VARIOUS ARTISTS – MUSIKFESTIVALEN 1978 (no label, MC, 1978)

 
Featured artists: Magnum Brus / Trycket / Harline Blue / Handkraft / Staffan Pettersson / Kylans Rockorkester / Horny Band / Inferno
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

An incredibly rare cassette, home copied on standard TDK tapes and privately released locally in the northern town of Örnsköldsvik in 1978. The compilation was recorded live during a benefit festival for Örnsköldsvik youth club that needed renovating. Several local acts performed at the festival, the best known being Kylans Rockorkester along with several bands that never made it beyond the city limits. Apart from Kylans Rockorkester, only Hairline Blue got as far as to have a 45 out under their own name, although a couple of the performers also appeared on ”Musikfest 80 Örnsköldsvik”. There's heavy rock, bebop, jazz fusion, and funk, and the level of playing varies almost as much as the musical styles. Some bands are pretty skilled while others are not. The sound quality isn't great but OK for a 70s audience recording. Neither is the music. The best selection is ”Spränga hela skiten”, the first-ever released Kylans track, atypically dark in mood coming from them and not as bluesy as their better known stuff.

”Musikfestivalen 1978” is definitely of interest to collectors of local releases, but the average listener need not bother.

Full album playlist 

KYLANS ROCKORKESTER – Complete singles 1979-1982

Rekyl's little brothers Kylans Rockorkester are previously represented here with their debut LP ”Välfärdsblues” from 1980, but they were a pretty active band with a back catalogue featuring one more full length album from 1983, a couple of V/A compilation appearences and several singles in both the 7” and 12” formats. These are the four singles they released during their original lifetime.

 

På din fela gul & blå / Ölrusig rock 'n' roll artist (Manifest, 1979)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Their debut single predated their first album with about a year, but their blues based style were more or less carved out from the beginning, only a little less polished. None of the tracks are spectacular but the Creedence Clearwater Revival quoting ”Ölrusig rock 'n' roll artist” was later re-recorded for the debut album.

 

I Lycksele finns ingen hundpsykolog / Tip Top (Manifest, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Released the same year as ”Välfärdsblues” but not featured on the album. B side ”Tip Top” is a country flavoured track of little distinction but ”I Lycksele finns ingen hundpsykolog” is a hard driving track that very well might be their best track of all.

 

Frihetsblues / Killarnas fantom (Tonpress, 1981)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Two overtly bluesy tracks of little merit, curiously enough pressed and released in Poland.

 

I väntans tider / Egofil / För evigt fångad / Framtidsman (Manifest, 12". 1982)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

A twelve inch EP with a lot of production sheen pointing towards their final proper album ”Kylans snapshot” in 1983. These four tracks are closer to the more sophisticated last album by Swedish punk legends Ebba Grön than the early Kylans releases, making them even less interesting than their previous work.

På din fela gul & blå full single playlist
I Lycksele finns ingen hundpsykolog full single playlist 
I väntans tider full 12" playlist
Frihetsblues / Killarnas fantom

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Musikfest Örnsköldsvik 80 (Musikhuset, 1980)

Featured artists: Murena / Lars & Per-Erik / Staffans / Horny Band / Kylans Rockorkester / Het Örn / Blue Notes
Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *

One of many regional pressings providing a peep into a specific local scene, this time the Northern town Örnsköldsvik and the music forum Musikhuset. The album comprises seven acts from various genres – anti-bacterial jazz, folk pop, test tube funk fusion, straight ahead rock, B grade reggae – and while ”Musikfest Örnsköldsvik 80” obviously was made possible by the progg ethos on the way out in 1980, few of the bands have any real progg sensibilities to speak of. The best known band here is Kylans Rockorkester whose ”Min borgerlige bror” is typically pedestrian boogie rock with political lyrics. That fusion outfit Staffans' take on Dave Brubeck's ”Take Five” in a washed out Made In Sweden style is the album highlight says it all.

Murena - Flotta Sture 

Lars & Per-Erik - Johnny 

Staffans - Take Five 

Lars & Per-Erik - Tåget 

Horny Band - Solen står lågt 

Kylans Rockorkester - Min borgerlige bror 

Het Örn - Rasta din hund

Lars & Per-Erik - Historiens hjul 

Blue Notes - Rastlös 

Murena - Från oss alla 

KYLANS ROCKORKESTER – Välfärdsblues (Manifest, 1980)

International relevance: *

Swedish vocals

Kylans Rockorkester hailed from Umeå and came off like a little brother to Rekyl – they're even on the same level – with Kylans a little more towards Creedence Clearwater Revival than The Rolling Stones, and with a few more punk and/or new wave shadings than Rekyl. ”Välfärdsblues” was their first album and is forgettable. ”Inte bara vi” is decent compared to the other tracks but doesn't save the album.

They also had a couple of singles out, with the 'A' side of their second one ”I Lycksele finns ingen hundpsykolog” (1981) possibly being the best track they ever released. 1983 saw the release of their second album ”Kylans snapshot”. The original band split up in 1974 but a demo CD-R by a reunited Kylans Rockorkester was produced by Manifest in 2004. 

Full album playlist