“Say That” is a song collaboration between the Stockolm based producer and artist Finis Mundi, aka Nino de Felipe, and the German artist Novaa. It’s an exciting duet and love drama where the singers interestingly has their own musical theme. The song starts with Novaa’s soft vocals in a laidback, intimate R&B-vibing verse and then switches over to Finis Mundi who cuts through the fluffy pillow with screaming synths and a harder beat. And they continue swapping like this the song through, glued together by sweet overlaps and the underlying theme. A different and creative track.

Finis Mundi on Facebook

Novaa on Facebook

The expression “Gör så gott du kan” (appr. “do your best”) can be both a consolation and a curse. It’s also the title on MANKKU [mancko]’s, aka Magnus Fagernäs, latest singel, a taste of the upcoming album “Det var allt för stunden” (release November 17th). The song has been released before in an acoustic version recorded live in a studio. MANKKU claims, though, that this is how he really wanted the song to sound from the beginning.

It’s a dark atmosphere in this song where synths sweep in like black smoke, building up to a folkrock-vibing heavy chorus while MANKKU plays out all his dramatic intensity. Interestingly the folk song tinge is more obvious now than before, which underlines the timelessness in the story even further.  The song also ends with an ominous ambience, almost filmic, like if we are witnessing the smoldering remains of a battlefield. Dark, beautiful and haunting.

Mankku [mancko]’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music

With their last album, “So Much Imagine” the duo Marching Band, Erik Sunbring and Jacob Lind, wanted to find their way back to their roots with a more DIY-based pop sound. And I liked the result where they vented in full their gorgeous indiepop-tinkering on a double album. Still, it feels like that album pales in comparison to their fourth album “Heart Jewel”, released a few weeks ago.

I notice the difference right from the start in the first track “Creator – And I Notice”, a folk-inspired, uplifting pop track. Overall the record feels happier, more energetic and more playful than any album I have listened to before with the duo. There is still a lo-fi vibe, which sometimes reminds me of Magnetic Fields, and their pop melodies are high class as usual. But here is also a variation in the arrangements and quite a few fun ideas that keep me on my toes the album through. They have also started playing with electronica and drum machines which makes this into a very unique brew, a brew that tastes very sweet and refreshing.

Marching Band’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music

The horses without makeup are back, now with their debut album “Pt 1”. Last year we got to know their mix of grunge, punk and stoner rock when they ran us over with their first EP. Here on their first full length record the song “Sopsekt” has found its home among eight new songs, and if you liked them before, you won’t be dissapointed now.  This is pure rock energy which grinds you in 27 minutes and obviously they grinded themselves a bit during the recording sessions. They write that the singer and guitarist Martin overdid himself while they were recording and fainted among all the equipment. They wanted to keep everything from the session so they simply put this track at the end of the album, and you can hear the incident on the last track “Number 9”. For sensitive listeners I can report that Martin is back on his feet again. Here are two songs:

Horses Without Makeup on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music

In his solo project Tentakel Pontus Torstensson continues to weave together electronic influences from krautrock, techno, ambient and other genres with driving rhythms. Last year I wrote about his debut album and now he’s released the two track single “Impulse/Inversion” on the label Höga Nord Rekords. “Impulse” is an intense story with fast analogue synth figures urged on by a high-paced beat, sending me images of a hardboiled action movie in the beginning of the eighties. “Inversion”, on the other hand, is a more complex creation full of mystique with layer upon layer added until we reach a breaking point, where we are left floating over some cosmic no man’s land. Listen to the first track here:

Tentakel on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music