Swedish punk label (Slöa Knivar, Krig i Hudik, Brainbombs, etc.) has started a new offshoot called in order to release what they say is "music that is perhaps more awkvard, worse, better, more lean, more pop, more dance than what we havce been doing so far at Skrammel." First up, a new 10" EP from rockers Alouatta called "DIY" which will be out on May 6. Read more and check out a pre-mastered sample tune: http://skrammelrecords.se/sodertorn/
reports that the new Krig i Hudik EP should be coming back from the factory this week and will soon be followed by a new 12" from fellow Swedish punks Sexpistolstanten and Mockfjärdsvapnet along with an additional repress of the Brainbombs "Genius and brutality...Taste and power" reissue.
New Swedish underground label reports that the new Slöa Knivar LP "Ingen klass ingen stil" should be out in mid-June. After that, they'll be reissuing the first two Brainbombs albums "Burning hell" and "Genius and brutality... taste and power" with the cover art as the band originally intended. No word on when those will be available, but I'll keep you updated.
says that they are working on a new boxset compilation (#2) to include No Balls, The Dements plust two other as-yet-unnamed acts: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=412756052&blogId=531273896
The first box came out last year and included four 7"s from the likes of Brainbombs, Poppets, Black Bug and The Homostupids and sold out almost immediately.
Tom KarlssonThe label that brought us the most recent Brainbombs album ("Fucking mess") blesses us yet another lesson in uneasy listening, Tom Karlsson's "Pojknacke". However, this time the bummer vibes come not from harsh repetitive riffs and questionable lyrical content, but from minimalist industrial sound collage layered with the sort of overcooked narration you expect to hear at a puppet show. Can't say I'm all that into it though, especially without the proper Swedish comprehension skills to follow the narrative, but what it comes down to is that the music simply isn't all that compelling. Songs start and stop without much in the way of drama or dynamics and after a while I'm left thinking "is this it?" Thankfully no, Mr. Karlsson did see fit to provide us with a spectacularly gruesome gatefold cover image, so at least it's got that going for it.
- Avi Roig
I picked up a No Balls 7" on a total whim, not knowing anything about the band except that it was being peddled by the same folks who sold me the latest Brainbombs LP. I figured with that kind of association, it'd at least hold its resale value if I wasn't into it and if I was, it's all bonus. Anyhow, I have since learned that No Balls is Drajan Bryngelsson and Dan Råberg from Brainbombs 'cept that this particular 7" I have is all Drajan. Musically speaking, it sounds like an instrumental Brainbombs: nothing but repetitive, caustic, atonal riffs set with the intention to batter and antagonize. In other words, No Balls is perfect for those of who would like to get into Brainbombs, but can't get past the heavy violent, misanthropic and misogynistic vocals. I think copies of this ultra-limited record might still be out there (only 187 copies pressed), but here's a rip of the a-side for those of you who aren't apt to bother. PS, the b-side is called "Balls".
No Balls - No
Release the Bats reports that the forthcoming No Balls LP has been sent off for pressing and should be ready in mid-October. The label says: This is Drajan and Råberg from Brainbombs going nuts. Incredible stuff that sounds like mix of Ruins, Brainbombs and DNA." Having picked up a new 7" from them recently, I'd say that's not too far from the truth though the far simpler "instrumental Brainbombs" descriptor would probably suffice, at least for record I have. Anyhow, looking forward to it. 300 copies, preview a track here: http://www.myspace.com/releasethebatsrecords
Okkultokrati share members with Haust and more than a slight resemblance soundwise, but they are definitely way more on the current pessimistic hardcore zeitgeist tip than the latter. Haust mix hardcore aggression with black metal nihilism, Okkultokrati are just aggro. If you dig on the contorted sounds of Sex Vid, Total Abuse, Cult Ritual or any other like-minded negative creeps (overused Brainbombs references are a surefire tip-off), you'll probably dig this too, especially if you wish those bands had a heavier rhythmic integrity. The debut "Knarkskog EP" (free d/l here) won't usurp "Communal living" as the subset standard-bearer, but it's way better than some and bodes well for the future.
Okkultokrati - Neandertime
Lystring, the label/publisher that released the most recent Brainbombs album "Fucking mess", will be putting out a new LP from Tom Karlsson entitled "Pojknacke". Tom has previously collaborated with the groups Arbetaren, Galago and Det Grymma Svärdet, among others and this new work is said to be "more or less musical backgrounds to the texts that are quite serious in the foundation, but made with various silly voices. The roots are somewhere in the industrial music cassette subculture of the 80s." (according to Google Translate, kinda)
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:
01. Hello Saferide - 2008
02. TALK 1
03. The Fine Arts Showcase - Friday on my knees
04. Juvelen - Hanna
05. Dmitry Fyodorov - MD5VSSHA1
06. TALK 2
07. Paper - Out of it into it
08. Katzenjammer - Tea with cinnamon
09. Kristofer Åström - Just a little insane
10. TALK 3
11. Mattias Hellberg & The White Moose - Why is it so?
12. Parken - Vad ska vi göra med Henry?
13. Johan Heltne - Hjärta. Instinkt. Principer.
14. TALK 4
15. Marybell Katastrophy - Hidden agenda
16. The Bear Quartet - What I hate
17. Brainbombs - Stalker
18. TALK 5
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XM U. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
One thing I neglected to mention in my previous Brainbombs post is that despite my grievous misgivings, I actually really do like them, though I'm not so sure I'd go so far as to say I "enjoy" them. The band's new album "Fucking mess" is exactly that: a shambling wreck of what most people construe to be "music". At the same time, it's also absolutely mesmerizing. I'm disgusted with myself for listening to something with so few redeemable qualities, yet that's exactly what makes it what it is. It's vile, violent, deranged and positively disgusting. It's also incredibly lurid and fascinating, nothing but intense bad vibes and a constant threat of danger. Are the people behind songs like "Stalker" really as sick as they sound? Or is it a put-on? How can endless atonal loping and trumpet bleats like shit-stains be so compelling? I'm not sure, but I can't stop listening.
Brainbombs - Stalker
Look for a new LP from Swedish cult act Brainbombs called "Fucking mess" to be released on LP in November, their first album of new material in 10 years. More info at Lystring: http://www.lystring.com/
The band will also play their first show in ages at the Sonic Protest Festival in Paris on December 12: http://www.sonicprotest.com/
This one's a new release, but it's an old recording so it qualifies for Friday posting. Brainbombs are a cult band who've been lurking on the periphery for a long while now that's only recently started to get their due as more and more bands namedrop them as influences. All those shit-gaze bands du jour? Oh yeah, totally like Brainbombs. Seems like anytime you hear repetitive sludge buried beneath an intentionally bad recording, you'll see the reference. Personally, I'm a bit on the fence about them and can't reasonably offer a recommendation for most casual listeners. "You like misanthropic, sexist dirge-rock? Well check these guys out!" Naah, not gonna happen. If degenerate music like Flipper, Eyehategod or later GG Allin is your cup of tea, you probably already know about these dudes anyway. As for this new live document "Live At Smålands Nation, Lund, Sweden, May 29 1993", it's a mess. Surprise! Approach with caution.
Brainbombs - Danny was a streetwhore
