It strikes me that though I've shared tunes from a couple of the many Kungens Män offshoots in recent months, I've neglected to feature anything from the band themselves for some time. Their latest release, 'Kungens Ljud & Bild' (The King's Sound and Image), was released digitally in May, though the vinyl only arrived fairly recently. The opener 'När Piskan Viner' (When the Whip Wins) blasts out of the gates in spectacular style. Check out and/or purchase the whole album on their Bandcamp page here.
My Instagram feed tells me that a few lucky souls around the world have already received the new Kungens Män LP, 'Kungens Ljud & Bild' (translates as The King's Sound & Vision). Here in the UK however, we're looking at the middle of June before the postman potentially comes-a-knocking with our copies. Fortunately for me (unfortunately for my bank account) the individual members of Kungens Män seem unable to sit still for very long, so almost inevitably there's a cracking recent release from one of their many other musical projects to enjoy while I wait.
Half of Kungens Män constitutes three quarters of Svenska Psykvänner (Swedish Psych Friends), whose debut album 'The Hägersten Sessions' was issued in the Summer of 2019. Their second release, 'Böjda Toner' (Curved Tones), arrived exactly a month ago. Highlights include the 11 minute opening salvo of bubbling motorik that is 'Ur Led' and 'Rökkpgausen', 16 minutes of prime psychedelic dub, Svenska Psykvänner's tribute to the late great Lee 'Scratch' Perry.
In mid-November, right at the point where the busyness level at work changed gear from simply hectic to full-on pre-Christmas panic, I started to feel a bit under the weather. Not Covid under the weather, but unusually fatigued and retreating to bed at 6 in the evening under the weather. I couldn't fathom it and soldiered on feeling grotty for four weeks until one evening when I removed my shirt and it all became clear. A vivid rash had appeared across my chest, which by the following morning snuck under my armpit and around onto my back - shingles. With the rash came searing pain to add to the fatigue. My doctor prescribed a course of 5 huge tablets a day on top of the regular painkillers I was consuming every four hours just to obtain some level of comfort. The long and the short of it is that I've been off work now for by far the longest period since catching mumps from a record shop customer in 1980! I'm well on the mend though and only mention all this to explain the tumbleweed that's been blowing around the corridors of this blog for some time. I return with a brief look at some of the music that has kept me going throughout 2021. Links to further information/listening in red.
A monthly EP project, which picked up where the 2020 album of the same name left off. A total of 48 tracks written, recorded and released across the past 12 months, featuring words and music inspired by feral animal sounds, ancient stories and personal folklore. I'm already dreading the empty space where an EP should be come the end of January.
The second LP of avant-mutant-disco from Glasgow's AMOR (this time made in conjunction with Norway's LEMUR) appeared way back in January. Since then Richard Youngs has released his usual steady stream of solo records throughout the year. I've managed to pick up up about half a dozen of them, but I'm sure I've missed many more.
In February Kungens Män put out a limited edition box set ('Innanför Boxen') containing four LPs previously only available digitally plus 'Den Nya Skivan', which helpfully translates as 'The New Record'. Providing we're all still here to tell the tale, the band are due back for some UK dates in April. Go see them, they will change your life.
As many of my oft-postponed concerts of the past 18 months finally started taking place this year, I found myself picking and choosing what to actually attend, passing on several and masking up for just a precious few. One of the essential shows was by the phenomenal Richard Dawson. There really is no-one like him on stage or on record and his recent collaboration with the Finnish group Circle sits easily amongst the best things I've heard in 2021.
With every successive release, Jack Cooper sheds a little more of his previous musical skins and now 'Island of Noise' finds almost all traces of Mazes and Ultimate Painting erased. A completely analogue project, 'Island of Noise' was record onto 2" tape, is available only on vinyl and is housed within a box with an accompanying booklet all of which were manufactured using recycled and sustainable materials. Admirable though these details are, they'd mean little if the music itself wasn't so rich and rewarding.
An absolutely majestic debut duo album from Christina and Alex, who also play in a trio with steel guitarist Noel Dashwood. 'Hunter' is only the first of two lockdown projects from Alden & Patterson to arrive, the second, their first child, is due in February.
This brief overview of standout records released over the past twelve months is not in any order of personal preference, though if I had decided to reveal its contents in a TOTP chart countdown format, 'Descension (Out of Our Constrictions)' would unquestionably be my No.1 album. Recorded live, it's a single, hypnotic, 75 minute piece, spread across four sides of vinyl. Genre defying.
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I'll leave you with Beak's wonderfully sinister festive offering from back in 2017, 'Merry Xmas (Face the Future)'. Compliments of the season everyone - here's to better times ahead.
On Friday evening, I did something that in years gone by I would regularly do three or four times per week. Now, doing it just the once was completely exhausting. Where did I ever find the energy back in the day? I'm talking, in case there's any confusion, about making a 150 mile round trip to see a gig. The mighty Kungens Män paid a brief return visit to these shores last week, something I knew that I couldn't miss out on, even though it arrived in the middle of a run of early shifts at work. The band were every bit as dynamic, intense and far-out as the first time I caught them in December 2019, back when the world was a very different place indeed. After that first gig a couple of years ago, I had only a quick chat with the band after their set, so it came as a bit of a surprise at the conclusion this latest show when guitarist Mikael Tuominen came up and greeted me by name. Mikael plays in four bands; Kungens Män, Fanatism, Automatism and Eye Make The Horizon, all of whom are well represented in my record collection, as well as working on his own project Solitär. He also, along with fellow Kungens Män members, has a full time job back in Sweden. He's a busy guy, yet he not only took the time to stop and talk, but remembered my name from that one short meeting two years ago, remarkable.
As regular readers will know, the mighty Kungens Män and their many offshoots have become regular fixtures in my house and on these pages over the past few years. 'Trappmusik', their most recent long player, was issued in February and in September Automatism (¾ of whom also play in Kungens Män) release their second full length effort, 'Immersion'. At the time of typing, only 32 of the of the 300 white vinyl limited edition LPs remain unspoken for on their Bandcamp page, so if you like the sound of 'Heatstroke #2', you'd best get you skates on.
Back in 2013 the mighty Kungens Män (then only a year old) embarked on a project to release an album of downloadable music per month for a whole year, though for reasons best known to themselves, they actually kicked off the series in October, concluding it in September 2014. Therefore April's entry, 'Ny våg', is technically the 7th volume, but, call me old fashioned, I started this series in the logical place, at the beginning of the year! (For all kinds of reasons, I didn't get around to posting anything from the March release, but I plan to double back and feature it at a later date.)
The title of April's album translates as 'New Wave' and it's crammed with the usual top notch noodly improvised psych that we've come to know and love from the band. Kungens Män released a superb brand new double LP, 'Trappmusik' earlier this year and offshoot projects Automatism and Fanatism were also beavering away in the studio before the current situation put proceedings on hold, so hopefully there's plenty more of the good stuff to come in due course.
All 46 minutes of 'Ny våg' are available here for a 'name your own price' contribution. Today's selection from it translates as 'Fuss Comforter'.
Back in 2013 the mighty Kungens Män (then only a year old) decided to release an album of downloadable music per month for a whole year, though for reasons best known to themselves, they actually kicked off the series in October, concluding it in September 2014. Therefore February's's entry, 'Februari: Kungens Män kräver förändring', is technically the 5th volume, but, call me old fashioned, I started in the logical place, at the beginning of the year!
The title of February's album translates as 'The King's men demand change' and it's crammed with the usual top notch improvised psych that we've come to know and love. Kungens Män released two official LPs in 2019, as well as a slew of additional music from a bewildering amount of offshoot projects, many of whom have already graced these pages and all of which are worthy of your further investigation. With barely a pause for breath, a brand new Kungens Män double LP, 'Trappmusik', will be with us within the week. You can still pre-order a copy here, should you feel so inclined. Fear not though, I shall no doubt be reporting back with my thoughts on the record in due course.
Meanwhile, all 36 minutes of 'Kungens Män kräver förändring' are available here for a 'name your own price' contribution. My favourite tune from it translates as 'Hairy Eyes'.
Back in 2013 (seven years ago!), the mighty Kungens Män decided to release an album of downloadable music per month for a whole year, though for reasons best known to themselves, they actually kicked off the series in October, concluding it in September 2014. Therefore January's entry, 'Januari - Kungens Män glor på skor', is actually the 4th volume, but, call me old fashioned, the first month of the new year is where I'm starting!
The title translates as 'The King's men glare at shoes'....and why not? For fellow lovers of improvisational psych, interspersed with all manner of other cosmic influences, I can't recommend the band highly enough and it was one of the true joys of 2019 to finally catch them in concert. Kungens Män released two official LPs last year, as well as music from a bewildering amount of offshoot projects, many of whom have already featured on these pages and all of which are worthy of your further investigation. With barely a pause for breath, there is apparently yet more new music on the way quite soon. My credit card is on standby.
All 48 minutes of 'Kungens Män glor på skor' is available here for a 'name your own price' contribution.
After several years of banging on about them to anyone who would listen (including many times on these pages), I caught a show on Kungens Män's first ever UK tour last week and they were quite simply transcendent. The Swedish six-piece played five extended tunes, each one blooming slowly from subtle beginnings into gloriously intricate cosmic walls of sound - high on improvisation, but perfectly paced and judged. Honestly, I could've stood there all night and still have asked for more. My gig of the year, without a doubt.
After the show I chatted with members of the band, who were genuinely touched by the reception they'd received from the UK audiences. I marvelled at their prodigious output over the past twelve months; two Kungens Män albums, not to mention several other releases by various side projects that have helped ensure that my bank balance has struggled to stay in the black throughout 2019. It was then that they let slip that not only do they all have day jobs, but some of them have families too. Such is their work rate, I'd never even considered the possibility that the individual band members would be able to find time for a life outside of music.
Kungens Män are intent on returning to these shores in 2020. If they come to your town, I strongly advise that you cancel all plans and get to the gig. You can thank me later.
To coincide with the release of 'Hårt Som Ben', their second LP of 2019, the mighty Kungens Män will be undertaking a short UK tour in December. I've featured the band (plus offshoots and side projects) several times in the past, but have not been lucky enough to see them play live - until now. To say that I'm excited at the prospect would be to understate the case to a frankly laughable degree. I'm beside myself and the show is still nearly a month in the future. It's a 3½ hour round trip to the venue, immediately following a 6am-3pm shift at work, but I can't think of a better way to conclude my gig-going year. Expect further ravings in due course.
'Undre Inre Yttre Rymden' (translates as 'Lower Inner Outer Space') is taken from the 2016 Kungens Män LP 'Stockholm Maraton'.
Swedish four-piece Automatism share core members with other favourites of this parish Kungens Män and Fanatism, though their overall musical approach is somewhat lighter and more spacious than either of those bands. 'From the Lake', Automatism's debut LP, was released last Summer on Tonzonen Records - physical and digital copies are available here. The album's centrepiece 'Propeller Propulsion' is a 12 minute chugger, to borrow a Swiss Adam descriptor.
For a number of reasons, my head hasn't really been in the blogging game for some time now. Having said that, over at Before the Streets Were Aired (my other place), I'm just about to sail through the 1100 consecutive daily posts mark - where did that time go? Meanwhile, here on the good ship Unthought of Though Somehow, I'm doing my best to keep the blighter afloat by joining in with the weekly Monday Long Song fun, at the very least. Where to from here? I couldn't really say right at the moment.
I can say that it's been a very good year for music though. At the end of both 2016 and 2017 I bemoaned the fact that I'd spent the previous 12 months listening to more old music than new, but I'm pleased to report that that particular trend has reversed in 2018 and I ended up with a long-list of around 40 albums to choose from for selection in this year's round-up. Tomorrow I might pull a slightly different handful of records from the shelves, but for now, for today, (in alphabetical order) here are twelve of the many LPs that rocked my world in 2018. I've included a few tunes at the end, but click on the individual links to learn/hear more.
AMOR - Sinking Into a Miracle The first of two Richard Youngs related releases on this list, both issued within the past month. The Glasgow collective follow their incendiary pair of 2017 12" singles with a stonking debut LP. Mutant disco anyone?
The Coke Dares - Fake Lake 35 superbly crafted songs, bursting with more ideas than many bands can boast in the course of an entire career.
Kiki Pau - Hiisi From melancholic pastoral loveliness to full-on poly-rhythmic wigouts and beyond, interspersed with occasional soothing birdsong interludes - what's not to love?
Massage - Oh Boy Do you, like me, love bands like The Feelies, The Go-Betweens & The Clean and music released on labels like Sarah Records and Flying Nun? Of course you do, in which case you'll probably love 'Oh Boy' too.
Brigid Mae Power - The Two Worlds A remarkable album that creates and inhabits its own universe. Gothic, hymn-like, confessional and fairly harrowing in places.
Alasdair Roberts - What News Another year, another remarkable Alasdair Roberts LP. His first of solely traditional songs since 2010.
Richard Youngs - Memory Ain't No Decay Only issued last week, the 5th of Richard's eight 2018 releases I've picked up this year - and it's very possibly the best of the lot. I've already pre-ordered his next LP, due in January.
A year ago tomorrow, I finally got off my arse. After 30 years at the coalface of customer service, 28 of those in some form of management position, I walked away in 2011 and spent the next 6 years clicking about online, trying unsuccessfully to make a living. The break was only ever meant to be a stopgap to allow me to get over Mum's death and de-stress, but time drifted by. Last Summer, I bagged a temporary position at our local supermarket. Four 4 hour shifts per week, just about enough to cover the monthly bills. My first day was August 25th. The job is very straightforward and was immediately enjoyable. I replenish stock, handle reductions & waste and generally assist customers. Within weeks my hours were substantially increased and my contact was amended to a permanent position. Now I not only cover bills, but also chip away at a few debts and can afford the odd treat - usually in the form of music or artisan coffee. Crucially, I have no responsibilities. I go in, work bloody hard for 8 or 9 hours, then go home. It's bliss. My boss's boss approached me a couple of months ago to commend my work ethic and gauge my long term ambitions within the company. 'I'm 58' I replied. 'I'm working with nice people and doing a job I genuinely enjoy. At this point in my life, what more is there?'
'The Future Past' by Fanatism is one of my more recent treats. The Stooges meet Ennio Morricone while listening to Can.....in Sweden. It's the debut LP from a band that includes members of Kungens Män and Automatism, other firm favourites of this parish. Dig in and enjoy.
It's late Sunday evening. We've just arrived home, I'm impossibly tired and typing this in an effort to stay upright until a somewhat respectable hour. My return to work is less than 48 hours away following a break that didn't go according to plan at all, though was pretty darned hectic nonetheless. I had very little opportunity to check out record shops while on my travels and Lord knows I'm no Charity Chic when it comes to rooting out the bargains, but I was quietly ecstatic to unearth a physical copy of 'Bränna Tid' (translates as 'Burn Time') by Sweden's finest, Kungens Män. It's a limited edition CD-R (one of only 60 copies made!) released in early 2017 by the band as a stop gap between their 'Stockholm Maraton' and 'Dag & Nat' albums. 40 minutes of music across three extended psych-tastic workouts. When I saw it tucked in the middle of the reductions bin of a Bethnal Green second hand store last week, I had to stifle a squeal of delight. £2.99? Take my money!
The wall of space-rock noise that constitutes 'Third War Three' appears to be the overall fan favourite from this release, but me, I'm just obsessed with the 14½ minutes of melodic meanderings that is 'K-rauta'.
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