The Sound Projector rounds up a batch of recent releases from the always-excellent label, including stuff from Tsukimono, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words and more: http://www.thesoundprojector.com/2010/01/30/invasion-table-vacant-stare/
Thee Gutted String, the mellow solo alias of Johan Gustavsson (Scraps of Tape, Tsukimono), has an excellent new 3-song EP posted for free download: http://timecanvas.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/christmas-ep/
Definitely worth checking out!
Various ArtistsThis fourth installment in Great Northern Recordings's sampler collection offers yet another foray into the realm of the avant-garde and ambient lives of four Swedish artists. Lakes of Grass and Gold kick off the proceedings with a feedback-induced drone that winds up the most unsettling of the units on here. This is particularly evident on second track "Lament" with its eerie, almost Native American chants laid over a creepy soundscape. Stockholm trio Tape offer a selection that, while much brighter in the use of playful melodies, is reflective and ponderous in its melancholic phrasing. There's the very slightest hint of a bleak industrial touch on "Brakes" while "Millipede cathedral" displays an innocent beauty quite at odds with the former effort. First track from The Magic State, "Something else", is firmly ensconced in the uneasy otherworld where pure dark ambient resides, while "Spectrum" comes off as a self-styled dark electronica that offers allure and desperation in equal measures. The icing on this rather atmospheric cake, however, is with closer Tsukimono, the super-prolific Johan Gustavsson from Göteborg, who demonstrates that minimalism can truly evoke emotion when administered with style and expertise. "A little heart explodes" oozes a sort of ethereal euphoria, while closing track "Mimilalanono" does the very same in the blending of styles to create one, unique, trance-inducing sequence. Yet again, Great Northern have shown that they have the vision necessary to bring together Sweden's anomalous underground and showcase the creative talent that the country's scene quite obviously has.
- John Norby
Thee Gutted String, the pop/indie alias of Johan Gustavsson (Tsukimono, Scraps of Tape), has a bunch of new tracks at myspace including a Solander cover: http://www.myspace.com/theeguttedstring
It's a fact: the Great Northern Recordings compilation series does an amazing job of exploring new and exciting sounds coming out of the Swedish underground and the latest edition (#4) is no exception. Even better, more established names (such as Tape or Erik Enocksson, here performing as Lakes of Grass and Gold) are paired with up-and-comers like The Magic State and my friend (and IAT.MP3 artist) Johan Gustavsson aka Tsukimono. Artists at the top of their game test their mettle with ones who have a lot more to prove -- it's a great concept and one that's executed flawlessly, especially with the sublime black-on-black packaging that adorns this new volume. It's also a perfect door-opener for anyone new to the scene because a lot of these artists are extremely prolific, yet here anyone can dive in confidently knowing that the material will be Class A across the board. I love Johan dearly, I really do, but I think that even he would admit that some of his output is inconsistent, so let me demonstrate a sample of him at his best by offering one of his two (both excellent) contributions. I do this for two reasons; first, because I really do love this piece and second, it's just as worthy of listening as the other, "bigger" names. Tsukimono has played around with many audio sources over the years, from the found-sound clatter of "Van Venue Hotel" to the stretched-out strings of "Time canvas", but I have always been drawn to his guitar works as far back as when I first heard "Née". Of course, the instrument only serves as a base starting point here on "Mimilalanono"; much of the canvas is composed of shrapnel derived from the original source, reflected back onto itself until it becomes something new, shimmery and more bell-like than string. It's not just repetitious minimalism though, there is subtle dramatic structure as the piece slowly evolves and then returns back towards where it came. Johan told me he is not so fond of the title, but he should be proud of how it came out.
Tsukimono - Mimilalanono
The Silent Ballet reviews Tsukimono's "Heart attack money": http://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/2781/Default.aspx
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!
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. NEI - City of gold
02. TALK 1
03. Brothers of End - Why
04. Johndoe - Kvikkleire
05. Viola - Sea curtain
06. TALK 2
07. Marit Bergman - Höstvisa
08. Bad Hands - Bad hands (feat. Nina Kinert)
09. Aerial - I am TV
10. Tape - Brakes
11. TALK 3
12. Tsukimono - Mimilalanono
13. Superfamily - The songs of the weak will die
14. Unter den Linden - Motstånd i läder
15. TALK 4
16. The Bear Quartet - Carry your weight
17. Björn Kleinhenz - Show me love
18. Pets - Don't say your heart is broken (we know it's not)
19. TALK 5
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
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!
Excellent underground/DIY label Great Northern Recordings has put together a new compilation (their fourth) featuring two previously unreleased songs each from the likes of Lakes of Grass and Gold, Tape, The Magic State and Tsukimono plus artwork from Ragnar Persson. The handmade CDR version will be limited to a mere 100 copies and there will also be a cassette edition of 30. A release party will be held at Galleri Hangups in Stockholm on August 28 with a live performance from The Magic State.
Foxy Digitalis gives Tsukimono's "Time canvas" a score of 9/10: http://www.foxydigitalis.com/foxyd/reviews.php?which=4374
Tsukimono, aka Johan Gustavsson (Scraps of Tape, Thee Gutted String, etc.), has posted tracks from his latest release "Heart attack money" up on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/tsukimonoswe
Said album is out now via Kalligrammofon. In other related news, Johan tells me that he's working on a split with Dwayne Sodahberk that's just about done and will be released via Stuporsonika later this year. Naturally, I'll give you a heads-up when it's ready. But that's not all! Restless soul that he is, Johan is also working on a new project together with Jasper TX as well as the dark drone act Crowned With Horns, featuring members from Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words and Dead Vows. Definitely looking forward to hearing both of those...
Johan Gustavsson (Tsukimono, V. Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble, Scraps of Tape) has a new website for his solo endeavors: http://timecanvas.wordpress.com/
Tsukimono has now posted details for his new album "Great blood", plus a new live cassette he has coming out on Klorofyll Tapes: http://yourson-shine.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-album-new-split-cassette-live.html
