Musique Machine on Swedish blues slide-guiarist Jimmy Ågren and his latest album "Various phobias": https://www.musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=1657

The Avantgarde-Metal site has reviewed the super-limited cassette that Zweizz released on Epicene Sound Records late last year: https://www.avantgarde-metal.com/content/beyond2.php?id=26

Firefox AK
If I were a melody
Razzia Records

The recent hyper-popularity of bands like Justice and MGMT has proven that electronica is now a serious player in the music industry, not only with the indie crowd, but the major label industry as well. Firefox AK has been in the game a few years, garnering attention throughout Scandinavia, the British Isles, and Europe, obviously not to the extent of Swedish comrades such as The Knife, but making an impact nonetheless. The follow up to "Madame, madame", "If I were a melody" again proves that Andrea Kellerman has a unique knack for electronic music: bridging the gap between the dancefloor bound compositions and the more contemplative creations by acts such as The Radio Dept. and Junior Boys (whose Matt Didemus mixed "If I were a melody"). "The river" is one of the finest tracks Firefox AK has ever produced, and first single "Winter rose", with husband and consistent collaborator Rasmus Kellerman (better known as Tiger Lou), demonstrates the range of this album, focusing the synth-driven craftsmanship into a more popular vein. An extremely consistent artist, you probably didn't need too much reassurance that Firefox AK's newest effort was worth a small investment - but, in case you did: "If I were a melody" is a fine album.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Various Artists
Ny musik för landssorg
Container

Public radio does have its virtues: It gives weekly airtime to people such as Andreas Tilliander (former Swedish Grammy-Winner, present Kent-support gig, ever-productive multi-aliased electronic musician) to talk about and play electronic music in his acclaimed show "Ström" and, from time to time, it even lets said show hosts compile CDs. After a walk in the park with 2006's birdsong-remix CD "Pausfågeln remixad", the current topic, which translates to "New music for national grief", touches on more sombre grounds - its aim was to compile music that could be played on the radio in case of national grief, think tsunami or death in the royal family. Naturally, each of the record's 12 musician has their own personal concept of grief and expresses it through (more or less) crackling electronica in widely different ways. Ideally, such fragmentism could be enriching, as in the Pausfågel-compilation, but here it revives a familiar problem of compilations: some tracks truly stand out (to me: the more cut-up, less vocal ones) but others are more of the skipping-kind. It's a matter of taste, as always, but I think I'll stick with the Pausfågel-CD for now and wait for the next Ström-sampler.
- Arnulf Köhncke

Foxy Digitalis gives high marks to Ljudbilden & Piloten's new album "One hundred fifty-five": https://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/reviews.php?which=3246

Delusions of Adequacy weighs in favorable on Swedish act The Bell: https://www.adequacy.net/review.php?reviewID=8572

The Silent Ballet on Ef's new album "I am responsible": https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/1264/Default.aspx

Musique Machine reviews Ljudbilden & Piloten: https://www.musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=1649

AngryApe reviews Ef's new album "I am responsible": https://angryape.com/reviews/2008/03/18/ef-i-am-responsible

The Next Big Thing weighs in favorably on the latest Novoton releases from the bands Pascal and Paper: https://nextbigthing.blogspot.com/2008/03/day-care-centre-jumpin-jackpot-of.html

Pitchfork on the US release of The LK and their album "vs the snow": https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/48981-the-lk-vs-the-snow

Madrugada
s/t
EMI

Guitarist Robert Burås left this world much too soon. And he will be missed. Those of us that got to see Madrugada live can certify that he was a main character in this otherwise so well put together combo. Being the sixth and final album from Norway's finest, this is nothing but pure genius. The intensity is evident throughout, both musically and vocally. On this self-titled full-length, the band has taken the atmosphere of foreboding that is their trademark to a higher level, which leaves us, the listeners, in a state of darkness that's indefensible. Simply put, we're reeled right in and I wouldn't want anything else. Frontman Sivert Høyem sings with such authority and grace, it makes my eyes fill up with tears. And seeing that I'm into The Birthday Party and Nick Cave, it's difficult not to compare, but Sivert has a hypnotizing way of taking each song to perfection, something Mr. Cave is missing at times. "The hour of the wolf" is a straight-forward rock song with howling guitars, powerful drums and a showcase of one of the shapes that was Madrugada. It's rock'n'roll in its purest form. The more acoustic "Look away Lucifer" is a dark and eerie song that sort of sums up the album as a whole. The uncanny feeling of this swan song is charming in a way that you never want to end. But, all good things must come to an end and I can't think of a better way than this. Kudos. And R.I.P.
- Jonas Appelqvist

Dusted reviews Norwegian artist Silje Nes: https://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4158

PopMatters reviews Doctors & Dealers: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/55757/doctors-dealers-confessions-of-a-drunken-mind/

Buddyhead likes Swedish act Blackstrap: https://www.buddyhead.com/2008/03/07/blackstrap-steal-my-horse-and-run/