Jonna Enckell, singer in Project Hate MCMXCIX, has released her solo debut album “Siren On” under the same name as the title. And she has travelled far from the death metal areas where her band resides.

This is music made of far softer tones. It is a grand, piano-based music, with classical influences and bordering territories where Sarah Brightman has been the queen for quite some time.

Jonna has a very beautiful voice and it is very easy to dream yourself away to the melancholic melodies. I get images of vast landscapes, maybe of green Irish hills or the whipping waves against high cliffs, and I feel that this might as well be the soundtrack to a big epic movie.

Here you have four beautiful pieces to take in, listen to and download:

Purple Heart
The Gift
Salitine
Alarm

Visit Siren On and Jonna on her home page
and on Myspace

It’s very easy to listen to Staphan O’Bell. It’s basic and airy and trips along in a happy way, like a calmer Aberfeldy. It seems impossible that Staphan would be able to perform a song in a heavyhearted way.

The light pop melodies are headed by Staphan’s smooth, relaxed voice, where the falsetto tones often appears in the refrains. Clearly I feel lighter after listening to Staphan O’Bell. Try for yourself after listening to the three tracks below.

If you recognise Staphan’s voice from before, then you may have listened to Dakkfoai or Familiar Faces, where he held the microphone before.

Listen and download:

Just Like Me
Fashion Street
I’m OK

Visit Staphan O’Bell on Myspace

Other great mp3 blogs about Staphan: Hits in the Car, Swedesplease, The Indie Music database

In the Labyrinth is the multi-instrumentalist Peter Lindahl, who paints new musical landscapes, together with visiting friends.

The first thing that struck me when I listened, was a fantasy feeling, where some tracks could fit into many movies of this genre. And I got extra inspiration from the beautiful album paintings (painted by Peter Lindahl).

The music is also made with a lot of musical fantasy, and the influences are many. Sometimes I sense the early Pink Floyd, and many times Mike Oldfield. Otherwise, the most remarkable influence is the oriental flavour. Oriental scales are woven very skilfully and nice together with everything else and the sitar gives a beautiful colour to the music.

“Dryad” (Record Heaven) ) is the latest and the third album from In the Labyrinth. You can listen to three songs from the album here. Welcome into the labyrinth!

Lost In the Woods (plus Intro)
Night of the Baskerville Killer
Out of This Maze

Visit Peter Lindahl’s home page, listen, download songs and buy the albums “Dryad”, “Walking on Clouds” and “Garden of Mysteries”

and his Myspace page

For some reason I have entirely missed Thomas Denver Jonsson and his music until recently. And then he has already released his third album “Lake Acts Like an Ocean” (Kite Recordings) and are well on his way with his fourth.

Previous albums included collaborations with artists like Damien Jurado, Rosie Thomas and others. His latest album has received very good reviews in prestigious magazines like Uncut and The Word, but when I search Swedish papers and magazines I find very little about Thomas. A little surprising to me, considering the appreciation he’s receiving in other countries.

When I listen to songs like “the Border” and “Only For Beginners” from the latest record, the first feeling I get is that from an early Neil Young. This seemingly, fragile bright voice that comes so close, with a beautiful sense for melodies and with the roots in American folk music. In other songs I get the vibes from more recent indie music, rawer guitars and partly a different ambience, but still the voice and the melodies that bind it all together.

I’ll be listening to Thomas’ earlier music too after this. If you have heard him before, tell me what you think in the comment area.
On Thomas Denver Jonsson’s homepage you can listen to some songs from his earlier albums (and download), as well as demos, covers and other stuff. Really great when an artist gives that little extra like this, it makes it so much more fun and interesting to visit an artist’s site.

Visit also his Myspace page for more music and downloads.

Here you can listen to two songs from the album “Lake Acts Like an Ocean”:

The Border
One of My Blessings

Video to “The Border”:

Do you feel your thoughts are gathering speed, inventing more and more stories about the future and the past, slowly building up to anxiety?

Well here’s a remedy that could work:

Find a comfortable armchair, sit down, close your eyes, breathe deeply and listen to “Not Your Child” first, and then “In Your Arms” and why not the entire album “Wash Away the Past” which Karl invites you to download for free.

Karl is sometimes called a Swedish Peter Gabriel, and partly this is how I hear it also, as he sometimes produces the same feelings from his music. Wonderful. But I do feel that there is something else, another kind of closeness in Karl’s music and lyrics that gives a different kind of experience from listening.

One obvious example of this you’ll find in the song below “När jag blev mindre igen” where Karl sings in Swedish. This is a song that’s not part of the album, lyrics by Niklas Aurgrunn and that makes me dive into a feeling as if my entire life passes by in a few moments.
From the album “Wash Away the Past” you’ll also find below his collaboration with singer Sara Dahlgren : “Song to the Frozen People”.

Listen and enjoy:

Not Your Child
In My Arms
Song to the Frozen People (med Sara Dahlgren)
När jag blev mindre igen (text av Niklas Aurgrunn)

Ladda hem “Wash Away the Past” från Last.fm

Karl på Myspace