The first batch of copies for the new Great Northern Recordings compilation #4 (feat. Lakes of Grass and Gold (aka Erik Enocksson), Tape, The Magic State and Tsukimono) sold out mighty quick, but I've managed to score another grip and have updated the storefront accordingly. Buy or die: CD / CS
Don't snooze on this one - once these are gone, they are gone for good!
Now in stock: Great Northern Recordings compilation #4, both on CDr and cassette and both packaged in beautiful black-on-black silkscreened sleeves with artwork by Ragnar Persson. As for the music, once again it's some of the best the Swedish underground has to offer: Lakes of Grass and Gold (aka Erik Enocksson), Tape, The Magic State and Tsukimono. Looks good, sounds good, is good!
Kning Disk won't be officially releasing it until October (on CD or digital, vinyl is out next week), but the new Erik Enocksson album "Man tänker sitt" can already be previewed at Klicktrack: http://www.klicktrack.com/kningdisk/releases/erik-enocksson/man-tanker-sitt
Kning Disk has confirmed that they will be releasing Erik Enocksson's new album "Man tänker sitt" on August 21. It will only available on limited (499 copies) gatefold vinyl, so act fast if you want one. Full details/samples: http://www.kningdisk.com/02_releases_kd070.asp?id=1070
Logh will come out of semi-retirement and return to the live stage for the End Pilot Festival in Erfurt, Germany on April 11. Other Swedes appearing include Scraps of Tape and Erik Enocksson. More info: http://www.endpilot.de/
The Silent Ballet on the new Erik Enocksson album "With its dark tail curled 'round the garage": http://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/1883/Default.aspx
Check out the trailer for "Skinskatteberg", the new Erik Enocksson live DVD being released by Kning Disk later this fall: http://vimeo.com/1809810
Following up today on a recommendation I received from Silverbullit guitarist Andreas Nilsson in his interview not too long ago. Kite, the band I ended up posting, is actually someone I was already familiar with (I've played their single "Ways to dance" on my radio show), but Prince of Assyria was an entirely new name to me, so of course I had to investigate. Not that I discovered much so far to be honest, but his music is quite good from what I can tell, even if it isn't the sort of thing I normally associate with Gbg-based label Kning Disk. Along with iDEAL, Komplott and Compunctio, Kning Disk is one of Sweden's best labels for exciting, forward-thinking music though Prince of Assyria sounds downright contemporary compared to some of their other artists, such as The Skull Defekts or even Erik Enocksson. This is pure pop balladeering, anchored by a deep, rich voice and an expansive arrangement. However, though it might not be avant-garde, it's still exciting. As always, good music is good music. Definitely looking forward to hearing more when the full-length album is ready this fall.
Prince of Assyria - What ever you want
Kning Disk will release the new Erik Enocksson album "With its dark tail curled ’round the garage" on May 11 in an exclusive run of 500 handmade copies. More details: http://www.kningdisk.com/02_releases_kd052.asp?id=1035
The Silent Ballet reviews Erik Enocksson's "Farväl Falkenberg": http://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/1135/Default.aspx
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:
01. Britta Persson - Cliffhanger
02. TALK 1
03. Death By Kite - Sweet M
04. KVLR - Traitors and thieves
05. Anna Ternheim - Today is a good day
06. TALK 2
07. Don Juan Dracula - Take me home (Johan Angebjörn remix feat. Sally Shapiro)
08. Amorphis - Weaving the incantation
09. Thomas Denver Jonsson - Dreams at the film club (feat. Nina Kinert)
10. TALK 3
11. Don't Be A Stranger - Lonely together
12. Madrugada - Tonight I have no words for you
13. Majessic Dreams - Have to go
14. TALK 4
15. Pavan - The bird
16. Bröderna Lindgren - Om en guldfisk (feat. Kristofer Åström)
17. The Tarantula Waltz - Where I end and you begin
18. Adam Tensta - They wanna know
19. TALK 5
20. Commando M Pigg - Mot stjärnorna
21. Gravy - Rock scientists
22. Jonas Game - ADHD
23. TALK 6
24. Linus Larsson & John Roger Olsson - In the shadow
25. Idiot Kid - Go to sleep
26. Mats Öberg - Cool water - på Den Gyldene Freden
27. TALK 7
28. Pascal - Längtar efter dig
29. The Bear Quartet - I would be poor
30. Peloton - Aranburu
31. Royal Downfall - Lightning strikes twice
32. TALK 8
33. Made In Sweden - Winter's a bummer
34. Erik Enocksson - The state the sea left me in
35. Asha Ali - Coward heart
36. TALK 9
37. A-ha - Celice
Various ArtistsI know it probably seems odd to review a free comp with limited availability (it was primarily distributed to subscribers of UK mag The Wire with copies of the December issue), but when you consider how well this collection captures the most exciting aspects of Sweden's current music scene, it should hopefully make sense. Simply put, Häpna, Ideal Recordings and Kning Disk are the top three Swedish labels currently releasing a consistent stream of interesting, forward-thinking music. Even with the few artists I'm not so fond of such as Nicolai Dunger's A Taste of Ra, I would never fault their craftsmanship or imagination. It might not appeal directly to my own personal tastes, but it has my utmost respect and that is of crucial importance. There's always something to admire, even when you are not inclined to investigate further.
As for the styles of music explored in this collection, it's incredibly rich and diverse. There's everything from pop melodicism (Anna Järvinen, Eric Malmberg, Balroynigress) to dark, terrifying drones (Sewer Election, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, The Skull Defekts), fractured experimentalism (Hans Appelqvist, Tape, Folke Rabe) and classical composition (Erik Enocksson, Jerry Johansson and Library Tapes). All in all, a perfect portrait of where to look for the future of Swedish music. Ignore it and get left behind.
- Avi Roig
In case you were wondering, here's the tracklist for that free comp of Swedish music "Whispers from the forests, screams from the mountains" that comes with the latest issue of UK mag The Wire:
01. Hans Appelqvist - Jag en gök (Häpna, from the album "Sifantin och mörkret")
02. Eric Malmberg - Milda döden hämtar oss alla till slut (Häpna, from the album "Verklighet & beat")
03. Anders Dahl - Hundloka - percussion, guitar, bouzouki (excerpt) (Häpna, from the album "Milieu")
04. Tape - Augustan chateau (Häpna, from the album "Sifantin och mörkret")
05. Anna Järvinen - Helsinki (Häpna, from the album "Jag fick feeling")
06. A Taste Of Ra - Morning of my life (excerpt) (Häpna, from the album "Morning of my life")
07. Christine Ödlund - Lightning & voices (Ideal, from the upcoming album "Phenomena")
08. Nash Kontroll - All muzzles look the same (Ideal, from the "Must be destroyed" 7")
09. Mokira - Skaka hund skaka (Ideal, previously unreleased)
10. Sewer Election - White Golgotha (Ideal, previously unreleased)
11. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Heaven is the notion that all this will end (Ideal, previously unreleased)
12. Skull Defekts, The - Finding your way through the forest by settng it on fire (Ideal, previously unreleased)
13. Erik Enocksson - The state the sea left me in (Kning Disk, from the album "Farväl Falkenberg")
14. Dan Fröberg - We'll never be the same again (song) (Kning Disk, previously unreleased)
15. Jerry Johansson - Next door conversation part II (excerpt) (Kning Disk, from the album "Next door conversation")
16. Folke Rabe - Swinee river (Kning Disk, previously unreleased)
17. Library Tapes - Fragment VIII (Kning Disk, from the "Fragment" EP)
18. Balroynigress - Shampo and champagne (Kning Disk, from the album "Shampo and champagne")
Swedish avant/experimental label Kning Disk has posted details for a ton of new releases from artists such as Erik Enocksson, Åke Hodell and Agape. Head to their website for details: http://kningdisk.com/01_index.asp?id=01
Erik Enocksson has masterfully crafted a dark, melancholy, beautiful and still uplifting soundtrack to the critically acclaimed "Farväl Falkenberg". Ten slow, meandering tracks of droning strings, creaking wood, plucked guitar strings and piano. This is an album of music powerful enough to shake you even if you've never heard of the movie for which it was written and, while it does capture the heart and soul of the movie, it is easily able to stand on its own legs. From the whistles and handclaps of the opening "The joy of D. H. Lawrence" to the closing lullaby "The lingering procession", it is a touching, sombre and comforting. Easily one of my favourite albums of the year.
- Viktor Ålander
