Sunday, April 5, 2009

Nordy Music

Although I know very little about literature from Sweden, Norway and Finland, I do happen to be obsessed with a smattering of bands/sound artists and record labels based in these Nordic countries…here is some information (grouped by record label):

FYI – the easiest way to get a sampling of any of these bands/artists work is through their myspace pages

*Rune Grammofon is a Norwegian record label founded in 1998 by Rune Kristoffersen – the label was started with help from ECM (snooty, high end/high culture German label that would be comparable to a publisher like New Directions) but is now independent of their former parent.

RG specializes in new-classical/electronic/jazz/noise/grey-area – all of the music is Norwegian – and, all of the album covers feature the artwork of the amazing Kim Hiorthøy (see the big orange butt above; Arve Henrickson below). My favorite bands: Deathprod, Supersilent, Arve Henrickson, Alog, Svalastog, Biosphere, Phonophani, The Information, Skyphone, Maja Ratkje


*Hapna is a Swedish label about which I know very little (and about which there is very little information available) – what I do know is they have been one of my favorite labels for quite sometime...

Bands to check out: Tape (one of Jenny and my favorite, favorite, favorite bands; instrumental, off-kilter, folksy, hypnotic, hauntingly beautiful stuff with lots of samples and hiss…), Stephan Mathieu, Giuseppe Ielasi (he’s Italian although I highly recommend him and the Italian label new classical/prog-rock label “Die Schachtel” that he is associated with), ¾ Had Been Eliminated, A Taste of Ra, Anders Dahl, Tenniscoats, Anna Järvinen

* (from Fonal’s myspace site) Fonal Records is a Finnish independent label run by Sami Sänpäkkilä that began releasing mainly domestic music in 1995. Fonal has a catalogue of 40 experimental, folk, ambient and popular music releases and has organized concerts for its artists across Europe and North America.

Bands: CIRCLE, ES / SAMI SÄNPÄKKILÄ (my personal favorite), KEMIALLISET YSTÄVÄT, PAAVOHARJU (another favorite), SHOGUN KUNITOKI

(amazing ES album...)


*Kning Disk is another Swedish label. Here is what they have have to say about themselves on their website: Kning Disk presents first-rate, limited editions and various kinds of presentations where innovative composers of yesteryear shares space with the kindred spirits of the groundbreaking artists, designers and writers of tomorrow.

I find this label to be especially interesting because of the sample-based work they release (esp. Anders Dahl) and then the otherwise innovate, instrumental spicy music (Jerry Johansson, Jasper TX)

other bands/artists to check out: Steffen Basho-Junghans, BJNilsen, Alejandra Salinas

(Jerry Johansson, 'Book of Dreams')
(Anders Dahl, 'Habitat')

1 comment:

  1. I noticed that there is a lot of music in the Finnish poems. Of the ten poems in the section, four of them make direct reference to musical instruments or singing. Also, two more poems refer to dancing, which, you know, requires music...I don't know if I'm reading too much into the images. It's likely that, if you select ten random American poems, four-six of them will contain references to music.

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