On their way to their debut album, which soon will be released, Riff Knives have released the single “Fire”, a chorus-strong song in the same spirit we’ve heard from them before, with their own mix of rap and rock.
Riff Knives’ site - on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud
Here’s a nice track from the hip hop band Anydaynow, “Interstate 22″. Well hip hop may be the wrong word for it, maybe it’s better to say soul-vibing rock with rap lyrics. They have anyhow created their very own pleasant mix, recorded, they say, in a shower room inside a an old worn building out in the Swedish woods, just a few steps away from the airport. The song is taken from their new EP “The Heartbreak” which was released recently. You’ll also find their debut single from last year here below, “College”.
Anydaynow on Facebook – on Spotify – on Soundcloud
With an interval of two weeks Adam Tensta released five new songs from December to January, where each song was a collaboration with another Swedish artist. In March he released this song collection as the album “The Undeniable Tape”.
“The Undeniable Tape is a collection of songs that I created during the travels across Europe and Africa. The songs were created along with other Swedish artists, artists for whom I have great respect for. TheUndeniable EP is not really a sequel to my previous album, rather a 6-track tribute to the listeners who’ve kept up with me during my travels. It’s a tribute to the generation of Swedes who are citizens of the world, and it’s first and foremost a tribute to everybody that is listening to my thoughts”
It turns out as a brilliant set of musical meetings, and a lovely mix of styles as he works with Duvchi, Chords, Eboi, Adam Kanyama, Elliphant and David Sandström (Refused) respectively. The best Swedish hip hop there is right now.
Adam Tensta’s site - on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud
A couple of months ago Michel Dida released the new mixtape ”Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown”, and sounds like no other Swedish hip hop I’ve heard lately.
“Last year was a long year, mostly spent as a traveling man, I had a lot of fun, but i´ve also dealt with a lot of unhappy stuff. Music lost it´s touch and i was never psyched about writing. Summer was crazy, winter was dark. When the year was in it´s last days it felt necessary to summarize it….four or five feelings that remained became heavy is the head that wears the crown. Some kind of stepping stone between windowsill rap on youtube to a supposed ep and an album release.”
He creates a laidback atmosphere like we were sitting in a half full piano bar with a couple of bears in our hands, and he’s telling stories from the past year in his own special, somewhat languorous and cool, but engaging voice. The words are pouring out with many references, references I don’t always get, but I nod and smile, because it’s entertaining and comfortable where we sit.
The samples come from Sampha, Jessie Ware, Mister Lies, JMSN,Rebecca & Fiona, My Tandem and Boi-1da, and the mixtape is free to download. Here are two tracks:
Dida on Twitter – on Soundcloud
The hip hop group Zonen released the new single “Avdomnad” (“Numb”) in February. It seems like this is a first taste of an upcoming EP they are working on right now.
Zonens site - on Facebook – on Spotify – on Soundcloud
The trio Adam Tensta, Eboi and Dida released the single “Master” in October with their St. John’s Dance. A month later they released the EP where the song belongs, the six track long “Justus Hecker Wants Us Dead”. If you liked the single you won’t get dissapointed with the EP, because it’s a great album. Already in the first instrumental track “Mannequins” they efficiently set up the ambience of the album; it feels like I step into a dark dystopic world or maybe rather a shadow version of our own, where it seems like that an electric charge will blow up in your face if you take the wrong step. It’s a trimmed, minimalistic production with quite some variation where they use their three different voices in full. One of the best hip hop albums I’ve heard in a long time.
St. John’s Dance site - on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud
Uffe & Leoparden is a hip hop-duo who released their debut album “Genom Filter & Mix” in Spring. They say that the lyrics are more inspired by Thomas Öberg in Bob Hund, rather than by other rappers, and I’m sure it is so even if they on occasion remind me about Timbuktu in the expression and in the melodic rap parts. It sounds really good and varied about the rap and at least as interesting is the music around it, where they with eight-bit-sounds and dance music influences have created something with a special atmosphere and quite fun to listen to, in a way that I haven’t heard before. It feels playful and unique on this even and creative album. Taste their music with a song here below.
Uffe & Leoparden on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Soundcloud
A couple of days ago I wrote about the duo DOM! and their excellent single “Tiden rinner iväg”. One hald of the duo, Dafne, has also released the solo EP “Pojkflicka”. Hip hop of course, and a personal one with a nice attitude, a cool balance between humor and seriousness, sharp and close. Listen to a couple of songs here below.
Dafne on Facebook – on Spotify – on Soundcloud
Tips in my inbox about female hip hoppers is a rare thing, if it has ever happened since the start of the blog. When I do get one, and it’s as good as this, I’m more than happy to present it. It’s the duo DOM!, Dafne Jansson and Maria Blonde Andersson, who serve us a marvellous groove with the song “Tiden rinner iväg” from the eponymous single, which they released during the Autumn. Great rap, electro pop, a sticky synth line like it was taken from an old Factory hit, that never came to be, and a heavy groove from “Sweet Dreams”-synths makes a cool combo, also accompanied by a good-looking video signed Emil Bardh.
DOM! on Spotify – on Soundcloud
Here’s a brand new video from St John’s Dance, that is the rappers Eboi, Adam Tensta and Dida, who I wrote about the other day. Also we find, sitting right on the voodoo throne, none other than Doctor Alban.
St John’s Dance on Facebook – on Spotify
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