Mats Wawa Drop Debut EP of Vintage ‘Classics’

Mats WaWa Classics EP Promo Shot

I am sitting in a dimly lit, velveteen draped lounge, somewhere in 1969 Central London – the air is smoky, the people dressed in long floaty khaftans, thigh skimming minis and corduroy jackets with flared lapels and matching bell-bottomed trousers.   The music playing in the background is somewhere between H.P. Lovecraft, The Fallen Angels and Jethro Tull.

Which is great, except that I’m not in ’69 lush London listening to 60’s psych-obscura, I’m in a 2016 office littered with paraphernalia listening to the debut EP from Norwegian outfit, Mats Wawa.

‘Classics’ is the ultimate retro-fest mini-compilation and a must-have for any lover of 60’s/70’s psychedelia and prog-funk fusion.  Mats Wawa could have been beamed up into the 21st c by Star Trek transporter straight out of Whisky A-Go-Go or the infamous Marquee Club so ‘swinging Soho’ is their vibrant vintage vibe.

EP opener, ‘Lord Bisnis’ is a soundtrack of the 60’s, a song that wouldn’t  be out of place on Jethro Tull’s ‘A Classic Case’.  Heartbeat of the ‘Tull’ sound, the flute, takes centre-stage.  It sets the delightful cadence for a slipstream of melodic zen guitar riffs and ‘très, très cool’ bass lines, dotted with snatches of Fender Rhodes style keys, all topped and tailed by some uplifting vocals and groovy drumming.  ‘Lord Bisnis’ is the business; the cool Top ‘TC’ Cat of the EP.

Second track in, tempo shifting ‘Worries’, is an Americana Country Blues ballad interspersed with snips of rock n roll that give it a ‘drinking song’ kind of vibe.  This Nordic rendition of Wild West melancholia features seriously good guitar playing –  heavy ‘way on down’ riffs so prevalent on Cash and Presley tracks mix it up with woozy drunken slide.  The lonesome cowboy vocal and ‘yeehaw’ melodies will whisk you away on your tail-swishing horse to long grassed Norwegian prairies, singing the refrain,

“Why do we worry about the things that will never be, Why do we worry that our lives will never be free, We can fly away, spread our wings like some butterflies!”

So far, so good then.  Up next, ‘Bed of Love’ is an intriguing two sides of the same vintage coin.  The first half is in the mode of  Billy ‘Pianoman’ Joel complete with a Doobie Brothers style backing band, all lazy guitars, even lazier drumming and an “All American”, Terry Jacks style vocal. Complimentary Joel style whistling thrown in for good measure.

The second and more interesting side, is pure 70s thriller cop show/film drama soundtracked by Lalo Schifrin and Henry Mancini.  Vibing high speed car chases along the Pacific Coast, and fast-legged cops pegging it down the Streets of San Francisco, this sees Mats Wawa completely rockin’ out to 70s funk.  Man, oh man, this track does for me, what two bongs and a crate of Dahl would do for others!

Last but by no means least, is EP closer ‘Planet Of The Grapes’.  A quirky vocal is set against a playful, melodic instrumental backwash of sometimes dreamy, sometimes phantasmagorical (I save that word for music I really like) guitar sequences.  This groovy little song is to music, as ‘day-glo’ was to Zandra Rhodes – bright, happy, catchy, and full of colour.

‘Classics’ is an EP full of zing that swings down Carnaby Street, lingers in Nashville, and speeds down Russian Hill, ending up in a West LA piano lounge dressed in Mary Quant and sipping a glass of Babycham .

This is one groovy journey you’ll want to make again, and again, and again …

Mats Wawa can be followed on Facebook. They are playing the Crossroad Club, Oslo on Thurs 3rd March, details here, AND, the super cool by:Larm festival, where I’ll get to see them live, woo, on Sat 5th March, 11pm at Mono.

‘Classics’, released via Oslo-based indie label Ville Vesten Platforening, is available digitally, links below,

Follow Mats Wawa on Facebook here.  Follow Dervswerve on Facebook here.

EP Links here :  Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/69RyJth1sRwzjKt3qp5T5e

TIDAL/Wimp: http://tidal.com/album/56849971

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/album/-/id1080735637

Trondheim Calling : Gig Review – Østfrost

I had the pleasure of seeing alt-indie band, Østfrost, play live for the first time during their recent gig at the Søstrene Karlsen venue as part of Trondheim Calling festival line up.

Made up of four diverse yet perfectly synced musicians, Østfrost played what can probably be described as the most wonderfully understated gig of the three day music-fest.

With their quirky mix of harmonium, viola, bass and drums, this quartet produce melodious, infectious indie-pop, sometimes teetering on folk, other times bordering on rock, but always evoking their inherent Norwegian sensibilities.

Front-woman Ane Bjerkan graces Østfrost’s warmly inviting songs with her golden toned vocals, whilst also playing surely one of the most unusual instruments to ever feature in an indie-oriented performance: the Indian harmonium.  She is joined in the band line up by Håkon Brunborg Kjenstad (Panda Panda, Ludwig Moon) on viola, guitar and backing vocals, Ken Erik Klaseie, on bass and Ola Even Hogstad Hagen on drums/percussion.

Notwithstanding the fact that the crowd were a little on the noisy side, Søstrene Karlsen provided the perfect backdrop for Østfrost’s set with its large space, Nordic decor and lush furnishings providing warm comfort from the harsh weather outdoors.  Its substantial size and high ceiling enhanced the acoustics and ensured that the large crowd weren’t pinned shoulder to shoulder throughout.

It came as no surprise that the seven song set list comprised the four tracks from their debut EP – a sparkling musical gem released digitally last October – although it kicked off with non EP tracks ‘Storms’ and ‘True’ which I hadn’t heard before, and, which set the stage perfectly for a slow build towards the climactic finale of single  ‘Wooden Floors’.

Photo D Mc Cloat

The first of the EP tracks came three in with the heartfelt performance of ‘When They Leave’ – a sublime affair that showcases the combined talents and superb musicianship of Brunborg Kjenstad on viola (the way he picks the strings like he would a guitar is pretty awesome) and Klaseie on bass.  In fact, this was probably the latters most subtle and effective performance of the night.  An absolutely stunning song, Ane Bjerkan’s intense, emotionally expressive vocal was effortless.

The power of a good percussionist cannot be underestimated and Ola Even Hogstad Hagen is perhaps one of the most uniquely gifted and creative percussionists I came across during the festival period. So much more than a drummer, Ola Even is a very talented instrumentalist whose subtle ingenuity is a key contributor to Østfrost’s distinctly pared back sound.

Highlight of the set came at the mid point, with the hauntingly beautiful ‘I Don’t Want To Stop’ which sees Bjerkan and Brunborg Kjenstad shine with the most awesome of instrumental accompaniments, to the former’s spine tingling vocal.  The performance of this song exemplified Østfrost’s mastery of the understated – this is not a band that need loud and dramatic to convey deep felt emotion or make a cavernous impact.

Bjerkan has a rich, warm, strong voice that she uses to great affect – nuanced, evocative, inviting, Ane’s vocal is capable of both great power and eggshell fragility.  She has a wonderful instrument in her voice, the power of which she seems very aware, thereby enabling her to use it to maximum effect.

As a whole, this is a group of extremely uniquely talented musicians, whose vision of melding what is best of traditional classical with modern day techniques, very in the mode of fellow Nordic musician and classically driven composer Olafur Arnalds, stretches far beyond the everyday standard plastic pop that could bring them such easy success in today’s Scandi-pop dominated charts.

Østfrost is a band unwilling to sacrifice the joy they get from the type of music they play by allowing themselves to slip into the anonymous mainstream.

The closest they have come to anything verging on mainstream, is the very radio friendly, indie track, ‘Wooden Floors’, which was a no-brainer to close their all too short set.  How this song didn’t crack the Norwegian charts is head-scratchingly anyone’s guess.  It is the perfect indie tune full of rhythmic beats, golden guitar sequences and a rich and powerful vocal.  It works well on “play” and it worked well on the night, giving the crowd the finale they were no doubt expecting and to which the band had been slowly gearing up.

The 30+ minutes of Østfrost’s set at Søstrene Karlsen went all too quickly, and it was with a heavy heart and an even colder shiver that I headed back out into the cold, icy night, and off to the next venue on my hit list.

Seeing Østfrost play live at Trondheim Calling was a must for me and the memory of their personal gentleness, exquisite musicianship and heart-warming sounds will stay with me for a long, long time.

Østfrost EP Out Now

 Østfrost, who you can follow on Facebook and Soundcloud, are signed to indie Trondheim Label, NO FOREVERS, and the vinyl ed of their EP is available to buy here, the digital ed can be streamed or downloaded via Spotify.

Østfrost SetList :

Storms, True, When They Leave, I Don´t Want To Stop, Meeting the Sun,

Bunk Beds, Wooden Floors

If you have a spare three mins – would really appreciate if you could answer this quick poll which is for research purposes vis a vis the Norwegian music industry and it’s impact on the music scenes outside of its domestic market.  Cheers.

EP Drop : Odd Loves to Dance – ‘Demon Wizard’

Ola!!!  Greetings from sunny Dublin, the city from which Storm George has departed and is now en route to snowy Norway!!  That’ll clear your drifts!!

Now, I love surprises …. adore them.  Even better again, I love hitting upon musical surprises that not only make me smile, but send a rush of sonic adrenalin through my veins.   Anyone who follows this blog, knows that when I hit upon something that resonates, TRULY resonates, I just have to write about it.

Guess what folks, today’s the day … IT HAS HAPPENED … Ta-Dah!

I was reminded by a post on FB that Norwegian band, Odd Loves to Dance, has an EP, ‘Demon Wizard’, out today.  So, having a million things to do, but being the mistress of prevarication, I dipped into SoundCloud, hit play on the  lead track, ‘Out of Minds’, and  released four minutes of serotonin inducing indie bliss into what had been up to then, dullsville.

I don’t know who does what in this band, in fact, I know absolutely nothing about them except that Gold Celeste (The Wonder of Love) “not the drummer” drummer, Petter Haugen Andersen is a member, and if this incarnation sees him returning to his instrumental roots then it should see him playing bass guitar, or electric guitar at the very least. (See photo for clues).

According to their FB page, the other two members of the Odd team are Axel Larsson and Hallvard Gaardløs (extensive research has show that the he be the dude in the wizard’s hat in above promo photo!!)  Further photographic evidence seems to reveal Gaardløs as lead vocalist with Larsson at the percussive helm.

Ok – PS – Since the original publication of this review, Petter (Haugen Andersen has confirmed some finer details :-

“Axel (Larsson – Drums) sings the first track – ‘Out of Minds’, Hallvard (Gaardløs – Bass) also has vocal duties, while PHA (Guitar) takes on the vocal mantle on ‘Nothing to Say’. The EP was also mixed (as well as co-produced) by Simen (from Gold Celeste) in his then studio (Greener) in Trondheim.”

Right, now that we have the personnel sorted and duties assigned, down to business!

A bit of poking around and I can see that the afore-mentioned lead track, ‘Out of Minds’ was released as a single last September.  Soundwise, it’s musical manna from heaven.  A bit Dråpe, (especially in the RS department) with its clever meandering jazz style bass and crack shot percussion, this is a pacy, animated track intermixed with interludes of clear focus riffs here and hazy effusive guitar there.  Gaardløs uses his voice well to convey nuance and emotion while his mellow timbre adds to already honeyed melody lines.  This is a cracker of an opener and was a wise choice for lead single.

‘Tango’ is an absolutely gorgeous song in which everything is – well, perfect.  The bass playing is exceptionally good and the spot on drumming packs just enough punch without  overpowering a very restrained vocal.  The track is dotted with (here we go!) “twinkling synths” and some truly lovely guitar and keys sequences.  The instrumental perfectly conveys the lyrical imagery –  dreaminess,  wistfulness, escape, colour, nature, gloom (if I’m wrong, sorry, but I’m on my own here guys!).

“Here I am with sand under my heels, Sinking slowly into the land my ego is on its knees

Now I am dead, and you’re dancing through the graveyard, I’d crawl out and dance with you, you know I would if I could”

‘Cinnamon’ is a really interesting slice of “spice”.  Playing bumper cars with tempo, it races from one pace then brakes to another and then u-turns back again.  A quirky, short lived affair, it’s got a great lyric, and one hell of a rabid guitar sequence, topped and tailed by a lovely line in “louche”. Too short – want more!

Penultimate track, ‘Melvin’ is an edgy 60s affair underpinned by the best basslines and drumming on the EP . Referencing some serious jazz blues, the RS gives this track a serious amount of cool, while expertly performed guitar solos are VERY 70s a la Jeff Beck.  One mischievously sexy tune this.  But, if you stripped everything else away and left me with just that cheeky RS sketch, I’d happily listen to it for hours! That’s how good it is.  Kudos guys.

The EP closes with ‘Nothing to Say’ and we’re back in “redolent of” territory again.  The vocal is very Ketil Myhre (always a good thing) while the instrumental is veering towards a Gold Celeste vibe, but given the close interconnections between so many of these bands and their members, it comes as no surprise that they would bring traces of sound and style across from one to the other, whether deliberately or subconsciously.

The highlight of this track has to be the guitar sequence at 3.14+ – I don’t usually use the word beautiful when describing guitar, but that is exactly what this is.  Beautiful honeyed hypnotic guitar washed over with some lovely dreamy harmonies. Then, just when you think it can’t get any better, in jumps Jimmy Page with some seriously sweet 70s rocking to close out the track.  This is one groovy tune and the perfect way to bring the EP to a close.

And that folks is about all I can tell you about Odd Love to Dance and ‘Demon Wizard’. I have no idea what the release plans for this EP are – but if I were “Mr Record Company”, I’d be looking to release ‘Tango’ as the next single!  Just sayin’.

Odd Loves to Dance aren’t playing Trondheim – but I wish they were!  Note to organising committee  … please ensure these guys are included in the 2017 TC line up.

Five-Track EP, ‘Demon Wizard’ is out now in digital format via NO FOREVERS , available through various sources, links below, and you can listen to the lead track, ‘Out of Minds’ here.  Enjoy x

iTunes: https://goo.gl/sxKYZ4
Tidal: http://goo.gl/fRF00z
Spotify: https://goo.gl/zci4gC

Single Review : EERA Debut, ‘Drive with Fear’

Photo-credit-alice-rainis.

“Lies are showed with Diamonds, Not with your answers”

2016 is looking set to be an exciting year for emerging Norwegian musician, EERA.

To kick-start the NY, EERA has just released her debut single, ‘Drive with Fear’ the launch of which she immediately followed with an amazing live performance at the Line of Best Fit, Five Day Forecast Festival.   EERA is now set to play the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, The Netherlands, on January 14^th , with more live dates due to be announced.  She will cap all of that off with the launch of her debut eponymous EP on 4th March!  Nothing like hitting the 2016 ground running.

Newbie EERA is Norway-born, London-based singer-songwriter Anna Lena Bruland, who originally hails from the coastal-town of Drøbak, just outside Oslo.    Having been based in London for some time now, it is here that the darker, more introspective side of her songwriting has been realised and developed.

EERA’s debut single, ‘Drive with Fear’, is a fascinating reflective indie-pop ballad, honestly and tenderly performed, which has a captivating purity and admirable subtleness.

“I`ll take my road before I dive down to my stories, Down to where the others bleed

With colors made of stone And rivers left alone”

The lyrics are both mystical and tangible – they reference dreams, death, the past, other worldliness,  against an incongruous backdrop of tangible shapes, precious materials, textures and vivid colours.  The words evoke vague scenarios which contrast dramatically with their very palpable natural surrounds.  ‘Drive with Fear’ is a musical cauldron filled with an array of feelings, actions and images – the hunter, the lovers, driving, diving, fear, courage – it runs the gamut.  It is song full of movement, lyrically and musically, yet the vocal conveys a wistful or shadowy tranquility.

EERA’s beautiful and vividly expressive voice has both the clarity and Himalayan range of Maggie Reilly and the slightly impure timbre of Farao; it is a voice full of humanity and real emotion that is as compellingly evocative as it is aesthetically pleasing.

Her vocal flits and floats above a pared back instrumental that quietly bubbles along until it springs into melodic gorgeousness on the chorus.  Again, EERA gifts us with an inspired juxtaposition of opposites – the melancholic, thrumming dark of the verse pitted against the “diamond” bright effervescence of the chorus.

‘Drive with Fear’ is an exceptionally genius piece of song writing and reflects EERA’s obvious talent as both an intuitive and inventive lyricist, and highly skilled composer.  For a debut single, this is an incredibly high card with which to lead, so one must assume that EERA is playing a strong hand.  Her EP is to be keenly anticipated, and one I feel, that will not fail to live up to expectations.

Listen to ‘Drive with Fear’ here … See below for details of how to buy/stream.

You can follow EERA on Facebook and Twitter.

EERA’s 4-track EP is scheduled for release via House Arrest on 4th March and will be available in both digital and physical formats.

Pre-order it from Rough Trade in the UK, Amazon in the US, or iTunes worldwide.  There are also 500 copies of limited ed Vinyl  — 350 black & 150 see-through, the latter is available from the House Arrest store only.

You can also stream EERA’s music via Spotify.

Guest Review : Alex Clemence of Dayflower on Palace Winter’s ‘New Ghost’

Director: Cecilie McNair Director of Photography: Sine Brooker

Today, I am super delighted to welcome the charming, witty and immensely talented Alex Clemence, front man with English dream-indie-gaze band DayFlower, as guest reviewer on the blog.  Alex is reviewing, ‘New Ghost‘, the latest single from Danish duo, Palace Winter, whose star is in such a rapid ascendancy it’ll soon shoot out through the atmosphere!

Introducing Alex … In his own words,

“Alex is a human male from Norwich who moved to Leicester in 2003 with the sole aim of failing to complete a degree in Economics. He achieved this in some style by dropping out after his first year.

When he isn’t working on fusing the nursery rhymes in his head with his own average guitar playing, he enjoys scotch bonnet chilli peppers, Haribo, Seinfeld box sets, weapons grade Polish lager, Poptarts, hanging out with his 6 year old son, American 9 ball pool (he is above average at this), dreaming up sitcoms that never seem to happen and being in love.”

Review: ‘New Ghost’, Palace Winter by Alex Clemence

“According to Palace Winter front man, Carl Coleman, “we like a sound that waves around with its genres”. Well it shows.

What this Copenhagen based duo manage to do is meld classic, almost jangly folk melodies, with danceable rhythms reminiscent of New Order, and what sounds like an 80’s analogue synth with the crystal clear guitar chime of The Cure. All of which they do beautifully, by the way.

I’m not going to disagree with a previous reviewer’s assertion that there is just a hint of R.E.M in the mix. Beneath the melting pot of pure 80s pop, you have a lightly strummed acoustic guitar and a yearning vocal melody that apart from Michael Stipe, also evokes the beauty of Alex Chilton & Big Star.

‘New Ghost’ is jam packed with melody, a new one emerging with each and every listen. This is the trick that great songs manage to pull off time and time again.

What struck me though was how these lads use reverb. Nothing gratuitous; I hate it when musicians do that. There is nothing worse than reverb being used to make up for the shortcomings of a song or musician. Palace Winter use it perfectly, adding just the right amount.

This song feels panoramic. It has space everywhere. There’s so much going on at once that you would be doing it a disservice if you listened to it for less than 8 times in a row. ‘New Ghost’ quite literally is the gift that keeps on giving.

I’m a particular fan of how this song ends. All euphoria fades away, leaving a single acoustic guitar. Underneath everything and by that I mean the pulse, the driving guitars, the reverb and the synth, is a simple heartfelt song that will always stand up as just vocals and guitar. Wonderful.

So?

Well I love the track. For me, it is the perfect fusion of classic pop, the best bits of the 80s, carried along with a gorgeous soulful vocal, nesting on top of the music like a lost bird whistling into your ear whilst you’re being driven into the unknown.

‘New Ghost’ is my kind of journey.”  Alex

Big up for Alex for giving ‘New Ghost’ some spin & ink; more kudos for those Palace Winter boys who seem to be doing everything just right these days!!

Just to put the cherry on the musical cake, Palace Winter has premiered the hauntingly beautiful, Cecilie Mc Nair directed visual for ‘New Ghost’.  The video, shot in black and white, was produced by Matilda Appelin, with Sine Brooker in charge of photography.  Discussing her approach to the brief, Cecilie told me,

“My intention with the video was to try to capture the cinematic feeling that the music invites. I tried to catch a sense of hidden memories and moments in one’s head that haunts yet comforts you. It’s unsettling but you don’t want it to leave.”

Cecilie has perfectly captured the essence of the song with a stunning film that conveys all the stark yet dreamy other worldliness of ‘New Ghost’.  Watch it here.

Palace Winter play London’s Old Blue Last on 15th December, details here.

The debut EP, ‘Medication’ is out now via Tambhourinoceros.

Palace Winter will play the renowned by:Larm festival next year (where you also find a certain Derv!) – details here – (Mar 2-5, 2016 – By:Larm, Oslo)

You can follow Palace Winter’s antics on Twitter.

You can follow DayFlower on Facebook

Dayflower are curating a club night on 10th December in Leicester’s THE COOKIE – details here.

EP Review : Kiasmos’ Electronic Extravagance Will Have You ‘Swept’ Away

photo-by-Heüinn-Eiriüksson

This weekend is going to be a busy one for Icelandic electro-wizards, Kiasmos.  Friday sees the release of their latest EP, ‘Swept’, while Saturday will see them fly into Dublin to present their electronic “lux” in the uber trendy, District8.

Kiasmos is made up of Olafur Arnalds, kingpin of the Icelandic Electro-Classical world, and, long term friend and collaborator, Janus Rasmussen,  the electro-pop enchanter who makes up one half of outfit Byrta, and is also a member of Ice-Faroese band, Bloodgroup.

Photo Kiasmos Barca by @paquitobzh

Purveyors of a unique and highly imaginative, minimal-experimental electronic sound, Kiasmos first started playing together in 2009.  They released their debut EP, ‘Thrown’, in 2012, followed by their eponymous album in 2014.

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The new Kiasmos four-track EP, ‘Swept’,  is at once striking, intriguing, bewitching and uplifting.  It is a confluence of classical and electronic sensibilities, a sonic state where musical elegance gets a twenty first century makeover.

Swept Photo by Claudia Godke

EP opener, ‘Drawn’ is quite the breath-taker.  Delicate sparkling raindrops of piano, evolve into a river of swirling abstract chords that become infused with a carnival of percussive beats.  In the midst of a gloriously refined melody, the stick click sounds create a “samba” like rhythm which gives the track an animated quality.  These gloriously exuberant beats provide a colourful contrast to the elegant emotional backdrop that is ever present in Arnalds’ minimalist keys sequences.

‘Gaunt’ continues the percussive fiesta, giving it a full on “funk-samba” upgrade that wouldn’t go amiss on the streets of Rio. It is a track full to the brim with clever contrasts, as pumping electronic beats are skilfully overlaid by slow chilled synth lines, and peaks and troughs of pulsating  rhythms are intersected by brief interludes of gentle piano.  It is a wonderful muddled fusion of emotive tranquility and rigorous effervescence.

Lead track, ‘Swept’ ups the club-mix ante as the EP moves into “dance lite” mode.  Melding typical dance beats with hypnotic piano loops and cool synth sounds, it is the musical definition of the “electric light orchestra”.  Piano sequences shine through a dark low-fi thrum of pulses and percussive grooves, as this track evolves softly but majestically to a vibrant and pulsating climax.

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The EP closes with the Tale of Us remix of ‘Swept’.   Tale of Us is duo Matteo Milleri and Carmine Conte, both of whom were raised in Italy but now live in Berlin.   These electro-mix specialists take their influences from rock through to nu-disco and plop them onto anything musical, from “straight-up dance floor jams to low-slung ambient tracks and more abstract compositions. ”  They’ve ‘swept’ this track off its feet, giving it an altogether more techno vibe with their addition of heavier percussive and bass line elements.

‘Swept’ is a captivating weave of striking melodies, hugely ingenious percussive techniques and intricately arranged electronica, with a subtle classical twist.  The key to its success lies in the subtlety that belies it’s intricacy.  It is masterfully brought together from conception to production, and is a testament to Kiasmos’ adept musicianship, thoughtful instrumentation and their ever growing desire to both explore and push musical boundaries.  If you think that electronic and classical architectures can’t work together – listen to this – and think again.

‘Swept’ will be released on 12″/DL on Friday 20th November via Erased Tapes.

‘Swept Tracklist’

A1 – Drawn

A2 – Gaunt

B1 – Swept

B2 – Swept (Tale of Us Remix )

You can follow Kiasmos on Twitter and Facebook.

News Feature : Palace Winter Launch Vinyl Edition of ‘Medication’ EP Ahead of London Gigs

Ozzie-Danish** duo, Palace Winter, have it all going on right now, between single releases, promotional work, signings, non-stop interviews and oh, a bit of music here and there, just to keep the fingers nimble and voices limber.  **(I was going to say Melba-Danish but that’d just bring a lot of Peaches imagery into your head wouldn’t it!! #nom).

Fresh from the launch of the digital version of their debut EP, ‘Medication’,  the guys have been endlessly gigging around Euro hotspots, doing countless radio interviews with National broadcasters, as well as being furiously booked in for some serious live dates in 2016 – name-check #by:Larm – yup, read about it here !

And that’s just the tip of the good news iceberg!  This weekend saw the release of the vinyl edition of the Palace Winter hit EP – sniff it out here.  As only 300 copies have been pressed, you’ll need to get your turbo charged skates on to snaffle a copy.  I strongly recommend you buy now, think later, as this is one seriously rockin’ EP that you don’t want to miss out on.

As if that wasn’t good enough news, those PW charmers have announced that they will be hitting a London near you in December.  Monday 14th sees them doing an in-store at Rough Trade whilst Tuesday 15th has them belting out those rockin’ tunes at the uber trend-monster venue, Birthdays, details here.

And just to get you in the mood, have a play of these two adrenalin pumpers from the ‘Medication’ EP – ‘Time Machine’ (my personal fave) and the SoundCloud busting ‘Menton’ (it’s had over 110k hits to-date and bust the Hype Machine charts out of the stratosphere!).

The EP ‘Medication’ is out via Tambourhinoceros records.  Palace Winter can be followed on Facebook & Twitter.

See you on 15th XX Swerve

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Frøkedal’s ‘I See You’ is a “Book” of Musical Short Stories

Photo by Julia Marie Naglestad

March 2015 saw the release of multi-talented, Norwegian Indie scene stalwart, Anne Lise Frøkedal’s single, ‘I See You’ – a nice country-oriented, chillaxed, acoustic song.  With its solid hooks, layers of especially lovely vocal harmonies, and some nice adept guitar playing, it was all very inviting.  So far, so good, so folk.

This live version with the wonderful violin playing is particularly good.

May 2015 – along came delightfully quirky ‘Surfers’, as full of humanity and personality as it’s video counterpart (Note the “Twin Peaks” tongue-cherry stem-knot tying trick at the beginning).  It was a stunningly performed song, with a lot of emotion underneath its wings, and a lyric that “describes feeling stuck and alone, trying to balance unfulfilled expectations with holding on to your dreams”. Anne Lise Frøkedal, you got that down pat girl!

October 2015 and oh my word, what a seismic shift there has been with the arrival of ‘First Friend’ and it’s tragi-eerie love story meets hammer horror video.  Gone is the wholesome acoustic folk sound, sidelined the good-natured indie.  In steps forbidden darkness.  Frøkedal’s voice has shifted from sweet n lite, to having a beautiful if haunting fragility. Gothic electronica with a brooding thrum, moody bass and some stark drumming create a foreboding atmosphere, and with its flashes of psychotic synth and electronic pulses & beats, ‘First Friend’ is a track that could sit comfortably on a Sundfor album.

It’s an eerily portentous track, the impending gloom of which is magnified by a rather disturbing video.  Intense and forlorn, it makes for both uncomfortable and heartbreaking listening/watching, as it conveys the self-consuming insecurities and self-doubts which society has brought upon itself, with its unquestionable acceptance of “disposable love”.

Taken individually one couldn’t be faulted for assuming these three songs were in fact by three different artists.  However, put in the context of the EP, ‘I See You’, they follow a logical journey.  Frøkedal has interconnected four* different tales and presented them using four different styles.  Combining honest folksiness, indie earthiness and dark electronic pop, she has created a fascinating and enticing collection of musical short stories.

Frøkedal’s ‘I See You’ EP is out now via Propeller Recordings.  Her new album is scheduled for release in 2016 (date tbc)

facebook.com/frokedalmusic | twitter.com/Frokedalmusic

frokedal.com | instagram.com/frokedalmusic

*The EP consists of Surfers, I See You, Silhouettes, and First Friend.  Silhouettes is not featured here.

We Cross the Pond & Chelsea Lankes goes ‘Home’

Now this review will probably come as a bit of a surprise to regular visitors to the Derv music-verse.  It’s not my usual thing this….mainstream pop not being my default musical setting.

‘Home’ by young emerging American popstrel, Chelsea Lankes comes labelled as ‘indie pop’, which I might point out, is a bit of a misnomer, as this track is about as indie as Britney in Vegas.

BUT there is something very likeable about this young singer’s voice, and the song, ‘Home’ itself isn’t half bad.  It’s a well arranged, confidently performed, ultra-polished production in the American pop mould of Carly Rae Jepsen and Demi Lovato.

So who is Chelsea Lankes?  Well in the words of her website, LA based Chelsea has a “Southern charm (which) has moulded her vocal stylings from a young age. She has successfully navigated the indie pop world with her passionate and intimate lyrics, catchy hooks, and lush production.”

Chelsea seems to have had a pretty busy year, releasing two singles ‘Down for Whatever’ and ‘Too Young to Fall in Love’, a Motley Crue cover, collaborating with Chance the Rapper and working on her upcoming EP which will be released on B3SCI Records in 2016.

‘Home’ is pretty romantic electronic pop, sung with a breathy vocal bolstered by boilerplate electronic drums and multi layered animated synths.  Chelsea is undoubtedly a good singer and when she hits the higher end of her range on the chorus, the vocal goes full throttle.  One gets the sense that with a little more proficiency in the song-writing department, and a bit more dimension to her sound, this girl could have a pretty bright future .

The track itself is a love song that finds Lankes arriving “home” – home being Mr Right.  Oddly, it reminds me a bit of Tiffany – that 80s American purveyor of luv-pop, who went on to have several huge Billboard hits and I might add, did a pretty good job on the UK charts.

‘Home’ is a catchy pop tune, sung by a very strong singer who, when she hones her craft, and has Max Martin on speed dial, could be in for some Billboard hits of her own.

The single ‘Home’ drops this week.

You can find out more about Chelsea Lankes on her official website – here.

“Too Young To Fall In Love” and “Down For Whatever” are out now via B3SCI Records on limited edition 7-inch vinyl which you can buy HERE.

Social links here – Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud

CTM’s Cezanne is a Track Painted with Dark Hues

I clicked play on the link to ‘Cézanne’, the new release from Copenhagen-based, cellist, singer and composer Cæcilie Trier a.k.a CTM, and the first word that entered my head was “WOW!” The lead track from Trier’s new solo project, Suite for a Young Girl, ‘Cézanne’ is one very dark alley, down which you don’t want to find yourself meandering alone late at night. It is music noir, ‘la musique très sombre’ and experimental music gone over to the dark side.

‘Cézanne’ is practically indescribable on the one hand, yet on the other, when you excavate down through it’s many layers, you find some wonderful gems just waiting to be mined. In its darkest recesses you will find diamond-bright spacious piano sequences, ebony-dark synth simulating a heaving, heavy breathing Middle-earth (think ‘Mordor’ the Musical), and intermittent notions of mercurial strings like flashes of granite sparkling from the shadows. Muffled, modulated vocals and inky dark samples wail and mumble over a ghostly chorus, spookily narrating this bleak, mysterious storyline.

“I thought of my making of Suite for a Young Girl as making a movie, or a storyline for a movie. Some short scenes, some long, different scenographies or interiors, landscapes to look at and to drive through, the different textures of the midi and the sculptural acoustic classical instruments,” says Trier. “Then in the center there is the narrator who leads you through the whole thing. I imagined myself to be this character, writing the lyrics not with song structures, just horizontal writing and composing, that was important.”

‘Cézanne’ is like Beauty and the Beast. It is deliciously haunting, terrifyingly magnetic, capriciously experimental and wonderfully divergent. CTM’s Suite for a Young Girl is due for release as an 8-track mini-album on January 22nd. A vinyl version of the album will be limited to 500 copies and features two drawings created by renowned painter Alexander Tovborg – one on the record sleeve and one as a poster. It is available for pre-order now via Tambourhinoceros.

All blogs posted to this site containing SoundCloud links are now automatically “transmitted by MOD-RUN technology and a carrier pigeon”, to  HYPE M  🙂

Note* – This review originally featured on Ja Ja Ja Magazine on 2nd November, 2015.