Progressive Music reviews Swedish items

Transubstans Rec.Radiomöbel : Gudang Garam (S,1978)****'

Musikgruppen Radiomöbel started in 1973 as a quartet. Evolved to a quintet they released their first album "Tramsebox" in 1975. At the time of 1979 as a sextet the band released this second album in a small quantity. This is a first time reissue. Hearing this album I think it’s strange how such a great album took so many years for a reissue. Styllistically they are far more interesting that a band like Autumn Breeze, and they are more varied than the already great Träd Gras och Stenar.

By the time of 1979 the Swedish scene still was interesting for psychedelic music, and the band’s psychedelic styles had evolved ever since.

The first track, the titletrack, might be the shortest track in history, counting in at 1 second ! At the same time the full album comes over like one long track in different sections and with an incredibly number of changes in directions, arrangements, with some varity of stylistic influences while the music itself keeps a very steady and strong continuous flow. There are many passages, like on “Höstsang” which are definitely 70’s Floydian (ethereal keyboards, electric guitar and drumming), partly Bo Hansson-like. The female singer who appears here and there has a more folk flavoured voice between Dagmar Krause and a soprano acid folk voice. With her contribution there are small elements of folkrock psychedelia adapted as well. There is also a small part of rock’n roll improvisation, of cosmic and landscape driven keyboards, some small experiment with fastened reverb recording and experimenting sounds, some Yes-like conflicting rhythms with the guitars and keyboards, a cosmic vocal passage, some moog improvisations, and various rhythmic and thematical changes which make the music, change in direction constantly in a very natural and inspired way.

A masterpiece !

PS. The first album, ‘Trämsebox’ will be re-released for the first time by the same label later this year, together with an album full of unreleased material.

-The label has also a great on line shop of World psychedelia called recordheaven.-

Audio : "Höstsang"

Homepage : http://www.radiomobel.se/

Label : http://www.recordheaven.net/Transsubstans/index.htm

Review on Mellotronen shop : http://www.mellotronen.com/asp/recordDetails.asp?recordid=2664&tempCat=5

Where they say : “Radiomöbel is sometimes filed under the genre TRÄSKOSYMF (wooden shoe symphonic). Other scandinavian bands in that field is AKASHA, MR. BROWN, and AUTUMN BREEZE.”

Review of the first album : http://www.lysergia.com/LamaReviews/reviews5.htm#RADIOMOBEL

Mellotronen

Trettioariga Kriget : Elden Av Ar (S,2004)***° (= ex to perf)

I couldn’t do the review of this new release before I had heard one of the earlier releases to compare with. After some research I was able to trace a recording of the first album, a hard song oriented prog-rock album, with good arrangements and a strong sound. It is surprising to hear the band did not lose any of its compact sound! Even more, they seem now to have the advantage of even more modern production techniques. The arrangements are with as much, and on the less relaxed tracks possibly with even more attention to details. One of the calmer tracks, “Night Flight” has two versions. The old version is a fine psych live recording from 1977. That this all fits very well is another proof of the band’s steady sound over the years. The “strong” sound we hear in the new songs, especially in the more heavy tracks, is something that already influenced bands in Sweden, like Anekdoten, Anglagard,.. before. It’s a style they seem to have maintained and developed. Trough the song orientation we might miss some aspect of content, but the group sound makes this more than acceptable!

Info group : http://www.gepr.net/to.html#TRETTIOKRIG &

http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAND.asp?band_id=639

& http://gnosis2000.net/reviews/trettioariga.htm

Label entry of this release : https://www.mellotronen.com/asp/recordDetails.asp?recordid=1640&tempCat=5

Dutch review : http://www.prog-nose.org/nederlands/albums_2004/trettioariga_kriget_elden_av_ar.htm

Stockholm Rec.

Paatos : Timeloss (S,2002)***** (=classic)

Perhaps one of my favourite new Scandinavian prog releases, or even one of my favourite new prog releases in general of the last 10 years. The female voice in the first track, "Sensor” makes the progrock song sound very much like Circus 2000, but this is even more appealing through splendid mellotron, guitars & drumming. At some other places the female singer sings more like let’s say Portishead. The style of the group has elements of the best of the Swedish / Norwegian scene (the softer Anekdoten, Anglagard, Landberk at its best, White Willow,etc...) with mostly relaxed songs, perfectly accompanied with a warm sound, but also a terrific drive that gives an extra tension, and also, very unusual, a successful addition of some breakbeat in the last track. It fits wonderful as contribution with the progrock genre. Highly recommended !!

PS. The band features two old members from Landberk / the Morte Macabre project (another great project, with some incredible mellotron drenged tracks).

Homepage : http://music.sky-sea.net/official/paatos/ (with soundfile of their 2track single) & http://www.paatos.com/ Audio : "Hipnotique"

Beautiful German webpage : http://www.nordische-musik.de/artikel/paatos.php

Info on album : www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=4786

MP3 fragment of "Sensor"

Other reviews : http://reviews.media-culture.org.au/article.php?sid=575 & http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=paa-time

Dutch review : http://www.prog-nose.org/nederlands/albums_2002/paatos_timeloss.htm

& interview : http://www.prog-nose.org/nederlands/interviews/paatos_interview.htm

Live pictures : http://www.soderhamn-net.com/~u00214rf/prog/paatos.htm

New album will be out in June : http://www.insideout.de/indexx.php?arg=AxcAAh8ES0FBTAEES0FSMSuBAQ

More info on Landbrek,Anekdoten,Morte Macabre see my earlier playlist with comments & links : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/files/sweden-norway-prog.txt

(save this page as text file and open it as a Word file to activate the links)

MVG Rec.

Fläskkvartetten : Pärlor Fran Svin (S,1995)*****

Since this is the first release I heard from the group, I prefer to start reviewing the 4 albums I have now, from here. I was really impressed at first listen, and I am still impressed after all those years. This particular album is a compilation of some compositions written for several Nordic movies. After the beautiful opener, "Petra” we hear perfect balances between sound invention and colourful and well produced contrasts, with a perfect clarity in composition. The original use of half electrified sounds of the cellos and some additional sounds enriching the compositions are intuitively inventive. On “Wet Woman” for instance we hear within the composition interval breaks of lightning matches combined with a sitar-like sound, on a high pitched violin time-intervals-carpet with additional bass and middle tone cello, with some additional slowly driving rhythms. Also highly original is the short “Haegsta” with an up tempo psych electric violin & cello drive, and a second layer composition, almost like Rock In Opposition with a fuzz-folkrock flavour on top of it. -(I wondered what would the group members of Swedish chamber (folk)prog rockers 'Sammla Mammas Manna' think of this ?-). On “Moe” I also hear beautiful interwoven harmonies with some sounds as if a harmonium or an harmonica is involved as extra instrument, but I don’t think so..The most impressive track is the last 20 or so minute track “Don’t Surrender”. While it starts of with harmonious pitched filmmusic like we hear on most compositions, a modern sequenced bass rhythm coming in to change the theme twice into heavy progressive electric chamber music! All the other tracks are in a very romantic and moody chamber music style, with inventive pitches and perfect combinations of composition evolution with an intuitively rich sound. Only one track, “Nordstjernan”, still with all the same flavours, uses a more contemporary composition style.

A highly recommended release! For me one of the best new releases from Sweden I know of.

Audio : "Dovregubben" Homepage : http://www.fleshquartet.com/

Other review at bottom of page at http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/feature/sweden1.html

Music Networks Rec.

Fläskkvartetten : Pärlor Fran Svin 2 (S,2002)****

I don’t know if “Parlor fran Svin” was successful or not, but the group surely had enough talent and inspiration to combine even more ideas of chamber music compositions with electronic drives and rhythms. The result is more than just successful. While the album starts of with a couple of similar, even more worked out ideas as on the first album with this title, in the second half of the album the group added more and varied approaches with the same elements & instrumentation. Between a few more relaxed compositions possible referring to the first Pärlor Fran Svin album, with “Den Lilla Mulatten” as the first and successful approach to increase the tension with the combination of orchestra and electronica. It’s heavily orchestrated and arranged with rhythms and electronic sounds, with last couple of notes ending with an almost Arabesque outro. Also “Bla Mats” tries similar ideas touched upon on the first album, with electrified cello’s. “Is it really China ?” after that, also immediately attracts attention, for it uses Chinese orchestrated harmonies and melodies, with finishing touches of electronica and a few electric sounds. The four tracks after that ("Tree", "Storm" "Gerd" & "Mac Volta") listen like one composition in four parts, with semi-hysterical / progressive tensions and with combinations of acoustic and electric chamber music. In the last part, "Mac Volta" we even hear some bagpipes ! With these compositions the group have taken another step forward in compositional ideas. Then we also hear an arranged version of

“Moonlight Sonata” (yep- from Ludwich van Beethoven) arranged for the differentiated sound of Flesquartet. The last track, “Andreas” is basically electronic loops.

A very good album, and a very good follow-up to the earlier masterpiece.

Audio : "Synd" Other small review : http://www.cdroots.com/mnw-flesh2.html

MNW Fläskkvartetten med Freddie Wadling :

Vita Droppar en samling 1987-1998 (S,2003)*°

I assume this is a compilation album of their career between 1987-1998.

Here you can hear their earlier work was basically pop music with an electric chamber quartet.

I know in Germany we had The Inchtabokatables with a here and there similar approach, and perhaps there are more names.

I can imagine the story of their changes in style, how they first were invited to write some filmmusic after having heard the quartet’s sound. Then having created a successful new formula, and possibly having achieved some freedom after their early successes the group might have decided to continue the instrumental sound. Although this early stylr is good enough for pop music, at least I’m glad the decision for this change was made. A favourite track for me of the earlier days is “Too Young to die” with male/female vocals. This release mostly focuses on that pop period.

Audio : "Innocent"

Inside Out

Paatos : Kallocain (S,2004)****

This release completely focused on the songwriting, making it a more of an artpop release, with all elements contributing to the song and mood. It has similarities in the evolution of White Willow into the “Ex Tenebris” album, with a beautiful female voice, and a very sophisticated band sound. Modest but with “grand” performing. I had to listen a couple of times to it, because there are little differences in the way the various songs are structured ; they fit beautifully together. Highly recommended.

There are two different versions of this cd. One with and one without a video.

Info : http://www.insideoutmusic.com/bands/band-paatos-kallocain.php with soundfiles : http://www.insideout.de/indexx.php?arg=AQcWBEtBQUwBBEtBUjGBAQ & http://www.paatos.com/ Audio : "Hapiness"

Reviews : http://www.prog-nose.org/engels/albums_2004/paatos_kallocain.htm & http://www.metal-temple.com/review.asp?id=566

& http://www.geocities.com/prognaut/reviews/paatos.html & http://www.progressiveworld.net/paatos6.html

Goddamn I'm a Countryman Records

The Spacious Mind :

live vol.1 : do your thing but touch ours, Skoganäs 26/10/99 (S,iss.2002)***° (=ex)

Recorded deep into the Swedish forests in the north, in an atmospheric communal village, this shows Spacious Mind at its most laid back, with eternal intimate spacey jamming, directing towards higher spheres, moving onwards with guitar jams, spacey keyboard effects, and exotic psychedelic organ. This almost meditative trip lasted originally even fifteen minutes longer than the time limitations of the audio CDR master would allow. Still we have a unique and beautiful spacy "Floyd/flow" experience, which we can be glad was recorded. An enjoyable jamming towards infinity-psych record, and for this style a good place to start with, especially for a listen with headphones whilst lying down in a couch.

Spacious Mind info : http://www.delerium.co.uk/bands/spaciousmind/index.html

& http://www.srd.d.se/lex/s/s00071.html

& http://www.psychedelic-music.net/pmdb/db3/db_band.php4?id=31

interview with Spacious Mind : http://www.aural-innovations.com/issues/issue8/spmind02.html

interview with Jens from SM : http://www.freecitymedia.com/JennText.html

Contact label : countrymanrecords@hotmail.com

other review : http://www.aural-innovations.com/2003/september/smind05.html

http://www.fakejazz.com/reviews/2003/spaciousmind.shtml

Goddamn I'm a Countryman Rec. The Spacious Mind : Reality Blipocrotch (S,2001)**°

A fine and enjoyable, rather short, slightly space psych record in relaxed mode, with one song in a similar mode with a certain sweetness of mood. Through its use of long tripped out organ/guitars Spacious Mind were one of the groups, starting at the end of the nineties, that were examples of the sound of the new psych scene. Some were more spacey and melodic. The Spacious Mind evolved to be the most tempered mood creators of them all, and this release proves it again.

Lp review : http://www.fakejazz.com/reviews/2003/spaciousmind.shtml

& http://www.unimeri.com/PsychotropicZone/reviews_2001.en.php

& http://www.aural-innovations.com/issues/issue19/smind05.html

* Solo release from Jens at http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/swedenreview.html

* Other related bands are Holy River Band (at the same page) and side-project Cauldron

at http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/swedenreview.html

* Newer Spacious Mind release further down -->

Primal Music

Fleshquartet : Love Go (S,2000)****

At this point the group changed their name into English. It is true that now the group’s individual sound has come to full matured sophistication. So they might be ready for a wider international breakthrough. The group sounds now almost became like an ‘organism’ that creates its own kind of sound with chamber art-rock music compositions, in its own distinctive style. The young exploring drive has been replaced by controlled maturity. But of course, even when various compositions are best examples for this, (like "It's over"), with “See” perhaps as the most emotionally subtly rich track of these, the group, again, will go one step further too. I noticed already in “Gilli Gilli” & “Mac Who” the use of something which sounds like electric guitar and bass on the background, giving the composition an extra progressive, perhaps even a subtle post-Zeuhl drive. The title track “Love Go” makes also a strange -compromising ?- combination of some art-pop rhythms combined with the orchestra, which at occasions even begins to sound like a skilfully and quickly playing heavy-metal-fusion (progressive) rock band !? Is this their new future crossover style? Also on “Elimbao” they introduce a hard rock drive with electric guitar like themes, combined with the electric chamber orchestra. A different direction we hear with “Antilla”, a half improvised ? composition with orchestrations and phased trumpet, a track which proves that their music combines well with moody jazz elements too. “Firewell prince” has added something which sounds like a charming organ on the background. With a more quiet filmic, no, more theatre-music like composition as a last track also this album leaves me as a listener with satisfaction. Recommended !

Audio : "Love go", "nsms"

Review of this album : http://www.releasemagazine.net/Onrecord/orfleshquartetlg.htm

& http://www.primal.se/fleshquartet/listen_ie.html

French review : http://www.sefronia.com/Recherche/Chronique.asp?AlbumID=5069

German review : http://www.musicmatic.net/phpnuke/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=963

Group's Homepage : http://www.fleshquartet.com/ & http://www.primal.se/fleshquartet/

Intro about the group here

Label's entry (Nordic) http://www.mnw.se/se/html/artister/flaskkvartetten/default.asp

PS. Moondog conducted the Flesquartet in 1986 !!

Info : http://www.geocities.com/moondogmadness/bracelli.html

German review of “Flow” : http://www.musicmatic.net/phpnuke/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=962

Silence Rec.

Träd Gräs Och Stenar : Ajn Schvajn Draj (S,2002)**° (ex)

When I first heard about the group, years ago I decided to check out their first album, which was at first disappointing : the early (live) recording quality was dreadful, and the music couldn’t compensate enough for me. Later I discover the side-projects Harvester and International Harvester which showed their talents better. Still I was a bit confused about tracks that were chosen for compilations and the differences between them. Suddenly between 1998 and 2000 the members started to record this reunion album, a recording where the group sound seems not to have lost any of the greatness of before. I find it pretty consistent, and especially the bands instrumental performance with their smooth and hypnotic psychedelic sound, which I find very attractive. The band has a strong live sound, which I can imagine after having heard this album. (And that’s how they were recently invited to play in Belgium). The vocals are ok to me, but I must say I’m happy they are not dominating. The humoristic 'folkbar vocals' on the "Inget" tracks however are quite amusing in a positive way, and musically fit perfectly. The album in general is very strong, and you get a long well compiled album for it -almost 74 minutes-. It is highly recommended to any 70's psych & progrock fan.

Audio : "Treacherously Icy", "The Dove", "Lament Of A Simple Man","Ringring"

Homepage : http://www.tgs.nu/

with complete discography : http://www.tgs.nu/s-disko.htm

Band discography : http://www.shell.linux.se/popoga/t/t00045.html

or http://www.midsuffolk.unisonplus.net/The%20Swedes.htm

Listen to this and other Swedish band of Silence Records : http://www.silence.se/jukebox/default.htm

Info on band : http://rateyourmusic.com/view_albums/artist_id_is_7024

& http://thestranger.com/2003-10-16/music4.html

& http://www.falufolk.com/engelsk/program/fff2004/festival/artists2004/tgs.htm

& http://www.neongallery.nu/exhibitionsandevents/previous/tgs/

Other review : http://www.tgs.nu/recens/aquaajn.htm

Swedish band-pages : http://members.chello.se/t.m.gartz/dan17.4.htm

& http://www.fatbankroll.nu/showarticle.php3?id=1087248173

& (with audio) : http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,195545,00.html

http://members.chello.se/t.m.gartz/nytt2001.htm

http://www.darling.se/nr11/stenar/ & http://www.muc.a.se/m-t-g-o-s.html & http://www.all2know.com/sv/wikipedia/t/tr/traed__graes_och_stenar.html

Reviews of all available albums : http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/trad.gras.och.stenar.html

Swedish review : http://www.revolver.nu/albumrecension.php?article_id=346

& http://members.chello.se/t.m.gartz/ajnrec.htm & http://members.chello.se/t.m.gartz/ajnrec2.htm

PS. Interview with the band edited in Dutch with some English notes on the birth of the Persson Project on the end of the page here

Progress Rec.

Liquid Scarlet (S,2004)****'

This band instrumentally fits perfectly amongst other greats like Anekdoten, Anglagard, and perhaps Landberk. The first two tracks (“Greyroom” and “Hesitating in the Foyer”) melodically are poprock, where not the music but the song has the leading part, so any comparisson for a generalisation with the most likely named progrock groups (like King Crimson,..) is inappropriate, or less correct, or more like a view through ‘wishing well glasses’, like a testimony filtered through expectations. But don’t get me wrong, here it works really well ! This first rock fundament of the group (-they started purely as a rock and cover band-) was freely taken by the group, and with an open evolution, and with widening rooms for improvisation, and more open structures, especially on the longer tracks, like for instance “Città Nuova”, or “Molok”, where the band expands its progressive rock fundament completely, and it becomes even more progressive and with a strong open evolution. In “Talking in Ashes” the sweeter arrangements follow more the Genesis tradition in accompaniment. Especially on a track like “Comes near, Lingers far” they follow more the road of their colleagues Anekdoten and Anglagard, with strongly structured musical evolutions based upon well worked out ideas. The album does not reveal all in just a few listens, which I think is very positive. A strong release.

More audio : "The Red Stairs" ,"One last Masquerade"

Homepage : http://www.liquidscarlet.com/

Other reviews : http://www.progressrec.com/the_label/liquid-reviews.html & http://www.liquidscarlet.com/reviewseng.html &

http://www.prog-nose.org/engels/albums_2004/liquid_scarlet_same.htm

http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAND.asp?band_id=1019 &

http://www.progvisions.i12.com/reviews_uk/ls_ls_uk.htm &

http://www.progressiveworld.net/liquidscarlet2.html & http://www.elrose.demon.co.uk/CD_Reviews/body_liquid_scarlet_cds.html & http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/liquidscarlet.htm &

http://www.prog4you.com/cd-reviews-10-04/Liquid_Scarlet.htm

Spanish review : http://www.eufonia.net/html/liquid_scarlet.html

Dutch review : http://www.progwereld.org/cd-recensies/liquidscarlet.htm

& http://www.prog-nose.org/nederlands/albums_2004/liquid_scarlet_liquid_scarlet.htm

Subliminalsounds

Dungen : Ta Det Lugnt (S,2004)****

This is Dungen’s third release. Band leader and multi-instrumentalist Gustav Ejstes’s father, a violinist and music teacher, had given him an insight behind Swedish folk music and beyond. Thanks to his father's huge collection he grew up listening to all 60’s-’70 Swedish obscurities in music most of the time, which gave him the necessary insights to create his own vision for a band. Dungen this way became in fact a follow-up of what happened in the Swedish 60’s and 70’s and still is within the vision of those days. The singing is with slightly distorted harmony vocals (in a Swedish 60’s way), while the great electric guitars and drumming are with art-hardrock-like touches, and swinging and melodic jamming, within a nicely build up improvisational layer of space, and within all progressive rhythmic variation. We have here and there violin, and many varied subtle spacejam keyboard layers of arrangements, all within an art-song structure.

Audio : "Panda" (or here),"Festival","Ta det lugnt" (or here) ,"Om du vore en vakthund", "Sluta Folja Efter" ; Homepage : http://www.dungen-music.com/

Info with links to other reviews : http://www.subliminalsounds.se/DOK/dungen2.html

Later, 2007 album is reviewed on http://progressive.homestead.com/sweden3.html

Subliminalsounds

The Works (S,2005)**°

The Works have a link with Dungen, for this group's band leader Andreas Stellan participated on bass during Dungens NYC tour, and also several other Dungen members participated as guests on this album. More than like Dungen their inspiration source lies in late 60’s styled rock music (from the area of The Who, Small Faces, July, perhaps Pink Floyd,..), with distorted vocals, with a combination of some acoustic with more electric guitars, driven by a rhythm section, with ideas which derive from a coming to the fore post-end 60’s rock, until it becomes a more stonepsychedelic rock, with a few more quiet tracks. The band shows fine instrumental arrangements, including keyboards, but within the tight wall of sound the shouty nasal vocals becomes for me a bit nerve wracking, which takes down a bit, my listening pleasure, because I can’t find much space to breath in the music. The band themselves has many good elements but because the "always-to-the-fore-expression of psych-‘rock’" remains the main fundament, the lack of structured dynamics swallows all spontaneity of the psych/progressive movements still present.

Audio : "Work Everybody", "I Saw The Ocean", "Slow As She Goes"

Info : www.theworks-music.com

& http://www.subliminalsounds.se/DOK/theworks.html

Goddamn I'm a Countryman Rec. The Spacious Mind : Rotvälta (S,2005)****

Spacious Mind are masters in improvising and creating a dreamy (and literally) spacious mind sphere with it. Keyboards, guitars and some drumming, are like waves, or smoke from a brooding cake, seen with a saturated vision with desire, and with patience with a focuse on the calm rising of the cake. (-I think it was about time I compared some music with food, so why not this time-). And be sure this is a spacecake rising, increasing its content of psychedelic ingredients, blending, getting hotter, with speeding up rhythms, until it almost melts and becomes ultra-violetly vibrating. The Spacious Mind even more than before, here is like a ritualistic psychedelic event, not to be created twice from some kind of recipe. As soon as the mentioned tension of "heat" is over, by the time of the third track, the left over mood is one of beauty and respect, expressed by organ, guitar, with slower, watery waves. At this point this could have been a perfect CD already for me, but it doesn’t end here. Some of the distant drifted sounds still are floating and wandering around, and they form the beginning of a fourth long track, as the time for the conscious consuming of the cake. This builds up more consciously, awakened, towards a more straight forward, long and strong space(cake)-rocking. And praise the Lord : this tension reached heavens delights as well. Thanks for this sharing, Amen ! But also here, when I thought this would have been the most perfect CD, Spacious Mind still has a few minutes left on the CD. Echoes of mountain spirits, winds echo and wander in the distance... and this is the starting point for a 6th long track already. This track starts with two, three meditative guitars, slow percussion and fender Rhodes keyboards, and it sounds like a small outro contemplation, where I must have been lost in time, because also this track seemed to have been almost 9 minutes long...

A splendid release of new psychedelica !

Info : http://www.countrymanrecords.com/rotvalta.html

Discography of Spacious Mind : http://www.hawklord.com/music/TSMdisco.htm

Other review : (over halfway the page): http://www.lowcut.dk/024_lc/reviews/index.asp

next Spacious Mind review further down->