The Washington Post Express on Norwegian metal act Keep of Kalessin: https://www.expressnightout.com/content/2008/10/professors_of_rock_keep_of_kalessin.php
Tag: Interviews
The new issue of the Lords of Metal e-zine is out and it features interviews with a ton of bands such as Burst, Enslaved, Benea Reach, The Haunted and much more: https://www.lordsofmetal.nl/interviews.php?lang=en
Read a Phil Freeman interview with Norwegian artist Runhild Gammelsaeter (Khlyst, Thorr's Hammer) from the October issue of The Wire: https://runningthevoodoodown.blogspot.com/2008/10/rapture-of-metal.html
The latest edition of Pitchfork's "Show No Mercy" metal column features an interview with Finnish artist Mikko Lehto of October Falls: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/145995-column-show-no-mercy
Dominique Leone interviews Norwegian "space-disco" producer Lindstrøm for Pitchfork: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/145662-interview-lindstrm
MP3: Alarma Man - Nightwolf
Our guest in this week's entry of our ongoing Göteborg Spotlight Series: the mighty Alarma Man! Not only were they kind enough to answer my questions, they also sent over the very first taste of what's to come on their new album. Read on...
It's been quite some time since we've heard anything new from you guys - why the long wait? What have you been doing these past few years?
Since the release of our 12" split "Duets" you mean? We continued working on songs for a full length album and got the chance to move from our old place to Dieter Schöön's Lablaza (the same place we recorded our debut album). Lablaza was both chaotic and a very creative environment for us. A couple of month passed by. In October 2007 we felt pretty close to start recording the album. December came up and our landlord got an offer he couldn't resist. We were threwn out of Lablaza and Bandidos moved in. So there we were. No rehearsal room, no studio.
A week went by and we found a new home. We moved in together with a bunch of other creative bands/people (URAN, Dieter Schöön, FBFOS).
We started building the studio, in which our album where going to be recorded.
During this 1,5 months we wrote a bunch of new songs.
At this time the idea of collaborate with Adam Magnusson as a producer/sound engineer came up and he became a part of the process.
In march we hit the studio. We all study or work so it took a bit longer than expected to get it done. Now when the album is done we're looking for a label that wants to release it.
Besides working on the album we've been on a couple of tours in Europe and we've helped friends on live gigs and studio albums. (C.Aarmé, Cut City, Uran, Boy Omega and Dieter Schöön).
How does Alarma Man fit into the "Gbg scene"? Does a cohesive scene even exist?
When I hear "Gbg scene" I think of Håkan Hellström and a bunch of bands started by ex-members from Bad Cash Quartet, but I'm not sure if that scene really exists. There are too many band in too many genres to say what would be a part of it. Alarma Man has never felt like we're a part of any scene... If you need to be a part of any, we choose the "good band" scene.
We do have the Koloni/iDEAL scene here in Gothenburg. It's really inspiring to live in the same town as Christian Pallin (Koloni) and Joachim Nordwall (iDEAL). They manage to bring us bands that I've never heard of before and those bands are always good or totally crazy. Either way I'm always satisfied when leaving the venue.
So do you think there's such a thing as a Gbg sound? Or would you say that bands in Gbg are brought together by other circumstances or ideas?
Nowadays you don't need a "real" studio and expensive equipment to make music. I guess the "Gbg sound" was killed by Cubase and ProTools. When comparing Cut City, Uran, Repoman and other great bands from Gbg, I find it hard to see any similarity except for that they make good music. Gothenburg is known in Sweden for it's "loose" and friendly attitude. Perhaps that's the thing with bands from here. Gbg bands focus on the music instead of looking good on stage... haha!
Okay, so tell us about the new album. How is it different/the same compared to what you've done before?
This album is the best music we've ever done (yes I know it's a cliche, but it's true).
Lots of people are asking if there will be vocals on this album. Yes. There will be. A lot!
Adding vocals wasn't a big decision for us. We made "Duets" as an experiment and liked the idea of working with vocals. It might seem a bit strange when you've been known as an instrumental mathpunk band, but we feel comfortable with it. We've never had a plan to be an instrumental band forever and we didn't have a plan to start singing on our second album. It's just the way it turned out.
Another big difference is that we worked with a producer. We needed an outside persons thoughts and vibes in the recording process. Adam has a big part in the arrangements and how the songs turned out.
Our first album was a lot of high speed craziness and big guitar riffs. 4 years has passed by and our new songs are slower, darker and colder. I think a held back fever is a good way to describe the album.
Got a song you'd like to share?
Here's a song from the upcoming album. Its a three-faced song about being chased, therefore the name "Nightwolf". Look out for the saxophones in the chorus, played by our friend Joel Westberg!
Westword talks to Swedish viking metal legends Unleashed: https://www.westword.com/2008-09-25/music/unleashed/
MP3: Thomas Denver Jonsson - The light of love
It's Wednesday so that means it's time again for more Björn Kleinhenz cover tunes as we count down to the release of his new album "Quietly happy and deep inside". Seeing as how one of this week's featured artists is Thomas Denver Jonsson, an artist I'm frequently in contact with, I figured I'd track him down for a short Q&A session:
How did you get involved with the cover project? Have you known Björn for awhile or what?
Me and Björn must've known each other since 2001 when we started to appear on the same compilations and was reviewed in the same magazines. We also had a band, The Topeka Twins and we released a record 2003 [how soon I forget! -ed.]. We quitted the duo though since we looked too much like a Swedish version of Simon & Garfunkel. The situation was unbearable. Both wanted to be Art.
Did you get to pick the song or was it assigned to you? How did you approach doing your own version?
Björn handpicked "The light of love" for me, he said 'cause it was a country song. I wanted to take away the country pop element and do something more introspective with it. I was very cautious to not listen to the original version while starting to work with the song and recording it.
So how do you think it turned out? Were successful in what you set out to accomplish?
Yeah, I'm quite happy about it and it was fun dubbing the vocals. I had a nice evening doing it.
Have you heard any of the other contributions to the project? Any favorites?
I've only heard what has been revealed and I think all have been fantastic this far. Love Susanna's [Susanna Brandin aka Winter Took His Life -ed.] choir arrangement of "At night we die". It's a great tribute to one of Sweden's best pop artists.
Download more Björn Kleinhenz covers here: https://www.tomtrecordings.se/thelight
Also, be sure to check out Thomas while he's on tour - dates at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/thomasdenverjonsson
As for me, I'm heading to SF for the next few days so expect updates to be slow. Mom, if you're reading this, I'll call you when I figure out my schedule - don't worry!
Thomas Denver Jonsson - The light of love
MP3: Extended Heads - Dear lucky winner
Not every worthwhile Göteborg-based artist is a well-known commodity. At least, not yet. This week's guest in our ongoing city spotlight series: Gustaf Malmros, ex-Instrumen, currently Extended Heads/The Extended Head/Spit Spat Black Cat.
You've lived a lot of different places, how did you end up in Göteborg? How is it different from other cities you've lived in?
My girlfriend started an education in Gbg, which made it a good spot. At first it was terrible and nothing but rain. Then the sun lit up the city and I found out it had more to offer. The Extended Head became plural with a drummer (Pontus Torstensson) and a bassplayer (Mikael Gustafsson). Extended Heads was born. Nothing but sunshine.
How does The Extended Head/Extended Heads fit in with the Gbg scene + sound, if at all?
I don't know the Gbg scene or sound, except that it has always been considered a rock town. Extended Heads' new wave / grunge sound has had a good response. And I've been to some good Gbg-shows myself.
What do you do when you're not playing music? Got any favorite hangouts? Where would you take a guest from out of town?
This fall I'm living in New York, but normally I work in a bar/café called Publik (Andra Långatan 20), and that's where I would take my guest from out of town. Best hangout, best discount.
Got any plans for the future? Any goals?
Future=? Goal is to get paid for my work.
Lastly, do you have a song to share? Tell us about it.
The song I would like to share is recorded by Extended Heads in Gbg at the end of July this year. It's called "Dear lucky winner", and is about a spam mail.
Extended Heads - Dear lucky winner
Norwegian artist Hilde-Marie Kjersem contributes to this week's "Listed" feature at Dusted: https://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/765
MP3: Tomas Halberstad - Travel as I wait
Remember Punk of Country? Sure you do. They were one of the first prominent acts to give away an entire album's worth of music via the web. It also helped that they did that indierock thing pretty darn well too. I actually was all set to include 'em on "Reader's companion volume two" but then they broke up during the recording of their second album. It's the classic story: increased pressure from a label who doesn't understand them leads to internal tensions and then BANG! It's over. Even more of a pity too, 'cuz the demo version of the track I received for submission was amazing and by far their best stuff yet. Anyhow, time moves on and so do people and now ex-Punk of Country frontman Tomas Halberstad finally has some new music to unveil. And since he's a resident of Göteborg, what better way to do it than with our Saturday Gbg Spotlight feature?
Of course, first of all I must ask the standard question: How long have you resided in Gbg, what brought you there and what keeps you hanging around?
I first moved here in 1987 and then moved away in 1992. Then I moved back in 1998 and have been living here since.
First time around it was my mother's work, which brought me, us, here. The second time it was the unwillingness to move back home after three years in a student apartment during upper secondary school in Uddevalla. The option was to move in with my sister in Göteborg.
What keeps me hanging around is the fact that I have my life here; most of my friends, my school and that I dislike to travel which develops into a disliking for moving around. I moved a lot as a kid, don't want to do that any more.
You have a kinda peculiar job, right? Guarding the yacht club at night? Do you think that working the graveyard shift affects the way you see the city? Do you think it influences your music as well?
I had a job. I quit that in January in order to be able to go back to school. I still work there from time to time, for extra money, so yes this summer I guarded boats but over the course of nine years, doing what I did, I guarded a lot of things: cars, trucks, offices, goods, you name it.
Working at night, with what I did, changed the way I view the city and by city I am also counting its residents. The city and its residents become less friendly at night. It's also a quite surreal experience to drive around in areas of the city designed and built for thousands of people and lots of cars and be all by yourself.
It influences my music, but perhaps not more than any other type of work does. I suppose if you work all day at the post office that will some how find it's way into your creations.
Furthermore, I understand you've been on kind of a fitness kick recently - does trying out different modes of transportation, whether it's jogging or inline skates or whatever, affect the way you experience the city? How much do you connect your physical well being to your artistic health?
The fitness thing doesn't affect the way I see the city at all. I just do it because I grew tired of being fat.
I think my physical well being is linked in chain to my artistic health, if by artistic health you mean the ability to write music. If I feel physically well it is easier for me to feel mentally well and if I feel mentally well I have the ability to write music all though good physical health is nor a pre requisite for mental health, but it helps.
It's been quite some time since Punk of Country called it quits - why did it take you so long to make new music? How comfortable are you with being a solo artist anyway?
I've never stopped writing music. There has just been a lack of end product. The reason for the long process is money. I wanted to do this the right way and the right way for me meant it would have cost a lot of money if I wanted to do it fast. Rob [producer/engineer Roberth Olausson] and I recorded when we could, where we could.
As for comfort: I am completely comfortable. I'm a very secure person.
Tell me about the new album! Got a song that you'd like to share?
The new album took two and a half years to make, just finishing it in August. It all started when Rob called me one day and asked me if I wanted to do an album, or at least record some songs, in exactly whichever way I wanted. He wanted to help me get my vision out so I guess this album is my vision.
I have played back the album for a couple of friends. All of them liking different songs, but almost all including this one in the liking pile. It's called "Travel as I wait".
Any word yet on how/when it will finally be released?
No, no word. I'm hoping for a 2008 release if not by an existing label then in some DIY-fashion.
Skweeelicious talks to skweee genre founder Pavan: https://skweee.com/?p=10
The Line of Best Fit does 20 questions with Wildbirds & Peacedrums: https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2008/09/20-questions-with-wildbirds-peacedrums/
Ovi Magazine interviews Finnish act Underwater Sleeping Society: https://www.ovimagazine.com/art/3490
Wears the Trousers interviews Sparrow from Doctors & Dealers: https://wearsthetrousers.com/2008/09/08/introducing-doctors-dealers/