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

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

MÖGEL – Mögel (Slick, MLP 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance **

Avid readers probably know that I'm quite fond of those bands that walk the thin line between progg and punk. A line much thinner than general consensus usually admits – I insist that the two genres have much more in common than they do separating them. This subgenre has no real name, sometimes it's simply referered to as 'prog punk', but somebody suggested 'pronk' but I pray that word won't ever catch on...

Mögel (not to be confused with any other band by that name) was one of the bands that crossed punk's energy with proggish ambitions. Beginning in 1978 in Stockholm suburb Farsta, they kept going for about five years (unless you count their recent reunion) and was a pioneering outfit with an all female line-up. Although I never felt the need to distinguish female bands from male bands – it's all music no matter what gender you are – it was still not that common in those male dominated years. They navigated the same area as the aforementioned Kräldjursanstalten and Boojwah Kids, taking cues from Captain Beefheart's angularity as much as they did from the then current punk and burgeoning post punk scenes. Imagine a mix of Beefheart and UK do-it-yourselfers The Raincoats and you're nearly there.

As promising as it may sound, Mögel lacked the necessary musical efficiency and skills to convincingly pull itoff. They aimed far too high: their 'complicated' songs sounded clumsy and awkward. Their more straightforward tracks suited them better, simply because those didn't demand the same level of proficiency. But, and this is important, despite their obvious shortcomings, they had something that's hard to dismiss categorically. Amongst the squeaks and yelps and rickety arrangements, Mögel put forth an endearing lot of energy and honest intentions. They meant what they were doing, and while it's sometimes eargrating, their music is often oddly touching. Yes, they failed in their ambitions but they did puzzlingly successful. I don't necessarily like them, but I still can't stop listening to them once I put on their album.

Which in fact isn't an album, but a six-track 45 rpm EP. Much later, in 2003, it was expanded to twice its original length for the belated CD reiusse retitled ”1978-1983”. Contradictive as it may seem, the added material consisting of demos, live recordings and rare tracks previously only available on a hard-to-find various artists cassette-only compilation, present the band in a wider scope and slightly more beneficial multifaceted light.

Mögel were certainly an acquired taste, and while some will never acquire that particular taste, others will find it an interesting and/or annoying listen if you're in the mood for it. It's also like a time capsule, a snapshot of what might be the only time in history when a band like this was not only allowed to have their music out but also managed to gain positive attraction from both the audience and the media. The music movement's own periodical Musikens Makt even ran a feature on them in 1980.

Full album playlist (expanded reissue)