The band Cyan Marble, hailing from Västerås, say that they get inspiration from movies and old TV series like Twilight Zone. And that ingredient is quite obvious and makes their sound special on their new EP “Mirror”. There they present three songs, which first of all make me think about progressive rock, a rather intense one and then also with this old TV-thriller vibe, highlighted with organs and theremin-sounding synth figures with that classical horror trembling. Even if I haven’t been able to enter the lyrics at all, the songs overall feel filmic, where they pass through quite a few sequences during the rather short song durations (for being progressive music). An experimental album with a rather unique sound.

Cyan Marble on Facebook – on Bandcamp

Ankh

Olof Persson from Broken Boys also has a solo project he calls Heat and White. In spring he released his debut EP “Sea-Through”, which is a different cup of tea than Broken Boys. Here we move down to the sea in 4 ambient and melodic variants of the same theme, with a very special mix of  melodica, reverb heavy guitars, synth figures and beats.

You can listen to the entire album on Bandcamp. The EP is released on the label Zeon Light who explain that they are a tape label, which obviously means that  “Sea-Through” also is available on cassette tape.

Sea-Through

Koltrast (transl. Blackbird) is an odd bird in the world of hip hop, if I should call it hip hop. The band consists of the duo Bessem Bedziri, who is behind the beats and the soundscapes, and Olov Larsson, who delivers the lyrics. On their new album “Inre”, you can also find guests like Remedeeh, Henrik Stålnacke, Naomi Runa and Emilie Tejeda.

They explain that the core in the project from the start has been to experiment with the relation between words and sound, and even if the song below “Ruttna Röda Äpplen” (“Rotten Red Apples”) is closing in on hip hop with melody and a strong hook, much of what you can hear on the album would make a strong impression on a poetry recital as well as on a hip hop scene.

I think that they succeed extremely well in creating a connection between the somewhat desolate, melancholic music and Olov’s word imagery and a pleasant balance between the inner journeys and the outside scenery. There’s a strong bond to nature, which is evident in the song titles to start with, and to what I experince as being nordic. I also appreciate that Olov sings in his northern dialect which makes it feel more naked and closer.

You can listen to the album on Spotify. Follow the band on Facebook.

Ruttna Röda Äpplen

Amina Hocine is a young interesting artist hailing from Göteborg, who also has Algerian roots. She experiments with ambient backgrounds, which she explores with her lyrics and vocal melodies. It’s naked, creative and entralling as I listen to the albums she’s released on her Bandcamp page. You can also follow her music on Soundcloud. You can find her site on Tumblr and she also has a Facebook page.

Redwood

Some music needs some time before you can enjoy it. And sometimes you need som kind of door opener before you can experience it “for real”. This happened to me with the Swedish-American band Susurrus Station’s latest album “Antinomie”. The first time I listened I couldn’t really get it so I let it go for some time. A month later they sent me the video they made for the song “Alluvia”, which sort of unlocked the doors to “Antinomie” for me.

This is their fourth album, but I haven’t heard any of the former ones, so I can’t really compare. I can tell you, though, that this is an interesting, varied, unpredictable and dreamy genre mix of an album. Listen more on Spotify or on Wimp. You can find the band on their site.

Keep Up Your Spirits
Play the Fool