A bit of a clarification from yesterday's news: Cat5 has not left Service, but rather the label has signed a license deal with Universal/Stockholm to work together.
Check out an e-card for Khoma's new album "The second wave": http://www.khoma.net/thesecondwave/
MP3: Hurdy-Gurdy - Venjan
We continue our exploration of traditional Scandinavian folk this week with a track from the aptly-named Hurdy-Gurdy. Artist monikers don't get much more self-explanatory than that! The concept is straightforward enough: two men (Stefan Brisland-Ferner of Garmarna and Hållbus Totte Mattson of Hedningarna) and their instruments. Except that it's not really that simple - the men don't just play their instruments - they also process and chop the recordings on their computers so that every single nuance of sound you hear on the album originated from a hurdy gurdy. The so-called "medieval synthesizer" is an unexplored landscape of noise, especially when it comes to modern recording technique. It's not at all like electric guitar where there's an established and accepted standard for mic placement, tone range and so forth. Most engineers, when faced with a contraption like a hurdy gurdy, would have absolutely no idea what to do. Stefan and Hållbus use that to their advantage and are free to play around and create something completely new from the old device. It's a fascinating instrument and I highly recommend that, if the opportunity presents itself, you see it performed live. I caught Garmarna on tour a few years back and Stefan stole the show. Never would I have imagined that a hurdy gurdy player could rock out with such reckless abandon.
Hurdy-Gurdy - Venjan
Babylon Bombs have posted a few samples from their new album "Doin' you nasty": http://www.babylonbombs.net/music.htm
The Scaramangas new single "The sun" will be out on April 5 and will feature the b-sides "Sail on pt. 1" and a remix of "Sunday morning" as done by fellow Finns Boys of Scandinavia.
Killing Music is the name of a new Swedish label, home to artists 047, Disco Digitale and Baby, Don't Hurt Yourself. First up will be DD's debut full-length "Computer dreams", due out April 26. Samples soon.
The new David Lindh single "Dare (If I fall in love)" will be out on April 5 via Razzia Records. His new album "Chocolate and seafood" comes out May 3.
Swedish rockers Paperback Freud have confirmed that their forthcoming full-length album "Roller" will be released on April 12.
Montys Loco and Ane Brun are touring Germany together in early April:
04/08 - Alte Feuerwache, Mannheim
04/09 - Brotfabrik, Frankfurt
04/10 - Tacheles, Berlin
04/11 - Stage Club, Hamburg
Upstart label Eastground Records has announced the signing of their very first act, Skövde/Falköping-based hard-rock act Kaross. Read about the band here: http://www.eastgroundrecords.se/kaross.html
In case you were worried that the modern black-metal scene was full of poseurs, here's the latest news from Dark Essence Records:
There's a lot of rumours out there, but we can confirm that Hoest of Taake is in prison at the moment. He'll be out in a couple of months, and will then finish the work on the new Taake release. Yes, there will be more coming from Taake in the near future! More info about that will come.
We can also mention that C. Corax who plays guitar on the "...Doedskvad" and "...Bjoergvin..." albums, also is in prison at the moment, but for a bit longer time.
Swedish house duo Air Bureau has posted some new tracks featuring guest vocals from Helena of Sandy Mouche: http://www.airbureau.net/
Dark Dose reminisces about Emperor's legendary album "Anthems to the welkin at dusk": http://darkdose.com/?p=118
I'm much more of a fan of the first full-length "Nightside eclipse", but I do fondly remember mailordering this record when it first came out and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the postman. The synth horns on the first track are some of the most ridiculous shit ever, but once you get by that, it's pretty damn awesome. Definitely a landmark release for the genre.
The latest 'Still Single' column at Dusted reviews the latest from Denmark's Gorilla Angreb: http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/484
Great band, definitely recommended for fans of X and The Avengers.
Montt Mardié, aka Swedish artist David Pagmar, has updated his site with a progress report on his forthcoming EPs and singles: http://www.monttmardie.com/