You might wonder why Agent Side Grinder have decided to release two albums at once -- I certainly did -- but, far from this endeavour mirroring the Guns N' Roses"Use your illusion" double-whammy (two albums of the same type of music; one album's worth of decent music), upon cranking this up after giving "Irish recording tape" (see review here) a rattle I can see why. While its companion album offers a pretty conventional Krautrock/electropunk nostalgia trip, "The transatlantic tape project" is an entirely different entity, exploring soundscapes that appear infinitely more contemporary and more ethereal. At times akin to some of Red Harvest's electronic uneasiness, at times sounding off like Genghis Tron's ZX Spectrum moments, and at times simply sounding like pure, unadulterated dread, ASG succeed in outputting a little under a half hour of dark ambient electronica that's the perfect accompaniment to inebriation and candlelight. It doesn't get much bleaker than on "210-392", surely a track to herald the impending onset of a nuclear holocaust, while "008-199" could serve as the soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic planet Earth, devoid of civilization bar a handful of desperate survivors clawing at some hope of redemption. Oddly enough though, it all winds down on a decidedly beautiful note with "090-219", signing off with a nice piano passage that shows us there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Or is there...? - John Norby
This is one of a duo of albums released simultaneously by the Swedish new wave minimalists and it adheres to more conventional song structures than its companion "The transatlantic tape project". The album is firmly ensconced in the retro cyber-punk quirkiness of the 1980s and, through its idiosyncratic outlook, finds its niche in the Krautrock movement. There's plenty on offer here, from the uneasy industrial catatonia of opener "Pulse" to the pop-pogo beats of "Die to live" to the abstract happiness of "Eyes of the old". It's littered with a Cold War clinicism that keeps the album rooted in that era despite the fact that the world-at-large is years ahead of that age (or so we're led to believe). The likes of "The screams" and "Telefunk" wouldn't sound out of place on an early John Carpenter soundtrack (if the vocals were removed) and that's an added bonus in my book. I'll not say that Agent Side Grinder are doing anything new when it comes to a genre known for its penchant for innovation, but the fact that they've stripped things right back to their roots -- that they sound authentically old-school -- may well be their own form of experimentation. Far from unique but, surely, that's the point. - John Norby
Sarcastic punk zine iconoclasts "Skitliv!" pay tribute to themselves with a double-disc collection of cuts from (almost) every artist they ever interviewed and that adds up to ten issues and 48 tracks of uncompromising Swedish d-beat/käng/råpunk. Most of the big names are represented, from old-timers such as Anti Cimex, Moderat Likvidation and Mob 47 to Wolfbrigade, Disfear, Skitsystem and Victims, as well as up-and-comers like Tortyr, Kvoteringen, Giftgasattack and truckloads more. Of course the quality here runs the gamut, be it related to songwriting or recording, but it kind of doesn't matter in end because it all starts to blend together after 20 minutes or so. On the other hand, as a genre-dabbler, it's a great resource to have because the song selection is so all-encompassing and overwhelming; I'm sure I'll be going back to revisit in smaller doses to pick out new favorites. For everyone else, especially if your only knowledge of Swedish punk is limited to the mediocre "Svenska Punkklassiker" discs, the uncompromising, unrelenting hardcore noise attack of "Skitliv!" is a great overview of a much-heralded underground scene well worth investigating, even it does veer towards overkill. - Avi Roig
It's always very difficult to not gush and be objective when reviewing music by your favorite artists, and I have made no secret in the past with my adoration for the songs of Markus Krunegård. It's strange though, because I tend for myself to be skeptical of each new record of his, whether it be the solo material or with Laakso. Yet, each time I step back in awe after the albums have clicked. This year he has delivered two new albums on the same day, and I must admit, was a bit unsure when hearing a song here and there and yet, once again, this has changed after multiple listens. As each record passes, you become aware of how much he is improving lyrically -- they've become less direct, and more poetic -- an attribute one never really associates with modern pop music. Songs like "Prinsessan av Peking" and "Kär i en borderline" are glaring examples of the imagery he has been able to focus on, and the results speak for themselves. The arrangements are also top notch, once again mostly working with longtime comrade Jari Happalainen. Laakso fans will take note that "Dystra utsikter" is a re-appropriation of "Long Beach", yet with the sense of hopeful support shifting to that of desperation seeking relief; "Mitt kvarter" is an ode to his residence. I would be safe to say, that by now, Markus Krunegård has more than cemented his place as one of the top songwriters at the moment. - Matt Giordano
The label that brought us the most recent Brainbombs album ("Fucking mess") blesses us yet another lesson in uneasy listening, Tom Karlsson's "Pojknacke". However, this time the bummer vibes come not from harsh repetitive riffs and questionable lyrical content, but from minimalist industrial sound collage layered with the sort of overcooked narration you expect to hear at a puppet show. Can't say I'm all that into it though, especially without the proper Swedish comprehension skills to follow the narrative, but what it comes down to is that the music simply isn't all that compelling. Songs start and stop without much in the way of drama or dynamics and after a while I'm left thinking "is this it?" Thankfully no, Mr. Karlsson did see fit to provide us with a spectacularly gruesome gatefold cover image, so at least it's got that going for it. - Avi Roig
This 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
Agent Side Grinder
Agent Side Grinder
Various Artists
Markus Krunegård
Tom Karlsson
Various Artists