Artist: A Perfect Friend
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So, continuing off of yesrerday's post, let's talk about Thomas Denver Jonsson. I've been eagerly waiting to hear his latest record "The lake acts like an ocean" as his last album, 2005's "Barely touching it", was quite good. Thomas had also been telling me that a copy was on the way for a few months now, but due to various issues, he wasn't able to get me one until last week (also to coincide with the wider European release). Anyhow, the music here couldn't be more different than Ondo- Thomas plays country-rock in a slightly melancholy, shambolic way, not too far from Will Oldham, Songs:Ohia and the like. He's definitely got a bit of Oldham's warble; an odd mix of resignation and resolve, something that's especially apparent on tracks like "Like friends falling in love". Most of the material on the album features full-band instrumentation, but I'm drawn to this number because of its charming simplicity and sweet sentiment. It's the pure essence of TDJ. Not only that, it helps to express his oft-professed love for his friends. Whether it's singing ballads to them, working in collaborations (there's more than a few duets on the record, besides the aforementioned A Perfect Friend project w/Ondo) or interviewing them on the interweb, Thomas is a people person. He makes connection. I appreciate that.
Thomas Denver Jonsson - Like friends falling in love
In a feat of synchronicity, I received news albums from both Thomas Denver Jonsson and Ondo on the same day last week. The two are world's apart on the surface, but I know better as Ondo is the ambient/doom alias of C-J Larsgården from Pacta/Pacta Sunt Servanda and together with Jonsson, they perform as the duo A Perfect Friend. Considering how different their individual music is, it's amazing that they are able to find common ground, but certainly not unfathomable as I certainly enjoy both artists on their own. Ondo is easily the more difficult of the pair as his subterranean doom music lacks any sort of pop hooks. Instead, you get brooding darkness and evil; a beat-less, black cloud of ambiance. We've had some beautiful weather out here on the West Coast, especially here in SF where I'm situated this week, but Ondo sucks the light out of even the brightest day. To me, that's a high compliment. To conjure that level of heaviness with pure atmosphere is an intense achievement.
Ondo - Sleep
A Perfect Friend's sophomore album "Timber and modern ways" is confirmed for a late 2008 release. Exact date and details tba.
Swedish doom/drone act (and A Perfect Friend/Pacta sideproject) Ondo has a new 3" CD out on upstart label Tuguska: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=124662689&blogID=360369836
A Perfect Friend, the dronepop duo of Thomas Denver Jonsson and CJ Larsgården (Pacta, Ondo), is putting out a new outtakes EP called "Graduation day" to tide people over until the eventual release of their sophomore album "Timber and modern ways". Tracklist and other details here: http://www.thomasdenver.com/e-record.htm#graduation
A Perfect Friend has completed the recording of their new album "Timber and modern ways" and posted two of the ten tracks for listening on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/aperfectfriend
Ondo, the ambient/doom project of C-J Larsgården from A Perfect Friend/Pacta, has a new track on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/avondo
Ondo, the doomier sideproject of C-J Larsgården aka IAT.MP3 artist Pacta and also 1/2 of A Perfect Friend, has a new, somewhat mellower track up on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/avondo
Pacta/A Perfect Friend doom sideproject Ondo will be releasing the 38-minute piece "Alliansen" on CDR via American label 200mg Records. More details soon.
Swedish indietronic duo A Perfect Friend has started work on a new album and have a demo track posted online: http://www.myspace.com/aperfectfriend
If this is any indication of where they're heading, I'm excited. I thought the debut album was okay, but this is far better.
A Perfect Friend on tour in Belgium:
11/24 - Cimatic/AV07/Festival, Brussels
11/23 - Le Bonheur, Brussels
A Perfect Friend has added a couple new tracks to their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/aperfectfriend
5
A Perfect Friend is a collaboration between singer/songwriter Thomas "Denver" Jonsson and C-J Larsgarden (of Pacta Sunt Servada and various other projects). Their debut album moves within the disarming, harmless confines of what most music critics like to call 'folktronica'. There are scratches, beeps, static and gentle rhythms, accompanied by organ and glockenspiel, reminiscent of a less ethereal Tape or Library Tapes. The duo set themselves apart a bit from the average electroacoustic/folktronica/ambient constellation with the use of Thomas' vocals on some tracks, but in the end there just isn't much about this album which makes it stand out from the pack. Still, it is a fine soundtrack to a hazy afternoon by the water, with the summer sun in your eyes.
- Viktor Ålander