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