The new Kiki Pau album "Pines", now available for streaming/purchase via Bandcamp and SoundCloud. Recorded by Kia Sofia in Helsinki and then sent to Stockholm to be mixed by Gustav Ejstes of Dungen. I haven't listened yet myself, but the tracklist promises four long songs which is quite a departure from the band's previous work, so I'm definitely intrigued.
will be doing a limited LP reissue of early 70s Swedish psych/proggrock act Resan with in-depth bio/liner notes provided by Reine Fisk (The Amazing/Dungen). Read more/preorder here.
A brand new jam from Finnish act Kiki Pau off their forthcoming album which was mixed by Gustav Ejstes (Dungen) and is due out in June. This particular tune however is self-mixed and somewhat different from how the rest of the record will sound.
Better late than never, Dungen finally got around to making themselves a video for the tune "Blandband".
PSL has the premiere of the new Mats Udd-directed Samling video "Stackars lilla värsting": http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2012/01/23/premiar-samling-stackars-lilla-varsting/
If you dig mellow psychrock like Dungen or The Amazing, you should check this out.
The AmazingThere's some inherent complicity in this record that triggers a violent uneasiness. It's like it's 1972 and I'm one of those kids who are sick of the soft-pop chart hits of Fleetwood Mac, America, fluffy brown hair & equally revolting album covers (however radical these folkies were in their own right). Halfway through listening to The Amazing's "Gentle stream", the overall one-beat homogeny gives birth to a nihilistic urge to shake things up. Now, if I could goddamned be like everybody else, especially the hip Scandy radio-pop listening public, this cauldron would probably just spill off the decks like almond milk; the super gooey melodies and the Air-like retro sexing mood perfected by obviously professional musicians doing it up professionally -- probably wouldn't hurt so bad. Already celebrated Dungen members serve up what can be viewed as a Seventies itch they needed to scratch, or a chance to break the market with another kind of popular. Title track, "Gentle stream" has the cushy opening déjà vu of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young while the following track has more of that Nick Drake, laid-back reminiscence. Track 3, "International hair" hints at a Morrissey chorusing style (an uncanny reminder of "...International Playboys", anyone?). "Gone" however, could annoy even those loving the most introverted croon as it teeters too much on the side of breathy repetition. However well-produced this album is, however deserving of fans of the NME or just willy-wet twee folk revivals -- as for me, count me out.
- Ann Sung-an Lee
is doing a 3x12" reissue of Dungen's 2004 breakout album "Ta det lugnt". The original LP apparently was incorrectly mastered from the digital and not the analog source material, so the sound quality was not up to par -- not so with this new edition which sounds like it was originally intended, if not better. 1000 copies, includes a poster.
Pitchfork has posted their full review of the latest Opeth record "Heritage", saying it sounds more like Dungen than death metal: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15866-heritage/
A preview of the new Lena Philipsson single "Nästa säsong", written by Björn Olsson and Kaah and produced by Mattias Glavå (Anna Järvinen, Broder Daniel, Joel Alme, etc.). Lena's as-yet-untitled upcoming album will be out on November 30 and boasts a diverse cast of other cowriters, including Veronica Maggio, Christian and Vanessa Falk, Kleerup, Kaah, Dungen, Mauro Scocco and Markus Krunegård.
Svensk Musik interviews Gustav Ejstes of Dungen about Swedish psychrock and gets video footage of him scratching: http://svenskmusik.org/article/video-gustav-ejstes-dungen-about-swedish-psychedelia/
Dungen will be supporting Fleet Foxes for a two-night stand at the Hammersmith Apollo in London June 1-2.
The YouTube e-card for the new Anna Järvinen album "Anna själv tredje" which, as you will hear, was recorded with dudes from Dungen and The Amazing. Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHwfiz_lPbM
The latest edition of SVT live music program Klubbland is now online and the featured act is Dungen: http://klubbland.se/2011/02/18/22-dungen-2/
PopMatters reviews the latest Dungen record "Skit i allt": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/134795-dungen-skit-i-allt/
