Scandinavian Music

Posted by: Minky on 10 June 2003

Some of the albums that have had more than their fair "suck of the sav" in my house of late :

Liza Ekdahl - "Back to earth" and "When did you leave heaven". Swedish. The Peter Nordahl Trio are fantastic.

Silje Nergaard - "At first light" and "Port of call". Norwegian.

NHOP - "This is all I ask". Danish. Ulf Wakenius is up there with Pat Metheny as far as I am concerned.

Kings of convenience - "Quiet is the new loud". Norwegian.

The striking thing about all of this stuff is that despite the obvious prowess of the musicians there is a refreshing absence of showmanship and the music is all the better for it.

It occurs to me that I may have stumbled onto the tip of an iceberg. Is there a lot more where this came from ? Any advice would be appreciated.

Mark.
Posted on: 10 June 2003 by fred simon
There are many great Scandinavian musicians on the ECM label. For starters, I recommend almost any recordings by Jan Garbarek.

And as far as the refreshing absence of showmanship, many albums on the ECM label, by Scandinavians and non-Scandinavians alike, can be characterized as such. And I agree, the music is the better for it.
Posted on: 11 June 2003 by Gunnar Jansson
Minky.
Swedish top musicians such as Lena Willemark, Ale Möller, Frifot and Enteli.
Willemark betters Ekdahl by a wide margin in my book.
For a start try:
Lena Willemark: Windogur.
It´s sung in a Swedish dialect that´s not even comprehendable to a Swede but you have an english translate to the lyrics on the sleve.

The music is a meltingpot of a wide of different music styles. Worldmusic and jazz perhaps.
The production is superb.

Gunnar
Posted on: 11 June 2003 by JohanR
When Liza Ekdahl appeared some years ago a reviewer commented:

"Some one with a childish voice that sings childish songs, looks childish and "(after she got married to her producer of double her age)" is childish."

Should be avoided at any cost!

JohanR
Posted on: 11 June 2003 by Minky
quote:
Originally posted by JohanR:
When Liza Ekdahl appeared some years ago a reviewer commented:

"Some one with a childish voice that sings childish songs, looks childish and "(after she got married to her producer of double her age)" is childish."

Should be avoided at any cost!

JohanR

Johan,

I can't argue with that, but I still like her. It may be a sex thing. I also really like the quirky "Peter Nordahl Trio". Some of their standards interpretations are really interesting.
Posted on: 11 June 2003 by Pete
Aside from the Grieg, my Scandanavian selction is from Siri's Svale Band (trad jazz but in a slightly non-trad format, with double and electric bass together pinning things down and very well engineered and recorded) and Nils Petter Molvaer, techno-jazz fusion on the ECM label. Bleak, powerful and wonderful!

Pete.
Posted on: 11 June 2003 by Gunnar Jansson
Alan.
Try finnish tango, Ma Numminen or Hanoi Rocks.
Hanoi rocks sings in english though. No.... it has be tango with accordeon. That´ll do the trick.
Gunnar
Posted on: 11 June 2003 by ejl
Although they get mixed reactions from people (my wife hates them), Värttinä produced some really pleasing (IMO) a capella finnish folk music. "Seleniko" or "Kokko" are the ones I've heard; both quite nice.
Posted on: 11 June 2003 by Nigel Cavendish
Kimmo Pohjonen, say no more.

digelius.com is great for Scandamusic.

cheers

Nigel

Posted on: 11 June 2003 by Not For Me
For a more err.. 'contemporary' selction, try :

Frederick Almquist - as RHD Technologies or 40 ft Puma
Adam Beyer
Lenk
Rotortype
Umek
Metrik
Genecom
Vector

For those with industrial tastes there is

The Leather Nun
Maschinezimmer 412

I can't find my Swedish trance or Finnish Techno selections at the momement.

DS

ITC - Beyonce - Crazy in Love
Posted on: 11 June 2003 by bjorne
David Slater, The Leather Nun was a great band, I have seen them live few times.
Other good swedish rockbands : The Nomads and Sator. If you like hardrock Entombed is worth checking out

Minky, Stina Nordenstam is IMO a lot better than Ekdahl.

And as always Gunnar Jansson is right: Lena Willemark is truly amazing.

The most popular band in Sweden the last few years is called Kent. Unfortunately they sing in swedish, but two of their albums are also released in english versions: "Isola" and "Hagnesta Hill", the latter is IMO a very good album.
Posted on: 12 June 2003 by Timbo
Anyone know about Solveig Kringleborn, i.e. what she is up to and where I can get a nice picture of her?

Tim
Posted on: 12 June 2003 by Lee
quote:
Alan asked "What can I make the Finns sick of


Have you got any Pan(a)sonic?
Posted on: 12 June 2003 by seagull
quote:
Originally posted by bjorne:
The most popular band in Sweden the last few years is called Kent. Unfortunately they sing in swedish, but two of their albums are also released in english versions: "Isola" and "Hagnesta Hill", the latter is IMO a very good album.


I'm sure I heard something by them on XFM (a London radio station) a while back and thinking that they sounded quite good. I made a mental note to try and find the albums and promptly forgot. Thanks for the reminder.
Posted on: 12 June 2003 by JohanR
Now I will in fact come with a positiv comment.

'Bo Kaspers Orkester' Pop:ish, Swedish lyrics and rather good sounding. Mostly acoustic instruments.

JohanR
Posted on: 12 June 2003 by Not For Me
I forgot about Pansonic - they are intriging and sometimes difficult listening.

They lost the (a) to avoid confusion with the Japanese electronics conglomerate. - As easy mistake to make, go into a shop for a toaster, come out with a CD of avant-garde Finnish scraping noises.

There are many others on Sapho label worth investigating.

Whilst on Finland, can I also mention the great Vladislav Delay, a.k.a Luomo, Uustilo. One of the leading lights in the micro-house / click house movement.

My question for our Finnish comrades ? - Where do you get your records from - I scoured most of Hensinki whilst I was there, and only found one shop selling vinyl, and it was all mainstream stuff and high prices!

DS

ITC Wire - Send
Posted on: 13 June 2003 by Gunnar Jansson
Bjorne has some really good tips there.
Stina Nordenstam has to be on the short list. She´s very good.
I´ll just fill up the recommendations with:
Hellacopters and Backyard babies. Good rock bands.
As Bjorne writes; Kent´s two album Isola and Hagnesta hill has both been recorded with English lyrics.
Have a look at www.kent.nu

Gunnar
Posted on: 15 June 2003 by Minky
Thanks for all your advice good people. I will let you know how I get on.

All the best,

Mark.
Posted on: 15 June 2003 by Goose
I asked this ages ago, but is anyone into Scandinavian new prog? Landberk, Anekdoten, Anglagard, Third and the Mortal. ( are Opeth from this part of the world?) If so have you got anymore recommendations for me?
Any new stuff Nick Lees?

Cheers
Goose
Posted on: 18 June 2003 by Goose
Nick L
The Flower Kings are great, although some lyrics are dodgy as folk..Ignore them ( to a point) the music is great. I am sure there is lots of your fave music that has dodgy lyrics in :-)I saw them live in Belgium and they were fantastic.

My fave is 'Alive on Planet Earth'..And you KNOW that my recommendations are always TOPS :-)

hahaha
CHeers
Goose
Posted on: 18 June 2003 by Niko
Here's just a couple of great finnish bands that I have been spinning lately:

www.donjohnsonbigband.com (english lyrics)
www.scandinavianmusicgroup.com (finnish)
www.kemopetrol.org (english)

Well worth checking out.

David: There are a dozen or so shops around Helsinki which sell vinyl records. Some of them are linked from our one and only Naim dealer: www.kruunuradio.fi/sivut/hifi_vinyyliosasto.html

Cheers,
Niko