Flora and Fauna has announced the signing of Swedish act Parken aka Pelle Lindroth. The Rigas + Parken-produced full-length won't be out until September, but the first single "Åt Helvete med himlen" comes out in mid-February.

The Ballers Social Club is bringing the skweee to Glasgow on January 11 with a clubnight featuring live sets from genre founders Liminous (aka Pavan) and Rigas. Details: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=230581986&blogID=336496772

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
02. TALK 1
03. Annika Norlin/Säkert! - Generalens visa
04. Don't Be a Stranger - Mon-chi-chi
05. Audionom - In the streets
06. TALK 2
07. Elias and the Wizzkids - Fourth of July
08. C.Aarmé - Golden retriever
09. Kasper Bjørke - Humming song
10. The Carny - Bestseller
11. TALK 3
12. Marybell Katastrophy - Hip
13. Flyphonic - The truth is
14. Universal Poplab - Heart apart (Timo Räisänen acoustic remix)
15. TALK 4
16. E.S.T. - Tuesday wonderland (live)
17. Rigas - Dead like you
18. TALK 5
19. Bröderna Lindgren - En hund som jag
20. Springfactory - Swedish folk highschool
21. Loud Pipes - Don't you ever
22. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
23. TALK 6
24. The State of Floral Beings - Man you owe me
25. Caitlyn - Oh no!
26. The Bombhappies - And at Belle Bed Inn, I told you
27. TALK 7
28. Brick - Call Batman
29. Smalltown - What's going on?
30. Desert Planet - Return of the ninja droids
31. TALK 8
32. Hedningarna - Neidon laulu
33. Dreamboy - What have I done
34. Captain Murphy - Sailor behaviour
35. TALK 9
36. Lemonator - Heart burns
37. The Kissaway Trail - Smother + evil = hurt
38. Johndoe - Rastløs rock'n'roll
39. Lukestar - Shade you hide
40. TALK 10
41. The Fine Arts Showcase - Teenage poetry

The Go! Team (UK) and Suicide Commando (BEL) along with Swedish acts Alice In Videoland, Familjen, Rigas and Deathstars are the first batch of artists confirmed for next year's Arvika Festival, set for July 3-5. Read more: http://www.arvikafestivalen.se/

Top 10s for 2007: Henrik von Euler

MP3: Moder Jords Massiva - Ingenting

I've decided to dedicate the last few Fridays of 2007 to tracks that I neglected to post earlier this year. Whether I decided to go with a different album track or missed the boat completely, I hope to rectify my neglect. For my first selection, I figure I'll continue on the same tangent I was on yesterday with something else from Flora & Fauna. Moder Jords Massiva are a collective of sorts, featuring a vast, revolving cast of members. My impression is that they are best experienced as a live act, but their albums are decent too. Still, as with Rigas (and maybe even moreso), there are definite standout tracks that rise above the rest. Their most recent album "Ren ondska" sat on my desk for a long, long time before I actually listened to it. And even once I did, it took me a while to wrap my head around it, leading us to where we are today, months after its initial release. I'm still not at a point where I feel comfortable passing final judgment on the album as a whole, but I know what I like and I love the track "Ingenting". The momentum of the beat and bassline reminds me a lot of Fattaru's "100:-", one of 2006's best singles. Some of those synth tones are kinda similar too. MJM's rapping can't compete, but the cadence possesses the same urgency and similarly revisits the songtitle at the end of each line. "Ingenting" has more of a bounce to it as well, with that steady four-on-the-floor kick and doubled-up hi-hat. Same dark club vibe too, but nowhere near as aggressive. That's important, 'cuz it makes it more dancefloor-friendly. Good stuff, too bad I didn't jump on it when it was new.

Moder Jords Massiva - Ingenting

MP3: Rigas - It's a shame

Lars kind of hinted at it in his review without coming right out with it: Rigas is more about individual tracks than a cohesive whole. It makes sense when you consider how prolific Henrik von Euler is with all of his many, many projects. Besides Rigas there's skweee alter-ego Rigas den Andre as well as bands like Moder Jords Massiva, The Chrysler and who knows what else? Singles have always been his strong point and it was only after listening to various tracks from "The hardest pocket to pick" isolated on shuffle did they start to stand out. The two already-released singles "Dead like you" and the title track were the first to rise above the rabble and today's track "It's a shame" falls in at #3. In some ways, Rigas reminds me of Dieter Schöön in that the music is always some kind of lackadaisical weirdo electro, 'cept that Rigas typically aims much bigger with his choruses and pop ambitions. There's definite crossover potential. It's still plenty quirky, but not to point of alienation. Think of it as a gateway drug - dig this and maybe you should start investigating some of the other, more out-there stuff Euler works with at his label Flora & Fauna.

Rigas - It's a shame

Check out Rigas' new video for "The hardest pocket to pick": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohBs7cudATM

Rigas
The hardest pocket to pick
Flora & Fauna

Starting off with the Radio Dept.-like "Keep pushing it forward", Rigas and company establish the modus operandi for their second album: to lambaste us with melodic, quirky electro pop. So, not much has changed really, and, depending on whether you are already a fan or not, this is either great or disappointing news. While they never return to the slower, more reflective mood of the opening track, Rigas compensate with dirty beats and catchy synth leads evoking dance floors of the early 90s and the more idiosyncratic compositions of hip-hop artists like Robyn. If 'playfully bizarre' sounds like something you're into, you can't go too far wrong with "The hardest pocket to pick". Not stellar, but definitely not boring.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Soviac - I got the ribbah
02. TALK 1
03. Downstairs - Peephole city
04. Moonbabies - At the ballroom
05. Tar... Feathers - You are lucky to have nothing
06. TALK 2
07. Truckfighters - Atomic
08. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Corny waltz
09. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
10. TALK 3
11. Norma - The dark
12. Karin Ström - Klaustrofobi
13. Vapnet - Tjernobyl
14. TALK 4
15. Montt Mardié - The windmill turns all the same
16. Motorpsycho - Hyena
17. Musti Laiton - Tämän iltainen
18. Holiday Fun Club - Hamburg in the night
19. TALK 5
20. Rigas - It's a shame
21. Repoman - Jawbone night
22. Iisole - The words
23. TALK 6
24. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
25. Kasper Bjørke - Back & spine (Fidel Astro remix)
26. Promoe - Headache
27. TALK 7
28. Viola - Imaginary times
29. New Decade - While tonight still is
30. Promise and the Monster - Sheets
31. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Choking on teeth
32. TALK 8
33. Totalitär - Nej vi ska inte ha nåt
34. Him Kerosene - Whatever get you by
35. The Social Services - Up in arms
36. Jens Lekman - The opposite of hallelujah
37. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
38. TALK 9
39. Maia Hirasawa - And I found this boy

Rigas performs "The hardest pocket to pick" for PSL: http://svt-psl.colo.netstar.se/default.aspx?entryID=310
Definitely recommended - one of the best PSL live performances I've seen so far.

The new Rigas CD "The hardest pocket to pick" is now in-stock and ready to ship! Also, note that I'm running a huge sale throughout the month of November! Spend over $10 and get 5% off all CDs! Spend over $30 and get 10%! So what are you waiting for? Go to it!

Flora & Fauna is offering the new Rigas single "The hardest pocket to pick" as a free download: http://rigas.blackside.org/thehardestpocket.html
The new album of the same title will be October 17.

There's two new Rigas tracks on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/rigasthemoron
The new album "The hardest pocket to pick" will be released on October 17 via Flora & Fauna.

Rigas has confirmed that his upcoming album (not EP) "The hardest pocket to pick" is done and will be out in mid-October.