Swedish vocals, spoken word
International relevance: *
The final and most peculiar album on the collectable Gump label. Actually, it's one the most puzzling progg
related releases ever. It features abbreviated versions of tracks
from previous Gump albums by Sten Bergman and Joakim Skogsberg, an
extract from ”Mr. Smith in Rhodesia” by sound poet and author Åke
Hodell, pieces by avantgardists Sten Hanson, Leo Nilson, and J.O.
Mallander (of legendary Finnish experimental band The Sperm) plus
several previously unreleased recordings including a not very good
outtake from Pugh Rogefeldt's not very good 1973 ”On the Rocks”
album. (Metronome artist Rogefeldt was a sort of A&R man for
Metronome subsidiary Gump.)
The entire second side of the album is
dedicated to Hans Anton Knall's ”Merde”, comprising excerpts from
all the tracks on side one, electronically treated by Knall into one
dizzying electronic composition. The album was credited to and
edited/produced by Carsten Regild at Sweden's leading studio for
electro-acoustic music, Fylkingen. Regild had previously released the
massively rare ”Be My Baby” 7” on Gump in 1970, and
provided graphics to several albums in 70's and 80's (among them ”Alla
vi barn” by enfant terrible Tom Zacharias).
As a showcase for Gump it's pretty
useless as it only includes a couple of edited tracks from previous
Gump LP's. It doesn't work as a general representation of the Swedish
experimental audio scene either as the selections are so wildly
inconsistent stylistically. It's much more of an aural installation
piece. Far from a regular spin but undeniably intriguing on its own
terms.