but the album versions I've heard so far are even better. More intense, more defined. As before, the sound is deeply rooted in 1980s Swedish postpunk and you can also definitely hear little quirks that call to mind the members' other projects such as Audionom and The Bear Quartet. It's insistent. Maybe even a little bit sinister, though perhaps not as much as "My life is going under" as the 3rd person perspective of the lyrics here creates a natural buffer. Anyhow, it's good stuff and I'm sure I'll be talking about these guys a lot in days to come, so check it out!
Paper - To her
I have conflicted feelings about Animal Alpha. They are guilty of committing many grievous nü-metal clichés, but on the other hand, they usually manage to pull it off somewhat tastefully. "Somewhat" being relative to your tolerance level, I suppose. Personally, I still enjoy "Roots"-era Sepultura and will even own up to enjoying a few Soulfly tunes (I even saw them on their first tour), so it's not as if I never dipped my toes in this stuff, but I'm also not completely comfortable with it. Let us not forget all the horrible crap that this scene begat, though such bands will remain nameless here. Animal Alpha walks the line and as long as I don't think too hard about it, I can enjoy it. The new album "You pay for the whole seat, but you'll only need to edge" is mercifully short and to-the-point and when they're not competently recycling "Roots"-esque drop-d style riffage, vocalist Agnete Kjølsrud carries the band with her intense screams and surprisingly strong melodic singing. "Breed again" offers a good balance between the two sides, so even if you can't take the heaviness, you can at least try to appreciate their arena rock aspirations. Like it or not, they are good at what they do.
Animal Alpha - Breed again
I had been planning to post Niccokick's new single "The poet", but then Absolut Noise pretty much made my opinion redundant, but fuck it- it's President's Day here in the US and I have the day off from the dayjob and am feeling lazy, so I'm gonna post it anyway. Like Aymeric says, "The poet" is a great song in classic Niccokick style, full of attitude and a little bit reckless. The band is truly at their best when they teeter on the brink and are just barely holding on. It's about energy and feeling, not craftsmanship and the closer they get to losing control, the more exciting it is to listen to. It's about getting lost in the moment, even if you feel a little bit silly about it. Don't be too self-conscious about it.
Niccokick - The poet
This week's guest in our ongoing Göteborg spotlight series is Johan Gustavsson. Besides being a triumphant Guitar Hero player (seriously!), he keeps himself very, very busy performing music solo under the alias Tsukimono, as well as playing with groups such as Scraps of Tape, Viktor Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble, Alina, the new band The VIII Arms Around You and tons more. Keeping track of 'em all is near-impossible. Anyhow, I had questions and he was happy to supply some answers:
How long have you lived in GBG?
I've basically been living here for a year now. The first 6-7 months I kept working in Skåne, the south of Sweden, where I'm from. That meant a lot of driving and more or less living in my car, traveling between 3 different cities all the time.
But now I'm here and have been here full time since August 07.
Where did you move from and why?
I moved up here from Malmö for love. I met the greatest person and we decided to try and make it work out together. I was also losing my apartment in Malmö and I needed to get out of the situation I was stuck in at the time. Things have
worked out for the better.
Favorite part about the city? Least favorite?
I really like Gbg in general, I like walking in the city even though I do it a lot less than I'd like. I live in Majorna and
there is just a lot of nice things to look at and to take to heart.
Least favourite? The weather... for sure. Windy and rainy... but it's ok.
Do you think that there's a particular Gbg sound? If so, how would you describe it?
Nah, I think what's so good about the music from Gbg is that it's all really diverse. You can find anything here, and
most of the time it's pretty damn good too. And with people like Christian Pallin/Koloni around who organizes shows and happenings all year-round, you get pretty spoiled with
opportunities to see interesting and odd bands/artists from all over the world.
How would you say the city inspired you?
I've been getting more back into punk and hardcore/metal again... which is great! There's a good scene here.
Started a few new bands, played with great people, met wonderful people with a real desire to do good and who have their
hearts 100% in what they do. It's pretty hard to not get inspired by stuff like that. I've also been getting better at saying no
and to not go everywhere and not do everything. To have the ability to not do things is very liberating.
Is there a particular piece that you've done that you feel was directly influenced by and/or provides a good reflection of the city?
Well, there's also a compilation coming out entitled "Gothenburg 08", which will be released by Fang Bomb... it'll feature me, Viktor Sjöberg, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words and many others... the track on there is about Gbg but since it's not released yet I'm not sure that's a good idea.
However, my new album coming out on Kalligrammofon, the "Heart attack money" cd, kinda touches on Gbg a lot too, so let's go for "Gloomy Sunday". It's being mastered this week Henrik Oja (The Spacious Mind, Säkert!) and Jonas Rosén (Female Anchor Of Sade, Asterisk*) so I'm super-psyched to hear the results soon.
Look for the album to receive a proper release soon, but in the meantime, here's the unmastered version of "Gloomy Sunday" to whet your thirst. Highly recommended!
Tsukimono - Gloomy Sunday