Ola Astrand, the artist and curator behind the exhibition catalog and compilation CD at hand (and whose own amazing work with the group Blodarna will be featured here in the coming weeks) has chosen to make this compendium available to all of our suggestible ears and for that we owe him some gratitude, as the music that accompanies this catalog (published by the Gothenburg Art Museum) proves to be a perfect crash course into some of the more peripheral and eccentric Swedish underground musical tangents explored over the course of the 10 year span covered by this survey. Ola's gift came complete with extensive liner notes by co-curator Andreas Hagstrom detailing the work of each contributor, so without further ado, I hand you over to him to give you all the particulars:
1. Thomas Tidholm & Hot Boys – Vansinnets Ballonger, 1974
Thomas Tidholm debuted as a poet in 1966 with the collection Försök att se. In1968, he became joined the group International Harvester. When he left the band the year after they changed its name to the Träd, Gräs och Stenar. Vansinnets Ballonger is taken from the LP Hot Sandwiches released on Silence. On the record, except Thomas Tidholm (vocals, guitar, violin, horns), are among his former band mates: Bo Anders Persson (piano, vocals, guitar), Jakob Sjöholm (Guitar), Catherine Abelli (fiddle, vocals), Stone Wallin (guitar), Thomas Gartz (drums, violin), Torbjörn Abelli (bass, violin) and Urban Yman (Accordion).
2. Radiomöbel – Vi hatar stenar, 1975
The group was founded in Lund in 1973 and consisted of the main musicians Andrus Kangro (Guitar), Carin Bohlin (vocals), Goran Andersson (Bass), Mikael Skoog (Drums) and Richard Moberg (Keyboard). Radiomöbels song Vi hatar stenar is at length a typical ambient proggsong, especially in its slow parts. But in the chorus the tempo is drawn up and also the frustration in the voice of the singer, and we can imagine the punk music that a few years later would land in Sweden. The fact that Radiomöbel instead becoma a symphonic rock band can also be heard in this track from 1975 published by the privately pressed LP Tramseböx recorded by Lars Schultz in Andrus basement in Lund.
3rd Fax - Svärdet, 1980
The group started playing together in 1978 and consisted of members from Malmo and Lund. Fax included Conny Malmqvist (vocals), Aldo Iskra (guitar), Fredrik Sundstrom (guitar), Rolf Gottfries (bass) and Hans Åkerhielm (percussion, keyboards and guitar). Their musical references were Kraftwerk and Iggy Pop, while the scenic apparence was inspired by glamorous and theatrical bands like Ultravox and Roxy Music. The band had no drummer, but used pre-recorded machinelike drum sounds or a rythmbox, and their lyrics romanticized about armed revolution. They disbanded in 1980. Svärdet is the only song by the gruop excisting on a recording which is the compilation LP Vykort från Malmö published by Amalthea 1980th
4.Rävjunk - Delirium (Raw version), previously unreleased, 1977
The group was formed in Uppsala in 1971 and was originally known Libbet Sväller. Delerium was recorded in March 1977. The group consisted of Chris Lindahl (guitar), Wilhelm Wallin (bass) and Peter Ericsson (drums). This krautlike song was never released on their first LP, Uppsala Stadshotell Brinner, which was published in 1977 at approximately 500 copies. As a band they are perhaps most remembered for later have had their track Bohman Bohman blacklisted by the Swedisch Radio after it was played on the radio program "New Wave.
5. Dom Dummaste – Sams Son, 1980
Dom Dummaste was founded in 1979 in Stockholm by Martin Rössel and Lars Cleveman. The song Sams son is from their first cassette, which they recorded 1980 during night time in the Electronic Music Studio in Stockholm. On the cassette named Lars Cleveman, Martin Rössel & Dom Dummaste whichwas released on the label Sista Bussen the musicians Henry Stawa (bass) and Anders Hernestam (drums) also attended. Later, a number of different musicians have been members of the band, among others, Olle Schedin, Nils Personne, Ralf Nygård, Hakan Soold, Caroline Frigren and Carl-Johan de Geer.
6. Global Infantilists – Sense of belonging, 1983
Global Infantilists was a band that originally consisted of Mare Kandre, Olle Schedin, Mats Wigerdal and Sven Ohlmann and in October 1981 they released a self-titled mini-LP on MNW. After a gig at the Ritz, which ended in total chaos, the band dissolved and Olle Schedin started playing with Dom Dummaste. But Olle and Mare reunited as a duo and they recorded the LP "A sense of Belonging” between April and August 1983 in MNW-studio. On this track Hakan Soold playes the acoustic guitar.
7. Ståålfågel – Hemma, 1980
The Stockholm band Ståålfågel began as a duo with Peter Brown and Erik Dell Fritjofson where the latter also played with Syster Lycklig. The duo recorded their first LP in September 1980 with producer Gregory Allan Fitzpatrick. The song Hemma is extracted from this self-titled LP that was released by the record company Slick, formerly called the Musiklaget. Later the band was joined by Kjell Fox on bass and also Anders Hernestam, who also played with Dom Dummaste and later Weeping Willows.
8. Porno Pop – Say Hello to Porno Pop, 1981
This single was recorded in 1981 in the studio Phototone on Hornsgatan in Stockholm and was released at Castor records the same year. Porno Pop consisted of many people, some who were only participating during concerts and others on the recordning. On this song, the band's only single, the band concisted of iodine Jupiter (vocals, guitar), Jarmo Lönnroth (vocals), Jackie Pazda (bass), Bjarne Zan (guitar) and John Weaver (synthesizers & other machines). On the B-side Peter Bagge played the guitar.
The cover of the single is based on an acrylic painting by iodine painted in 1979 which was presented at the exhibition Mixed Media Extravaganza at Gallery Medmera. The band members are photographed dressed in 1800 century costumes hired from Karl Gerhard's costume studio. For the album cover, photographed by Joseph Doukali, they hung a doll in front of the painting. Parts of the band were also members of the group Kitchen & the plastic spoons.
9. Svart – Ett steg över kanten, 1981
Svart was the duo Caiza Almén and Jan Svenungsson. The song Ett steg över kanten, which is included on the LP Gryning was released on Stranded in 1981 and was first recorded in the music studio Humlan on Humlegårdsgatan 17 in Stockholm in August 1981. At first it was just Caiza and Jan along with an analog Roland drum machine and Tony Dimauro at the mixing desk. Later in the fall, they continued to make additions to the recording in the studio Phototone together with Johan Vävare at the controls, and the musicians Chris Hillman (drums), Ola Jameson (drums), and Peter Eklund (guitar..The LP-cover consists of a photograph taken by Man Ray which includes his metronome with an eye called Object To Be Destroyed.
10. Allein – To whom do I pray, 1983
Allein from Gothenburg has been called Sweden's first goth band. They played together from 1981 to 1985 and consisted of Brandy Wahlén (vocals & guitar), who wrote all the text and music, Johanna Bonte (bass), Elisabeth Johnson (electric violin & vocals) and Charlie Börjesson, aka Let, (floor tom & vocals) . To Whom do I pray is taken from their first cassette Stabwounds and Perfume and was recorded by Hans Andersson and released in 1983 by themselves. Elizabeth also played bass in Camouflage, which was formed in Vänersborg back in 1981. Before Allein disbanded, they released a second cassette in 1984 entitled "On a wave of adrenalin” and Elisabeth and Brandy later formed the band La Solitude.
11. Hennes guldkantade byxor – Chili con Carne, 1983
The Malmö based band Hennes guldkantade byxor existed between 1979 to 1983. The song Chili con Carne which was recorded in 1983 and released on the cassette Sili-Tili on Bo Stefan Lundquist Styrsö-based company called Slask Cassettes that later became Slask Records. The band consisted of Kari Tissari (guitar), Bjorn Lagergren (drums), Lasse Meurling (Bass) and Uffe Carlsson (guitar & vocals).
12.Kabinet Död - Asfyxi, (previously unreleased)
Kabinet Död was an experimental band from Malmö that began playing together 1979. The original band consisted of Eva Sjuve (organ), Lars Magnar Enoksen (guitar), Ola Nilsson (drums) & Eva Clue Brusquini (vocals). The band insisted that they could only be experienced live and did never release any record. They have appeared on some bootlegs, but this is the first time they are released officially.
13. Cosmic Overdose – En av dom, 1981
En av dom is from Cosmic Overdose second and final LP 4668 which was released by Silence 1981. The band consisted of Dan Söderqvist, Ingemar Ljungström aka Charles Gasleben, Thomas Anderson aka Jimmy Cyclone, Kjell Karlgren aka Rainmaker and Thomas Anderson. Cosmic Overdose was an amalgamation of musicians from the bands Anna Själv Tredje and Älgarnas trädgård. After Cosmic Overdose disbanded Gasleben and Söderqvist continued as the duo Twice a Man.
14. Daniella Gordon – Perfect Parts, 1980
Perfect Parts was written in 1976 by Robert Di Matteo for Daniella Gordon when they both worked in San Francisco. The song, which back then usually only was accompanied by piano, was part of a cabaret show by the two that toured in The Bay Area. In Sweden Daniella Gordon rearranged the song together with Freddi Soderling and it was released by the Sonet Grammofon AB on a mini-LP by the same name as the song. On the track is Daniella (vocals), Freddi Soderling (guitar), Dag Lundqvist (drums), Björn Lundqvist (bass) and Ulf Wahlberg (synthesizers & producer). The album was recorded in Park Studio i Älvsjö.
15. DK – I förhållande till närvaro, 1984
DK was a group of artists, active in the 1980s, consisting of Inger Arvidsson, Katrin von Rettig, Lena Zachrisson and Amy Lindau. They had a gallery, did performance- and art festivals, and worked with various forms of audio works. The group had a pronounced radical collective idea. – I förhållande till närvaro, is a song by Amy Lindau, recorded at Studio Lane, Gothenburg, mixed by Per Giöbel and released by DK's self-pressed LP namned codex:midlothian/sluss hek..
16. Mercedes Prata - Hemmen får impulser (live version, previously unreleased) 1984
Hemmen får impulser was released on a EP by Mercedes Prata, with four tracks that were released in 1984 on the Danish label Replik Muzick. The band, who called their music electro-mechanical, formed in 1981 and the myth says that it occurred in a Mercedes. The group consisted of Ingvar Sjöberg (guitar), Bridget Morin (vocals), Tomas Lidén (saxophone), Max Book (bass) and a drum machine.
17. Kitchen and the plastic spoons – Fantastic, 1980
Kitchen & the plastic spoons began playing together in spring of 1980. The band consisted of Anne Taivan, today Larsson (vocals), Helena Lönnqvist (synthesizer), Iggo Karlsson, now Frost Andersen, (synthesizer), Jackie Pazda, today Huber Hofer (bass), Patrik Lindvall (guitar), iodine Jupiter (vocals) and Mats Wigerdal (drums), in which the latter had previously been a member of both the Global Infantilists and Porno Pop. The single, where this song was first released, was called Serve You! and were printed by the band itself in 300 copies and released 1980. The two songs were produced by John Vävare and was recorded in Studio Soundtrack in July 1980. A little later, the single was re-released, now with a different cover. The band broke up in November 1981 after releasing three EPs and contributed several songs to various compilations.
18. TV3 – Telefonterror, 1980
This song with the group TV3 was released on the label Slick in 1980. The band consisted of Gaby Markos (vocals), Matt Wickman (guitar), Ola Andersson aka Skox or Cox (bass) and Andreas Theva (drums) and they played together from spring 1979 to autumn of 1980. They also did a radio recording on Swedish Radio in Gothenburg on the radioshow Rundgång with Tommy Rander. The single Telefonterror was recorded at Studio Decibel, which was located at Slussen on Södermalm in Stockholm. Technichian for the recording was the producer, guitarist and studio musician Thommie Fransson, who among other things played with John Holmes and Ola Magnell. Parts of TV3 appeared later on Stranded Rekords record 37 minuter i Stockholm City as members of the bands Silhuetterna och Förrädarna and Ola Andersson produced the first LP by the band Lustans Lakejer.
19. Bruno K Öijer & Brynn Settels – Blå Bouquet, 1986
This track is taken from the LP Skugga kommer which the poet Bruno K Öijer recorded between 1985-1986 with Brynn Settels. Brynn who called himselves Bumpaberra when he played with Dag Vag. It is said that they spent 800 hours in the studio for this record. Musicians on the album, released on Mistlur in 1986, was among others Ulf Adåker (cow horn, trumpet), Tony Ellis (guitar) and Brian Ernryd (cornett).
20. Raj Hymans – En underbar sång (tidigare outgiven), 1976
The group started in 1975 under the name Raj Hymans besvärjelseorkester named after alto saxophonist Ray Hyman. The band consisted primarily of Dan Backman and Tore Persson with other musicians like Hakan Andersson. In a proggresiv psychedelic free jazz tradition, they created music until the 1990th, however, without releasing any records.
The CD is compiled by Andreas Hagstrom and Ola Astrand. Mastered by Isaac Edh on Nacksving.
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