Speaking of Hybris, Swedish newspaper Eskilstuna Kuriren has posted a special summer comp for free download and naturally, a couple Hybris acts are featured such as Familjen, Montt Mardié and the aforementioned Elias plus other IAT faves such as Säkert! and Maia Hirasawa. Liner notes: http://www.ekuriren.se/file_arkiv/sjudagar.pdf (see page 2)
Download the music here: http://download.ekuriren.se/hash/9e081f3e13e1b731c2e8a4887386b5c3

Listmania! 2007 so far

MP3: Closer - Sensing the wake

We're six months into 2007 and our halftime reports are now posted. There's been a good number of strong releases so far this year, Säkert! being a collective favorite and others such as Laakso, Shout Out Louds, Isolation Years, Aerial and Familjen making multiple lists. Whittling our individual picks to three each can be difficult, but I think it forces us to be more decisive and discerning.
One act that didn't make by list, but surely deserves a place is Closer. Problem is, their new EP "The 39" isn't officially released yet and I didn't want to be all, "this is the year's best record and no, you can't hear it." Actually, I did play the track "Sensing the wake" on my radio show a couple times, but I really have no idea how many people heard it. Well, those problems are now a thing of the past as the kind dudes of Closer have decided to let me offer up "Sensing the wake" as a free download. Still no word on an official release, but it'll come - just wait.
For those that have missed my description of the band in the past, Closer plays what I can only describe as intelligent rock music. It's heavy and dark, but not exactl metal and it has the intensity of hardcore without being, y'know, hardcore. The musicianship is stellar as well, but never too showy. Fellow musicians will pick up on it, but there's no conspicuous solos or anything else to draw attention to it. Thematically, the EP is a concept piece along the same lines of "Tokpela", their debut. This time, it's based on a linear story centered around a single person and a series of events. Various similar motifs are repeated throughout the record, tying it together as a whole. Vocalist Joachim Dahlberg describes "Sensing the wake" as part one, "where the sensing part is actually just the saxophone intro, the calm before the storm." Beyond that, you're on your own. Closer loves to be mysterious and is happy to let you draw your own conclusions.

Closer - Sensing the wake

Familjen
Det snurrar i min skalle
Adrian Recordings/Hybris

As the first song of the album goes: Nu händer det igen ("It is happening again"). A Scanian artist takes the special Scanian accent and makes it into an integral part of the music. Originally from Hässleholm, the same town that gave us Sophie Rimheden and Andreas Tilliander, one-man band Familjen gives us yet another electro hero. Filled with playfulness, without rose-eyed 80s nostalgia, Familjen feels very modern. He blends naive 80s melodies, 90s beats and 00s glitches into a cohesive whole. That combined with his squealing 303s and subtle guitars makes it all sound like it was recorded tomorrow. Album standout (and former IAT MP3 Of The Day) "Det snurrar i min skalle" should become one of the biggest hits of the summer, but the album is filled with songs almost as good. Finally, the lyrics must be mentioned. Familjen has a way with words, and has a knack for finding phrases that catch on. Music you can dance to, plus makes you think? Shocking!
- Hanzan

Last night's Sirius Blog Radio playlist:

01. Superfamily - The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night
02. TALK 1
03. Asha Ali - These months
04. Boys of Scandinavia - Why do you love me? (radio edit)
05. Promoe - Headache
06. TALK 2
07. Closer - Sensing the wake
08. The Bear Quartet - Mom and dad
09. TALK 3
10. Kristofer Åström - Just a little insane
11. Familjen - Kom säger dom
12. Pavan - The bird
13. TALK 4
14. Kazakstan - Song to the past
15. Universal Poplab - Vampire in you
16. TALK 5
17. Scraps of Tape - Death as it should be
18. ARM - Drving by accident
19. The Idealist - The knives are my eyes
20. TALK 6
21. Tsukimono - Gathering heavy breathing
22. Pimentola - Wish upon a fallen star
23. Plain Fade - Uliaan leski
24. TALK 7
25. The Skull Defekts - Six six for eyes
26. Logh - Into the night
27. TALK 8
28. Aerial - You will all die, all things will
29. Tobias Hellkvist - Moment at ven
30. Audrey - Views
31. TALK 9
32. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Ashen like the sky

Familjen's new video for the track "Kom säger dom" is now online: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2019885000

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (02) Shout Out Louds - Tonight I have to leave
02. (01) Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm
03. (Ny) The Shins - Australia
04. (03) Maxïmo Park - Our velocity
05. (16) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Yankee go home
06. (04) Oi Va Voi - Yuri
07. (Ny) Camille Jones - The Creeps (Fedde Le Grand Remix)
08. (Ny) Salem al Fakir - This is who I am
09. (09) The Moonbabies - War on sound
10. (07) Bloc Party - I still remember
11. (12) Bonde Do Role - Solta o frango
12. (Ny) Fountains of Wayne - Someone to love
13. (Ny) Jamie T - Calm down dearest
14. (Ny) Lovekevins - Tamagotchi freestyle
15. (Ny) Manic Street Preachers - Your love alone is not enough
16. (Ny) CK - En på miljonen
17. (06) The Honeydrips - (Lack of) Love will tear us apart
18. (14) Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
19. (17) The Kooks - Ooh la
20. (20) Yelle - Je Veux Te Voir

Leaving the chart:
Lily Allen - Littlest things
The Pigeon Detectives - Romantic Type
Tingsek - Proud to be part of these days
Familjen - Kom sager dom
Vapnet med Jens Lekman - Håll ihop
The Ripps - Loco
Kings of Leon - On Call
Common & Will.I.Am - A dream

MP3: Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle

Besides Logh (see yesterday's post), the other hot new release this week is Familjen's debut full-length "Det snurrar i min skalle". The music is just so... joyous. Not to mention, deceptively simple. Run a three-note arpeggio through a phaser and there's your refrain. Naturally, there's a bit more to it than that, but the essence of Familjen's pop/electronica sound is uncomplicated fun. Perhaps the lyrics tell a completely different story, but hey - I don't speak Swedish so I don't really care. Besides, as I've mentioned many times before, growing up on a steady diet of death-metal killed most of my attention for lyrical detail. As long as Familjen mainman Johan T Karlsson isn't singing about killing babies or something, I'm cool. Or actually, maybe that would make it even better?

Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle

Logh 7"s are now in-stock and ready to ship! Thanks to everyone who preordered, your copies should be arriving shortly.
Speaking of vinyl, I also just got a big box of restocks from Jezebel Recordings including the complete "Trilogy of dreams, noise and silence" set. I thought at least one of them was sold out forever, but I thought wrong! Also, look for the new Familjen record to go on sale shortly. It comes out tomorrow and is killer.

This week's Swedish student radio top 20:

01. (01) Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm
02. (NY) Shout Out Louds - Tonight I have to leave
03. (08) Maxïmo Park - Our velocity
04. (19) The Honeydrips - (Lack of) Love will tear us apart
05. (05) Vapnet med Jens Lekman - Håll ihop
06. (NY) Bloc Party - I still remember
07. (03) Kings of Leon - On call
08. (06) The Moonbabies - War on sound
09. (04) The Kooks - Ooh la
10. (13) Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
11. (11) Lily Allen - Littlest things
12. (NY) The Ripps - Loco
13. (02) Asha Ali - Coward heart
14. (NY) Bonde Do Role - Solta o frango
15. (NY) Familjen - Kom sager dom
16. (07) Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy
17. (NY) Oi Va Voi - Yuri
18. (18) Tingsek - Proud to be part of these days
19. (NY) Common & Will.I.Am - A dream
20. (15) Jamie T - If you got the money

Leaving the chart:
Badly Drawn Boy - A journey from A to B
The Ark - Absolutely no decorum
Korn med Amy Lee - Freak on a leash
The Long Blondes - Giddy Stratospheres
Sahara Hotnights - Cheek to cheek
Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the experiment
Joss Stone - Tell me about it

Details for the new Familjen album "Det snurrar I min skalle", to be coreleased via Adrian Recordings and Hybris Records on March 28, are now posted: http://www.adrianrecordings.com/
The first single "Kom säger dom" is out February 28.

Adrian Recordings will release the new Familjen single "Kom säger dom" on February 28.

MP3: Emil Jensen - Där stigarna tar slut

My Swedish language skills are fairly minimal so most of Emil Jensen's appeal is lost on me. The award-winning slam-poet turned singer/songwriter is a fine musician, but it's obvious that he's a wordsmith first. Now, I like foreign-language music just fine as many years of death-metal has taught me to passively ignore most lyrical content (it's not what you say as much as how you say it), but it can still be a big stumbling block to not understand the words. Example: Håkan Hellström I got immediately, Emil Jensen I did not. However, I make sure to keep an open mind so when Jensen's latest EP "Maj förra året" came my way, I gave it an honest listen. I may not love everything that Adrian Recordings puts out, but I respect them enough to ensure that every new release gets a fair chance for frontpage posting. It's a good thing too, because the Familjen remix track I've posted today is making me reconsider Emil Jensen's previously cast-aside back catalogue. The jaunty electronic beeps compliment him nicely, elevating the material beyond his usual folk-rockness. I still may never fall in love with the rest of Emil Jensen's music, but this I like.

Emil Jensen - Där stigarna tar slut (Tommy-remix av Familjen)

Familjen is now signed to both Adrian Recordings and Hybris and their first collaborative release is the digital single "Hög luft". Check out the free download right here: http://www.detsnurrariminskalle.com/
The artwork and video are by Kristofer Ström of Ljudbilden & Piloten (see another example of his work in my most recent video mix) and the design is by Hybris. Look for the debut album around February/March and don't forget to search for the seven hidden remixes.

Sudd's new mp3 focus for November features a brand new Fujasaki song entitled "Statatlantic" as well as two Fujasaki remixes, one of "Högluft" by Familjen and the other of "Jari couldn't make it (this time)" by Sly Okka. There's also more additions to the "You never left an airport happy" remix project. Go here: http://www.sudd.org/focus.htm