Eddie Bengtsson‘s record collection has been a big influence on the sound of Page. The singles of Silicon Teens provided the template for the band. John Foxx-era Ultravox! and early OMD contributed style and attitude. Billy Currie’s work with Gary Numan lent sophistication. Listening to different periods of Page recordings is like crate-digging with an old friend.
The release of Inget motstånd [EN: No Resistor or No Resistance] finds the Swedish duo exploring the section marked “Krautrock.” There has been a subtle shift in the sound from British New Wave towards Conny’s Studio and the Neue Deutsche Welle. Bengtsson cites NEU!, Can, and La Düsseldorf as providing inspiration on “Klarar det ändå” [EN: “Still Making It”]. There is a Kraftwerkian quality to the song, as well.
Bengtsson’s nostalgia for the innovative spirit of the 1970s is matched by the clarity of expression brought by Christer Hermodsson’s (Biomekkanik, Spark!) production work. The two have worked together in Sista mannen på jorden (SMPJ) and are both S.P.O.C.K alumni. Their familiarity means that Hermodsson knows how far he can take the mixing without straining the impact of the material.
Founded by Marina Schiptjenko and Bengstsson way back in 1980, Page filled the gap left in Swedish poptronica by the fade-out of ABBA. They quickly established themselves as a fearlessly creative act; exploring the possibilities of monophonic synths and drum machines in answer to Synth Britannia.
The opening track in the set, “Kan inte tänka på allt” [EN: “Can’t Think of Everything”] makes the point. Although it leans towards Bengtsson’s work in SMPJ and the short-lived This Fish Needs a Bike, it’s impressed with Page’s signature vocal and melodic styles. The icy synths project Nordic coolness; cozy but moody.
“Mycket mer” [EN: “Much More”] chugs with a motorik beat, in tribute to Klaus Dinger’s distinctive and precise drumming. The flange is strong with this one, but the key to the sound is a Moog bass that pulses like street lights reflected on a speeding car. It is the missing link between Neu! and John Foxx’s Metamatic.
The highlight of the album is “Gå itu” [EN: “Breaking Up”]. An absolute stormer of a track, it finds Bengtsson in excellent form. “Om ett tag” [EN: “In a While”] will get the crowds moving with its metronomic time-keeping and infectious hooks. “Sen så blev det värre” [EN: “Then It Got Worse”] opens up with an exhilarating chorus, but the full box of tricks is on display, including horns and harmonies. There is a lot of drama at the core of the set.
“Klarar det ändå” [EN: “Can Still Do It”] appears to make references to “The Robots” and “Europe Endless.” It is followed by “Inget som betyder någonting” [EN: “Nothing that Means Anything”], which has echoes of SMPJ’s “Ögon.” The tracks highlight Bengtsson’s ability to humanise the machines.
“Moderna Saker” [EN: “Modern Things”] is impressed with strings influenced by Billy Currie, while echoing OMD’s early sequencer work. That provides the scaffolding on which Bengtsson has built a remarkably catchy poptronica edifice.
The strings return with greater complexity for “Kära Du” [EN: “My Dear”], which finds Page at their most cinematic. The instrumental is reprised on piano, and it is hard not to imagine the sounds coming from a drawing room in the 1930s with one of Mr Edison’s newfangled phonograph players. Crate-digging was more complicated then, but arguably no less expensive a hobby.
Throughout Inget motstånd, what stands out is the confidence of the duo entirely at ease in their own sound world. The result is a pleasing and progressive album that is entirely consistent with Page’s pioneering role in Swedish poptronica.