Izvođač: Steensland, Simon
Izdavačka kuća: Altrock
Izdanje: 2009
Ocjena: 4.4/5
Simon Steensland najpoznatiji je po svom albumu The Zombie Hunter, koji je snimio 1996. i od kojeg je dobio i nadimak (the zombie hunter). Već je poprilično dugo odsutan s glazbene scene, ali posljednjih je pet godina marljivo radio na novom uratku, koji je konačno ugledao svjetlo dana ove godine. Album se zove Fat Again.
Prvo moram priznati da prije ovog albuma nisam čuo ništa od tog skladatelja, ali odmah me osvojio snagom ove veličanstvene glazbe. Smatram da je Steensland izniman skladatelj, s odličnim osjećajem za dramatiku, kompleksnost i melodiju, pogotovo kad se sjetim da njegovu glazbu često opisuju kao avangardnu.
Prva i posljednja skladba doista su slične Univers Zero, otprilike iz razdoblja Heatwavea. Neki dijelovi na harmoniju čak me podsjećaju na Ceux du Dehors. Čini se kao da svi instrumenti oponašaju Univers Zero – bas, gitara, klavijature, bubnjevi, klarinet. To je očito bio Steenslandov najveći utjecaj. Meni to uopće nije problem, jer je dosad snimljen samo jedan Heatwave i do sada ništa nije zvučalo baš slično, a ako je Steensland odlučio odati počast tom divnom albumu, to mi se čini lijepim, pogotovo jer to radi vrlo dobro. Skladbe između izvornije su. Posebno mi se sviđaju vokalni dijelovi, koji ponekad zvuče kao da ih pjevaju duhovi. Ovdje se čuje puno skandinavskih folklornih utjecaja, što me ponekad podsjeća i na Sigur Ros. Moglo bi se reći i da su vokalni dijelovi na neki način slični Magmi. U tom srednjem dijelu možemo čuti i nekoliko lijepih instrumentalnih dionica. Jedini put kad se Steensland u tom dijelu albuma ponovno okreće utjecajima Univers Zero je u skladbi Hide & Seek, ali nije tako očito kao na prvoj i posljednjoj kompoziciji.
Vjerojatno je najveća slabost albuma ujedno i njegova najveća vrlina. Prva i posljednja skladba pokazuju očite utjecaje Univers Zero, ali su dobro osmišljene, aranžirane i odsvirane. Ovo je jedan od najboljih avangardnih albuma koje sam u posljednje vrijeme čuo. Doduše, nije najoriginalniji, ali inovativnost više nego nadoknađuju zamršene skladbe.
Album je doista dovršeno napravljen, o tome nema nikakve sumnje. Čini mi se prilično teškim za slušanje. Ima puno kompleksnih struktura i ritmova. Osobno me ne smeta utjecaj Univers Zero, na album gledam iz strogo glazbenog kuta, koji je izniman. Glazba je lijepa, teška i agresivna. Slično bi se moglo reći i za Univers Zero u vrijeme albuma Heatwave. Iako je Steenslandova glazba donekle slična, čini mi se da je i dalje dovoljno originalan. Sve su skladbe potpuno njegove i odlično odrađuje posao.
Na albumu je i dosta uglednih gostiju, među ostalima Morgan Agren (Kaipa, Mats & Morgan, između ostalih), i to definitivno doprinosi boljem zvuku. Agrenovo bubnjanje posebno je dobro, a isto mogu reći i za lijepe vokalne aranžmane.
Za mene je Fat Again jedan od najboljih albuma izdanih u posljednjih nekoliko godina. Doduše, dosta posuđuje od Univers Zero, ali čuo sam i puno očitije kopije. Čini mi se kao da Steensland i dalje želi napraviti nešto novo, čime bi obogatio svoju ljubav prema Univers Zero. Mislim da mu je uspjelo stvoriti sjajan album, koji je za mene jedan od najboljih albuma 2009.
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Simon Steensland is best known for his album The Zombie Hunter, which he recorded in 1996 and got his nickname from. He has been absent from the musical scene for quite some time, but for the last five years, he has been working diligently on composing and recording his new album, which saw the light of day in 2009. The album is called Fat Again.
First of all, I have to say that I haven’t heard a single note of his music until this product, but I was swept off my feet by the sheer impact of this great music. I think Steensland is a wonderful composer with a great sense of drama, complexity and melody, especially if you consider that his music is often labelled as avant-garde.
The first and last compositions of the album are, admittedly, very similar to Universe Zero, circa the time of Heatwave. Some of the harmonium passages even remind me of Ceux du Dehors. It seems that every instrument mimics Univers Zero – the bass, guitar, keyboards, drums, clarinet. This was obviously Steensland’s main influence. I for one don’t really consider this to be a problem because there has really only been one Heatwave made, nothing else sounds quite the same, and if Steensland wants to pay tribute to that wonderful album, I salute him, even more so because he does it extremely well. The pieces in between are a bit more original. I especially like the vocal pieces, with the ghostly voices. On here we can notice a lot of Scandinavian folklore influences, which occasionally even remind me of Sigur Ros. One could also say that some of the vocal parts are similar to Magma in some way as well. There are also some very nice instrumental segments in this middle part of the album. The only time Steensland returns to his Univers Zero influences in this part of the album is during Hide & Seek, but it’s not as blatantly obvious as before.
I suppose the biggest flaw of the album is also its biggest attribute. The first and final piece may show clear Univers Zero influences, but the pieces are very well constructed, arranged and played. This is some of the best new avant-garde music I’ve heard lately. Sure, it’s not the most original, but the lack of inventiveness is more than made up for with the intricate compositions.
The album is extremely well done, there’s no doubt about that. I find it to also be a very challenging listen, with complex structures and rhythms. I’m not troubled by the obvious nods to Univers Zero, I just take this album as it is. The music is beautiful, complex and aggressive. Much of this was also true of Univers Zero during the period of Heatwave. Even though Steensland’s music bears a certain resemblance, I still feel there’s plenty of originality left and it’s not as if Steensland used a direct Univers Zero quote. All the compositions are his own and he does a fine job too.
The album also features several prominent guests, including Morgan Agren (Kaipa, Mats & Morgan, among others) and this definitely contributes to the better sound of the album. Agren’s drumming is particularly good, as are the beautifully arranged vocals.
For me, Fat Again is one of the best albums to be released in the last few years. It might be a bit derivative, but I’ve heard much more derivative things. I feel as if Steensland is still trying to do something new, to add to his Univers Zero love. I think he succeeded in creating a fine work of art here and one of the best albums of 2009.
Postava
Simon Steensland – bas, klavijature, gitara, zvončići, harmonij, violončelo, bendžo, vokal
Robert Elovsson – klavijature, klarinet
Arvid Pettersson – Fender Rhodes, harmonika
Einar Baldursson – gitara
Morgan Ågren – bubnjevi
Aurelia Le Huche – vokal
Eva Rexed – vokal
Produkcija
Simon Steensland
Popis skladbi
1. Der Klang Von “Musik” 16.13
2. Lost In The Ark 02.00
3. Merde! 00.25
4. Memories Of Jan Jösta 2.27
5. Loch Ness 2.20
6. Hide & Seek 08.26
7. Fräls Oss Ifrån Ondo 02.05
8. The Queen Of Sweden 01.52
9. Petite Merde 00.26
10. The Lion Tamer 20.23
