Ecovillage

 Emil Holmström and Peter Wikström collectively known as Ecovillage

Like taking a stroll in a hazy summer's day, trailing across the lush foliage whilst sun beams ever so slowly piercing through the clouds. As the rays  gently brushes onto one's face, a feeling of elation radiates within. That is how Ecovillage communicated their music to me. Hailing from Västerbottens län, Sweden. The group is composed of  Emil Holmström and Peter Wikström. They both have individual music projects, Emil's outfit  Sejdman mixes electronic based ambient music that has strong classical leanings, Brahms, Mahler, Arvo Pärt comes to mind. Moving, thoughtfully crafted songs that echo's the master's work, yet  keeping his own signature sound. Whereas Peter's RadioSeed combines undulating electronics amidst atmospheric guitars. It's only at this time that I realize that dream pop can sound warm as well. Peter's soulful cathedral like vocals  is a perfect accompaniment on top of  his stratospheric programming. 

When the two friends decided to combine talents, Ecovillage was born. In 2009 Phoenix Asteroid was hailed by the music press and was also praised by Electro/Shoegaze guru himself Ulrich Schnauss.The album, with  the help of Jakob Scott of  Syntaks and Jonas Munk of Manual  - the  two talents creates music that can usher you into a trance like state or send you off  sailing in a sea of dreams. "The sun will shine on" warm gauzy atmosphere and intertwining vocals just sets my day. "The key" in spite of the melancholic background is strangely uplifting. "Lost in the tides of time" a minute of pure serene beauty. The Room was able to catch Ecovillage and was so kind enough to answer some questions from The Room's ever curious mind.

Room:  Hi Peter and Emil, I just want to say that Phoenix Asteroid is a personal favourite of mine. What other things do you occupy yourselves with when not writing music?


Ecovillage: Glad to hear that you enjoy the album. Most of our time we spend writing new music, but we are also big film enthusiasts. Right now we are really into Andrei Tarkovskys films, really inspiring and thought-provoking. All the films by Tarkovsky we have seen so far is in our top ten greatest films ever made. We also like to spend as much time as possible in nature. We live right by a lake which we sit by as often as we can and just absorb the environment.

Room: When did you both know that you were interested in music?
  
Ecovillage: Both of us have always been outsiders in one way or another and we have always had a child in us that's still very much alive and curious about exploring everything around and inside us. We often get accused of being like children because we are so enthusiastic about life in general, we think that music when its as good as it gets celebrates life, and both us have done that since we can remember. Its very important to keep that inner child alive and music helps us to keep that fire and passion burning inside of us. Since day one we both been interested in music but for us the last 2-3 years really took our view on music to another level for various reasons. When you start creating music and put your heart and soul into it you also appreciate other musicians work more, you really see how much time and how hard it is to create interesting piece of art.

Room: I understand that you both came from different bands before Ecovillage. Kindly describe your individual projects sound wise?

Ecovillage: The music that we did before Ecovillage were very different from the music we make today, we would go as far as saying it lacked a lot of soul. Some of our music project was quite rubbish to be honest and we don't agree at all with the message of the songs, we have evolved a lot as persons since those days, to spend any time to describe it would be a waste of time.

Room: Who are your main influences that made your sound what it is today?

Ecovillage: The more we evolve as musicians the less we get directly influenced by other bands, of course we get inspired by musicians even today who like us think that real beauty lies in the imperfect. Cocteau Twins and Boards Of Canada meant a lot to us when we started to create music together.

Room: Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?

Ecovillage: Everything around us and inside you can be inspiring so its really hard to say anything specific, but what we know is that we create the best music when we have been through something that we want to tell others about. Its like writing a diary. Lately both of us been a bit nostalgic, but we don't think that its good to dwell too much in the past and the best thing is to be here and now.  We think that one of the most important aspects of music is that it tells a story or say something that creates emotions. Life shouldn't be easy and suffering can lead to great things...

Room: Please describe the sound you create in your own words?

Ecovillage: That's a really hard question, because we think that the way we look at our music is very different from the way the listener perceives it. Its easy to just look at the technical aspects of the songs more then the emotional aspects. We want our sound to be organic and magic and we work a lot to achieve those goals. We are evolving everyday and we are definitely going in the right direction. The new songs we are working on are getting more and more close to what Ecovillage should be all about as far as we see it.

Room:  Kindly name a few artists that you find interesting and that I should check out?

Ecovillage: John Maus, Roedelius, BJ Nilsen, Philip Jeck, Cluster, Lunz, Harmonia, Harold Budd, Richard Skelton, John Foxx, Steve Reich to name a few.

Room:  Thank you Peter and Emil! Should you have any messages to the readers?


Ecovillage: We are currently working on a very interesting new EP, its very different in sound from the album with some fantastic guest guitar-playing from Manual and Keith Canisius.  

Please look out for the new Ecovillage EP that will out soon! Also, a new record from RadioSeed is scheduled to be released by the 4th quarter of the year, please watch out for that as well.

always underground

 

 

Keith Canisius

A dizzy encounter would best to describe the music of Keith Canisius, coming from Denmark, him and Tine Louise Korterman came into the music scene through his vehicle Rumskib under Darla records. Released in 2007, produced along side Jonas Munk of Manual  a collection of seminal dream pop, shoegaze and electronic music that is catchy as the summer sun. Haunting tracks such as "Ferris Wheel Blackout" leave's me breathless, whereas "Hearts On Fire" plainly reaches for the stars. In 2008 he then released his first solo album "Ferris Wheel Makeout" under his own name via Quince records. This time around, though still utilizing the elements of the later album. Ferris Wheel turned out to be a more dreamy fanfare, leaning towards ambient inspired compositions. Tracks like the quiet sparkling tune of "April Star" to the bright eyed shoegaze of "Watching Old Films with New Eyes" to the stark beauty of "You and I Sky" and the rush of a cool winter's breeze on "Dizzy Encounter".  A remarkable and note worthy debut album. In 2009, we see the release of "Waves" under Quince records. A stellar sophomore effort, the music is more definitive in approach and structure, adding  psychedelia to his well defined repertoire. As a result, a myriad of tracks that's beyond categorization. A song can either be ambient, shoegaze, psychedelic, dream pop or electronic all at  the same time, track's like "Ocean Ocean" a tune that's very accessible, yet if you break it down one can find all the elements I have mentioned above. "Sleepwalking" is a gorgeous psychedelic, shoegaze track. Whereas " I Stayed 25" is psychedelic and dream pop with an awesome back beat albeit his wistful voice.  He took it up a notch with "We Are In Reverie" finely plucked guitars with just enough delay and chorus effects yet performed at heightened emotions  can  render the listener vulnerable. But it's two the minute ambient tracks that really get's me "You Want To Touch My Eyes" and "Before We Dive" are mini master pieces. The Room was able to catch Keith and exchanged some pleasantries.

Room: Hi Keith, how are you? I have been listening to your music for quite sometime now, I think it's fantastic! What other things keep you busy aside from writing music?

Keith: That’s a good question since I had to start figuring out other things to do, to get a little away from having music on my brain 17 hours a day. Or at least getting music down to a more normal level in the sense that I can put it away in my mind, when I’m not doing it. I’m usually pretty good at having hobbies and getting new ones from time to time, but these last couple of years, music took over everything. I guess being in love with music almost my whole life and suddenly discovering that you can make good albums in your bedroom, had me recording and producing a lot in order to learn how it’s done. I was lucky to release 2 solo albums (Waves & Ferris Wheel Makeout) in this learning process.
 
So I would say that I’ve reached a point where I’m starting to be pretty satisfied with my work. Especially the new work I’m doing for my 3rd full length release and the EP coming out June 6th is satisfying, because I can feel that I’m getting better all the time and trying out new things all the time. But now where I learned doing my own music, I can relax a little more and do other things I used to do with full enjoyment, like playing Xbox, chess, going running, go fishing, reading & perhaps start skateboarding again.  

Room: When did you know that you were interested in music?

Keith: Some of the earliest private music moments I have are from being 4 years old watching videos of Van Halen (Jump)  and Howard Jones. I remember I wanted to have the same haircut as Howard Jones and be like him when I grew up. My parents wouldn’t let me have a Mohawk haircut though.

Room: You debuted into the music scene as Rumskib in 2007, a really fine tuned record, I must say. Is there a difference between Rumskib and your previous solo works musically?

Keith: Rumskib was maybe more guitar fixated from my point of view. Since I didn’t sing that much on the record all though I wrote a lot of the songs, I guess I wanted to do some nice things with the guitars a little more than on my solo albums. On the new album I’m working on, the guitars are even less present than of Waves (2009). The synths and vocals are more in front on the tracks. I guess it all comes down to doing something nice for each song I make. Creating something I feel is special to me.

Room:  Who are your main influences that made your sound what it is today?

Keith: I try to change my sound from album to album. But Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, MBV, Boards of Canada, 80’s electro pop, Neil young, Animal Collective, Ariel Pink among many others have done things where I found it interesting and perhaps wanting to incorporate something they did into my own thing. Either producing my vocal in a similar way, coming up with strange chords, using my Whammy bar, idea’s to synth sounds etc. Things like that I guess producing musicians pick up on from other artists that inspire them.

Room: Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?

Keith: It is always a hard question to answer. I guess I react a lot on moods, settings, people, movies and nature. Sometimes I Imagine the world without sound on and I have to put sound on things to understand them, myself and also be understood by others. I feel a lot in moods. Moods I want to generate into sound. It could be moods from a picture an expression on a face, a landscape perhaps? Something that is hard to put concrete words on, but makes me feel something intense or interesting, I want to put into sound or capture in mood for music.

Room:  Please describe the sound you create on your own words?

Keith: I created some different things these last years. I guess I’m always searching for ways to create these special moods like I tried to explain. In a way the genre of music doesn’t always mean that much in order to get there and then again it does, but as long as people try to think what’s behind genre I’m happy. Genre is just the label on the book that perhaps makes you want to read it. I always flirted with 80’s dream pop. I grew up in it, so it’s hard to get out it, but on the new album I almost have done, I would say it sounds way more like psych pop with some dream pop & Shoegaze undertones to it. I set one rule for my new album and that was to leave chorus effects off on the guitar this time, to try something different. I want to try lots of things out, rather than labeling myself into a certain genre. I will let other people do that.

Room: Kindly name a few artists that you find interesting and that I should check out?

Keith: The last couple of years I’ve been inspired by artists like, Animal Collective, Ariel Pink, Boards of Canada, Steve Reich, The Beach Boys, Deer hunter, Atlas sound and others. I don’t think I’m the best at discovering new bands. I usually take time to understand and get the feel for a few at a time and then I move on to new ones, hopefully, but without saying completely goodbye to the ones I loved. The point is to move and develop yourself without getting stuck with the same thing all your life. I would be bored doing the same album every time. 

Room: Thank you Keith! Should you have any messages to the readers?

Keith: Come to Denmark, summer is coming and the music is getting better and better.

 

 

Learn more about Rumskib

 

Syntaks the interview

Syntaks has been crafting crystalline soundscapes since their 2006 debut album “Awakes” under Benbecula records. Hailing from Denmark, the group is spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist Jakob Skøtt who creates the perfect sonic backdrop for Anna Cecilia’s ethereal voice to wallow and play in.  They have forged a distinct sound for themselves, a collage of undulating electronics, programmed beats that’s topped with live percussion, bathed in atmospheric guitars. Like the sound of a thousand cranes that’s ready to take flight, the music can take you in a vast land of endless possibilities. Jakob stopped by and was generous to give some answers to the Rooms inquisitiveness.

Room:  I believe that a bands moniker is a precursor as to how the music would sound, how did Syntaks came about?

Syntaks: Well, the syntagm is something progressing over time. Whereas most electronic music works as a paradigm, exploring repetition, I wanted to do the opposite. That was the original idea - making electronic music, where the pieces just weren't repetition and grooves, but actually having drama and stuff evolving in a unique way through time. Not just good textures, but interesting songs and structures as well. Since then, it seems the name has added to the project in unforeseeable ways - it's beginning to make sense on other levels as well. This latest album is inspired by a character in a book - sort of creating it's own 'syntaks' spiraling outward into something new. I think it's a very open term, and hopefully people will fill in their own idea of what it is and means. 

Room: When did you know that you were interested in music?

Syntaks: If you're thinking about me being interested in music in general, that's always been my passion. Nothing ever excited me more than good music - stuff that makes you breathless and want to loose youself in waves of sound. I always wanted to recreate that, ever since I was a kid. We had guitars and a piano where I grew up - but I always wanted to play the drums. When I started playing the drums, I wanted to record those on tape. Then I wanted to add effects to those and manipulate the tape - next thing you know, you're making music every day

Room: What is the difference between Syntaks and Limp musically?

Syntaks: Limp was a band that me, Jess, Jonas (Manual) & Rasmus (Aerosol) started up when we were about 11 years old - what ended up as the mini album Orion was recorded when we were about 18 - and released a few years later. So it's the starting point of many of our ideas - a place from which we all grew. We're basically a group of people playing together, getting together still to do different new things. We have our electronic concerts, where we usually play together no matter which name is on the bill. We have a free jazz / kraut rock / psych band as well. Also we're recording a folk record. So we're basically touching a lot of bases just the same 4 people. The names are just a way of separating it, so we don't mess up the audience too much. I guess this answer just did, huh?! 

Room: Who are your main influences that made Syntaks what it is today?

Syntaks: The things that have stuck through the whole thing is stuff like Brian Eno, The Cure, Slowdive, etc. All kinds of things that have these amazingly original combinations of sounds and a unique vibe. Most music today leaves me pretty cold - I prefer music from the 60s or 80s where everything had thick, recognizable textures and originality. 

Room: Where do you draw inspiration from when writing music for Syntaks?

Syntaks: Both me and Anna are deeply into literature - at the moment we're heavy on stuff like André Gides, Rainer Maria Rilke and Knut Hamsun - this stuff where the language and words themselves just sucks everything into a huge vacuum - leaving the storyline behind somehow. We're also very inspired by movies - especially italian genre films, where the images take over and sort of drift - like the Gialli movies of Mario Bava & Dario Argento. We're hoping to bring a bit of that transformation of shape and form that these works contain somehow into music. People are taking everything for granted these days - making the same sounds and recycling the same tired ideas. We're trying to put something together that's different - powered by our own subjective way of approaching music and art. 

Room: Kindly describe the sound you create on your own words?

Syntaks: Hopefully it sounds like the labour of love this album is - it's something that me and Anna have worked on together for years, playing with it, being serious with it, noodling with it. Now it's like a bond between us - it's very physical in that way, and hopefully some of that finds it's way into the experience of the listener. 

Room: Kindly name a few artists that you find interesting and that I should check out?

Syntaks: I will just give one: Popol Vuh aka Florian Fricke - just start at the beginning and work your way through. 

Room: Thank you so much Jakob! Should you have any messages to the readers?

Syntaks: You're welcome. Thanks for listening, everyone.

Learn more about Syntaks

Fog and Music

I went with my brother in law to check out his renovation project in Tagaytay. Little did I know that will be spending a bit of time up there. I, forever the boyscout was prepared to the hilt. On the way up we stacked on cold-cuts, chips, wine and of course music. We got to finish inspection at around 8pm, on our way out of the job site, layers upon layers of fog greeted us on the road. Instead of fear, there was zero visibility on some point, I kid you not.

But a feeling of elation, in short we were having a blast! I brought out my phone and took a little video, we're kinda chatty at this time, thanks to the wine! I cranked up the volume of the stereo, blasting a dandelion council track. Can't wait to go back and do the same thing again! hehe

Christ. aka Chris Horne

From an early age christ. has been a musician. His supposed collaborations in his formative years at school and early 20s are well documented, suffice to say that at the current point in time, determining the original source of cross-pollinated styles is futile. Since his first solo release proper in 2002, he has proved to be as individual and creative as the next guy, forging a unique path of musical beauty that escapes derivation. Can much more be said? What's the point. Christ.'s expert layers of melody, broken beats and textures say pretty much everything, and along with his popularity as a formidable live act, he is a rare breed indeed. (myspace)

Been a fan of Christ for quite some time now, the music always compelling the slight shifts intriguing, the little nuances I take notice. I run out of words on how I would describe Christ. It's electronic music with a heart, it makes me feel warm and cozy every time I listen. Never cold. I feel so fortunate that one of my heroes Chris Horne took time out to answer a few questions from the Room.

Room: Christ. is such an interesting moniker, how did this come about?

Christ: i think it's pretty well documented... quite simply, my mates when i was a teenager used to call me christ. it stuck, and the potential of the name really appealed to me. that's it.

Room: When did you first start writing music?

Christ: writing my own stuff pretty much began to develop about aged 8. previous to that i had figured out a really primitive way of multi tracking using tape recorders, and had spent a couple of years trying to put together versions of stuff my dad listened to. i still have copies of one or two of those early recordings.

Room: Who were your main influences that made Christ. what it is today? Hauntingly beautiful.

Christ: difficult question to answer, that one..em..i listened to a lot of the more melodic end of the eighties synthpop stuff... heaven 17, depeche mode, yazoo, human league and that kind of thing, and i think that played a big part.. i'm a sucker for a big melody played on an analogue synth. later influences probably included acts like nitzer ebb, meat beat manifesto, cocteau twins, the orb. other than that, i tend on the whole to be kind of self perpetuating.. one idea feeds another, so to speak. i couldn't point a finger at a single act and have a eureka moment regarding where it all comes from. i dunno. life really.

Room: Kindly name a few artists that you find interesting and that I should check out?

Christ: new or old? i've been getting all misty eyed and nostalgic recently over the new la roux album... such a pure journey into the past. i have a huge amount of time for just about everything that elbow have ever recorded. i love stevie wonder, prince and the beatles. in terms of more modern esoteric stuff, i've been getting right into the new kelpe album, and i played recently alongside felix kubin, who is both hugely talented and extremely creative. i need to track down some of his stuff.

Room: Thank you Chris! Should you have any messages to the readers?

Christ: thanks for listening, i guess. we've got a few live dates coming up in the uk and europe, so if you're interested, keep an eye on the christ. myspace. as regards future records, i'm currently recording, and chatting with one or two labels, so i'm not quite sure where i'll rear my rather ugly head next.

For more information about Christ.
http://www.myspace.com/christ.music
Support Christ.

Syntaks

Jakob Skøtt has been a life-long collaborator with friend Jonas Munk aka Manual. Their first release together was in 2002 as "Limp" releasing the highly acclaimed album on Morr Music entitled "Orion". A couple of years later the duo released under the own names for the album “Golden Sun” on Darla. Jakob is also part of the 4 piece Causa Sui with a release on Germany's Nasoni. Where the previous collaborations with Manual has been soporific hip hop beats and melting soundscapes, “Awakes” sees Syntaks explore more varied territories. The ten track album clocks in just under 50 minutes and journeys into an expertly crafted concoction of dub, guitar pop, leftfield beats and Slowdive-esque washes of guitar with the slightest hint of Cocteau Twins at their best. ~ Words by n5MD



One of my best discoveries this year! My musical taste has been growing in leaps and bounds since I started the "room" radio show. I was somewhat aware of the music scene in Scandinavia, especially in Sweden. I started to look at neighboring countries for other musical acts, I zoomed into Denmark, checked it out and what a revelation! To my surprise there were a number of electronic, dream pop and psychedelic acts that I completely fell in love with. There was Keith Canisius, one talented multi instrumentalist who's Waves album takes me to a world of endless possibilities. Same with Manual aka Jonas Munk who's music is so captivating and beautiful that leaves the listener in a kaleidoscope of dreams.

Then I came across Syntaks, whom I feel was able to marry the perfect balance between electronic and dream pop elements. They posses all the attributes that I like in a band that made me fall for them. Syntaks creates one of the most beautiful crafted ethereal songs ever heard by man, but that's just my opinion, hehe. Please do check out Syntaks!

To hear more of Syntaks, kindly go here :

http://www.myspace.com/syntaks

I think there is an EP still available to download for free.