etnobofin

In May 2009, I remixed a track by O’Spada, and this Swedish band haven’t looked back since. They’ve now released their first album, Pay Off, a disc that is poised to furnish lounges and clubs around the world. It’s out now on Despotz.

O’Spada‘s debut album is chock-full of spiky, swaggering funk tunes, built around the in-your-face vocals of singer and principal songwriter Julia. Here’s a taste:

If I called their music “bulletproof prog-disco assembled by an unholy alliance of astromech droids and the Daleks “, then I would be guilty of using too many ridiculous metaphors, but I will have come close to describing the O’Spada sound.

The tone of the album tends towards darkness but there are bright moments. The shuffle-time Rainbow (with its ooo-wah vocals) edges towards Motown and provides a respite from the brain-freezing grooves that dominate the rest of the disc.

Most of all, O’Spada comes across as fresh, and rather unlike any other band I know. There’s a Swedish accent in the vocals, jangly rhythm guitar, irony-free slap bass, and ferocious sawtooth synthesizer licks that sound like they’re played by a dude with a Patrick Swayze haircut.

What more could you wish for?

Well, a tour maybe. O’Spada are in London in mid-June to promote the album. If you’re in town make sure you catch them before they’re Bigger than Bieber-Hur.

London city tour dates:

14 Jun Hoxton Bar And Kitchen
15 Jun Dublin Castle
17 Jun St. Pancras International
17 Jun YoYo @ Nottinghill Arts Club
18 Jun Last FM presents… @ Big Chill House
20 Jun The Luxe

O’Spada – haunting Södermalm circa 1983 (Images:Pär Olofsson)

O’Spada – Time (unreleased single – Despotz Records)

It’s not yet clear whether reliving every single moment of 1980s pop culture is a good or necessary thing. It is clear, however that the resurrection of the 80s has been underway for at least the past half decade, and there’s not a dang thing we can do about it.

Riding this wave is a band from Stockholm called O’Spada, who design an interesting range of flatpack electro-funk furnishings. Whether they’re inspired primarily by Prince, the Jackson 5 or Justice is a matter for their record label presskit, but by the sound of their upcoming single, Time, they’re a band to watch if you like  spiky, funky synth-pop.

A Nord, played by a Nord

In keeping with their nordic DIY aesthetic, they’ve asked their audience to reconstruct their single to match their own décor. To this end, they have made available to the general public all the raw material from the single, and are asking us amateurs to remix the song, without the help of an allen key or pictorial instructions. The best remixes will be released on a limited-edition pressing of the Time single.

Not one to refuse to make a fool of myself, I had a go, and after several hours of sweating and swearing at Fruity Loops, I put together something resembling a song. It’s not particularly good, the house/broken groove is neither elaborate nor danceable. But it’s the first time I’ve remixed anything or made my own beats. Please be forgiving:

O’Spada – Time (etnobofin’s Clueless Thursday Remix)

Esbjörn Svensson Trio – Tide of Trepidation (streamed from last.fm)

Swedish pianist Esbjörn Svensson died on Saturday in a diving accident, aged 44. Up until his death he led one of the greatest European jazz bands of the Internet Age, E.S.T., the Esbjörn Svensson Trio.

E.S.T. combined an ECM-style nordic aesthetic with electronics and a knack for grooving, deeply musical performances that helped make albums like Seven Years of Falling among of the most beautiful and popular jazz records of the last ten years.

Ethan Ivanson from The Bad Plus (in many ways stateside fellow-travellers of E.S.T.) offers a personal tribute. Siggidóri took a few photos at the band’s Reykjavik gig in 2007, and there are a few free mp3 tracks available at last.fm.