Like the adjective 'existentialism', the term 'post-punk' has acquired myriad meanings and applications over the years, each evoking a different shade and tone. For many, post-punk is the Mancunian dirges of Joy Division or the liminal, transitional territory covered on Wire's "Pink flag"; for others it's the jagged edges of Gang of Four, the howling desolation of The Fall, or the playful, intricate compositions of Orange Juice. At the end of most civil conversations revolving around the concept of post-punk, often an agreement is reached that while the genre's most influential records may not sit neatly beside each other, "you know it when you hear it."
With Holograms' debut full-length, this consensus seems rather apt. The record has a wonderful, sprawling scope, echoing (and occasionally distancing itself from) a number of post-punk's most highly lauded members, yet the album deftly evades pigeonholing. What Stockholm's Holograms accomplish in their thirty-eight minute romp is more than enough to allow them to be judged not on their influences, but on the construct the members themselves have created -- a dark, eerily beautiful soundscape of razor wire thin guitars, eddying synths, and sung-spoken vocals; all held together by a spine of heaving bass and colossal drums.
Opener "Monolith" sets the tone -- the first third of the composition a slow burn before the inevitable eruption -- and the two stand outs, for me at least, "ABC City" and "A tower", effortlessly prove that even thirty plus years on from "Unknown pleasures" and "Pink flag" there is still so much left to be said using the post-punk lexicon. "A tower" is particularly noteworthy, easily slipping between chaos and clarity, between violence and introspection, fusing the song's elements into far more than the sum of its parts -- precisely the transcendent quality that drew me to punk and post-punk in the first place. In a few words, "Holograms" is brilliant, proving not only the resilience of a genre, but demonstrating that there is ground still to be covered and territory left to be claimed within its unsettled peripheries. - Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
I know I said I wasn't going to be posting much, but the new Westkust EP is too good to deny. Check out the band's record release show on July 14 at Skjul Fyra Sex in Göteborg.
I'm leaving for a 2-week jaunt to Sweden this coming weekend and am utterly and completely overwhelmed with work I need to finish before I depart, so please forgive me while I concentrate on the things that need doing. Not that there's a whole lot going on right now to report anyway, but expect little-to-no updates before August and enjoy a nice little classic tune from Umeå favorites Isolation Years in the meantime.
Tomorrow night on July 12 Club It's a Trap! presents the hardcore stylings of Stockholm-based heavies This Gift is a Curse plus local boys Vervain at Debaser Malmö! Be there!
The excellent Swedish "post avant garde pop" label , run by Thomas Ekelund of Trepaneringsritualen/Soma Sema, has a nice new website where you can stream/purchase all of their releases thus far: http://www.belaten.se/
Always nice to see a well-made website with multimedia content that doesn't necessarily rely on Flash.
A new old song from Swedish instrumental act Mackaper dating back to the days when they were an organ + drum machine duo. The band is currently working on a new album which should be ready sometime in 2013.
Virus' highly acclaimed landmark avant-metal album "The black flux" will finally be getting a proper vinyl pressing this fall via -- head over to the label's website to preoder.
Swedish indierockers Leaders Off will release their new album "Yr band suck" on August 24 and this here is the first preview with guest appearances from Daniel Gilbert, Martin McFaul and Therese H Johansson.
Not that I want every two-bit band of this ilk to start bombarding me with links, but I'm generally in favor of modern bands doing the analog synth soundtrack thing ala John Carpenter/Goblin/etc and Zonen does it well. Add this Stockholm-based duo to the list alongside Nightsatan of quality modern practitioners.
Raw Lidköping crust from members of M:40, The Shocking Odds and Digher. Look for the band's debut EP "Ingen vinner" to be released on July 21 via with a release show alongside M:40 at Stand Matsalar the same day.
New Swedish indie from the band's forthcoming EP coming out later this month. Features animal violence and underwear dancing/pile-ons -- you have been warned!
has confirmed that the new Big Wave Riders album "Life less ordinary" will be released on August 24 and they've posted another song to help build anticipation.
Holograms