Erik Ångman returns with a single from the forthcoming 20Hz album. “Every Shadow Has a Tale to Tell” is a collaboration with Louise and Peter Marchione from the amazing Swedish act, Thermostatic. It is also an atmospheric pop track destined for your Bali beach bar playlist.
We have repeatedly described Karin My as “Sweden’s secret weapon.” Raised in the south of the country, she absorbed the futuristic sounds of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, sitting alone in a room with vinyl provided by a family friend. The kling-klang and ambient pads of German synthesists inspired her life in music: from busking in Gothenburg to sprinkling magical dust on the works of leading artists. My writes delicate and poignant songs of her own, but she has a reputation for transforming the material of collaborators with elegant alchemy.
The multi-instrumentalist is self-taught, having built up her knowledge in steps. As My told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK in an interview:
From the money I got picking strawberries, I bought my first piano. Then I found a drum kit in a garage, got it for free and spent one year torturing the neighbours, but at least I got good enough to play drums and sing in a jazz n’ blues band, with some good old silver foxes. I then bought my first cello, learned how to use it and that was a long-time dream coming true.
My was “discovered” several times over, busking near Gothenburg’s largest shopping mall. Local promoters stopped to listen to her unplugged covers of futurepop bands, including Apoptygma Bezerk and VNV Nation. The TV4 channel included her in a feature about unusual street artists. Twice a Man’s Dan Söderqvist found her at an event where she appeared directly from her normal patch in an underpass. My’s modesty prevented her from pushing herself to the front of the pack, but it was clear from the beginning that her talent is something special.
10. Twice a Man feat. Karin My – High in the Clouds
Twice a Man are Swedish legends. They changed their name from Cosmic Overdose when they supported New Order, because the promoter thought it sounded too hippy-like. In fact, the band combined psychedelic and new wave elements in equal measure. Their sound has evolved over the decades, but the group continues to bear fruit that reflects their roots. My’s vocals blend to add generous notes that highlight the terroir.
9. Xenturion Prime – Distant Voices
The Swedish/Norwegian duo picked up My for their 2022 Prisma album, including her on this fragile, haunting track. The magic dust was sprinkled generously.
8. Carbon Based Lifeforms – Gryning
We know Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Vadestrid best as the amazing Thermostatic, but their ambient electronic work as CBL has gone on for longer and reached much larger audiences. My is one of their key collaborators, adding a sensitive touch that doesn’t overwhelm the base material.
7. Karin My – Mia och Tom
An acoustic cover of the classic Page track, slowed down by My and reduced to its core elements. Page regularly produce poptronica perfection, and this version shows off the quality of Eddie Bengtsson’s songwriting and My’s skills as a performer.
6. AEX – Endless Night
No, not the Christian metal act. This AEX is Æon deuX, the Danish group launched on Claus Larsen’s LÆBEL. My adds atmospheric cello here that is unmistakably her own.
5. Rekk feat. Robert Enforsen and Karin My – The Man in Grey
Recorded for the Rational Youth tribute, Heresy, this version of “The Man in Grey” was organised by Kevin Komoda with Elegant Machinery’s Robert Enforsen and My providing input.
https://on.soundcloud.com/fEr6E
4. Gasleben & Electric Friends – Sunday
Karl Gasleben of Twice a Man formed this side project to work with close friends and collaborators. My is one of his go-to artists, and she joins Peter Davidson to add vocals here.
3. 20Hz – Exit North
Erik Ångman is 20Hz. Of this track, we said in our review:
Exit North” approaches the sensibility of Ryuichi Sakamoto, with its considered but artful use of piano. The delicacy of the keyboard is supported by atmospheric cello work provided by Karin My – Sweden’s secret weapon. It’s a beautiful, enveloping track that unfolds like fine linen.
2. Machinista – Astrid
John Lindqvister wrote this song with his daughter in mind. Originally set to electronics by Richard Flow, the band decided to take it in a different direction. My’s contribution gave it the cinematic feel it needed.
1. Karin My – The Silence
My’s first solo album was released in 2022. Silence Amydala was a surprisingly restrained but unified set of songs. Crafted together with her producer, D. Kaufeldt, it was a very personal experience for My. As she explained to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK, “Every story I tell has a grain or a mountain of truth to it.”
20Hz is considered to be the lowest frequency that humans can hear. It is also the solo project of Erik Ångman (Göteborgselektronikerna, Octolab).
Sprawl is the third 20Hz album. Featuring contributions from Karin My (Carbon Based Lifeforms, Twice a Man), Karl Gasleben (Twice a Man, Gasleben & Electric Friends), Arielle Andersson (Octolab), Fredrik Lundvall Kindsäter (Octolab), Rikard Lindh (Henric de la Cour, Yvonne), and Per-Ivar Östmann, it is also a set of collaborations with a diverse group of artists from the Swedish alternative scene.
Ångman explains the concept of the album this way:
The (rather pretentious) concept behind Sprawl was to create a soundtrack for a non-existent film set in a not so far future where people live in cities the size of countries. The songs describe feelings of being alone amidst millions of people and experiencing a sense of not fitting in. There’s a feeling that something isn’t quite right, and that ones humanity and relationships are eroded by the gray, endlessly repetitive everyday life. Yet, there’s also a glimmer of hope and a longing that there must be something more than the city’s neon-lit skyscrapers and its rain-soaked black streets, that there’s a different, better life outside the city walls.
The album opens with “Fragments,” which takes us on an ambient techno trip. A bubbling synthetic pulse establishes the spine around which moods and atmospheres take shape. It’s not a million miles away from Delerium.
“Travel with Waves” draws in Octolab, with whom Ångman collaborates as a rhythm programmer. It’s a recalibration from their usual pop sensibility that adds depth and complexity to their characteristic elegance.
“Exit North” approaches the sensibility of Ryuichi Sakamoto, with its considered but artful use of piano. The delicacy of the keyboard is supported by atmospheric cello work provided by Karin My – Sweden’s secret weapon. It’s a beautiful, enveloping track that unfolds like fine linen. My also features on the companion song, “Exit South,” which uses different textures to no less dramatic effect.
“Through the Clouds” takes a chilled but moody approach. It flows into “Columbia,” which builds a deep pulse around which piano and guitar sounds swirl. Expanding on this part of the album’s arc, “The Heart of the City” is evocative of the late Harold Budd. Ångman creates spaces to spread out the reverb while building phrases with an old-school lead.
Gasleben pays a visit on “Lakeside.” The Twice a Man man is no stranger to psychedelic electronica, and the combination is both theatrical and compelling.
“Golden Hearts” brings in the voice of Per-Ivar for the closest that Sprawl offers as a pop song. It’s an album that touches a lot of bases, without overstretching itself. This might be its highlight, but there really are no low points. Choose from its range of offerings or glide through them – the journey is magical.
Far out sounds from the Far North: the new 20Hz single combines the electronic mastery of Erik Ångman (Göteborgselektronikerna, Octolab) with Per-Ivan’s vocals. Sprawl, the new 20Hz album, hits the racks in a couple of weeks. On the strength of this track, it should be a flowing, poptastic affair.