ChaosResolved
10-15-2005, 12:51 PM
Tracking the Trends: Instrumental Swedes
One of my deepest loves of the past few years has been instrumental music. I'm sure I got into the genre about the same way that most people do, through the normal routes of Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Sigur Ros. As my knowledge of the genre expanded, I was able to reach backwards and embrace artists such as Slint and Tortoise and hopefully obtain some sort of knowledge about the roots of this so-called "post-rock" movement. Today's current music world offers a million and one variations and subgenres of the instrumental field, sometimes branching off far from the post-rock roots, but always placing the primary concern on the instrumentation of the music and crafting engaging, thoughtful compositions that stretch the mind. Those who cannot stomach songs that push beyond the 10+ minute mark have no place here; normal rules no longer apply.
It follows that some really interesting trends would develop around the world in the instrumental world. Separate regions have distinct sounds and flavors, tapping into local and regional influences to hone a tune that carries a unique feeling. Sweden is a country that is bursting at the seems with post-rock talent. Carefully cultivated by a few choice independent labels, acts such as September Malevolence, Scraps of Tape, Ef, Ellis the Vacuumchild, and Once We Were are quickly rising stars in the country. Tracking the Trend wishes to expose them to a greater audience at large, for these musicians are so talented that they can be kept secret no longer.
September Malevolence
Gothenburg, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/september.jpg
Website: September Malevolence (http://www.septembermalevolence.tk)
Music: TenderVersion (http://www.tenderversion.com/mp3/September%20Malevolence%20-%20On%20Our%20Own.mp3)
September Malevolence's 2005 release, Tomorrow We'll Wonder Where This Generation Gets Its Priorities From, is a masterfully sculpted work of art. The band shows excessive skill at building up delicate layers of lush instrumentation and triggering an emotional release through cascading waves of sonic manipulation. I'm hard pressed to find a band that is able to nail its timing more precisely than does September Malevolence. Time and time again the band entangles the listener in a subtle build-up that avoids the temptation of falling into repetitive traps; instead, the album weaves through spacey segues and atmospheric transitions, accumulating to a beautifully cathartic breakdown where the deflation is utterly jaw-dropping. Every track of the album is a placating experience and taken as a whole they carry a certain grace throughout the length of this work which distinguishes September Malevolence as one of the leading instrumental bands.
This little known Swedish band has produced not only one of the best instrumental albums of the year, but also one of the best albums in recent history. It leaves you craving more and once the taste of September Malevolence is in your mouth there is no denying the strength of this group of musicians. Tomorrow We'll Wonder Where This Generation Gets Its Priorities From is an album that will leave the listener wondering how the band will ever top their debut release. However, given the wide range of approaches taken to the song-writing in the album, it's clear that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Scraps of Tape
Malmo, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/scraps.jpg
Website: Scraps of Tape (http://www.scrapsoftape.com)
Music: Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/scrapsoftape)
Sharing a label with the aforementioned September Malevolence, Scraps of Tape harbor a similar feel to their TenderVersion brothers, but the route the band explores is entirely different. Read Between the Lines at All Times, the band's 2004 effort, makes it mark through explosive breakdowns which are unexpectedly aggressive. In many ways Scraps of Tape defy the post-rock label by discarding the standard practice of subtlety and gentle transitions and instead adopt a method that fills out the sound with full instrumentation and string support. Tracks like "Hands Tied" and "We are Many, We are Tired of being Few" turn point-blank into a furious guitar assault that undoubtedly gets the blood pumping. The impressive debut album is led by a humble, organic richness that prevents it from straying too far into the abstract realm, making it a highly enjoyable repeated listen. It’s a treat to see a band branching off from the tried and true tactics of the genre and successfully integrating components from various other parts of the music world.
Although Read Between the Lines at All Times is a stellar debut effort from Scraps of Tape, the band leaves themselves enough room to tighten up their material on future releases and channel their unique methodology into a irresistible instrumental force. Jezebel Recordings will be releasing a 7" recording by Scraps of Tape this fall entitled “A Trilogy of Dreams, Noise, and Silence,” which is sure to be a must-have possession for post-rock enthusiasts (the other two 7" include Ef and Molia Falls).
Ef
Gothenburg, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/ef.jpg
Website: Ef (http://www.efmusic.nu)
Music: Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/ef)
Initially starting as a hardcore outfit, Ef quickly began composing epic songs that are surpassed in length only by their immense beauty. In fact, their self-produced demo cd-r was so magnificent that it attracted the attention of US independent label Raise the Red Flag who will be releasing their debut album. Ef does a marvelous job at juxtaposing minimalist segues with deeply intense breakdowns. At times Ef toys with spacey compositions, but they aren’t a band that aims to beat you to death with pedal effects and would much rather let the natural sounds of the instruments wash over the body and cleanse the spirit through a complete saturation of the mind. I don’t know how this band was hiding away unsigned in Sweden so long, but soon the world will know of the brilliance of Ef.
As the second piece of Jezebel Recording’s three piece puzzle, Ef is sure to turn quite a few heads on their debut release. Following up its debut album, one of my most highly anticipated releases for 2006, this band has a lot of its plate in the upcoming year. While they are currently enjoying a bit of hard-earned success, we can be assured that this is only the beginning of a bright future for this hot young band.
Ellis the Vacuumchild
Haninge, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/ellis.gif
Website: Ellis the Vacuumchild (http://www.ellisthevacuumchild.com/)
Music: Ellis the Vacuumchild (http://www.ellisthevacuumchild.com/)
Laying it’s foundations in simple melodic compositions and catchy guitar lines, Ellis the Vacuumchild’s Peace By Extermination is a hypnotizing piece of art that quickly draws the listener into its world of angular instrumental music. While producing a much more polished sound than its Swedish counterparts, Ellis the Vacuumchild presents a very enchanting take on the post-rock genre. Most of its songs are relatively short–-within the 3-4 minute mark, but tracks like “Decapitation Spree” do a splendid job of building up a wall of sound which promptly collapses into the musical space and sends resonating waves throughout the course of this album. These short bursts of harmonic, rhythmic tracks are offset by the more boisterous “After many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’” and “Ellis fear Chloe,” which proceed to travel off into experimental avenues that are often left unexplored by many of the genre’s figureheads.
Peace by Extermination somehow manages to defy the natural law of post-rock albums being difficult to digest. Indeed, Ellis the Vacuumchild plan out an album which flows so much like a ‘normal’ album that they should have a wide appeal outside the genre itself. Although the band’s label, Chalksounds, has recently called it quits, the band has plans to release a 7" through Jezebel Recordings in the near future, and hopefully much more beyond that.
Once We Were
Gothenburg, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/oncewewere.jpg
Website: Once We Were (http://www.oncewewere.net)
Music: TenderVersion (http://www.tenderversion.com/mp3/Once%20We%20Were%20-%20Em.mp3)
On its 2004 EP, Winter Kept Us Warm, Once We Were slowly creeps through lofty crescendos and mesmerizing back passages filled with a rhythmic and rumbling drum presence. True to the name, this release encompasses a ‘warm’ feeling over its thirty minutes. Earthy tones balance with hypnotic compositions and show this band almost effortlessly approaching a climax of grand proportions. A general nod is given to the jazz world during some very free-moving segments within the EP, floating away into the stratosphere to tango with some intangible experiences and meditate on a more fulfilling post-rock grandeur. Winter Kept Us Warm is just a small does of what this band has in store for the world; more elaborate schemes are in production for the near future...
After a short tour, Once We Were returns to the studio to complete their debut album for Tender Version Recordings. Rumors are reporting that it may surface as a double album, which can only spell out greatness from this Swedish post-rock gem.
~~Jordan Volz
One of my deepest loves of the past few years has been instrumental music. I'm sure I got into the genre about the same way that most people do, through the normal routes of Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Sigur Ros. As my knowledge of the genre expanded, I was able to reach backwards and embrace artists such as Slint and Tortoise and hopefully obtain some sort of knowledge about the roots of this so-called "post-rock" movement. Today's current music world offers a million and one variations and subgenres of the instrumental field, sometimes branching off far from the post-rock roots, but always placing the primary concern on the instrumentation of the music and crafting engaging, thoughtful compositions that stretch the mind. Those who cannot stomach songs that push beyond the 10+ minute mark have no place here; normal rules no longer apply.
It follows that some really interesting trends would develop around the world in the instrumental world. Separate regions have distinct sounds and flavors, tapping into local and regional influences to hone a tune that carries a unique feeling. Sweden is a country that is bursting at the seems with post-rock talent. Carefully cultivated by a few choice independent labels, acts such as September Malevolence, Scraps of Tape, Ef, Ellis the Vacuumchild, and Once We Were are quickly rising stars in the country. Tracking the Trend wishes to expose them to a greater audience at large, for these musicians are so talented that they can be kept secret no longer.
September Malevolence
Gothenburg, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/september.jpg
Website: September Malevolence (http://www.septembermalevolence.tk)
Music: TenderVersion (http://www.tenderversion.com/mp3/September%20Malevolence%20-%20On%20Our%20Own.mp3)
September Malevolence's 2005 release, Tomorrow We'll Wonder Where This Generation Gets Its Priorities From, is a masterfully sculpted work of art. The band shows excessive skill at building up delicate layers of lush instrumentation and triggering an emotional release through cascading waves of sonic manipulation. I'm hard pressed to find a band that is able to nail its timing more precisely than does September Malevolence. Time and time again the band entangles the listener in a subtle build-up that avoids the temptation of falling into repetitive traps; instead, the album weaves through spacey segues and atmospheric transitions, accumulating to a beautifully cathartic breakdown where the deflation is utterly jaw-dropping. Every track of the album is a placating experience and taken as a whole they carry a certain grace throughout the length of this work which distinguishes September Malevolence as one of the leading instrumental bands.
This little known Swedish band has produced not only one of the best instrumental albums of the year, but also one of the best albums in recent history. It leaves you craving more and once the taste of September Malevolence is in your mouth there is no denying the strength of this group of musicians. Tomorrow We'll Wonder Where This Generation Gets Its Priorities From is an album that will leave the listener wondering how the band will ever top their debut release. However, given the wide range of approaches taken to the song-writing in the album, it's clear that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Scraps of Tape
Malmo, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/scraps.jpg
Website: Scraps of Tape (http://www.scrapsoftape.com)
Music: Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/scrapsoftape)
Sharing a label with the aforementioned September Malevolence, Scraps of Tape harbor a similar feel to their TenderVersion brothers, but the route the band explores is entirely different. Read Between the Lines at All Times, the band's 2004 effort, makes it mark through explosive breakdowns which are unexpectedly aggressive. In many ways Scraps of Tape defy the post-rock label by discarding the standard practice of subtlety and gentle transitions and instead adopt a method that fills out the sound with full instrumentation and string support. Tracks like "Hands Tied" and "We are Many, We are Tired of being Few" turn point-blank into a furious guitar assault that undoubtedly gets the blood pumping. The impressive debut album is led by a humble, organic richness that prevents it from straying too far into the abstract realm, making it a highly enjoyable repeated listen. It’s a treat to see a band branching off from the tried and true tactics of the genre and successfully integrating components from various other parts of the music world.
Although Read Between the Lines at All Times is a stellar debut effort from Scraps of Tape, the band leaves themselves enough room to tighten up their material on future releases and channel their unique methodology into a irresistible instrumental force. Jezebel Recordings will be releasing a 7" recording by Scraps of Tape this fall entitled “A Trilogy of Dreams, Noise, and Silence,” which is sure to be a must-have possession for post-rock enthusiasts (the other two 7" include Ef and Molia Falls).
Ef
Gothenburg, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/ef.jpg
Website: Ef (http://www.efmusic.nu)
Music: Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/ef)
Initially starting as a hardcore outfit, Ef quickly began composing epic songs that are surpassed in length only by their immense beauty. In fact, their self-produced demo cd-r was so magnificent that it attracted the attention of US independent label Raise the Red Flag who will be releasing their debut album. Ef does a marvelous job at juxtaposing minimalist segues with deeply intense breakdowns. At times Ef toys with spacey compositions, but they aren’t a band that aims to beat you to death with pedal effects and would much rather let the natural sounds of the instruments wash over the body and cleanse the spirit through a complete saturation of the mind. I don’t know how this band was hiding away unsigned in Sweden so long, but soon the world will know of the brilliance of Ef.
As the second piece of Jezebel Recording’s three piece puzzle, Ef is sure to turn quite a few heads on their debut release. Following up its debut album, one of my most highly anticipated releases for 2006, this band has a lot of its plate in the upcoming year. While they are currently enjoying a bit of hard-earned success, we can be assured that this is only the beginning of a bright future for this hot young band.
Ellis the Vacuumchild
Haninge, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/ellis.gif
Website: Ellis the Vacuumchild (http://www.ellisthevacuumchild.com/)
Music: Ellis the Vacuumchild (http://www.ellisthevacuumchild.com/)
Laying it’s foundations in simple melodic compositions and catchy guitar lines, Ellis the Vacuumchild’s Peace By Extermination is a hypnotizing piece of art that quickly draws the listener into its world of angular instrumental music. While producing a much more polished sound than its Swedish counterparts, Ellis the Vacuumchild presents a very enchanting take on the post-rock genre. Most of its songs are relatively short–-within the 3-4 minute mark, but tracks like “Decapitation Spree” do a splendid job of building up a wall of sound which promptly collapses into the musical space and sends resonating waves throughout the course of this album. These short bursts of harmonic, rhythmic tracks are offset by the more boisterous “After many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’” and “Ellis fear Chloe,” which proceed to travel off into experimental avenues that are often left unexplored by many of the genre’s figureheads.
Peace by Extermination somehow manages to defy the natural law of post-rock albums being difficult to digest. Indeed, Ellis the Vacuumchild plan out an album which flows so much like a ‘normal’ album that they should have a wide appeal outside the genre itself. Although the band’s label, Chalksounds, has recently called it quits, the band has plans to release a 7" through Jezebel Recordings in the near future, and hopefully much more beyond that.
Once We Were
Gothenburg, Sweden
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/oncewewere.jpg
Website: Once We Were (http://www.oncewewere.net)
Music: TenderVersion (http://www.tenderversion.com/mp3/Once%20We%20Were%20-%20Em.mp3)
On its 2004 EP, Winter Kept Us Warm, Once We Were slowly creeps through lofty crescendos and mesmerizing back passages filled with a rhythmic and rumbling drum presence. True to the name, this release encompasses a ‘warm’ feeling over its thirty minutes. Earthy tones balance with hypnotic compositions and show this band almost effortlessly approaching a climax of grand proportions. A general nod is given to the jazz world during some very free-moving segments within the EP, floating away into the stratosphere to tango with some intangible experiences and meditate on a more fulfilling post-rock grandeur. Winter Kept Us Warm is just a small does of what this band has in store for the world; more elaborate schemes are in production for the near future...
After a short tour, Once We Were returns to the studio to complete their debut album for Tender Version Recordings. Rumors are reporting that it may surface as a double album, which can only spell out greatness from this Swedish post-rock gem.
~~Jordan Volz