Scandinavian Culture Viewed, Reviewed & Interviewed
2006.01.29
— Music
I’ve been browsing Rokk.is on a regular basis for years, and I thought I should maybe share it with the rest of the world. It’s like the (previous) mp3.com of Iceland; all kinds of garage music by amateurs as well as the old pros, anyone being able to upload, share and promote their own music of any genre.
The scale of the site is – naturally – somewhat smaller, but I’m guessing that doesn’t come as a shock to you :-) Although the site is in Icelandic, no need to learn the language to listen; the latest tracks – dating back about a month – are listed on the front page, every track followed by a link to the artist’s profile / tracks. So, you get pretty far with the front page alone.
I’ve discovered many of my Icelandic favourites through this site, such as Hjalti Jón, The Ebsens, Ampop, and of course that little guy with the guitar.
2006.01.25
— Music
I’m not sure what I should think of the Danish politics at the moment. After announcing a housing programme for Christiania, the Danish government has just unveiled a list of “must-hear/read/like”, the “nation’s cultural canon“. The list includes the 108 so-called most representative works of Danish culture over 2500 years (!!!) in seven different categories: architecture, visual arts, design and handicrafts, film, literature, music, drama, as well as a special children’s canon…
As we may imagine, this canon raised debates among artists and journalists: who should be listed, who shouldn’t, and above all, what’s the point? The minister of culture, Brian Mikkelsen, said: “I had never in my wildest dreams imagined the debate that has already taken place… Therefore the cultural canon is already a success. The presentation today, however, is only the beginning. The goal is precisely to create a debate about our culture’s role in globalisation.”
The movie “The Idiots” is on the list… That was enough for Lars Von Trier, the film director, to prepare a special gift for Brian Mikkelsen: “Dear Brian, thanks for nationalising our culture. Here’s something in return” read the opening credits to a video broadcast. The film begins with the Danish flag being lowered to the tunes of the country’s royal anthem. It then goes on to show von Trier cutting out the white cross at the centre of the flag, then resewing the four panels together. The film ends with the all-red flag being raised while “The Internationale” is played…
Source: Copenhagen Post and www.dr.dk
2006.01.25
— Music
The title of this post says it all. Christiania, the collectively owned and administered village within Copenhagen since 1971, is threatened again by a government plan to build condominiums: this new plan proposes to build as many as 400 resident-owned properties in the enclave. It would be an effort to integrate the collectivity into the rest of Christiania…
In addition, current residents of Christiania would be forced to become members of a public housing organisation, and would likely have to begin paying a normal rent on their properties. Currently, adult residents pay DKK 250 per month to live in Christiania. The new rent would be between DKK 2500 and 4600 for a 50 sq. m apartment.
After coming to power in 2001, the government has taken an increasingly harder line on Christiania and its estimated 850 residents, closing its open-air hash market, Pusher Street, in 2004, and threatening to bulldoze the colony entirely.
Visit the “official” Christiania website and send a protest email to the Danish Prime Minister.
2006.01.18
— Music
If you are into indie-pop (and when I say “indie”, I mean real, true, sincere, honest, not-serious and politically incorrect indie), you should fall in love with those five young people from Sweden who formed the band Strip Squad back in 2003. In another post of mine, I said (or I should have said) that Strip Squad are one of the most promising bands from the North. I confirm: “The Adventures of Strip Squad” is their debut album and believe me, you’ll find on it plenty of great tunes to dance to. As they say on their homepage, “popular culture needs a seriousness towards frivolousness and vice versa. This is something that we try to incorporate into our music”… and that’s exactly what they do. Even though their music is sometimes compared to Belle and Sebastian (but it’s closer to the Hidden Cameras from Canada, in my opinion), it’s most of the time more joyful, probably more “home made” and DIY. But it can be serious, sad and introverted as well and that’s what makes it so unique. I had the chance to make this interview by email with two of the Strip Squad girls, Malena Heinrup and Jenny Hernandez-Grönberg. The girls appearing on those exclusive pictures (see left) are Malena and Maja Claesson from their new year’s-trip to Gran Canaria. The boys are Björn Gylling and Martin Lindqvist. Unfortunately, Jenny couldn’t make it, so she’s not on the pictures. Maybe next time…
Strip Squad is not the most popular band in the world… (yet). Who are you and who’s the boss?
Malena : I can only speak for myself here. I love Strip Squad because we share a broad range of interests, from pole dancing at a gay club in Gran Canaria to our concerns about environmental issues. Nobody is the boss. Jenny: We’re all the boss. We try to work out everything democratically, but most of the time end up making one desicion, then changing our minds like 100 times before everyone goes “ok fine” and end up taking the original idea anyways.
Strip Squad has just released a self-financed album… Are you trying to find a record-label?
Malena: It is true that we dont have any contact with any label, but we are not trying to get one either. Personally I am satisfied with the situation, we dont need any middle men to get our message out. Jenny: We’re not really bothered about labels – we’re smarter than them anyway, they’d just fuck up. Seriously, any average person is like a 100 times smarter than someone working in the music industry and i tell you why: because all those people do loads of drugs and had evil on their mind. Truth! If anyone gives us an offer we might consider it, but it’d better be damn good. Also we don’t like people telling us what to do, because were all 14 mentally so if they say “write a song” we’ll have to say “no!” and pout and storm out in rage.
On the SwedesPlease blog, you’re compared to “Belle and Sebastian if they really let loose and were truly indie”…
Malena: I love Belle and Sebastian, but i agree that they (or… their music) can be a bit stiff sometimes. Our intention is to make people let loose and to NOT follow indie patterns like, “indie people must always keep their eyes on their shoes”. It was very flattering to read that blog. Jenny: Well, does truly indie mean good? er. B&S are good. But a bit uptight no?
One of your songs is titled Razorcuts… Is it a reference to the British band, the Razorcuts?
Malena: No. I know people who cut themself to get the pain out. I dont cut myself, I let my anxiety eat me up from the inside instead. Jenny: Razorcuts is about how people hurting themselves might do it as a punishment towards the person they love, to say “hey look i’m hurting, how does that make you feel huh? it’s your fault”.
Some of your lyrics are rather… full of sexual details… Do you spend all your free time fucking and thinking of sex?
Malena: No. Jennifer: We spend a lot of time talking of it. Mostly because of frustration.
How would you describe your new album?
Malena: Like Belle and Sebastian if they let loose and were truly indie.
Swedes are usually said to be calm and wise whereas Danes are much more eccentric and free-minded. Are you from Denmark after all ;-)?
Malena: No. But my mother is from Skåne (south of Sweden) which used to belong to Denmark. Hundreds of years ago, that is. Maybe that affects me, haha. We are all quite quiet, shy and introverted, it’s only when we are together that we… let loose (as they say). Jenny: Correction: that’s a myth, people only think that because Danes are always drunk. They’re also always happy (a clear sign of stupidity). We hate denmark and hope they all die. Haha kidding. Besides Danes smoke dope with makes you retarded.
What do you think of the swedish indie-scene at the moment?
Malena: I dont know and i dont care. But i like Vapnet’s song “Kalla mig”, and an artist called Anna Ternheim. Jenny: Not bad. Better than the last 5 years anyway.
Any plan for 2006?
Malena: I want to become an international gay icon. hopefully we will play on some silly festivals around sweden. Jenny: Minitour in sweden – also we’re gonna promote ourselves in the UK. Preferably also sell a song to O.C. so we can get rich and go to our fans in USA, australia and europe and play.
[Tack Malena och Jennifer...]
2006.01.17
— Music
For you, French readers who are lucky enough to live in Paris, the next two weeks will be pretty busy in terms of Icelandic delights… I remember that last year was busy as well in late January, with a special Icelandic week, concerts, exhibitions, lectures and events more or less related to Iceland. Well, this year, Reykjavik’s coming to the French capital again.
First you’ll have the Hot Pots night, at La Ferme du Buisson, some 20 kilometers from Paris. The programme is rather interesting with concerts (Gus Gus, Lady & Bird, DJ Margeir), dance (Erna Omarsdottir), theater performances, icelandic massages (?), short films, and, obviously, hot pots (don’t forget to bring your bathing suit)… It will be on the 28th of January and I’m sure it will be fun.
On the same night, for those of you who’re too lazy to drive 20 kilometers to bathe with Icelandic boys and girls, you still can go to the Divan du Monde, and see Daniel Agust (ex-Gus-Gus) and Kira Kira (Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir from Kitchen Motors). There will be concerts obviously, but also a digital exhibition, and many other delights, I guess.
And this is not the end! At Le Triptyque, on February 3rd, the “4000 Hz From Islande” night will invite Gus-Gus DJs, Trabant, Ampop, Plat and Johnny Sexual (yes, Björk’s son*)… Just can’t wait!!!
* Update: please read one of the comments by Johnny Sexual, explaining that Björk’s son is sometimes playing in the band but that Johny Sexual is not Björk’s son! Sorry Johnny…
2006.01.13
— Music
I’m back, and the banners of the week will be back for the next week. By the way, if you would like to see someone/something in particular on these banners, tip us with ideas!
Meanwhile, here is “DVD” Jon Lech Johansen’s top 10 “things I don’t miss about Norway” list. I’m curious: Scandinavian people, what would be your top 10 list about your country? Comments are open!
2006.01.09
— Music
Some of you may remember one of my posts, from last december, about this huge concert that was supposed to take place in Iceland at the Laugardalsholl Stadium, on 7 January 2006. You had bands such as Múm, Sigur Rós, Hjálmar, Egó, or even Björk and Damon Albarn. Well, it did take place and thanks to the Reykjavík Harbor Watch weblog, you can read an exclusive review of the shows.
I like the conclusion of the article, as funny and witty as every line you can read on this blog: “All in all, an astounding evening, and something that will be hard to top. It was an excellent crash-course in Icelandic music, and we were so close that I might recognise some of these people if I ran into them on the street. It’s Iceland- it just might happen. Next up will be a coffee morning at our place with Björk attending.”
You can watch Damon albarn interviewed by the Icelandic TV, if you like… (in English). Or even better: Björk… (in Icelandic, though)
The wild guitar-guy on the picture is Mugison, from Steadystead.
2006.01.09
— Music
I was about to delete another comment that I believed was a spam, but thought i should check the website advertised first. Today I’m glad I didn’t delete it. ‘Cause this article written by Stefan Geens is just compulsory: this is, as a matter of fact, a “guided tour of English-language Swedish blogs” and you’ll find many great tips to browse the internet with a Swedish bias…
2006.01.05
— Music
Let’s play a little game, shall we? What is the common point between those articles from Swedish weblogs, fanzines or magazines? Have a look at No Disco, Le Manchester, Revolver, P3 Pop or Shaktar. Even if you don’t know anything about the language, you’ll see that they usually published their Best records of 2005 where a band called The Embassy is often in the top 10, or that they wrote great reviews of their album, released in 2005, “Tacking”.
And this hype is not brand new. The Embassy’s debut “Futile Crimes” was listed in every best of 2002 list you’d care to mention, and in 2005 it was voted no 3 of the 21:st centurury’s best 100 records by 100 Swedish music people, as reported on their label, Service, website. Wow…
After reading such great reviews, I thought I just needed to understand what was going on in Sweden at the moment. I ordered their last album, “Tacking”, and received it a couple of weeks ago. And well, I just can’t make up my mind. The Embassy are reminiscent of 1980s bands, from the more popular electropop combos such as Depeche Mode or the Pet Shop Boys (which is not bad, but can be, from time to time, kind of irritating), or more obscure and indie, like The Wake or the Razorcuts (which is just… great). Maybe it depends on the weather, the moon, the stuff I had for lunch, the beer I had the day before, but I can love or loathe this album – almost at the same time… I can easily share Avi Roig’s views when he writes in his review: “It’s not that it’s outright bad or anything, it’s just that it’s so painfully mediocre that I’m shocked people are getting excited about it”… But the day after, I can dance along with Johannna Smith: “it sounds like what would happen if Pet Shop Boys and Sarah Records had a child, or in this case – two children. Although you could read in a million and one influences into this, this record sounds NOW. Like all pop should, but almost never does. Service has an impressive track record, but this is their best release by far. Tacking oozes of greatness, from “Some indulgence” to “Was that all it was” to the artwork. Swedish pop has never been better than this. I’m just glad I’m around for the party.”
So I guess you’d better make up your own mind: listen to It Pays To Belong (from Tacking), It Never Entered My Mind, or The Pointer (both from Futile Crimes).
2006.01.04
— Music
I’m not sure which category this post is supposed to be filed under… I’m not even sure if it has to be written on Noisedfisk, but in my humble opinion, it’s part of Scandinavian culture after all. Here you go: a “car congestion tax” has just been introduced in Stockholm, as you probably know. Trängselskatt i Stockholm or Stockholmsförsöket is a traffic congestion and environmental tax that will be imposed on most vehicles in Stockholm during a trial period between January 3, 2006 and July 31, 2006. There will be a referendum in September 2006 for the residents of Stockholm municipality to decide whether to implement it permanently or not. The primary purposes of the congestion tax is to reduce traffic congestion and improve the environmental situation in central Stockholm.
It’s funny to remember that similar taxes have been introduced in the past few years in Scandinavia, especially in Norway (Trondheim, Oslo and Bergen) – I thought that London was the first to introduce this tax, but it’s far from being the case… It’s funny to read this article of the Copenhagen Post: the Copenhagen new Lord Mayor, Ritt Bjerregaard, supports this system that would charge motorists for driving into the city…
I guess it’s not the best nor the only solution, but I wish it could be introduced down here, in Paris. That would make cycling much safer and nicer…
Picture from Dcandido on Flickr.
