BJÖRN EHRLING – Utan gräns (YTF, 1976)

  
Swedish vocals, a cappella
International relevance: *

Visa singer Björn Ehrling is previously represented here with his second and final album ”Frihetens fantomer” from 1978. ”Utan gräns” is highly political as shown by Swedish versions of the anti-fascist ”Los Gallos” and the oft-recorded ”Venceremos”. The album has a Spanish and Chilean slant, but there are also songs of Soviet, East German and Swedish origins. The best song however is ”Till Allende” written by Troels Trier from Danish agitprop band Røde Mor.

”Utan gräns” is mostly a singer/songwriter (or visa) album but it has a few proggish features thanks to Björn J:son Lindh's and session drummer Claes Wang's presence. Final track ”Uppmuntran” even has some spacey electric piano effects. It's a tolerable album overall, especially coming from the overtly political side, but it's a long, long way from essential.

Full album playlist 

ENERGIOPERANS KÖR & ORKESTER – Den femte naturkraften (Lilla Räven, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This is the most unusual anti-nuclear album I've heard. A real one-off thing on a private, one-off label. The music were made for a street theatre performance in 1980 called "Energioperan" and involved 23 musicians and 46 singers, collectively known as ”The Energy Opera's Choir & Orchestra” in translation. The best known names are probably Anita Livstrand (Vargavinter, Bitter Funeral Beer Band, solo), Margareta Söderberg (Arbete & Fritid) and Catarina Abelli (Hot Boys, and Torbjörn Abelli's half sister -- she also did the cover art for this album).

It ought to be a well established fact that I have serious problems with political albums where a thousand singers insist on singing their slogans all at once, and true that ”Den femte naturkraften” (=”the fifth force”) has its share of appalling tracks. But a fair bit of it is actually rather captivating. The choir provides an ethereal feel to some of the numbers, and a few selections are really toned down with Oriental and Balkan folk shadings. Especially the bewitching ”Siarens sång”, sung and co-written by Anita Livstrand with a snaky melody framed by flute, tablas and 'acid folk' acoustic guitars. (I don't like that term, but it's highly applicable here.)

So if you navigate past the odd rock track and one or two dreadful political shouties, there's quite a few moments well worth investigating here. And with an Anita Livstrand runaway track like ”Siarens sång”, it's definitely worth spending some loose change on it. 

No links found

EMIGRANTORKESTERN – Nylonrock och mollskinn (Folksång, 1982)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Emigrantorkestern's first album had some documentary value, but it's hard to find any value at all in their second one. Way too heavy on the humour, ”Nylonrock och mollskinn” sounds like a free-for-all between Skäggmanslaget, Grus I Dojjan and Aston Reymers Rivaler. Best track is the melancholy ”Gengångare”, but that is completely overshadowed by an idiotic rock'n'roll pastiche, fake cajun and plastic bluegrass. And oh, it was released on Fria Proteatern's label Folksång. That surely didn't help their cause.

Two album tracks were also released as a single, and Emigrantorkestern made one further album, "Rårivet" in 1983.

Full A side  
Full B side 

LASSE ENGLUND – Den andra depressionen (Alternativ, 1977)

 
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: **

Lasse Englund's second and final album for Kjell Höglund's Alternativ imprint, following two years after his lovely debut ”Drakväder”. During that time, Englund broadened his musical palette, adding influences from African and Caribbean music, rock, jazz, and contemporary singer/songwriters to the folk baroque stylings that made ”Drakväder” such a sweet and delicate album. It's an admittedly more diverse album, which is another way of saying less focused. I really appreciate Englund as an acoustic guitarist steeped in the tradition of the great British fingerpickers, and while there are a couple of short examples of that on ”Den andra depressionen”, they're too few and far inbetween. Englund is neither the most distinctive songwriter (or cover chooser), nor the most engaging singer, so leaving his strictly instrumental work for songs with vocals isn't his best move for a winsome record. ”Den andra depressionen” is nice and pleasant but forgettable.

Worth noting is that Kjell Höglund wrote lyrics to four of the songs, while Turid provides backing vocals to one track.

No links found 

PETER ERICSON – Rouge (Piglet, 1980)

 

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Ex-singer/guitarist of Mobben and sometimes known as Peter R. Ericson. This was his first album released under his own name, but using three backing bands, Uppsala Rouge, Åby Hot Rats and the better known Teddybjörn Band. Released on the ever unpredictable Piglet, this is one of the label's most straightforward rock albums. Most of it isn't very good, but it does have a couple of songs that are above the rest. ”Så ska vi vinna” has a hard driving Bo Diddley-like beat and an urgency that I can't help but falling for. The second notable track is ”Söta Klara (La Luna)” which is a most unexpected two chord garage psych paraphrase with prominent organ.

Less surprisingly, there's some good guitar playing here as Ericson was a driven axe slinger who later joined brilliant rock singer/songwriter Anders F. Rönnblom's band. He has released several more solo albums.

Full album playlist 

BABATUNDE TONY ELLIS – No Place To Run (MNW, 1979)

English vocals, other languages
International relevance: **

Tony Ellis was a member of Peps Blodsband on their ”Spår” album from 1978, and he made his solo album debut the following year. Most of the Blodsband is present here including Peps Persson himself, with the addition of Per Tjernberg (Archimedes Badkar) and Hassan Bah (Kebnekajse). It's an all reggae effort with the occasional African element, pretty much like a lesser Peps Blodsband album with a different singer. Mostly original songs but there's also a good cover of Johnnie Clarke's wonderful ”Roots Natty Roots Natty Congo” (also covered in Swedish by Mikael Ramel) and a version of the dull ”Sitting In The Park” made famous by Georgie Fame. One of the highpoints is the slowed down version of "Punky Reggae", originally on "Spår" but better in this moody take. 

”No Place To Run” has its ups and downs but it's a decent album overall. And it's much better than the pretty terrible 1981 follow-up ”Change Will Come”. Live album ”Red Hot And Live” was released in 1983.

There was also a 12” in 1980 with an 'A' side which isn't any better than the title ”Disco Baby”, but with the great smoky 'B' side ”Ire” not dissimilar to UK band Capital Letters' better moments.

Full album playlist
12": 
Disco Baby   
Ire 

EGBA – Live In 75 (no label, 2017; rec. 1975)

 Instrumental, Swedish vocals, other languages
International relevance: ***

A streaming-only release from EGBA's missing year between the first and second album. Professionally recorded at Bullerbyn, a music pub in the middle of Stockholm. with transitional line-up of Ulf Adåker, Ulf Andersson, Ahmadu Jarr, Bjarne Roupé, Harald Svensson, Göran Lagerberg and Åke Eriksson. It's closer in style to ”Live At Montmartre” from 1977, meaning a heavy African influence, but the kick-off track, the otherwise unavailable ”14 ton trotyl” is unusually heavy and the collection's high point. EGBA fans should really treat themselves to this obscure release.

Full album playlist (Spotify)

ELVÄRKET – Het vinter (Slick, MLP 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Released on the Slick imprint, home to Elegi and Mögel, this was the final outing from Elvärket following two seven-inches in 1979 and 1980. ”Het vinter” isn't a full-length album either, but a six track 45 rpm mini album. Like many a Slick disc, ”Het vinter” moves somewhere between new wave and late era progg. Had they been a Gothenburg band instead of a Stockholm one, they would certainly have been part of the Nacksving roster alongside Huntington Band and Dom Smutsiga Hundarna.

Nothing here is particularly striking although the title track is rather appealing. Then again, there's nothing here that makes me want to turn it off in frustrated anger either. It is what it is, a rather unpretentious but not unambitious blend of the aforementioned styles. Some talent is certainly involved but not so much to make ”Het vinter” essential.

Several members went on to form soul band Mr. Soul And His Marshmallows after Elvärket broke up not too long after the release of ”Het vinter”, by way of long forgotten band D.O.R. who only had two songs out on cassette-only Slick compilation ”Mun-mot-mun-metoden” in 1982.

Maskin/Jag vill leva

ROBERT ERWING – Betongänglar (Text O Bild, 1982)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

After releasing one single on the vehemently commercial label Mariann in 1981, he returned with a privately released full album the following year. A strange affair with symph rock aspirations, loaded with cheesy synths and Erwing's thin, slightly nasal and rather funny sounding voice. He's definitely not much of a singer, and not a lyric writer of note either. His observations, summed up in album sub-title ”En förortssymfoni” (”a suburbian symphony”), are banal and sometimes out of metre, and they only get more in your face when delivered with Erwing's shaky, occasionally off-key vocals. The musicianship is otherwise decent – especially for a private release – with plenty of unknown local Gothenburg performers. The only one I can spot that had a career in music after this album is co-songwriter Göran Ihrfeld who later was in Beatles tribute band Lenny Pane. Most famous name here is well-known actor Reine Brynolfsson who draw the record label!

”Betongänglar” is unbearable if taken seriously, but if you're into off-beat music devoid of self-awareness, this is a gem.

Betongänglar (suite)

EGBA – Omen (MNW, 1981)

Instrumental
International relevance: **

EGBA's albums got gradually less interesting as their popularity grew. True they got more proficient, but it's the first album aura of their 1974 debut that appeals to me the most. By 1981 they were an enormously tight jazz fusion outfit clearly impressed with the likes of The Crusaders and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters with undertows of Latin and African rhythms as known from EGBA's earlier albums. ”Omen” also shares a few traits with the reborn Miles Davis's ”The Man With The Horn” released the very same year. Although I'm nowhere near a fan of fusion jazz, there are still the occasional 70's album that displays wit, joy of discovery and search for a new, vital expression, but by the early 80's, it had become a style for middle managers in television rimmed glasses and brown polyester suits. Very much like "Omen".

Full album playlist

BERNDT EGERBLADH - Nybyggarland (Sonet, 1973) / Kristallen den fina (CBS, 1975) / African Suite (Sonet, 1976)

Swedes of certain generations probably remember Bernt Egerbladh hosting a couple of TV series in the 70's and 80's, in which he interviewed other people and remembered his own past. Perhaps it would surprise those that Egerbladh makes an appearance here on this blog.

He was a noted jazz pianist long before the TV series with a discography going back to the early 60's. His debut on record came in 1962 with ”Fanfar!”, an album split with Lasse Lystedt Quintet. Egerbladh favoured a lyrical tone in the Jan Johansson tradition, but he also harboured pronunced modernist leanings early on, as demonstrated on the 1965 title track from ”Schizo”, his first album of his own. His solo output is surprisingly slim, but he was a beloved session musicians, playing on records by and/or writing music for Doris, Gimmicks, Heta Linjen, Ann-Kristin Hedmark, Rune Andersson, James Hollingworth, and Lill Lindfors. Some of these names may not mean much to a non-Swede, but they present a wide span of musical styles and interests. One of his best known tracks is ”You Never Come Closer” on Doris's sole album, a magnificent slice of uneasy fringe psychedelia. Considering his variety as songwriter as well as performer, this progg blog feature may not be that surprising at all. Egerbladh – who died in 2004 – was a curious explorer happy to take part in projects way outside the jazz world that fostered him.

Nybyggarland (Sonet, 1973)
Instrumental
International relevance: **

With all the tracks adapted from folk tunes of Northern Sweden, it's easy to see ”Nybyggarland” as a modernization of sorts of Jan Johansson's massively successful ”Jazz på svenska” released almost ten years earlier. But ”Nybyggarland” has a wider sound palette with Ulf Andersson (EGBA, Feta Heta Linjen) and Ahmadu Jarr on congas. The album starts out cunningly straight, but by the third track ”Vaggvisa från Norrbotten”, things are getting slightly strange. A foreboding organ creeps into one channel, a cembalo sounding instrument searches tinkling for a home in the other. About halfway in, the piano goes off into unpredicted terrain, as if it breaks free from the melodic centre and breaks up into modal streams. 

The melody of the title track is more like a suggestion of what to come, and soon gives way for a bass riff that establishes a strange moving rhythm building up to a mysterious, almost Arbete & Fritid-like bounce. The albums really goes off the rails with the next track ”Ja, kom då!” where Ulf Andersson's flute leads the way into a gurgling, pulsating and flat out trippy haze deepened by Egerbladh's druggy organ competing with his almost Mwandishi-styled electric piano. The album sort of withdraws a bit after that, but it has one surprise left, ”Hjortronmyren”, with a simple and persistent horn riff fleshing out Ahmadu Jarr's conga beat.

There's nothing bad on this album, but had the entire disc been like those three tracks I've singled out, this would have been a full-on masterpiece. Now, it's a good, maybe even great, album with some truly out-of-the-ordinary moments.

Kristallen den fina (CBS, 1975)
Instrumental
International relevance: **

”Kristallen den fina” works as a sister volume to ”Nybyggarland” insofar it's built around Swedish traditional tunes; only two tracks are original compositions but they retain a very folky feel and thus slip seamlessly into the program. The title track will be familiar to some readers as both Harvester and Made In Sweden used the melodic theme to their own ends. This version features what may sound like Jojje Wadenius singing along with his guitar in his typical fashion, but the guitarists here are Jan Schaffer and Jan Tolf (Egba, Häxmjölk). ”Barkbrödlåten” in turn is one of the high points on Kebnekaise's second album, and it's a stand-out also in this collection, largely because of Schaffer's really freaky guitar work. (Or is it Tolf messing about? Hard to tell, but it sounds more like something Schaffer would do.) It's also the track in this collection most likely to appeal to the average progg listener. Apart from that track, this album isn't as bonkers as the best stuff on ”Nybyggarland”, but it's a highly enjoyable album with very fine solo and ensemble playing. The folk material is strong and typically melancholic, and well suited for the careful jazz treatment represented here.

African Suite (Sonet, 1976)
Instrumental
International relevance: ***

Anyone expecting more of that bittersweet wistfulness of the two previous albums will be sorely disappointed with ”African Suite”. As the title say, this time Egerbladh looked to Africa for inspiration. It's a far more rousing experience than any of the preceding albums, and it's also the one overall closest to progg if you by progg mean Archimedes Badkar, Bitter Funeral Beer Band and Spjärnsvallet. (Christer Bothén's 1983 ”Trancedance” album with Bolon Bata also leaps to mind.) This demanded a larger ensemble, so Egerbladh drummed up an all-star line-up including several progg celebrities such as Ahmadu Jarr (again), Stefan Brolund (Egba, Oriental Wind, Pop Workshop), Lennart Åberg (Rena Rama, Häxmjölk, Bengt-Arne Wallin), and Malando Gassama (Ablution/Baltik, Häxmjölk). ”African Suite” is, for some reason, more cohesive than the other two in this trio of albums, which isn't to say it's at all samey -- on the contrary, it's a varied collection of tracks. The two I like the most are also the two most jubilant ones, ”Welcome To The Gambia” and ”Fire Dance”. Well, maybe I should mention the forceful ”Worksong” too, with its compelling beat constantly pushing forward relentlessly. But there really aren't any weak moments here. It helps though if you already like the African leanings of the abovementioned bands. If you do, this will be a nice discovery if you haven't heard it already.

Nybyggarland full album playlist
Kristallen den fina full album playlist 
African Suite full album playlist

ELEGI – Elegi (Slick, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance **

Some things just take a long time. I'll be honest with you and admit that I couldn't stand Elegi for a long time. Their sole, self-titled album sounded contrived and hysterical to my ears. But the more reference points I earned over the years by a persistent-bordering-on-pathological listening, the more Elegi made sense.

Elegi was just about the perfect band for the Musiklaget Slick label, an imprint that grew out of Musiklaget (known for releasing Solen Skiner, Ragnar Borgedahl and others) that in turn started as Tibet -46 (with Rolf Wikström and John Holm on its tiny roster). Slick had a penchant for leftfield acts such as synth punk band Ståålfågel, semi-controversial punk outfit Bitch Boys, ska rockers Stormakt Gul and post-progg acts like Mögel. Elegi fit well into that lot, with their music successfully blending Rock In Opposition (RIO) characteristics with then current post punk experimentation and moods. They're a lot more consistent and solid than label-mates Mögel for instance, for the simple reason that Elegi knew what they wanted to achieve and also had the chops to pull it off successfully to the point.

There are two things that more than anything defines Elegi's sound, and it's Marie Samuelsson's vocals and Susanne Håkansson's saxophone (a rare feature in rock bands in those days, despite X-Ray Spex's prominent use of the instrument). The sax adds a very distinct texture to the music as it's not exclusively used for solos but a well integrated part of the arrangements, pretty much the way other bands use the guitar. The vocals are likely to be the biggest bone of contention, and it's the thing about Elegi that I still have some problems with. I suppose Samuelsson tried to match the nervy backing of ”Mat” (a stone-cold classic!), ”Moderna kvadrater” and ”Galen”, but they go off the deep end a little bit too often with neurotic yelps and hiccups. But you have to take the bad with the good and endure the wayward vocals as the album as a whole is well worth it. ”Elegi” stands out as one of the most original efforts of its time, a tour de force unafraid to prove that assumably conflictive styles are in fact very easy to combine if you only have the imagination, the will and the skills to do it. This is one of the Swedish progg punk's finest moments.

If you want to go further you can check out the two Elegi tracks found on the ”Mun mot mun metoden” cassette on Slick from 1982, and also check out their unreleased live recording for the Tonkraft radio show in 1980. None of them is quite as sharp as ”Elegi”, but they are still worthy of investigation if you like the album.

It's also worth mentioning that Marie Samuelsson had a thorough musical education and later became a noted modern composer. As late as of November 2023, she received the prestigious Christ Johanson award by the Swedish Royal Academy of Music.

Full album playlist

RUNO ERICKSSON'S OMNIBUS – Runo Erickson's Omnibus (Four Leaf Clover, 1980)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

I had never heard of this album until very recently when I stumbled upon it by chance. To be honest, I had never heard of Runo Ericksson's name either until then. At least not knowingly. I have, however, heard his trombone before – he appears on numerous recordings by artists mostly in the jazz field, including national treasures Jan Johansson, Monica Zetterlund and Mikael Ramel's dad Povel Ramel. And strangely yet – he's present on one of my all-time favourite jazz albums, George Russell's dazzling live album ”The Essence Of George Russell”! But somehow, his name never registered in my memory.

In my defence, Runo Ericksson played a successful hide-and-seek spending lots of time abroad, from the end of the 60's mostly in Switzerland. Prior to that, he studied under Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache and French composer, conductor and Polar Music Prize winner Pierre Boulez.

Being something of the eternal sideman, ”Omnibus” was his first – and as far as I know, his only – album as a leader. Recorded in Switzerland with Swiss, Austrian and American musicians, it was released on Swedish label Four Leaf Clover in 1980. And what an album it is!

Taking cues from both spiritual jazz, free jazz and Eastern traditions, it's an elevated work of art, dripping with mysticism without ever getting cheesy (like a lot of spiritual jazz does). It's musically sparse but emotionally dense, and although it often turns its attention inwards, it's never insular or arrogant. ”Omnibus” has a wide-open heart and welcoming arms; an intense care for the listener. It's also no stranger to surprises, as in ”Fiddeling” when a Swedish folk tune suddenly bursts through but vividly coloured with bright Indian pigments. The pieces move lightly, sometimes so lightly they seem to levitate and lit the air with the beautiful colours of the music. I'm not a fan of jazz guitar, but here, Harry Pepl's guitar smoothly adjusts to the essence of the sometimes eerie groove of the collective. This is a masterpiece of an album, unique and strangely detached from time, sometimes bordering on psychedelic in spirit but always moving in its own mysterious ways, never failing to stun, captivate, and amaze.

Full album playlist

EMIGRANTORKESTERN – Nu packar vi bagaget: Emigrantvisor (Oktober, 1978)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Above average Oktober album insofar it has a bit of entertainment value. Firmly rooted in tradition, the album focuses on songs from the period in Swedish history when almost one million Swedes left poverty for hope for a better life in America from the mid 19th to the early 20th century. With less blatant politics shoved in your face it's easier to stomach than most releases on the Oktober label, but while the performances are enthusiastic, its greatest value is still of a documentary nature. I appreciate that these songs are saved on record for posterity as they represented an important part of Sweden's social history, but it's not an album I'd put on for everyday pleasure. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I'll ever put it on again. Quite frankly, it gets a too thumbs-up hey-ho over the course of 40 minutes playing time, not unlike a Guinness-soaked Dubliners album.

Emigrantorkestern released two more albums in 1982 and 1983, plus a 45 also on Oktober in 1982. Their final LP ”Rårivet” was recorded with homemade instruments.

Side one
Side two

ROGER EKMAN – Ångest (no label, 1978)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This is an album I've been eager to hear for years, but being in the three-figure league pricewise, it's not one you easily stumble upon (or can afford if you, like me, are on a tight budget). It's been conspicuously absent from the Internet as well. As the years went by, my hopes for a true gem only got higher, but I was afraid it would in fact be another Axelsson dump of incompetence. Thankfully, it isn't near Axelsson's unfathomable crappiness at all, and despite its dark lyrical topics, it's not a fright trip into the mental abyss like Stephen David Heitkotter either. Instead, it's a surprisingly accessible and well-crafted piece of work.

”Ångest” means ”anxiety” in English, and the lyrics deal with the insufficient mental health care system from an indeed personal standpoint. Knowing the lyrics capture firsthand experiences of depression and anxiety, they hit harder than if they were only an outsider's proclamations to make easy political points. Better still is that Ekman was a talented songwriter and a good enough singer who also managed to assemble a line-up of able students from Stockholm's distinguished Adolf Fredrik's music school to get his ideas across. The arrangements often have a jazzy feel but with its acoustic framework including flute, sax and upright bass, they never fall into the dreaded fusion trap. Some songs have a Latin touch as opening track ”Väntan”, while ”Besök hos en allmänpraktiserande läkare (specialitet nervösa besvär)” is decidedly folksy. Tobias Peterson compares Ekman to Ronny Åström in his progg encyclopedia, but to be honest, I don't hear Åström as much as I hear someone like Mikael Ramel thanks to the album's versatile musicality and Ekman's melodic sense. The album was recorded live-in-the-studio and has a highly appealing organic well-balanced sound rather unusal to private pressings – the richness of the upright bass is particularly sweet.

”Ångest” had a run of only 100 copies in 1978 and has never been repressed. Most of them were given away to friends, but a batch of overstock copies was later discovered and sold with a newly produced booklet authorized by Ekman himself, as the original insert was missing in some of the covers. To keep the original manufacturing costs to a minimum, the album came in sleeves from other records turned inside out, and were re-glued and stamped with Roger Ekman's name along with the album title.

As the album's raison d'être is the lyrics, an important aspect is lost to non-Swedes so it might not appear as urgent to foreigners, but with Ekman's knack for songwriting and the empathic backing musicians, it's still an album several notches above the standard homemade progg album. Despite ”Ångest's” lyrical concerns, it's a beautiful album that was finally graced with a reissue in 2025 on the British BBE label.

Full album

LENA EKMAN – Det beror på ögonen som ser (Mistlur, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

I didn't expect this to be anything but a disappointment after Lena Ekman's first proper album: ”Hjulspår” is simply one of the best yet-to-be-properly-discovered progg albums, at times a haunting LP that beats Turid in her own game by a mile and gives Stenblomma a run for her money too. With three years apart and a new label (Mistlur instead of Silence), ”Det beror på ögonen som ser” was deemed to have lost something, or at least be different enough to be a let down. Not that change is a bad thing, but ”Hjulspår” is in a special league with qualities that are hard to repeat, and even harder to follow up on a second album.

And no, it's not another ”Hjulspår”, but do not repeat my mistake: ”Det beror på ögonen som ser” is a very fine achievement. Ekman's slightly husky, mature voice is as inviting as ever, and the songs are mostly very good. As a matter of fact, it's hard to pick a weak one and much easier to choose a favourite, which is the excellent ”Vänner ändå”. Almost all of them are Ekman originals, but she manages to sneak in a cover of Danish singer/songwriter Trille as first track. Name players such Hasse Bruniusson, Marie Selander, Turid, Thomas Almqvist and, at the top of the heap, Kjell Westling offer a very pleasing lowkey backdrop that puts Ekman's appealing vocals in the sweet centre spot. The album has a pronunced acoustic feel; a delicate setting for Ekman's delicate songs.

”Det beror på ögonen som ser” is definitely worth picking up by those into the singer/songwriter side of progg, and it's good enough also for those who just happened to have a love for well-crafted and subdued songs well-equipped for playing at dusk.

No links found

ELD & LÅGOR – Mot ljuset (A-Disc, 1978)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Few A-Disc releases are worthwhile, but this has got to be one of the worst, if not the worst, with the typical to A-Disc political lyrics, presented in a way that sounds like any Christian group which never got beyond their own local church fanbase of three. The metronomical backing is so stiff that no-one could possibly find ”Mot ljuset” stirring in the slightest bit. The 'sing it everybody' ethos is irritating from the first track, a cover of Swedish visa singer Thorstein Bergman's ”Alla tillsammans” which, as it happens, means ”everybody together”, to the last one ”Du stora värld”, a completely passionless take on ”Amazing Grace”. In-between you get an endless string of equally dead Swedish takes on ”La Marseillaise”, Malvina Reynold's ”Little Boxes” and a couple of songs made famous by Joe Hill. And of course, the regular slew of labourers' anthems.

I don't expect any high-grade masterpieces to appear out of nowhere thus late in this blog's history, but a part of me hoped that the worst musical mishaps were out of the way just the same. Not so, as proven by this twelve inch slab of pure Valium.

Comes with a lyric inner sleeve if you want to sing along but I know you don't.

Alla tillsammans
Arbetes söner
Internationalen

BJÖRN EHRLING – Frihetens legender (YTF, 1978)

 
Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Björn Ehrling was a 'visa' singer, that particular Swedish brand of singer/songwriters that was widely popular in the 60s and 70s. Ehrling released only a few albums during his recording career, two of them on the YTF imprint. This is his second LP, and with a title like ”Frihetens legender” (”the legends of freedom”) you might expect politically inclined songs with a possible Spanish or Latin flair. If so, you're almost right – the material is chosen entirely from the Portugal's rich fado tradition and then translated to Swedish.

Ehrling's got a decent voice used in the same slightly over-zealous style that often comes with the visa genre. It's a largely forgettable album included here only as a favour to the Turid completists out there as she adds backing vocals to the track ”Nu är vi fria”. Bear in mind though that her effort is of minimal proportions, and unless you knew it's actually her, you could mistake her for just about any angel-voiced chanteuse.

Nu har vi fest

HANS EDLER – Elektron Kukéso (Marilla, 1971)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

 

Hans Edler is one colourful character with so many tricks up his sleeve that it's almost easier to say what he's not done than to explain all his actual doings and dealings over the decades. He was practically born into music. His grand dad was a folk fiddler from Jämtland in Sweden and his mother was a music teacher. Hans Edler first band was The Mirrors in the late 50's and early 60's. When the beat craze struck Sweden he turned pop with a couple of bands, including the rather popular We 4. He took a course in electronic composition at EMS (Elektronmusikstudion, ”the studio for electronic music”) in Stockholm 1969. He studied mathematics simultaneously, and soon became a studio assistant at EMS. With full access to the studio's equipment he recorded ”Elektron Kukéso” in 1971, only using computers and electronic utilities.

”Elektron Kukéso” is one of the most visionary albums made in Sweden. Blending psychedelia, pop and electroacoustic music, it creates a peculiar inner landscape with Edler's vocals and melodies infusing the songs with an ephemeral melancholy. It's further out than both The United States of America and Fifty Foot Hose, it's more focused than Silver Apples, it's more bizarre than White Noise, less cheesy than most of what Edler's compatriot Ralph Lundsten did. But comparisons to others fall short. This is a singular album, moving in strange spheres only Hans Edler had access to. His baryton voice channels and opposes the soaring melodies at the same time to a great, tense effect. Some songs are plain captivating, especially ”Jag hör ett skrik” despite the obvious quotes from The Supremes' classic ”You Keep Me Hanging On”. Other tracks are decidedly weirder, like ”Leka med ord” and the instrumentals ”My Third Eye”, ”Miscalculation” and ”Lovedust”, sometimes predating glitch music and EAI (electro acoustic improvisation) with several decades. Everything moves and pulsates like a tidal wave, reaches for new mental continents. Not everything is good, but just about everything is fascinating.

Hans Edler released the album on his own label Marilla which he ran throughout the 70's. He released numerous album ranging from dance band music to children's albums, from accordionists to neo-rockabilly. Edler has worked with television, composed choral music, and been a succesful concert promoter. He's still active, usually performing in retro styled shows. Hes released several albums of his own – he even ventured into disco with his ”Space Vision” album in 1979 – but he never made another album like ”Elektron Kukéso”.

Full album playlist

ELEKTRISKA LINDEN – Torbjörns dansskola (Avanti, 1978)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

A later era progg album that features a massive cast of progg eminences such as Blå Tåget's Leif Nylén and Carl-Johan de Geer, Torbjörn Abelli of Träd Gräs Och Stenar, Anders Linder (Kapten Zoom, Ville & Valle & Viktor) and Mikael Katzeff (later of the revived Gudibrallan). The Torbjörn of the title and album cover is Sweden's right wing prime minister Torbjörn Fälldin, just elected when the album came out. The rich instrumentation of violin, sax, trombone, clarinet, harmonica and string synthesizer makes for a rich timbre palette but the playing is somewhat over-enthusiastic and messy at times, as on opening track ”Uppmuntran” and ”(Äntligen) Tillbaks i stan”. ”Tystnadens kultur” is a bit similar to Anders F. Rönnblom, while ”Bränna Highway 20 med stereo på” and the title track almost sound like a slightly jazzier version of Gudibrallan if you can picture that. Unfortunately, it's a pretty dull album overall.

Elektriska Linden spin-off band Torvmossegossarna released an EP in 1979, the anti nuclear 7” ”Atomkraft? Nej tack” on their own label Skivbolaget EKO. The 45 includes a cover of Knäckebröderna's ”R.R.R.”. Stylistically similar to Elektriska Linden but with a less dry production. Elektriska Linden also had a track on Avanti's 1978 ”Samlade krafter” compilation, and one on ”Vi kan leva utan kärnkraft” on Silence in 1975.

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