Dusted reviews the latest Witchcraft album "The alchemist": https://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4002
This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:
01. Carola - I denna natt blir världen ny - Jul i Betlehem II
02. Jill Johnson - Music Row
03. Björn Skifs - I2I
04. Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
05. Magnus Uggla - Pärlor åt svinen
06. Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
07. Amy Diamond - Music in motion
08. Martin Stenmarck - Det är det pojkar gör när kärleken dör
09. Mats Bergmans - Jubileum
10. Peter Lemarc - Kärlek i tystnadens tid
11. The Refreshments - Christmas spirits
12. Ulf Lundell - Under vulkanen 1972-2007
14. Christer Sjögren - Älskade andliga sånger
15. Eva Dahlgren - Petroleum och tång
16. David Urwitz - Undrar om det syns
17. Sven-Bertil Taube - Alderville Road - Ord och toner av Evert Taube
18. Nisse Hellberg - En tiger i tanken
19. Thorleifs - Våra bästa år
20. Louise Hoffsten - Så speciell
Check out a Digfi session with Johan Hedberg: https://www.digfi.com/default.aspx?id=11341
Antenna talks to Heinrich from Havoc Unit/...andOceans: https://www.antenna.nu/newsstories/37.php
2008 tourdates for Danish post-hardcore act Barra Head:
01/30 - Loppen (releaseshow), Copenhagen (DK)
01/31 - Festsaal Kreuzberg (releaseshow), Berlin (GER)
02/01 - Fundbüro (releaseshow), Hamburg (GER)
03/01 - Mau Club, Rostock (GER)
03/02 - AZ Conni, Dresden (GER)
03/03 - tba, Potsdam (GER)
03/04 - Club Stereo, Nürnberg (GER)
03/05 - Exhaus, Trier (GER)
03/06 - tba, Bonn (GER)
03/07 - Vortex, Siegen (GER)
03/08 - tba (GER)
03/09 - Alte Hackerei, Karlsruhe (GER)
03/10 - tba (GER)
03/11 - tba (GER)
03/12 - Cafe Impuls, Remseck (GER)
03/13 - Muk, Gießen (GER)
03/14 - Zoro, Leipzig (GER)
03/15 - tbc, Berlin (GER)
Amandine live dates for next March:
03/21 - Lades, Copenhagen (DK)
03/22 - Schokoladen, Berlin (GER)
03/23 - Cafe Panam, Leipzig (GER)
03/24 - tba, Innsbruck (AUS)
03/25 - Mariaberg, Rorschach (CH)
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
Various Artists
Whispers from the forest, screams from the mountains
The Wire
I know it probably seems odd to review a free comp with limited availability (it was primarily distributed to subscribers of UK mag The Wire with copies of the December issue), but when you consider how well this collection captures the most exciting aspects of Sweden's current music scene, it should hopefully make sense. Simply put, Häpna, Ideal Recordings and Kning Disk are the top three Swedish labels currently releasing a consistent stream of interesting, forward-thinking music. Even with the few artists I'm not so fond of such as Nicolai Dunger's A Taste of Ra, I would never fault their craftsmanship or imagination. It might not appeal directly to my own personal tastes, but it has my utmost respect and that is of crucial importance. There's always something to admire, even when you are not inclined to investigate further.
As for the styles of music explored in this collection, it's incredibly rich and diverse. There's everything from pop melodicism (Anna Järvinen, Eric Malmberg, Balroynigress) to dark, terrifying drones (Sewer Election, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, The Skull Defekts), fractured experimentalism (Hans Appelqvist, Tape, Folke Rabe) and classical composition (Erik Enocksson, Jerry Johansson and Library Tapes). All in all, a perfect portrait of where to look for the future of Swedish music. Ignore it and get left behind.
- Avi Roig
Norwegian atmospheric rock act The Opium Cartel has a new track up on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/opiumcartel
Sofia Talvik has a new Christmas single posted for free download: https://www.sofiatalvik.com/christmas
Despite the tragic death of guitarist Robert Burås earlier this year, Madrugada is continuing on and will be releasing the new single "Look away Lucifer" on December 10. Look for a new self-titled album in 2008 as well.
Long-running Swedish crust act Skitsystem is breaking up. They might do one last performance, but otherwise their recent appearance at Truckstop Alaska in Göteborg on November 27 with Warcollapse will be their final show.
Go here for a free download of Emmon remixing her own track "Frenzy eyes": https://www.wonderlandrecords.com/emmon_artevil_review.htm
Emmon's latest single "Down below" is out now on 3" CD via Wonderland Records.
Swedish post-rockers Ef on tour in January:
01/19 - Release party, Sticky Fingers, Göteborg (SWE)
01/23 - Bei Chez Heinz, Hannover (GER)
01/24 - Vortex, Siegen (GER)
01/26 - Gleis 22, Münster (GER)
01/27 - Groovestation, Dresden (GER)
01/29 - Nbi, Berlin (GER)
01/30 - Cafe Panam, Leipzig (GER)
01/31 - Ms Stubnitz, Rostock (GER)