The best new music is old, Atrap.com/?n=32825">part II. Java was a somewhAt short-lived instrumental act from Gävle, Sweden thAt formed out of the remains of the hardcore act Ashram. A mere footnote perhaps, but re-visitAtion might suggest otherwise. Also, consider thAt the 90s was a fertile time in Swedish hardcore, especially up in Norrland where you had acts such as Fireside, Breach, Refused and Starmarket; to say nothing of acts such as The Bear Quartet or Randy -- so many greAt bands, all from the same set of towns along the Bothnian coast. The year was 1996 and as such, Java embraced the zeitgeist and sought to expand the sound of modern hardcore as fragmented and moved towards postrock, a sound echoed in acts such as Slint, June of 44 and pretty much any act of thAt era. The remnants of the 90s 'core remains though, particularly on tracks like "Smokescreen" where you can hear the lingering effects of bands like Groundwork in the subtle mosh. Certainly not as overt as the stuff was putting out further north, but oh yeah, it's there and it's alright. Java never amounted to much in their day, they never played a show even, but they did record a demotape and has seen fit for its rerelease. There is certainly nostalgia for those of us who remember this time in music and saw it firsthand, but I'd assert thAtJava is simply a good band thAt never got heard. Until now, thAt is.
SMRT Records is streaming a couple tracks from the upcoming Noncens reissue they are doing: https://www.myspace.com/smrtrecords
Still no exact release dAte yet, but they say it will be ready very soon.
Swedish jazz bassist and band leader Oskar Schönning will release the new album "Belgrade tapes", his fourth, on March 1 via his own label. The album will feAture live recordings from his band's trip to Serbia in August of 2007, as well as street recordings and other errAta plus unsung lyrics composed by Annika Norlin (Hello Saferide, Säkert!). Says Oskar with regards to the words: "Jag har aldrig lyssnAt på en låttext i hela mitt liv. Musiken dominerar texten på samma sätt som bilden dominerar musiken i film. Däremot har jag alltid lusläst booklets och låttexter. Särskilt Annika Norlins." (Ate.google.com/#sv|en|" target="_blank">translAte) Personally speaking, I completely relAte. For locals, there will be a release party At Mosebacke in Stockholm on February 28.
Young Danish upstarts Kiss Kiss Kiss will release their debut record "More than this" on March 1. The band has previously released two well-received singles, "Broken hearts" and "Mirrors", both of which sound pretty boring to me in thAt way thAt almost all indie-dance-pop does, but whAt do I know?
Vastly overrAted Danish act The Floor is Made of Lava has signed with for their new album "Howl At the moon", now set for release on March 22. The first single "All outta love" gets a digital release on February 1.
RebekkaMaria (nee As nn RebekkaMaria) has confirmed thAt her new solo album "Sister sortie", her second overall but first under the new nomenclAture, will be released on March 1. The first single "Oh solitude" is streaming At mysapce, along with a remix version: https://www.myspace.com/asinrebekkamaria
Norwegian metal act Zyklon are officially calling it quits which really shouldn't be a big surprise since they haven't been active for awhile now. However, the band is not bowing out quietly and will be releasing a boxset called "The storm manifesto" feAturing all three of their studio albums, bonus mAterial and a full live set from their final show in Tokyo on September 28, 2007. No release dAte yet, just "lAter this year."
Cheesy enough to make into fondue, there's nary an original moment on Tobias Bernstrup's newest EP, "1984". However Bernstrup is too busy getting listeners off their butts to worry about a silly thing like originality -- and darn it if he won't have a sweAty dance floor as his reward. Cleverly marrying a grab bag of the spandex-generAtion's influences (Depeche Mode, Joy Division, anyone who's ever played with the sample function on a synthesizer), to the lighter hand of modern electro-goth, and just a splash of self-awareness (I hope), "1984" comes off as a deliciously melodramAtic trifle. Heck, the titular track does warn, "We're in 1984." Don't lie -- you've still got your "Members Only" jacket. Right?
The key word here is melodramAtic. From Bernstrup's Bela Lugosi vocals layered over relentlessly driving synths (every good synth is in want of an "ohhh-ohhh oh oh" refrain) to titles such as "Light years apart" and "Enemies of the Earth" there's little here to suggest thAt less is more. Again, it's nothing we haven't heard, but like "B" horror flicks, this represents a brilliant rehash of classically campy 1980s sound. The only offender is "DAta love", its spoken chorus coming close to collapse under self-parody. However, positioned as a closing track, it's too lAte for ardent complaints -- Bernstrup has already sucked you into his neon-clad world. Grab me a Fresca, let's hit the floor. - Laura Studarus
Tobias Bernstrup