Top 10s for 2006: Emil Björkander (Black Star Foundation/Khoma)

Top 10s for 2006: It's a trap!

Top 10s for 2006: Björn Kleinhenz

Speaking of recent favorites, Johndoe's brilliant album "Dødvinkel" is now in the mailorder: [click here]
I'll try to get The Book of Daniel into the webstore later today, as well as the new Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos album "Jazzen".

MP3: The Book Of Daniel - The camels parade

How does someone so young get to sounding so old? The Book of Daniel's Daniel Gustasson is that kind of guy: old before his time. The music he creates is heavy with the kind of poetry and wisdom that one usually associates with age and experience. It's as if he's a relic of an entirely different era. So is it all a ruse then? Does that make him a poseur? Is authenticity really all that important when the quality of work is this high? I'd say no - I have no problem enjoying The Book of Daniel and actually find these sorts of misgivings rather embarrassing. Daniel is a genuine artist and I have no doubt that he's exactly the same kind of person as the one his music would you to believe he is. If that's not the case, that is to say he's simply roleplaying, well that takes talent too. It does not diminish his skill. As for the song I've posted today, the question of identity runs through his lyrics as well: "It's so hard to be yourself, when everybody says you're somebody else." My doubts melt away during the bridge when Daniel strains to falsetto on the last word of each line. That kind of yearning anguish tugs the heartstrings and makes the heart ache. If he's faking, he's a damn good actor 'cuz that's some real passion I hear. It's best not to think too hard about it and just enjoy it. It also should be noted that the recording on the album "Songs for the Locust King" is especially nice and warm. No extraneous compression, just natural tones and a fantastic room sound. I close my eyes and see a band performing in a room together even though I know from reading the liner notes that this was not the case. Everything is organic and clean, especially the horns. Why aren't there more records that sound this good? Even if the music wasn't as nice, I'd still appreciate it for that fact alone. Together, the sum adds up one of the best albums of the fall, perhaps the year.

The Book Of Daniel - The camels parade

The Book of Daniel has a new, unfortunately all-flash website up and running: http://www.thebookofdaniel.net/
The new album "Songs for the locust king" is out now in Scandinavia on Black Star Federation and will be released in Europe on November 24 via German label Riptide Recordings.

The Book of Daniel has announced that the new album "Songs for the locust king" is done and will be released in October/November. Blackstar Foundation will handle the record in Scandinavia and Riptide Recordings will take care of Germany and the UK and various other territories. Look for a full tour to come this fall and a new mini-album entitled "Wolf tickets" early next year, maybe around spring time.

Blackstarfoundation has signed The Book of Daniel and will be releasing a full-length album this fall.

The Book of Daniel will be launching a new website today where you can download the new EP "Footnotes to the spell of Daylight-Savings Time" for free: http://www.thebookofdaniel.net/
Definitely recommended, especially if you're into melancholy singer/songwriter type stuff.

The Book of Daniel will be releasing a new EP on Villa Recordings in April entitled "Footnotes to the spell of Daylight-Savings Time" and has posted the songs for prelistening on his website: http://www.thebookofdaniel.net/

Villa Recordings, the Swedish label home to Boy Omega and The Book of Daniel, has a brand new website: http://www.villarecordings.com/

The Book of Daniel has posted a new song from the forthcoming album "Songs for the locust king" for download: http://www.thebookofdaniel.net/

The long-awaited split 7" with Boy Omega and The Book of Daniel was finally released last Monday on 03/08 by Villa Recordings. Check out an mp3 of the Boy Omega track "We might not be real" right here: http://kubot.ath.cx/kubotsite/villa_mp3/BoyOmega_WeMightNotBeReal.mp3

Villa Recordings has updated their website with the news that the much-delayed Boy Omega and The Book Of Daniel split 7" is finally getting pressed and will be ready sometime before Christmas. Here's the tracklist:

Boy Omega:
01. "We might not be real" (from the forthcoming album "I Name You Isolation")
02. "Out come the knives" (exclusive)
03. "I am not on fire" (exclusive)

The Book Of Daniel:
01. "For whom I wish was listening" (exclusive)
02. "So long my ghost" (exclusive)

As mentioned before, Robin Watkins of Dialog Cet handled the artwork and there's only gonna be 200 copies pressed, so you better preorder one if you know you want it.

Villa Recordings has a new website with a bunch of new features. In other news from the label, the long-delayed Boy Omega and The Book Of Daniel split 7" will finally be released on October 26. Both artists are contributing two exlusive songs each to this 200 copy limited edition release, so if you want it, you should probably get on it. Robin Watkins from Dialog Cet is handling the artwork. Otherwise, The Book Of Daniel and Boy Omega are both in the studio working on their debut albums. More info soon, I'm sure.