And they say - live at cafe mic 28/12/09

This was a special improvisation show that we had for friends and foes this Monday. It was a fun show, but we scared almost all of the 100+ attending the night (we played shortly after a acoustic Christmas show). They clearly got sick of the music and the two movies we showed in front of the stage. The movies showed were Ichi the killer and Perfect blue (both which was in black and white, without sound and with Finnish and Greek subtitles). My lovely girlfriend Sara also contributed with two paintings that we had on stage (together with Christmas trees, smoke machines and other decorations).

The show is split into 9 parts that lasts around one hour. It will also be released on cassette and cd at a later point. Limited of course.

And they say was at this show:

Oscar Forsman - radio manipulation/recorder
Samuel Svensson - keyboard/sound manipulation
Johan Blixt - vocals/percussion
Rickard Markström - guitar/sound manipulation/presentation

Download here: www.mediafire.com/?knnmnljmfye

Watch here: www.youtube.com/user/surgubben (there are 3 parts up)

Affordable hybrid

This is another great band from my hometown Vänersborg. They started in 2003 as a Post-hardcore/punk band, but later incorporated indie and experimental pop stuff on recent efforts. Most of their work are in the line of great acts such as: Fugazi, Drive like jehu and At the drive-in. You should get this right away, because they're damn good. Enjoy!

Myspace: www.myspace.com/affordablehybrid
Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/affordable+hybrid

Download discography: www.mediafire.com/?w2g0yjnmgh4

And they say - Hgi-9884

And they say is my own personal musical project, that I use for many different genre approaches. This is for instance a ambient/drone/noise record that I'll also release on cassette at my upcoming show on the 28th. It'll be a handmade cassette edition limited to 20 copies with silver covers, featuring artwork by my girlfriend Sara. I would love if you take the time to hear it.

Hgi-9884 is the name of a dying blue hypergiant star. The record showcase the last year of the star, with each song telling different segments and feelings of the star. I guess you can call it my soundtrack to a dying star.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/andtheysayband

Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/andtheysay

Download here: www.mediafire.com/?ijyahadgzfn (check the tracks, so that they are in the right numbers)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's Despair

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has his hands in many different projects and musical genres. While being most known for his "main" band The mars volta together with Cedric Bixler Zavala, he has also released around 16 solo albums under several different constellations since 2004. This works are mostly towards the prog genre, but a little now and then he releases more obscure works like his album with Jeremy Michael Ward (that I recently uploaded here), and also one titled Despair. Despair was recorded with field recording equipment during Omar's stay in Israel 2007. It features chants from the different religions occupied in Jerusalem and also other objects within the town, that he later experimented with in the studio (just like the Jeremy album). The album cover is upside down, something that has made many speculate. It turns out that each track is indeed backwards, so fans decided to fix this by making a reverse version. According to me both versions are great in their own ways. The regular backward version is filled with a more calm and soft atmosphere, while still being harsh around the edge. The reverse version is much more of a creep fest. A perfect eerie mood record that I highly recommend!

Myspace: www.myspace.com/rodriguezlopezproductions
Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/omar+rodriguez-lopez

Download regular backward version: www.mediafire.com/?3wanm2neqyq

Download reverse version: www.mediafire.com/?jgyzzodwzty

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Jeremy Michael Ward

This record was a collaboration between Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and his close friend Jeremy Michael Ward that took place shortly after Omar left cult post-hardcore band At the drive-in and began The mars volta in 2001. It features field recordings of various objects, activites and people that they later messed with in the studio. Jeremy died of an drug overdose in 2003, only a month before The mars volta released their first full length record Deloused in the comatorium (that featured lots of Jeremy's sound manipulations). I actually never think it was supposed to be released at first, but with Jeremy's death you can see the relase (it came out in 2008) as a tribute to Jeremy from Omar. All in all it's a noise classic that you shouldn't miss.

Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/omar+rodriguez+lopez+jeremy+michael+ward

Download: www.mediafire.com/?ignmjmnityz

Halo of pendor

Daniel Öhman is involved in many great bands that I admire. He plays guitar in post-rock band EF, indie band Convoj and was lead singer in now defunct Hardcore band When we fall (all of which is great). He also has a minimalism/experimental project called Michailov that are currently doing music for an German art movie with fellow EF member Thomas Torsson (which I have yet to hear). But now it's time for his beautiful solo project that is Halo of pendor. I've been a fan for over a year now, and I truly love his work. The music is filled with emotions and mellow soundscapes blendning simple guitars, drum beats and samples to create harmony. This is a perfect relax record, that I hope you give a chance.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/haloofpendor

Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/halo+of+pendor

Download his self titled album: www.mediafire.com/?lwjoymxyzz

Boris

Drone/punk/experimental/noise/psychedelica/stoner/lo-fi rock act from Japan formed in 1992. Known for their constant genre switching between albums, bassist/rythm guitarist Takeshi's double headed bass guitar (with one bass and one guitar neck) and work with Sunno))), Merzbow and several other drone/noise acts. Fantastic band that holds a great standard on all their records and the genres they incorporate. Don't miss out on them!

The records I'll upload is Akuma no uta which is a stoner/noise rock album and Vein which is divided into a noise/drone side and a hardcore/lo-fi side. If you want more I'll gladly fix it.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/borisdroneevil
Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/boris

Download Akuma no uta: www.mediafire.com/?iz0krwlth2i

Download Vein: www.mediafire.com/?5ezmko3a2gt

The skull defekts

Here we have another great Swedish act similar to Knife and ape in some ways. Like the apes they have their ground (the little they have) in post-punk and then they do these monstrous experiments on top of it. Killing the whole industry with this amazing formula consisting of everything between heavy drone to kraut rock with groovy ritual drumming. Since the story began in Göteborg 2005, they've released over 20 records/ep's/splits and more is on the way. They have also worked together with Damo Suzuki (of Can fame) and Sewer election (another great Swedish noise act from Göteborg). One of my big findings this year, so a big recommendation on this one!

Myspace:www.myspace.com/skulldfx
Lastfm: www.last.fm/music/the+skull+defekts

Download Blood spirits & drums are singing: www.mediafire.com/?nelxdwjjiu0

Download The drone drug: www.mediafire.com/?mndnqmlzltw

Download The temple: www.mediafire.com/?mzm4iklwgwy

Enemies

Great post/math rock from England. Got their first ep from the drummer in Blakfish (he was stoned and gave it away for free) this spring, and it's a lovely piece of art. Mellow but technical guitars melt together with refreshing structures. Enjoy!

Myspace: www.myspace.com/enemiestheband
Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/enemies

Download Alpha waves: www.mediafire.com/?1zqjijmiunm

Writing hiatus

I've been pretty busy for a while now, and therefore the lack of uploads. I'll try to do better during this month. More Screamo and Post-rock to come in December with other words!

Take care
/ Rickard

Projects with JB

This is two projects that I have with my friend Johan Blixt. Both are focusing on representing the emotion anxiety. We actually watch graphic videos of murders, slaughter, torture and beheadings, just to come in contact with that raw feeling of watching what humanity is capable of. We then use the feelings to put it down in these two projects called Sollicitudo and High texture resolution.

Sollicitudo is a dark electro meets noise project while High texture resolution is more towards indie with post-rock, lo-fi, ambient and noise elements. Check it out if you like, but have in mind that nothings done yet. We'll see what happens in the future with these projects.

High texture resolution: www.mediafire.com/?wnwgndyzz03

Sollicitudo: www.mediafire.com/?nzyzlmzlljt

######Noise map######

I'll give a brief on what's going on.

I have a new internet connection now, that's slower. Which will probably make the uploads suffer a tad bit.

I had a wonderful weekend, especially the screamo/hardcore gig that I arranged at Friday (with Echo, echo, landscape!, If footmen tire you, what will horses do?, Meleeh and Suis la lune). Probably one of the years best shows, if not the best! Did a duet with Jon on Echo's song Andas, which was great fun. Just hope I did a good performance. Malysz Johan did great Vegan pie, with lots of spicy tofu. Saturday was more of a chill out day. Hanged out with my good friends Oscar and Aron, they are crazy dudes (and if you're from Sweden, you have to check out their radio show Noise map, which I'll talk more in the next topic). Sunday was also relaxing, me and Sara slept till 2 am, ate falafel and then she had to take the train home for school. Sucks more then 3000 miles to graceland, ass movie.

This week I'll have my first solo show ever, and also the second show under the name And they say. This will be happening on Saturday, and it'll be a show together with great friends Echo, echo, landscape!, If footmen tire you, what will horses do? and Sancta poenas (which is Dvala's first drummer Jimmy's band). I really look forward to do the gig, to finally be able to let out everything once again. I should really play live more often. Also my crazy dude Oscar from the radio show Noise map will do a phone interview with me, talking about my inspiration for writing the kind of music I do and so on. Maybe we'll talk about squares. I would like that. The interview will then be broadcast under one of their upcoming shows (in Swedish of course).

So as I've mentioned Noise map a few times now, so let's talk a bit more about this radio show that my friends in Lund hosts. Noise map is a radio show focusing on mostly noise music, but also other genres that has a lot to do with noise and other really cool stuff like the wood. It's made by Aron and Oscar, two crazy dudes that once lived in my hometown Vänersborg. This autumn they left to study in Lund, which is about 4 hours south from here. Suddenly they got this wonderful idea to do a radio show with noise elements, on Radio AF. They post all old episodes on the net, and every Tuesday 11 am(Swedish time) it's live. Not much more to say then that noise dudes and gals out there should check it (even if they talk in Swedish, they still play great music).

Go here for noise map: http://radio.af.lu.se/program/noisemap

Knife and ape

I hold this band as one of the finest coming from Sweden. Their sound can be described as "a mentally ill Joy division that has plugged itself into an old rusty computer who bleeds electronica". They began sometime around 2004 in the north Swedish town Piteå, and has since released two 7"s (which one is a splits with Dialog cet, released 2004 and 2005), a 12" split with Alarma man (2006), Hex (2006), Night touch (2008) and a 30min single named Class war (2009).

Myspace: www.myspace.com/knifeandape
Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/knife+and+ape

Download first album Hex: www.mediafire.com/?jlmz2wjn4ny

Download second album Night touch and Class war: www.mediafire.com/?i5gtmnmgnmr

Moloken live at cafe mic

Today I will be absent from the net while arranging a sludge/metal/hardcore show here in Vänersborg with great sludge band Moloken as headliner. I will also meet an friend, buy clothes for tomorrows funeral, eating great vegan food at mic and there is also a chance that my girl Sara will come by! What a great day, I hope you get one yourself!

(Some assholes were ripping down my "fine" posters around town, I just don't get it)

Strafe statt lösung

I know two things about this artist. One: he's (or they) from Switzerland. Two: you should get this!

If I would give a personal input on the sound it would be something like: "100 doors frenetically closing and opening at the same time, with dramatic ambient synths mixed together with field noise, calm death screams and winter landscapes in the background".

Myspace: Haven't found any space for this artist

Lastfm: www.last.fm/music/Strafe+statt+L%C3%B6sung

Download album: www.mediafire.com/?noigxzkldny

Years passing

This is the ambient/lo-fi solo project of Henning Runolf from Suis la lune. I bought this on cassette (which was limited to 50ex), at a Suis show during the summer. It turned out to be so damn good that my girlfriend even "stole" the cassette! This is without a doubt one of the years best records. Pure beauty that makes you cry.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/yearspassingmusic
Lastfm: www.last.fm/music/Years+passing

Download the album here: www.mediafire.com/?lglz4im0zfa

Solander

Indie band originally from Göteborg, now operating in Malmö. Not much information out on this band, but I know that Fredrik (vocals, guitar) is the maestro creating all music. They recently did a little tour here in Sweden to promote their first album, and that's when I got this. The music is really soft and nice, including cello, banjo, clarinet and also few hints of post-rock (in the structure). A great and fun mix with other words!

Myspace: www.myspace.com/solandersweden
Lastfm: www.last.fm/music/Solander

Download their debut album: (will post new link later)

Was she cold?

My grandmother passed away yesterday, so sorry for taking it easy with the updates! Though I did manage to get my hands on a new artist.

I was at a show at the local library, with a band named Solander. Beautiful indie pop, with a small touch of post-rock without all explosions. Really cool use of electric-cello, clarinet and banjo. Will be uploading it later today if everything's going according to plan! Don't miss it.

Erik Levander

I'll let this typo from lastfm do the introduction:

*In a single song you will be able to hear the aftermath of digital ragnarok intervened by divine haunting melodies and a new world rising up in the horizon built upon a weave of lush bleeps and brittle stutter*

Erik is a swedish guy who sometimes do music according to himself. Sounds like Nebulo with a touch of noise, awesome mix if you ask me. I'll thank my friend Torpahallen for this!

Myspace: www.myspace.com/levander
Lastfm: www.last.fm/music/Erik+Levander

Download his second album Kondens: www.mediafire.com/?rt1niuytezn

Nebulo

Nebulo is Thomas Pujols, a French composer creating beautiful ambient music with touches of idm, glitch and electronica. Not very well known at all, which irritates me. Don't miss this whatever you do. One of my big musical finds this year, and maybe one of yours to!

Myspace: www.myspace.com/nebulo
Lastfm: www.last.fm/music/Nebulo

Download first album Kolia: www.mediafire.com/?ynbzinwmmdy

*More will come when I get my hands on it!*

Suis la lune

Swedish screamo band, who has since their start in early 2005 made some of the best music the genre has to offer. Henning Runolf (guitar, vocals) is the mastermind, writing all music and lyrics. Saw them live earlier this year, and it was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. They were that good. Now I'm setting up a show for them in November, and it's going to be awesome to see them again. Not much more to say, so I'll let the music talk for itself. It's truly beautiful.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/suislalune
Lastfm: www.last.fm/music/Suis+La+Lune

Download their discography: www.mediafire.com/?morz1tgn5jy

If footmen tire you, what will horses do?

Here's another great screamo act from Sweden. Formed in Örebro 2007, by Andreas (bass, vocals), Rickard (guitar, vocals) and David (drums, vocals). Released their first demo at their first concert on September 13th 2008, playing together with Suis la lune. Has since continued playing small shows around southern Sweden and recently got their first ep out, named "Viskningar och rop" (cries and whispers in english). I really liked the demo when I first came across it earlier this year, but what I love is the new ep. They play screamo with a more experimental touch, sounding like post-metal pioneers Isis at places mixed with dirty hardcore skramz. I really look forward to hear more from them.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/iffootmen
Lastfm: http://www.lastfm.se/music/If+Footmen+Tire+You%2C+What+Will+Horses+Do%3F

Download their demo and ep: www.mediafire.com/?geyof2mjzzz

Echo, echo, landscape!

First screamo band out on the blog, and a really good start if you ask me. Echo is the birth child of Jon Danielsson (drums, vocals), formed in the Swedish town Karlstad 2006. At this point it was more of a side project then a real band, something that would change in 2009 when they become a full band, got their first ep "Det var oundvikligt" out and played their first live shows together with If footmen tire you, what will horses do? and the well known screamo act Suis la lune (both also from Sweden). I saw them live with Suis la lune, and it was definitely a great second show. With more time and routine, they can become something big in the genre. Check this out now!

Myspace: www.myspace.com/echolandscape
Lastfm: www.last.fm/music/Echo%2C+Echo%2C+Landscape%21

Download their ep: www.mediafire.com/?ru4mjntm2mz

Hazelnut, white bread = great

Just got home from a meeting at the cafe. It turned out great. My upcoming screamo show with "Suis la lune", "Meleeh", "Echo, echo, landscape!" and "If footmen tire you, what will horses do?" on november 6th is going according to plan. Every act is awesome, and I hope that folks will come do see this.

I'll be uploading something with every act for you to hear.

Recently ate some bread with hazelnut cream on, marvelous for the mouth, bad for the teeth. Going to try make some cookies out of it, recipe will be up at the blog if it succeeds. Wish me luck!

The evpatoria report

Here we have something really beautiful. The evpatoria report is a post-rock band from Switzerland, who started in 2002. Named after the Ukrainian city Evpatoria, where the location of Ukraine's space agency is. Space is a theme that's common in many of their songs. For example: Taijin Kyofusho features radio communications between the space shuttle Columbia and ground control before it exploded in space in February 2003. All I can say is that their music is just as epic as space, and that's a lot. They are currently on hiatus, but I'll be welcoming their

comeback when it happens, and so should you.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/theevpatoriareport
Lastfm: www.last.fm/music/The+Evpatoria+Report

Download their first ep and album: www.mediafire.com/?ftzqmetncyh

Download their second album: www.mediafire.com/?jtz1iex2wdj

Malysz

Malysz is a great Swedish post-rock act from my hometown Vänersborg. Don't miss this if you enjoy other post-rock bands such as September malevolence.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/malyszzz

Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/malysz

Download ep: www.mediafire.com/?n1mdmmtoydu

Download album: www.mediafire.com/?tzn42izhiuu

Dvalà

This is my post-rock bands debut ep. Recorded in April but recently released on the net. I hope you enjoy it.

For more info go here:

Myspace: www.myspace.com/dvalaswe
Lastfm: www.lastfm.com/music/dvalà

Download: www.mediafire.com/?knyy01yjygj

Introduction

This is a blog that will mostly be a spectre for me to move in and out from, including music both written by me and others I respect as artists. Uploads of great screamo, post-rock, ambient and noise acts. I will also give away vegan recipes, talk about solar storms, cat killers and shows I arrange at a local cafe. I welcome you all to this blog, and hope you welcome me.

/ Rickard