release date: Mar. 17, 2019
format: vinyl (77 82333) / digital (9 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,94]
producer: Hans Philip
label: Copenhagen Records - nationality: Denmark
Track highlights: 1. "Siger ingenting" - 2. "Saa blaa" - 3. "Drenge & piger" - 4. "Dagdrøm [1]" - 7. "Stjerneklarenætterrr" - 9. "Tilbage"
Solo studio album debut by Hans Philip, former vocalist and songwriter of Ukendt Kunstner. Hans Philip has composed all lyrics - and composed the songs with various musical collaborators, including Tais Stausholm (also credited for guitar, bass and piano on several songs), Andreas Murga (also credited as bassist and guitarist on two tracks), and a bunch of others. Musically, it's both far and close to what Ukendt Kunstner stood for. The production sound follows closely the sound of McCoy, but this is much slower and way more introvert and emotional, and instead of rap this is inner-felt singing.
Hans Philip wasn't quite ready to end the duo-project, but as everyone knows, it takes two to tango, and Jens Ole McCoy wanted out, which then put an end to their common project. McCoy is not part of this, although, his musical legacy lives on in the compositions. It's the wide spacious ranges of the compositions that may leave you with the idea that they have McCoy's fingerprints all over.
The album has been anticipated for quite some time after what seemed like the most surprising and untimely end to one of the most successful Danish acts. Ukendt Kunstner ended their short-lived career in 2016 after two acclaimed albums and what appeared to be an endless series of nominations, awards and sold-out concerts on a national scale. Apparently, the overwhelming success had been more than the two had set out for, and the other side of the coin was too scary to hold on to - for McCoy, and here Philip cleverly has put some of his frustrations into words - whether it's "simple" confusion regarding what was wrong about a highly successful career, or whether it's his general frustrations about other things in life. It's all extremely smooth and quality-minded, and despite being an almost minimalist type of expression, it's really one of the best Danish albums of 2019.
Highly recommended.
