Glad midsommar! Be sure to check out our first report back from Hultsfred: [click here]
Fredrik
Na na ni
Jezebel Recordings
Fredrik wants us to believe many things: First, that he's actually a six-piece band. Second, that he unifies such far-reaching influences as Fairport Convention, Steve Reich and Barbara Morgenstern. And finally, that he likes to tell dark fairy tales that make you feel as though you're a ten-year-old lost in a threatening forest. Personally, I tend to go with him on the six-piece band thing (which includes members of Scraps of Tape, Vit Päls and The LK), and I can definitely make out large influences of experimental folk as well as of more recent folktronica -- think guitar and dulcimer plus the occasional analogue static, loops and geegaw percussion. All the while, the darkness of the lyrics is actually nicely contrasted with the extroverted, complex playfulness of the music: It's amazing to hear Fredrik combine all of his influences into such a coherent record where electronica gives way to straight singer-songwriterism that's instantly merged with post-psychedelia. Still, this album is clearly not about browbeating the listener with excessive namedropping or clever genre-bending, but about captivating melodies and even straight-out pop. Maybe that forest just isn't so threatening after all and it'd be worthwile to linger a little longer.
- Arnulf Köhncke
Karin Ström has posted a new remix track she did for the Swedish rapper Miki: http://www.myspace.com/datadamen
Finally, a new Convoj single: http://www.youareawesome.se/html/body_yaa____-_it_s_up_to_you_to_kee1.html
Expect the long-awaited full-length debut to be released in September.
Listen to Zeigeist's brand new single "Wrecked metal" (and b-side remix) at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thezeigeist
New fall dates for Under Byen:
10/02 - AB, Brussels (BEL)
10/03 - La Maroquinerie, Paris (FRA)
10/04 - Le Ciel, Grenoble (FRA)
10/05 - ISC, Bern (CH)
10/06 - Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg (GER)
10/07 - Szene, Vienna (AUS)
10/09 - Beatpol, Dresden (GER)
10/10 - tba, Berlin (GER)
JuJu Records is offering a Timbuktu live album (w/Damn!) as a free download: http://www.jujurecords.nu/downloads/live.zip
Finnish hard-rockers Slideshaker report that their third album is finally done being tracked and is ready for mixing. No word on a release date yet, but two rough mixes are posted on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/slideshaker
The Goner's new EP "Hind hand" is done and available for mailorder direct from his self-run label Svarta Marknaden: http://svartamarknaden.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/hind-hand-released/
As I mentioned before, I've heard some pre-mixes of the material and it's stunning. Definitely recommended.
Danish artist/producer Troels Abrahamsen is retiring his many aliases such as SuperTroels and Mockin' Bird and will henceforth work using his given nomenclature: http://supertroels.dk/wp/?p=369
The latest Music Export Finland newsletter is now online: http://musex.fi/mxf/news?articleId=158
LowCut interviews weirdo Finnish hard/doom-rockers Mr. Peter Hayden: http://www.lowcut.dk/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=225:mr-peter-hayden&catid=34:interviews&Itemid=55
Cats On Fire, one of Finland's best-known indiepop bands, has signed with Johanna Kustannus, one of the country's biggest and most respected indie labels. The band will record their sophomore album in August with an eye for an early 2009 release.