Kalligrammofon has a new, super-limited split CDR featuring Swedish electronic artists Kopia and The Field: http://www.kalligrammofon.com/main.php?artist=6
Samples of Ef's forthcoming album "I am responsible" are now streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/ef
It comes out January 19 via And the Sound.
Download Detektivbyrån's cover of "O holy night": http://www.detektivbyran.net/Helganatt.mp3
But Is It Art? has posted a new Friday Bridge remix by Dutch Rubbah for free download: http://www.butisitart.org/downloads/Friday_Bridge_Literature_Rubbah_rmx.mp3
The various folks behind Musikbyrån have posted all their top album picks for the year: http://musikbyran.blogspot.com/
The Kahvi Collective has a new live release from Lackluster posted for free download as part of their Christmas Week series: http://www.kahvi.org/165.php
Musique Machine reviews Lasse Marhaug's "It's not the end of the world": http://www.musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=1526
Pitchfork scribe Marc Hogan was recently a guest on Public Radio program Fair Game discussing new trends in Swedish indiepop: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/fairgame/.jukebox?action=viewMedia&mediaId=660023&podcastId=3565
Kristofer Åström is now booked by 2fortheroad in Europe and will be heading out on the road in April next year.
Sincerely Yours has a new single from Air France posted for free download: http://www.sincerelyyours.se/yours0065.html
The Go! Team (UK) and Suicide Commando (BEL) along with Swedish acts Alice In Videoland, Familjen, Rigas and Deathstars are the first batch of artists confirmed for next year's Arvika Festival, set for July 3-5. Read more: http://www.arvikafestivalen.se/
MP3: Universal Poplab - I could say I'm sorry
Zeigeist might be no more, but that's not stopping them from releasing more remixes. Their version of Universal Poplab's "I could say I'm sorry" (off the new "Uprising - The remixes" album) shows them at their best, taking a fairly typical EBM track and upping the pop/electro aspects. Soften the edges, smooth it out, streamline it. Add some squiggly 80s electro sound effects, a bit of vocoder - retro without being overtly so, exactly the kind of thing that gained Zeigeist popularity in the first place (once you got past the clever distro scheme). It slightly diminishes the angst of the lyrics by cannibalizing the chorus, but that's fine because it's far more dancefloor-friendly as a lighthearted romp. Besides, the melody is strong enough to carry it through regardless.
Universal Poplab - I could say I'm sorry (Zeigeist remix)
We Were Dancing
Mixtape vol.1 - we won't get old
Hwem/Namenlos
You can call music like this 'lo-fi soundscapes' (like the label does), try a more descriptive approach with 'drones and field recordings', or just use the term 'experimental music (which really doesn't say that much). But whatever label you might attach to Robin Rådenman's second EP as We Were Dancing on Swedish netlabel Hwem, you'll never quite capture its stark charms and appeal. In a way, the seven tracks on "Mixtape vol.1 - we won't get old" remind me of The Field (minus the hectic loops): Noises, drones and hisses oscillate seemingly uncontrolled until they are varied just in time before they might become boring or unnerving. Don't get me wrong though, this definitely is not "friendly" (read: uninteresting) ambient music. Its texture continuously shifts and demands your full attention until you've explored all its finely crafted details. In short: Brilliant music to replace the urban sounds of your city with.
- Arnulf Köhncke
