Monday's Long Song

Anders Trentemøller, a Danish musician and producer was featured on this pages for several times and now again. He released his latest album Observe  a few weeks ago and it was oh heavy rotation at my place. The intention of this album in his own words: The only thin I knew from the beginning was that this didn't abolutely have to be an album I should be able to play live, with a band. That's been a consideration on every record since The Last Resort. Observe was always going to be about exploring the possibilities in my studio, with no consideration of how it could be performed on stage and it was completely liberating. Based on the German Kosmiche/Motorik experimentals he made an album that shows that the spirit of these days is still alive.  

The Maifeld Derby 2017 Diaries Day 1

More than four weeks ago I went to Mannheim to join my youngest brother for the annual independent and electronic music festival. It was celebrated for the seventh time and the more it takes place the more it became popular. Some papers say that it is probably the best festival taking place in Germany. Not because main acts will appear on stage, it is more that it is a forum for young and fresh bands. I started my journey at Friday after working in the office to watch the first bands appearing on various stages. I reflected the days and was not sure if I should feature any band I've seen during the three day or if I should reduce my impressions on acts that impressed me so much that I would listen to their songs after a few weeks.

The program announced Voodoo Jürgens and Bilderbuch as the next big thing from Austria. Both are famous at my neighbor's place of their freshness of their sound. But for me they were just boring and not inspired. Jürgens gambles with fresh lyrics I used to know from Austrian artists during the last decades, the other ones play music that are dully like in the late 90's. But there were some highlights I would like to lose some words about them.

J. Bernardt is one of the masterminds of Belgium folk/electronic band Balthazar. Taking a rest of his band he made his first solo album under his own name where he moves away from his folky roots to make a more relaxed sound with ingredients of slow rhythm and blues crooning and stripped electronic sounds. Music for the twilight hours.

One of the finest records this year came from Cigarettes After Sex, that impressed me with some aural beauties in a laid back music with intensive atmosphere. I looked forward to see them live but was disappointed by there appearance. The songs were played perfectly but we couldn't hear any difference between the version on the album and playing them live. Simply perfect tone by tone but we missed the enthusiasm of playing this songs in front of the audience. Unfortunately the couldn't convince me at this day.

So I left the tent after a few songs to get me something new on the next stage. The program announced the next artist with the key words 'pop-noir', 'Sideway Blues' and 'Gothic Folk' that was more interesting for me as CAS. Gemma Ray is a British singer, songwriter, guitarist, film composer and producer from Billericay (Cheers to Ian Dury) being in the scene for almost 10 years and worked together with Wim Wenders and Calexico. To be honest I didn't heard anything from her before but what I heard was fantastic. Songs from a deeply tempered guitar straight out of a Tarantino movie she sung with a bluesy voice. It worked live very well and it works at my place still. One of my finds this year.

The next artists was introduced to me by Martin, who saw him not for the first time. I couldn't imagine anything about Sohn and his music. The program announced him as a fantastic combination of electronic, ambient and alternative rhythm and blues. Never heard this combination before but it sounded interesting. And so it was. Christopher Michael Taylor aka Sohn is a British singer, songwriter and producer living now in Vienna, Austria. Signed by 4AD-label he makes his very unique mixture of  his absorbing, soulful voice that flows around  organic drum machines and minimalist sythie lines , while the multi instrumentalist with a lot of feeling in his fingertips lifts the beats and basses and take the song from the chamber on the dance floor. Dubstep for adults.

Main act of the first day was Anders Trentemoller, probably one of the best and versatile electronic acts these days. The Danish producer and multi-instrumentalist convinced me with his live appearance. 80 minutes of pure beats with a great band in the back and lots of great ideas in his songs made this appearance something very special and unique. Not only for fans of great guitars. Every minute was great to listen to. A real highlight round midnight.

Devil Is Fine

In mid June there will be for the seventh time an open air festival in Mannheim, Germany. I am there with my youngest brother since a couple of years and we've seen a lot of bands in a few days that I could agree with. Mostly guitar based bands that come from the underground and didn't made it big at all and bands like Mew, Soon and others that are close to get famous. This festival is always inspiring to me with new sounds, great artists and you get a survey about what is new and worth investigating for. This year the highlights for me will be Thurston Moore, Kleez.e, Trentemoeller, Primal Scream and Kate Tempest among others. The latest sign was Zeal and Ardor, a band I've never heard before. It is a project by Swiss born Manuel Gargeux and his music is a crude but fascinating mixture of blues and black metal. If they are live as great as on the video it will be a perfect sound for a later concert in the evening.

One Eye Open

Last weekend I had a very nice time with my youngest brother talking about this and that. He guided my to spotify and the possibilities it have. I am a starter but I will add this to my possibilities in listening music. As we set together he introduced me to this new song by Danish multi-instrumentalist Anders Trentemoller. He's in the scene since ages for electronic music an remixes. This one is more earthed than a lot of other songs he made. A steady flow with a superb voice within a very own choreography. A reduced but propulsive piece of music.

Redefine

Danish House-DJ Trentemoller released his new album Fixion a few days ago. Allthough  I am not the one visiting clubs I follow this kind of music from time to time. I know that he moved away from his early roots in the clubs working on his very own electronic sounds and he made a few soundtracks for independent movies. I got aware of him by his collaboration with Savages' Adore Life (that's one of the best records of this year so far). And so it is no wonder that Jenny Beth sung on a few songs on Fixion. Redefine is a song recorded with his tour band and the lead vocals are from Danish singer/songwriter Marie Fisker. It is a dense, reduced low-end dance song with a deep-grooving bass that prepare the floor for Fisker's vocals. Another song for later at the evening.

River In Me

Danish musician and producer released one more collaboration. And as ever - the unexpected ones are the best. Step by step he moved from early ambient-electronic and ghosty house more and more towards electronic-indie. Therefore it is logical that his latest collaboration was together with Jenny Beth, the singer of the excellent post-punk renovators Savages (which made one of the best records in this year so far). It is a dark, brisk electronic rock song. Not a bad song to start into the week.