V/A - Pop Job LP 1980

This was the first LP to be released on Klas Lundings legendary Stranded Rekords, a label that started out as a fanzine but eventually merged into a successful record-company (the peak being reached when the major label Polar bought the entire Stranded-roster). on this fine sampler we can hear four young bands (and one really bad one) in the start of their musical career. two of them would gain national fame and one would suceed all others and live on in the 21th century, its such a shame.
Lustans Lakejer started out as a mediocre new wave-band, as can be heard on this record with two very early songs. eventually they became pop-heroes and sold quite a lot of records, always with a kind of distance to everyday life, taking the new romantic movements dreams of a life in luxury and blending it with some james bond-style of dekadence. does it sound good? decide after youve heard the songs. johan kinde, the singer and lyricist in LL, have, i must say, one of the dullest voices ive ever heard (think of david sylvian/ferry meets a politician) AND he wrote (and still writes. the mans been writing a book now!) the worst lyrics of all time. at least from my point of view. LL is still around today, and even appeared in the swedish schlager-festival.
but putting Lustans Lakejer aside for a moment, the other bands are great. Kai Martin & Stick!, the other band that got some kind of fame and released four fantastic records, also just started out as a band and the tracks here lacks some of the great majestic nature of what they would perform later on. still, theres some excellent ska-pop in them.
Schnabel which youve heard from my previous posts appears here with two equally fantastic songs. a bit darker than their singles, possibly a hint of what would come next in their evolution.
N-Liners came from Uppsala (Kai martin were from Gothenburg, the others from Stockholm) and released one single in 78 but at that point they played punk-pop. for this release they have matured into a great jerky organ-driven fast-paced pop-band much alike that of say, XTC! its a shame they didnt release any more stuff than this one and two more tracks on another compilation.
finally Studio Sex, the worst of these bands. ive never liked their two mod-rock bits and i doubt that i ever will. despite some low marks though, this is a great compilation of the swedish new wave. enjoy!
SÅ LÄNGE DET FINNS LIV FINNS DET HOPP

Schnabel - Herre Med Portfölj 7" 1980

For me, this is a giant leap in their musical abilities. where the previous single was rather dull, this one hits all the right buttons and delivers two fantastic, unresistable pop tunes! this single was one of the first to be released on the now legendary Stranded rekords, and apparently only 50 copies were sold with a cover (large, fold-out poster-cover) so its a sort of rarity. after this, as i said, they changed their name and got really interesting. more of them soon. meanwhile, enjoy these two a-sides.
HAN ÄR INTE FRISK

Schnabel - A Fairytale About A Furry Tail 7" 1979

As i understand, Schnabel formed in the late 70's as Panic performing at a legendary concert in Medborgarhusen together with the Stoodes (a gig that ended in a riot, right?). After that they eventually changed the name to Schnabel, adopted a more mod-pop-punk style and released two excellent pop-singles before changing the name again and reinventing their style yet another time. this is their first record, released on their own Clean Records ("Hygienisk pop!"). theres nothing groundbreaking in it, but some great pop-songs!
A FAIRYTALE ABOUT A FURRY TAIL

Citizen Kane - Förlorad 7" 1981

Its rare to hear a good power-pop-band, but this single is so catchy i cant resist it. Unfortunately i dont have any information about them, except that they were from Örebro and that this single was scheduled to be released on Stranded Rekords, but somehow saw the light of day through the small label Image Records. Excellent pop melodies with 60's style organ!
JAG ÄR FÖRLORAD

ABC 80 - Svära & Svika 7" 1982

Another excellent band from Karlshamn. ABC 80 formed from the ashes of local punk-bands and released one powerpop single called "Pop i radion" before the release of this one. Im not so fond of their first, but this one is great! Slightly dark, but still poppy, post-punk with a surprisingly good production. Apparently they knew how to get great sounds down in Karlshamn, and from what ive read they had a strong scene with loads of great bands, many of them found in the 3 Lp-set "Rockslaget" which will see the light here some day.
JAG KAN INTE LITA PÅ DIG

Storebrors Fabrik - Storebror 12" 1984

Heres another one of those rare obscurities that i know next to nothing about. The only clue i have is that it was released on Jörgen Sangstas Urania-label and mixed by Henryk Lipp in his music-a-matic studio. The band were probably from gothenburg and this was their only release, though i seem to recall to have seen a 7" single for sale with the two tracks on the b-side. Any information about this band would be much appreciated. The music is great minimal synth with that special 80's touch of saxophone, a real killer for those of you who love this sort of thing. Storebror, or "big brother" in english, is of course taken from Orwells novel, and its quite perfect that this single was released in 1984!
PÅ STOREBRORS FABRIK BLIR DU ALDRIG RIK

22 För Många - Tokfansmännen I Luftballongen Unreleased LP 1983

"en Kropotkin release av...

22 För Många - Tokfansmännen I Luftballongen (1983, Outgiven Vinyl):

1983 var de tre För Många, Henrik Franzén, Mickael Söderlund och Catarina Silverforsen
med trummis (sorry inget namn, Putte tror jag. De bytte en del lirare)
i Mistlur-studion för att generera sitt 5:e alster.
Innan produktionen var avslutad hann gruppen, av olika anledningar, besluta sig för att skiljas åt.
Kvar var en 'master-press' av plattan, som anförtroddes en utomstående att bevara LPn åt folket.
En gång tidigare har den varit spelat för folk, utlånad till P3 hösten -83

"- Om inget händer innan, se till att folk kan ta del av den om 20 år eller så..."
20 år senare, men inte för sent... här är den, 'digitally re-mastered'!!!

10 låtar - 320kbps:

01 - Heligt Svor Jag
02 - Som Det Förgångna Spott
03 - Titel Okänd
04 - Nattfösaren
05 - Ord Att Presentera
06 - Tokfansmännen
07 - De Överflödiga
08 - Den Sista Sången
09 - Moralens Katedraler
10 - Den Elfte Sången


3 omslagsfiler - 150dpi (från den handskrivna original innerpåsen med Henriks skrift.):
back
cd
front

Diskografi:
Kassett-LP 1 -81
Kassett-LP 2, "I afton trans" (tfm 01 -81)
LPn (futurax, fut 22 -82)
EPn (futurax -83)
Tokfansmännen I Luftballongen (Mistlur -83)"

Thanks to UffePuff a whole new generation can enjoy 22 för mångas last record, that was scheduled to be realeased on Mistlur. Its quite rare to hear a new wave-band actually getting better and better for each record, but i must say that this one is their best. its a shame it never got a proper release, but i guess 20 years is acceptable if the music is this good. enjoy!
"Och avslutningsvis i sann punkanda.
SISTA PLATTAN."

Dansdepartementet - Verklighetens Dag LP 1988

Ive never met anyone who agrees with me, but i think this is Dansdepartementets best work. The heavy goth-influence of their earlier work may be gone, but somehow this one seems a lot more depressing to me. The reason is mainly Mikael Syréns songwriting. I must say, as usual, that these are brilliant lyrics, to every single song. Ive never heard someone describe the initial phase in a relationship so honest and passionate as Syrén in "En flicka simmar". or his rendering of a miserable alcoholic in "bara jag och sprit". and the music manages to bring his words in such a context that the whole album drips of melancholy and the beauty of life and all its surroundings, even though the production is a bit too late 80's. its another one of those albums you can cry out to, or just brood in your depression and/or happiness - its the whole spectrum of emotions in one album. sadly, after this lp Dansdepartementet split up. read a bit more on them (in swedish) here. and yes, Micke Kjell, bassplayer in the legendary Ståålfågel, joined Dansdepartementet for this album, as well as Petter Brundell who acted as producer.
FLYTTA DIG MED SOLEN ÄLSKLING

22 För Många - I Afton Trans TAPE 1983

The first side of this second cassette of theirs is a bit hard for me to understand. But if i see it correctly its a sort of drama about a man trying to get a call to a swedish radio program called "Ring så spelar vi", and we follow his attempts to secure a short time in the ether, eventually resulting in him murdering his neighbour and sending the corpse to the show. correct me if im wrong here. anyway, its a great "record", no surprise there. and my favourite songs is of course when catherine sings. especially "moralens katedraler" sends a shiver down my spine everytime i hear it. its so good. or "historien om historien" where Henrik really hits the nail on the head lyricwise. yak yak, just get this now.
SÅ SÄG MIG, FINNS DET NÅN MENING MED LIVET?

22 För Många - EP 7" 1983

Sadly, this was the last vinyl appearance of the brilliant group 22 För Många. But what a "last record" (they released another cassette and recorded a second Lp as well) it is. my favourite track is Hökens ålder as im quite fond of Catarinas voice, but the rest of the EP is great as well with its dark and pretentious lyrics and mix between new wave and... well, and what? Re-release this now, henrik!
DET SVINISKA GLINET

22 För Många - ST LP 1982

Vad kan man säga om en skiva som har allt? Inte mycket, förutom att den måste avlyssnas. En dag hittade jag den här skivan i en affärs femkronorsback. Jag hade hört talas om bandet men aldrig hört dem och med tanke på omslaget hade jag skyhöga förväntningar. Efter första lyssningen fattade jag ingenting. Efter andra tyckte jag den var tråkig. Efter tredje började det gå upp för mig. Det genialiska. Efter en fjärde lyssningssession, då utan textbladet (det har jag nu, med lite promomaterial), tyckte jag mig förstå. Jag slogs till marken av atombombsskräcken i Armageddon / Bomben, aldrig har någon lyckats skildra möjligheten av ett slutgiltigt krig så klart som 22 för många. Det kan hända när som helst, tillochmed när man går som vanligt på gatan. För att inte tala om Till Elvorna som jag hade inspelad på band och lyssnade sönder totalt. "Prometheus modiga barn, vad skall vi tända med den eld som vi har stulit?". Människans inneboende möjlighet i all dess nakna ärlighet! Eller "Vad skall det bli av oss" som nu ljuder i mina hörlurar. Eller varför inte den avslutande Nånting Annat, där Catarina sjunger så vackert att det gör ont. Må så vara att det kan tyckas svårt att sätta sig in i Henriks tankeverksamhet, men är inte det tjusningen med riktigt bra lyrik? För att inte tala om Catarina Silverforsens underbara röst, som påminner om en mjukare Nico. Detta är ett av den svenska musikhistoriens stora monument. Förvalta det väl.

No words for this fantastic record. Poetic, simply beautiful and definetly original. One of the best of all time. get this now.

ALL KONST HAR SITT URSPRUNG I FANTASIN, SOM ÄR HELT PERSONLIG

22 För Många - First TAPE 1981

Grisen Skriker was one of swedens first punkbands, along with their friends ebba grön they played tons of gigs around the suburbs of stockholm, often in silly costumes or as at their last gig - completely nude. but where ebba grön continued to evolve into swedens version of the clash, Grisen disbanded due to their singer being forced by his parents to travel to usa. without the aid of a singer, the rest of Grisen skriker became Raketerna, a catchy pop-band with swindling guitars, a sort of distant cousin to U2. the singer, however, eventually came back to sweden and started his own, new band together with two friends and a drummer. the singer was and is Henrik Franzén, the two friends were Mikael Söderlund on guitar and Catarina Silverforsen on bass and vocals. i have no idea who the drummer was. the band was 22 För Många. the rest should be history, but no. although recieving a bit of attention through fanzines, national radio and performing theatrical gigs no one seem to remember them these days and no reissues have been made, even though their entire output has been circulating on torrentsites. 22 för många had and still have a genuine form of expression that no swedish band could or can match. perhaps their audience didnt understand them then, but there is so much to understand from their music. the melodies swell with concealed treasures, storms the mind with its lush, pleasing poetry. mr franzén often focused on that he was an artist, and that everyone is uniqe and artists too. anyway, this is their first tape-LP, self-released in 1981, filled with great songs about life. no cover, sadly, help anyone? enjoy.
JA DET ÄR SANT OCH VI KOMMER FRÅN SIRIUS

Memento Mori CD!

Memento Mori recently released a wonderful CD compiling tons of great stuff from their all too short career. More info can be found on their MYSPACE. BUY OR DIE!

Mögel - ST MP 1980

Following their two tracks on the Slicksampler, here's Mögels only release: a Medium Play issued on the brilliant Slick label. I recall that this one was recorded in france under supervision of some hot producer, but i cant remember which one. its great though, a defenitive version of the Slits in swedish. natural rhythm-music! and yes, mögel were an all-girl band (a promo-sheet included with the release of this record claimed that the band had gone to bed with lots of people to manage to record this release. obviously a joke, but many critics didnt understand the irony).
SOMLIGA GILLAR LIV, JAG GILLAR BARA DATA

VA - Mun Mot Mun Metoden TAPE 1982

Heres another excellent tape, a sampler from Slick records based in stockholm, documenting the big names in new wave/postpunk at the time, even though the focus, quite naturally, is at the scene in stockholm. all of the songs are exclusive to this release. apart from the names you should know by now there are some interesting stuff, like Dokuments synth-based postpunk, or Nej Tios riot grrl-esque feminist synthpunk. ståålfågel, the best band ever, does two tracks of splendid synthrock and other slick rosters like Kommo and Mögel (swedens Slits!) participates with great songs. the vocals on Mögels songs are just fantastic, the idea to blend in swedens "landskapsblommor" (i dont think theres an english equivalent) is just too much. theres lots to be said about each band so it would take up a whole page of this blog, but if you look close at the coverart i think you can figure out some of the connections between these bands. for now, lets leave it to say that this is a fantastic compilation.
KORSFÄST KVINNA HÄNGER PÅ MITT RUM

Unter Den Linden - Gud Skapade Även De Löjliga TAPE 1987

Thanks to Anonymus Donor heres UDLs last record for us all to enjoy. a self-released tape issued in 1987 that apparently sold quite well, but never got the attention it so well deserves. this must be their best work ever! somehow they managed to maintain the fantastic songwriting of their previous work, but to increase the dose of cynisism so that the obsidian black lyrics makes this one of the most in-your-face-records ive ever heard. forget about all hc and goth, this is as black as it gets. and what must be the best part is that the music is a perfect equivalent to the lyrics, music and choruses that sticks in your head like spikes. a perfect pop soundtrack for those who dont love life as much as other people or perhaps music to laugh at life to. why isnt UDL one of swedens most acclaimed bands? why hasnt this been released on cd? just download this. now. i cant express how great this is. DO NOT MISS THIS!!! etc.
TA BETALT! TA BETALT! ANNARS ÄR NI LIKA DUMMA SOM JAG OCH TRO MIG: JAG ÄR SKITDUM!!!

Dansdepartementet - Catch As Catch Can 7" 1986

For their third single Dansarna settled for the english language, for some reason. perhaps due to a need to break new grounds internationally. personally i think this one is a bit more bleak than their previous work, although the b-side bears some hints of TC-matic's weird-funk. its still a great record, though, so if you loved their previous material just get this. soon to follow is their third LP, where they changed their musical direction in quite a funny way... enjoy!
I DONT CARE MUCH FOR SINGING

Dansdepartementet - Niagara LP 1986

With their second LP Dansdepartementet took hold of the style they created on the previous records, and pushed it further into magnificent goth-territory! although not many bands in sweden at that time had the influences Dansarna had, those band existed but never managed to make something great out of gothness. however, dansarna is the perfect example of "goth" that is so much more than bleak landscapes etc. this is very hard-hitting post-punk, filled with personal lyrics, great, catchy synth parts and a fantastic rhythmsection. the only band i can think of that managed to do something equally brilliant with their KJ-obsession is polands Siekiera. and i must say that this should be highly ranked on the international scale, possibly even higher than most of KJs own albums! in the nineties nonstop-label released a sort of best-of compilation with most of Dansdepartementets material, but i cant find their website and so cant direct you to a place to buy it. so i guess youll have to settle for this rip, but what a fantastic record this is.
DET FINNS INGET ANNAT ÄN DANS

Dansdepartementet - Wankers 7" 1984

This must be the best goth produced in sweden ever. As you could hear on their first Lp posted a while back, Dansdepartementet were very inspired by killing joke, and their heritage can be heard on this one as well, but now Dansarna managed to blend in their own style and create something that quite hadnt been done before. this was their greatest "hit", if you could talk about hits with a band like this, but i believe even a video was produced, so they must have gotten some kind of recognition. this is great stuff, in the vein of killing joke, siekiera etc.
DU HADE EN PLAN FÖR MIG

Unter Den Linden - Vända Inåt 7" 1982

UDLs first single could almost be taken from their split LP or should i say an early version of Joy Division? nonetheless, this is great post-punk in the JD-school, which not many bands in sweden could match or can match today. i especially like the bass-line on Vända inåt... if you understand swedish theres an excellent page about UDL at punktjafs, with discography, history etc. or just download this piece of musical history.
JAG KAN INTE SE DIG I ÖGONEN LÄNGRE

Unter Den Linden - Utom Våra Liv LP 1984

Im sorry for the lack of posts recently, so i suppose its time for a big one today: the most requested album on this blog, utom våra liv! after their first lp together with att som, udl started to play harder punk, sometimes in the realms of contemporary HC-bands (just check their Motstånd i Läder 7", avaliable at killed by death) but what makes them stand out from the boring, one-note trash mayhem of most hc-bands is their overwhelming nihilism. the lyrics are so full of hate, anger, knife-sharp social criticism that its hard to see how any of them lived through the eighties. it could, of course, be a distanced outlook on society and how we behave, but every time i play this one the words stab at me with their fierce darkness. and yes, theres music as well, mostly fast punk with a strong experimental edge, as in the closing, 7 minute track Survivors, the only song thats vaugely remenicent of their first album. but make no mistake, this is an album for both kbd-freaks and goths. and if you understand swedish, just listen to the lyrics! this is great stuff...
JAG VILL INTE DANSA PÅ GATORNA, SOM I GREKLAND

Martin Rössel - Kär 7" 1990

I could say a lot of things about martin rössels late eighties solocareer, but i wont. lets just say that he released three solo LPs and a lot of singles. one lp on gothenburg alternative label Radium Records and the other two on one of the majors, CBS. this single, however, taken from his last LP, Resan, is an excellent exercise in silly pop music. i first heard the title track in frispel, a weird program on the swedish national radio, and looked for it for many years until i found out he was a member of a early eighties band and finally i managed to find this record. its so silly its brilliant! the b-side is quite good as well, a bit synth-flavoured and all.
SVEN, TJENA!

Lars Cleveman - 100 Wars Of Jesus Christ 7" 1986

Second single from Cleveman's solo career (although most of Dom Dummaste plays on this record), with a remake of what would have been their biggest "hit", jesu kristi 100 krig. this time in english and with a new arrangement, leaving a bit of the pure synth joy that was the original and updating it to 1985. the b-side shows cleveman at his most john cale-ish, drenched in traditional blues, something im not especially fond of but overall its a great performance. also, its produced by one of the best producers in sweden, johan vävare. if you like DDs vision of the world theres no turning back now, get this as well.
I KNOW WHO YOU ARE

Lars Cleveman - Cleveman LP 1985

If you loved Lars Clevemans single or his parts on Revolverkäke youll love this as well. another slice of minimal synth goodness that, as usual, should be selling on ebay for 100000000$, but as its been almost forgotten since its release i guess its no surprise most people havent heard this. So, this is great synth-based heaven, with Lars voice as good as it always is. Sometimes, though, he fumbles a bit with the english language, but its ok, since hes such a great singer. The music reminds me a bit of Cluster and similar kraut-electronica at times, but also of DDs contemporaries of the time. Just like Martin Rössels solo-LP this was released on DD-records and recorded in Martins private studio. Do not miss this, its GREAT!
MY BEST FRIENDS ARE THOSE WHO DIED

Lars Cleveman - The Ghost 7" 1984

Up for grabs today is Lars Clevemans first solo output, a single released on Dom Dummastes own label DD records. this should please all minimal synth collectors with its mellow synths and lars' great vocals. the b-side is a remake of the title track off Revolverkäke and i think it beats the original many times over. also, ive just heard that a book is in the making, in time for DDs 30th anniversary, so stay tuned for more information on that or check their site again. more cleveman coming soon...
BARNEN SÖRJER VID HANS GRAV

Martin Rössel - För Mycket Tid LP 1983

If you liked martins side on revolverkäke youre in for a treat here, as most of the material here is in the same vein. from the funny, country-parody "vardagsproblem" to the haunting "nina" (a sort of remake of lilla fågeln on revolverkäke, dedicated to his sister), expressing a mature depth in songwriting that he never really managed to live up to on his later recordings. mostly its brilliant in its lush pop-format, expressing a wide range of emotions. theres even a fine cover of satellite of love, another wink to his ancestors, lou reed and the velvet underground. highly recommended!
KLOCKORNA DOM BARA RINGER

Martin Rössel & The Dum-Dum Boys - Pablo Picasso 7" 1982

For some reason Martin Rössels first solo-single (if you could call it that, as i guess most of the other dom dummaste most likely appears here, although under weird pseudonyms) was released on Pulsating Beat, a label managed by a fanzine from Linköping called Jörvars Gosskör (most famous for spawning popular culture-tabloid writer jan gradvall). nevertheless we get two great covers of DDs favourite artists, pablo picasso originally by jonathan richman and heartbreak hotel in a version much more a cover of a cover, namely john cales version of elvis classic hit. and as you can see from the fantastic cover its a great one, with dark synths and even a guillotine played somewhere along the lines.
P-P-P-PABLO PICASSO

(M Som I Maskin, Mördare M.M. CD-R 2008)

Ok I promised the guys in this band to publish their new album on this page, so if youre just interested in the old quality stuff scroll up and download martin rössels first excellent single. but if you want to hear some new sounds from my hometown you could always try to listen to a few tracks on this release. if you can get past the horrible vocals and lack of structure i think theyre quite ok, heavily influenced by the golden years 77-83 and all. with drum machines, vintage synths and very odd production. apparently they inprovise all their songs live in the studio! and if you happen to like some of this im sure they will be glad to hear it from you, just visit their myspace (or leave a comment here).
M SOM I MASKIN, MÖRDARE M.M.

Dom Dummaste - Revolverkäke LP 1984

What a beautiful cover, dont you think? Second LP by DD, and yes its a great one. For this they dropped most of their more majestic moves on the previous lp and returned to the more minimal approach to synths and organ - much like that on the debut cassette. again, this should be one of those records that fetches silly sums on ebay labeled minimal synth. but it doesnt. and again, martin rössel shows his skills as a writer, mostly on the sweet "lilla fågeln" and "hösten stannar kvar". clevemans side is also filled with classics, such as "fast i skallen" and perhaps "psyke" (a song he wrote while in his first band, Blomsterunge, more on them later on). both sides are filled with synth galore and john cale is thanked on the innersleeve which is very appropriate as clevemans more mellow bits is filled with nico/cale influences. and theres even a great cover of cales classic "king harry" translated to swedish. sadly this was dds last record for almost a decade, as martin and lars focused on their solo careers... more of them coming soon. please, make this one of those legendary records that everyone just got to have. pump the price up on ebay so to force martin and lars to release this on cd so that more people can enjoy this. and for gods sake visit their website and tell them you love this, i know you will. enjoy!
JAG SÅG MÅNGA HUS, I ETT AV DEM HÄNGDE EN MAN

Dom Dummaste - Sympati För Djävulen LP 1982

Time for Dom Dummastes first LP and it is quite hard for me to say much about it so lets deal with the players first. Of course we have Martin Rössel and Lars Cleveman, the two pranksters with a more deep side, something that will get apparent here. their songwriting is just great, from such beautiful lyrics like "går min väg" or "sympati för djävulen" to the fast cohen-inspired song "smycken" or the dark as blackest night Våroffer where Cleveman puts his operatic skills inte full action, and of course Rössels masterpiece "hymn för oktober". i always start each fall with hymn... its a perfect review of the year thats gone by. additional players is also Henrik Stawe (from guds barn), Anders Hernestam (ståålfågel, commando m pigg, now in weeping willows), ralf nygård (from boojwah kids), håkan soold (from guds barn, now in the plastic pals) and olle schedin (from cellskräck, guds barn, later in all-starband global infantilists). a large collective of musicians producing great popmusic with depth. just listen to the closing track, Schedins Psalm. its so beautiful it hurts. get this.

MEN VART KAN DU FLY? DU KAN INTE FLY

Dom Dummaste - Julsingel -81 7" 1981

Second release and the first appearance of Dom Dummaste on vinyl. On this christmas single, released just in time for the holiday shopping in 1981, DD moved out of the EMS studio and went for a sound more like that of their live shows. A thing i forgot to mention is that they seem to divide the writing duties on each album, so that on this, the A-side is written and sung by Lars Cleveman, while the b-side is by Martin Rössel - an approach they used for most of their albums. This is great stuff, the dark synth-parts on jesu kristi and the neat zappa-esque pop of borta. An essential classic!
100 WARS OF JESUS CHRIST

Dom Dummaste - Lars Cleveman, Martin Rössel & Dom Dummaste TAPE 1980

Although mutant sounds posted this fantastic cassette a while back i might as well post it here so that more people have a chance to hear the magic that is dom dummaste. dom dummaste's history is a long one, they still exists to this day and performs sporadically, but it all started at a late night party where Martin Rössel met then (and still is) opera-singer Lars Cleveman. they shared a love for bowie, eno and especially iggy pop with his 77-album the idiot, where one of the songs, dum dum boys, gave them their name, roughly translated to swedish as Dom Dummaste. with absurd humor as one of their main strengths coupled with a mad sense of absolute reality they wrote songs, and started performing live together with some friends, but during their long existence lots of people have mingled among their ranks and the only two people thats always remained as the main core is Martin and Lars. This fantastic tape was recorded in the legendary swedish EMS-studio, a sort of focus point for the experimental electronic music in the 60-70s, where the two took lectures in electronic composing. when the studio was emptied at night, they snuck in and recorded this mass of electronic absurdity. needless to say it is unique in swedish contemporary music, and dom dummaste have never really managed to record something like this again, even though their following albums are great. listen to "labyrint 1" (a track not included in the 90's reissue) and drift away to the magnificent piano only to be struck down to earth by the harsh utterings of a military experiment gone wrong, or "ståltråd åt grabbarna", one of my favourites, where lars belches out all that is wrong with our society. this is truly genius at work. and id better label it minimal synth, as well, since it reaches those goals, but this is so much more. as i said, dd still exists to this day, and even have a very nice website which youll have to visit.
KAN JAG FÅ EN MER DETALJERAD BILD AV OMRÅDE 1

Artificial - Bilder 7" 1984

I found this rarity while browsing a fine recordstore in stockholm. dont know much about the band though, only that its another fine effort from my hometown umeå. five guys playing a slight commercial new wave with hints of soul but doing it very well. i especially like the cool sleeve. any information about this band would be appreciated, as always.
PICTURES

Digital Terror - ST 7" 1981

Well, i think this is as rare as it gets in sweden. Three guys in a livingroom somewhere in Helsingborg borrowed a tape recorder and recorded this wonderful mix of the residents plain-weird structures and swell maps DIY-estethics. apparently the group disbanded even before this release and makes a statement on the insert that they couldnt stand the music anymore. at least one member of the band played in helsingborg band dehex a year later. is this minimal synth? avant-jazz on "radarstrumporna..."? post punk? well, you decide. highly recommended!
RADARSTRUMPORNA ANFALLER

Abcess Exil - För Fulla Segel LP 1984

First lp by abcess exil, somewhat commercial sound but with most of their early sound intact. sadly the cures influence isnt as strong as in their first singles. after this they released one more album and two singles, but i dont think theyre interesting enough to upload here as they are too far out on the pop-spectrum. sebastian öberg, famous celloplayer appears on one of the songs.
MAKTLÖSHETENS GLADIATORER

Abcess Exil - Igår 7" 1983

Second single by Abcess Exil, still remaining a great new wave-band much similar to the cure, but perhaps with more personal lyrics than robert smith. after this one their search for commercial success damaged the sound, rendering it quite blank and boring, but they managed to keep a bit of originality for their first album, which will follow soon.
YESTERDAY

Abcess Exil - Varför? 7" 1982

Abcess Exil where from gothenburg and were one of the major new wave-bands of the city, at least they should have been as they shared many performances with the majors of the town, like cortex and viva, and they also participated on a great compilation with four great gothenburg bands that you can download HERE. most of the members came from seminal punkbands, Yogi Gran from knugens håf, Ruby Berner from Aptit and Julle Aurell from Abstract and as punk moved towards new wave and post-punk so did they and formed Abcess Exil with music that reminds me of the Cure from about the same year. this is their first single released on Slick records based in stockholm and its a great one. highly depressive lyrics, just as its meant to be.
WHY?

Tredje Mannen - Blå Drömmar LP 1983

The second LP saw tredje mannen moving away from the definitive darkness on their first lp, adding a slightly more commercial sound to their dark mix of despair while still containing much of the loneliness of their early work. a third man, Christian Callert, joined the duo for the release of this LP and Peripetie posted earlier, providing percussion and real drums instead of the drum machine they used for their first works. this of course adds a bit more standard eighties sound to their music but i believe they still capture that feeling of teenage angst in such a way that this, as well as their first records, should be rediscovered and hyped-to-death in the way most of the bands from the same scene has been in recent years. this is essential stuff that should be legendary but isnt. its a mystery. please visit their myspace and give them the credit they so well deserve.
BLUE DREAMS

Tredje Mannen - Péripétie 7" 1983

Even if you dont like Japans sleazy new romantic or ultravox experiment pop youve got to yield to tredje mannen. this is their third single and the first one to include two non-album tracks. and well, its probably the best synth-pop record released in sweden, or perhaps the world. i simply cannot express what this two songs manages to say in standard pop-format. just listen.
ÄNTLIGEN FALLER ALLT IHOP

Tredje Mannen - Cul-De-Sac LP 1982

I cant really describe this music, nor the impact this record has made on me ever since i bought it one hot summer evening. Lets just say that tredje mannen made the best synth-pop in sweden to this day and possibly for this millenium as well. perfect pop songs, largely inspired by joy divisions barren landscapes and the doors swollen romanticism, with very pretentious lyrics about the meaningless idea that is love and other hazards. find out a bit more and listen to some more on their myspace, and demand a reissue of this great band. get this now and collapse like thin cardboard walls from the majestic force of väggen, mörk romantik, sailor etc. etc. this is a definitive classic!
SÅ HANN JAG IFATT DIG TILL SLUT

Mojo Sect - In This Dream 7" 1984

Got this beauty in the mail today and its something so odd as a band from my hometown, Umeå! mojo sect consisted of three people, with various guitarists playing for them live and in the studio. they only released this single, but i think two of the members eventually ended up in swedish pop group komeda. this is great post-punk wave with female vocals, highly recommended!
MOJO SECT

Viva! - Dreams Be Quiet! LP 1985

I remembered this album as a bleak almost ambient synth-lp, but now that i gave it a spin it turned out to be so much more. on this third album viva manages to get hold of the spirit their second album just showed a hint of, a mellow but sharp wave of mood-driven songs with a slight nod to simple minds or rather ultravox at their most laid back moments. its a great album, possibly better than their second and highly original in both nordic circles and anywhere in the world really. not made to be chart hits but rather to leave a lasting impression when the needle is off. the norwegian label Uniton released it, and its fit right into their catalouge of unsettling mystery that they released through the eighties. when will they release this great music on cd?
DREAMS BE QUIET!

Zzzang Tumb - ST LP 1983

A record for your summer parties. We all know where the phrase zzang tumb comes from, but the band formed in the early eighties by Latte Kronlund, in stockholm, who played around in a studio with a drum machine and funky rythms from his bass. from this lineup a whole band soon emerged with among others iodine jupiter from porno pop moon family, soon to be in kitchen and the plastic spoons, sisters idde and irma schultz and a bunch of other people. they developed lattes ideas about a funky new wave band and grew very tight as a performing entity, so on this record, they play great funky wave with loads of slap bass and rhythm. somewhere on the road they managed to get hold of siouxsie and the banshees guitarist john mcgeoch and made him come and produce the album. included here as a bonus track is the b-side for their second single, a cover of bowies andy warhol.
VEM HAR LAGT RYTMEN I EN BOX?

Ocal Waltz - The Ocal Waltz 7" 1986

Dont know much about this band either. they were from or around gothenburg and released this single and a lp on radium, both displaying excellent gothic post-punk with lots of weird touches and beefhart-esque rythmpatterns. the a-side on this is fantastic with its melodic clarinet parts and powerful backing vocals. ill post the lp as soon as my stereo is ok again.
HOO HOO HA HA

IS9 - Röda Hjärtans Extas 7" 1983

Great first single by gothenburg band IS9. after this they released one lp and the single i posted a while back. smart arrangements and a slight nod to gang of four or echo and the bunnymen. released by vinylbolaget, a label from borås i think, that also released their other albums and some other stuff that arent worth to mention. get it.
RED HEARTS EXTACY

Mats Olofsson - Raket, Raket 7" 1981

Second release from mats olofsson. not as essential as the first but still some good minimal moments. i think the best part of this is the perfect front cover. he also released a cassette which i dont have, entitled "kulturen är död". it would be great to hear it so if anyone is willing to contribute it would be very appreciated.
ROCKET, ROCKET

Mats Olofsson - Rekordmagasinet 7" 1981

A deep breath... wow. this is THE minimal synth single from sweden. mats olofsson started out as drummer for then punkband docent död, but left after their second single to pursue a solo career. in 1981 he released two brilliantly poppy synthsingles and one cassette (if anyone have that, please share!). rekordmagasinet were a magazine directed to pre-teenage boys published in the 40s and 50s in sweden dealing with sports, football, hockey etc.mr olofsson really captured the feel of 50's style schlager pop on both these wonderful tracks. the b side is a cover of swedish "dansband" Sven-ingvars great hit but he turns them into smart, synthpop that should have got more recognition in those days. i believe the commercial success didnt really catch up with his output. nevertheless this single should be selling on ebay for insane sums, but it dont and that is a mystery to me.
TOSSTEN TEGNER

V/A - Batongen TAPE 1986

Excellent compilation from small swedish industrial label omnium gatherum, who released at least three cassettes in the late eighties (sadly just recently gone out of print). this is "thee" first tape in the series, displaying what went on in the very interesting swedish industrial scene in the mid-late eighties. skuggan rukar gives us three fantastic minimal synth-tunes, apparently compiled from some of the rare tapes they released on their own. i dont know much about the band, though, but i think one of the two members later joined swedish industrial pioneers en halvkokt i folie and nowadays works with various swedish comic books. he said that there were plans to release a vinyl edition of their cassettes, so stay tuned for more info on that. among the other artists we find arvid tuba, famous industrial/synth-pop/drummachine-poet, who released a lot of tapes of his works which i havent heard. bilaffären does two tracks of silly, but charming punk-synth bits with loads of humor. they also released at least one cassette which ill be getting in the mail soon. no surprise in seeing halvkokt i folie on this sort of compilation but they display their usual silly cut-up humor. but the real weird thing about this is that swiss band young gods is included with two tracks from their early period. i wonder why they were included in a swedish industrial compilation. still, the songs are really good and just dont miss this.
BATONGEN

Memento Mori - Pulserande Väggar 7" 1983

After MM was credited as best band of 83 in swedish rockmagazine Schlager (swedens NME?) pseudo-big record label MNW approached them and wanted to release their records, resulting on this co-production with Mementos own Pippaluck label. Here we can hear their transgression into a more rhytmic form of post-punk retaining all the angst from their first album. this is their second single, the first one just included two tracks from the first album. i just discovered a funny thing, the first lines in pulserande väggar is a translation of talking heads memories cant wait. tom holmlund also nicked some lines from birthday party on the first lp.
PULSATING WALLS

Memento Mori - Jag... ...Snäll LP 1983

Memento Mori started out as Tom Trick in eskilstuna playing quite standard punk, after this they took the direction of most smart punkbands and evolved into a very nice post-punkband influenced by talking heads etc. with a more funky approach to depression and teenage angst. tom holmlunds lyrics deal with search for approval as a young man and capture the feeling quite well, at least thats what i felt in my teenage years. this is the first album, released on their own Pippaluck-label, recorded in mistlurs newly built studio in stockholm. they got a lot of praise in those days, and mostly for their live shows as they were a tight, funky band later to have sax and a lot of rythminstruments on stage and on their next record. from what ive heard they sounded great live (live cassette-split with camouflage coming soon). as for this album i think its their best work, with hard punky bits still intact and of course their lyrical abilities. the last track is a music adaption of a poem by famous poetess edit södergran. great stuff!
apparently the band newly reformed, plays live occasionally and plan to release a kind of best-of cd soon. check their myspace HERE.
JAG... ...SNÄLL