Below that underground was an industrial/experimental electronic music community emerging – mainly spread through cassette tapes. It was in that environment that three 19-year-old guys from Linköping, in south east Sweden, made these recordings in spring 1984.
Being exactly the same age as them I remember this cassette vividly. One of the reasons was that one of them, Johan, was my friend. That was of course exciting – someone you knew releasing their own music. Myself coming from a small town 50 kilometers away, Motala, there was nothing similar to be found – local groups mainly played blues or heavy metal.
Listening to it today I can easily recall the feeling when I first heard it. I felt a kind of envy, me and some friends were experimenting with similar ideas, but not on this level – but foremost I was impressed. With a drum machine, a couple of synthesizers, bass, guitar, saxophone and percussions they were to my ears a Swedish equivelent to Cabaret Voltaire, Tuxedomoon or The Residents.
These nine songs show the young men’s wide range of expressions and urge to experiment. The A side is melodic and pop-orientated: melancholy opener ”Your eyes”, up tempo synth-poppy ”Blå måndag” (Blue Monday – you guys never liked New Order!?) and a low-key hommage to motor music (be it Kraftwerk or MC 5) in ”Blod och asfalt”. The B side is focused on sound and experiment: industrial rock in ”Cold Meat Industry” and electronic atmospheric experiments in closing ”Thiudinassus”.
All recordings were made on a four channel porta studio – very different compared to todays digital opportunities. But to me that adds a certain charm to the sound – a flavour true to those times, and regardless of such: many of these songs stand strong still 23 years on.
Ulf Sigvardson
Ulf Sigvardson is editor of the program for Göteborg International Film Festival. He has been working as a culture and music journalist for many years. Ulf is based in Göteborg, Sweden.
