These fabulous shots of Karin My, shot by Ola “Merchmannen” Josefsson (@merchmannen), capture the beauty and grace of Sweden’s secret weapon. Taken at a rare live appearance – this summer’s Synth i Molkom music festival – the images find the talented multi-instrumentalist and vocalist completely engaged with her audience.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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Sweden’s legendary act, Twice a Man, have released a tour of their output between the years 1982 and 2022. The material is collected on Songs of Future Memories, a 3-CD compilation from Germany’s Dependent label, with two new songs and thirty-two from the band’s extensive back catalogue. The physical edition also includes a 72-page hardcover book with notes from Ecki Stieg.
The importance of Twice a Man to Swedish and European pop and theatrical music cannot be overstated. From the point at which they transformed from Cosmic Overdose, at the insistence of New Order’s promoter, the band has led from the front; both in terms of their styling and in their messages about the social and natural environment. They might have changed their name, but the group – organised around the core of Karl Gasleben and Dan Söderqvist – didn’t give up their affinity for psychedelic soundscapes or explosions of surrealistic energy. Instead, they set up structures within which new sounds could be formed and social concerns could be channelled.
As this compilation shows, Twice a Man have taken a much wider perspective than many of their peers; adapting to the shifting sands of fashion while maintaining a Brechtian distance that prevents them from being pigeon-holed. Are they prog or new wave? For the theatre or the dancefloor? Do they look at internal psychology or social movements? The answer is: any and all of the above, depending on the moment. There is no one truth about Twice a Man, but there is an organising principle to their material: it isn’t like anything else.
From the proto-techno of “Russian Tractors” to the pulsing symphonic movements of “High in the Clouds,” this collection is a master-class in European electronic music. Spanning forty years of work, Songs of Future Memories draws on an exceptional tradition of experimentation and composition. The two new songs presented here, “Lotus” and “Dahlia,” emerge from that crib impressed with a unique inheritance. Twice a Man remain a work in progress.
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We have described Karin My as Sweden’s secret weapon before. The Scandi songstress has most often been spotred adding magic to the recordings of other artists, such as the legendary Twice a Man. More recently, she has been working on her own material, edging towards a debut solo album.
“Winter Tree” is a other step towards that end. Her vocals float like filaments on the gentlest breeze, lingering above the snap of the rhythm track. The accompanying video gives a flavour of the seasonal mood that infuses the song.
Made together with Daniel Kraufelt, “Winter Tree” is Nordic noir with an emotional edge. The album is expected in February.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Karin My returns with a new, melodic track in tow. The Swedish chanteusse continues to impress with her smooth, elegant vocals and songwriting skills.
“World from Orbit” floats like the morning mist through a forest. The accompanying video belies with it images of an empty city, stone figures and Nordic body culture. One is heavier than the other.
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Machinista’s third studio album is an evolution from those that preceded it. The band’s live show has developed in the four years that have intervened since the last one, too – away from the traditional synth duo structure to a fuller pop-rock act with a guitarist in a bird mask.
Anthropocene features eleven tracks. One (“Across the Universe”) is a Beatles cover; the rest are originals developed by long-distance telecommunications in Sweden. Several have been released previously as singles and EPs, collected here with new material.
The Italo roots of Richard Flow’s instrumentals are on show, but so are EBM and pop influences. The addition of BRD’s guitar and Karin My’s cello takes the sound away from the specialist DJ section and into other areas of the record shop.
John Lindqwister’s vocals and lyrics are as taut as ever. The themes are dark: “The Scare” seems to be about news of the mass shootings that America specialises in; “Let Darkness In” reminds us that “God left us long ago.”
The main exception is, possibly, the stand-out track on the album: “Ásfriðr” finds Lindqwister having his pain taken away by the arrival of his daughter. It is first class and classy poptronica with positive vibrations, a Goldfrapp influence and cello work by Karin My.
It is great to revisit old friends in “Pain of Every Day” and “Seconds Minutes Hours.” It seems like they have been with us for a while, but they are in great company with the new songs brought to life here.
Life is the thing that gets in the way of making great music, but they both come together on Anthropocene – an album it has been worth waiting weeks, months and years for.
Karin My is one of Sweden’s secret weapons.
The Gothenburg-based composer and multi-instrumentalist has worked with a number of the country’s leading artists, including Twice a Man and Robert Enforsen. She appeared on two of the tracks for Heresy, the Rational Youth tribute album produced by Cold War Night Life.
She has now revealed her new single. “The Silence” features the pulsing, filtered sounds of a Kord MS20 and a soaring vocal line. It is elegant and delicate, while thunderingly electronic when the MS20 pushes higher in the mix. Using the kind of tension heard in Madonna’s best work with William Orbit, “The Silence” is as complex as the Berman film with which it shares a title.