Jurmo – “Gnistor, irrbloss 1:2”

January 30, 2017 at 6:31 pm

Jurmo

It’s exciting with music that is searching more or less actively for what it really is. That is how I perceive this album, not as if it has an identity problem, but rather like if it is trying new ways in a playful and fascinating manner. “Gnistor, irrbloss” is music for a wind quartet (mostly brass), percussion and a voice (Nicolai Dunger), who alternately improvise, sound and play compositions which sometimes just are, sometimes are pop-melodic and sometimes are fragmentary. This search also makes it hard to categorize. Sometimes it sounds like jazz, but it’s also art music and pop. “Gnistor…” is the first album of two made in this way.

The founder is Johan Arrias, who gathered the musicians playing on the album, and he also writes that the record is “a mixture of ready-mades, poetry, songs, sounds and sketches”. This makes the album appear like an art gallery or maybe like a part of an art gallery. In any case, I get quite curious about the continuation.

Sista striden

Reglerna och leken
Johan Arrias’ site – on Spotify – on Apple Music – on Bandcamp

Gus Ring – “Swim”

December 16, 2016 at 5:22 pm

Gus Ring

You may have encountered Gus Ring in a completely different context before, as a singer in the metal band Siberian. But here he’s all alone with his guitar in music he defines as acoustic dream pop. So far he’s released an album and two EP:s and is heading for a new full length record in April next year. The last EP “In search of the wonderful life” was a great listen and the first taste from the upcoming album, “Swim” here below, promises a lot for the album. Hear for yourself here.

Gus Ring’s site – on Facebookon Spotifyon Apple Musicon Bandcamp

Ullén-deHeney-Hug – “Quarrtsiluni”

November 8, 2016 at 4:30 pm

Quarrtsiluni

Quarrtsiluni is a word in Inuit which roughly means that you are quietly sitting together waiting for something to happen. You may listen to this album in that way, but I do think that it’s rather eventful. There are six tracks which are titled only with numbers: Song one, two, three.. and so on. Each song or track is an improvisation with the starting point in the feeling of just sitting together and the sensation that something has to be said, something necessary. Maybe the spirit of the great whale is among us in the music, as they write on the label Lamour records.

Lisa Ullén on piano and Nina de Heney on double bass have been playing together for a long time and they are a well established duo. On “Quarrtsiluni” they are also joined by Swiss Charlotte Hug on alto violin.

Read more here and listen to the entire album in one session in the Youtube clip below, or sample one of the tracks in the Soundcloud player.

More about Lisa Ullén | Nina de Heney | Charlotte Hug

“Quarrtsiluni” on Spotifyon Apple Music

Monte Nour – “Olivia”

April 27, 2016 at 5:12 pm

Monte Nour

Philip Larsson and his band Monte Nour are preparing for the release of the debut EP “Into the Light” on Friday. They have released a couple of singles from the EP already, the last one being “Olivia”, which you can listen to here below. It’s a sweet and beautiful pop ballad that reminds me of Paul McCartney, and where Philip is backed by a string quartet which adds vivid, classical warmth. I have also added the first single “Too Confused”, released earlier this month.

Monte Nour – on Facebookon Spotifyon Apple Music

Anna Jadéus – “Vi vet ingenting”

March 8, 2016 at 5:03 pm

Anna Jadéus

Anna Jadéus is on her way with her third solo album and has today released this video, “Vi vet ingenting”, as a first taste of the record. She writes that it’s about the “eternal balance between hope and despair in a world where one has to fight for the right to love whoever you want to love”. And this tension which appears between dreams and distress certainly shows and makes its way right to the heart as she fills every word with an emotional subtext. There’s a large palette of feelings here and also questions hanging in the air. There’s a will to fight, there’s sadness, but also hope and love. An urgent voice in a time where we still frustratingly are asking ourselves how it’s possible to hate love.

Anna Jadéus on Facebookon Spotifyon Apple Music

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