Interview: Martin Abrahamsson (Vapnet)

Biker Boy
You got me wrong
Hybris

I know I've said before, and I'll say it again. What so many Swedish electronic-based acts are gifted at is evoking a warmth that is normally absent from the icy cold genre. This is proven on Biker Boy's new EP, on which the title tracks bubbles along a jaunty pace with the narrator expressing his concern for his lover getting the wrong end of the stick. It is heavily influenced by the Pet Shop Boys, but it's not exactly Che Guevara set to a disco beat, and is more reminiscent of the British duo's more frothy moments. Not a bad thing at all. "Are you going to be the one?" adds as selection of synthesized strings to Biker Boy's palette and cumulatively is the most ballad-like track on this collection. "I was only joking" is a perfect song for the end of the summer. It's both euphoric and moody at the same time. The EP also features an excellent remix package courtesy of Le Sport, Vapnet, Bremen and Kalle J. Pick of the bunch is the Bremen remix which features beats and synths reminiscent of Audio Bullys.
- Nick Levine

Hybris, the Swedish label home of artists such as Vapnet and El Perro Del Mar, has started a blog: http://hybrism.blogspot.com/

Tack! Tack! Tack! checks in after returning home from Emmaboda:

T!T!T! at Emmaboda had a strong red threat of Sweden through the line-up. From Brighton (home of Sweden Made Me) came Bobby McGees. The UK-Sweden link was further bolstered by Monster Bobby's membership in 2/7 Swedish band The Pipettes.
Nevertheless, this was T!T!T! at Emmaboda with IAT jocks.
Festival faves The Bobby McGees gave up seven songs to 150 people crowded in the D&tC tent with Monster Bobby following on with a further six songs, increasing the crowd to 250 - this in competition against Hello Saferide performing on the main stage. Not too shabby we say.
Bands to catch the eye of T!T!T! included Familjen, Hemstad, I'm From Barcelona, Vapnet, SMK, Hello Saferide and D&tC, to name just a few. We missed them, but The Tiny were said to be immense. Old timers like Billie the Vision and the Dancers gave a memorable show, and trumpetplayer Lisa promised to marry T!T!T! Even more lovely was when The Pipettes dedicated "Pull shapes" to T!T!T!
T!T!T! dedicated it to all the other would-be proponents of music on the scene for Scandi music. From Spain, Italy, Scotland, England, Ireland, USA and elsewhere; everyone was there. You know who, Tack!

Video mix: A-ha, A Camp, Fidget, Vapnet, The Psyke Project, Timbuktu, more...

Pitchfork bestows an 8.3 upon Vapnet: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/37469/Vapnet_Jag_Vet_Hur_Man_V%E4ntar
Looking for an affordable copy? Look no further! Compare my price of $15 ppd to Amp Camp's price of $16.25 before shipping! Ain't gonna find a better deal than that, let me tell you.

Here's the tracklist of duets confirmed for Montt Mardié's upcoming "Chameleon" EP:

01. Once I was so in love that I followed (Bobby Baby)
02. Nu när ni gett dom våld (Vapnet)
03. Stop (Suburdan Kids with Biblical Names)
04. Metropolis (Le Sport)
05. Hurry home (The Legends)
06. Grand prix finals (Mr Suitcase)
07. Castel in the sky (tba)
08. Hacienda (tba)

Vapnet
Jag vet hur man väntar
Hybris

Based on Simon's two previous reviews, I got really excited to finally hear this band. Their debut full-length album is quite the release and the single "Thoméegränd" is one of the catchiest songs of the year. The instrumentation throughout is upbeat and happy and the melodies are fantastic. This album is a great indie/lo-fi/twee/dance album and, although the record is short, it's a pure pop gem. Anyone to pass on it is a fool.
- Matt Giordano

This week's It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group most-played artist chart:

01. Radiohead
02. Sufjan Stevens
03. The Radio Dept.
04. Death Cab for Cutie
05. Belle and Sebastian
06. The Pipettes
07. The Knife
08. Hello Saferide
09. Franz Ferdinand
10. Hot Chip

Top 10 tracks for the week:

01. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
02. Vapnet - Thoméegränd
03. Peter, Bjorn and John - Young Folks
04. The Pipettes - Pull Shapes
05. The Radio Dept. - A window
06. The Radio Dept. - Tell
07. Band of Horses - Wicked Gil
08. The Concretes - Chosen One
09. Band of Horses - The Funeral
10. Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body

If you want to see your favorites listed here you should join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

Vapnet's video for "Thoméegränd" is now online: http://hybrisfiles.com/video/vapnet-thomeegrand.mp4

This week's It's a trap! Last.fm/Audioscrobbler listening group most-played artist chart:

01. The Radio Dept.
02. Tiger Lou
03. Radiohead
04. Vapnet
05. The Flaming Lips
06. Death Cab for Cutie
07. Built to Spill
08. Belle and Sebastian
09. Bright Eyes
10. Kent

Top 10 tracks for the week:

01. Gnarls barkley - Crazy
02. Vapnet - Thoméegränd
03. The Radio Dept. - A window
04. Sambassadeur - Kate
05. Band of Horses - The Funeral
06. My Enemy - What is love
07. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
08. Built to Spill - Conventional Wisdom
09. Holy Madre - Shallow Bay
10. The Radio Dept. - Tell

If you want to see your favorites listed here you should join us! Go here to learn more: http://www.last.fm/help/

This week's top 20 Swedish student radio chart:

01. (01) Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
02. (NY) Dirty Pretty Things - "Bang Bang You're Dead"
03. (17) SLS - "Get Back"
04. (03) USCB Allstars - "Let's Keep It on Baby"
05. (02) Supersci w/Chords - "On the Grind"
06. (16) Lil' Kim - "Whoa"
07. (09) Laakso - "Never Satisfied"
08. (NY) Plan B - "No Good"
09. (NY) Martha Wainwright - "Factory"
10. (20) Sean Paul - "Temperature"
11. (07) Jamie Foxx w/Ludacris - "Unpredictable"
12. (12) Ghostface Killah med Ne-Yo "Back Like That"
13. (05) Franz Ferdinand - "The Fallen"
14. (NY) Up Hygh w/Little Brother - "Keep On"
15. (09) Lo-Fi-Fnk - "Wake Up"
16. (14) Mystery Jets - "The Boy Who Ran Away"
17. (NY) The Fine Arts Showcase - "The Shoplifter's Union"
18. (18) Håkan Hellström - "Jag hatar att jag älskar dig och jag älskar dig så mycket att jag hatar mig"
19. (NY) Las Palmas - "Du har mail"
20. (ÅT) Matiyashu - "King Without Crown"

Leaving the chart: Ane Brun w/Teitur - "Rubber & Soul", Snook - "Snook, svett & tårar", Soviac - "Ogashaga", Vapnet - "Thoméegränd", Morrissey - "You Have Killed Me", The Streets - "When You Wasn't Famous", Damian Marley w/Bobby Brown - "Beautiful".

Vapnet
Thoméegränd
Hybris

Vapnet's EP "Ge dom våld" was one record that I played to death last year. The EP works as a sort of safety blanket for me nowadays, whenever I feel a bit down or if I just crave a quick fix of good music, I put it on. My hopes for their forthcoming album are obviously insanely high, but if the songs on it are as good as (their latest release) "Thoméegränd" or the ones on "Ge dom våld", it could end up being one of my favourite albums ever. This EP also contains a bunch of remixes (by such prominent acts as Le Sport, Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, etc.) which are fun and interesting, but not as satisfactory as new "proper" songs by Vapnet themselves.
- Simon Tagestam

Also posted at Hybris today are a new Vapnet mp3 and Biker Boy video.

Vapnet has posted some of the details concerning their new single "Thoméegränd" and forthcoming full-length album: http://vapnet.blogspot.com/2006/02/vapnet-2006.html (in Swedish)