The Radio Dept. "I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band" (2019)

L-R: Duncanson & Carlberg

I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band (compilation)

release date: Aug. 23, 2019

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5]

producer: (rec. by Johan Duncanson, Martin Carlberg)

label: Just So! - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Pulling Our Weight" - 3. "I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band" - 5. "The City Limit" - 6. "This Past Week" - 7. "Deliverance" - 8. "I Don't Like It Like This" - 10. "Let Me Have This"

Compilation album by The Radio Dept. is basically two old EPs re-released as one album. Tracks 1-5 were originally released as the Pulling Our Weight EP, from Nov. 2003, and tracks 6-10 has previously been released as This Past Week EP, in Jan. 2005. The album has now been released on the band's own label Just So! (established in 2018 when they re-issued Pet Grief as their first album).

Well, this is what we get, when all we really want is new studio material from one of Sweden's most fascinating bands. I take it as a statement saying: 'Hey, but we're still around!'

The front cover is the first revealing the two members of Johan Duncanson and Martin Carlberg. Musically, it's quite naturally The Radio Dept. classic with melodic noise pop, indie rock, and shoegaze written all over, and then the two EPs actually fit nicely together, which makes it a most wanted album, despite being old material. It fits nicely as a natural companion to Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 (2011).

The two original EPs:

2003 Pulling Our Weight EP

2005 This Past Week EP

The Radio Dept. "Running Out of Love" (2016)

Running Out of Love
release date: Oct. 21, 2016
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: The Radio Dept.
label: Labrador Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 2. "Swedish Guns" - 5. "Occupied" - 6. "This Thing Was Bound to Happen" - 7. "Can't Be Guilty" - 8. "Committed to the Cause" (4 / 5) - 9. "Running Out of Love" - 10. "Teach Me to Forget"

4th studio album by The Radio Dept. is the self-produced [Tomas Bodén and Erik Möller are co-producers on track 10] follow-up to Clinging to a Scheme from 2010, which reflects a hiatus of six and half years. That's a long time in the music industry, and in the meantime the band has been reduced to a duo consisting of the two main forces of the band: Johan Duncanson and Martin Carlberg [Larsson]. Former member Daniel Tjäder plays additional keyboard on track 7 - Tjäder left the band to concentrate on the electronic- and synthpop-driven side-project, Korallreven, founded in 2009 together with Marcus Joons.

One of the most talked about reasons for the long hiatus is one of conflicting interests as the band made a law-suit against the record label, Labrador. In an interview with Canadian media Exclaim! Johan Duncanson explains the battle with the record label [ read here ] - a case the band officially lost, but which ultimately resulted in a renewal and better contract with Labrador.

Needless to say, the time span since the last album and the reduction in band members has resulted in a new style on "Running Out of Love". It still sounds like The Radio Dept., but the previous ever-presence of a noise pop element is basically gone, and also the dream pop style has been reduced or re-shaped into synthpop with indietronica elements. Former albums by the band were always founded on guitar, bass and drums - this is electronically created although, bass and drums play a central part. Some critics call it their New Order-creation. Yes, it certainly has lots of similarities with the synthpop and alt. dance universe, but I find it much more original than just that. Apart from a change of style the album also reveals the band as highly politically conscient, and... "It’s an album about all the things that are moving in the wrong direction", as the band puts it.

Fans will be looking in vain for what they know as The Radio Dept. but this is a band in transition, or: time is another, and Duncanson and Carlberg still have much to offer.

[ allmusic.com, PopMatters 4 / 5, Drowned in Sound 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Radio Dept. "Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010" (2011)

Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 (compilation)
release date: Jan. 25, 2011
format: 2 cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Johan Duncansson, Martin Larsson
label: Labrador Records - nationality: Sweden

Double compilation album by The Radio Dept. containing A-side and B-side singles released from 2002 to 2010 including online-only singles. Disc 1 is labeled 'A-sides' and disc 2 'B-sides'. The concept is great, and it really proves the strengths of this fairly unknown band. It's quite extraordinary how well it works as an album with tracks taken from three albums released over a seven year period and originating from various eps and single releases. Three tracks are taken from the debut album Lesser Matters (2003), one is from the follow-up album Pet Grief (2006), and three are from their most recent album Clinging to a Scheme (2010). It works, and it's great.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, PopMatters 4 / 5 stars ]

The Radio Dept. "Clinging to a Scheme" (2010)

Clinging to a Scheme
release date: Apr. 21, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,04]
producer: Johan Duncanson, Martin Carlberg
label: Labrador Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Domestic Scene" - 2. "Heaven's on Fire" (4 / 5) (live on WFUV) - 3. "This Time Around" - 4. "Never Follow Suit" (4 / 5) - 6. "The Video Dept." (4 / 5) - 8. "David"

3rd studio album by The Radio Dept. released on Labrador and produced by Johan Duncanson and Martin Carlberg.

Stylistically, this is like its two predecessors indie pop and dream pop. It's also music with bonds to other fine Scandinavian artists like Cardigans and The Knife, and it bridges to British dream pop artists like Saint Etienne and Cocteau Twins. However, the sound also seems inspired by first and foremost My Bloody Valentine, but also New Order, The Smiths, and Felt.

I think, it's a fine and quite unique blend of their own, and the whole album is the band's most coherent and also the band's so far best album, imho.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, NME, Drowned in Sound 4 / 5 stars ]

The Radio Dept. "Freddie and the Trojan Horse" (2008) (single)

Freddie and the Trojan Horse, single
release date: Jun. 4, 2008
format: digital
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Johan Duncanson and Martin Carlberg
label: Labrador Records - nationality: Sweden

Tracklist: 1. "Freddie and the Trojan Horse" - 2. "Closing Scene" - 3. "The Room, Tarzana" - 4. "Closing Scene pt. 2"

Single release by The Radio Dept. originally released on vinyl in Japan only but also issued on cd in Sweden. According to the band's official site, the single may be seen as a new direction of style with influences from German krautrock and bands like NEU!, Faust and Kraftwerk.
I really don't hear much of the German sources here, but think it's more noise pop-founded than both their previous and forthcoming albums. None of the tracks are ordinary album tracks, but tracks #1 and #2 are included on the fine compilation album Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 from 2011.

The Radio Dept. "Pet Grief" (2006)

Pet Grief
release date: Apr. 12, 2006
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Johan Duncansson, Martin Larsson
label: Labrador - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 2. "Pet Grief" - 3. "A Window" - 4. "I Wanted You to Feel the Same" (Live on WFUV) - 6. "The Worst Taste in Music" (4 / 5) - 8. "What Will Give?" - 10. "Sleeping In" (4 / 5) - 11. "Tell"
[ full album playlist ]

2nd studio album by The Radio Dept. is like the debut released by Labrador Records and produced by Duncanson and Larsson. The band members are now the trio which has become synonymous with The Radio Dept.: Johan Duncanson playing keyboards, guitars, and on lead vocal, Martin Larsson on guitars, keyboards, and bass, and with Daniel Tjäder on keyboards.

Stylistically, the album follows closely in the footsteps of their fine debut Lesser Matters (Feb. 2003), and despite that this is not a huge step in new directions, it's a pretty nice and decent follow-up into subtle indie pop / dream pop with less focus on distorted guitars and vocals and thus less noise pop-oriented. It also comes out as more consciously wider produced material indicating a move away from their previously lo-fi recorded releases but without losing the noise-pop connection.

Compared to the fine debut this seems more of a whole but it generally lacks higher level of quality compositions, although, I still enjoy the laid back feel of it.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

The Radio Dept. "The Worst Taste in Music" (2006) (single)

The Worst Taste in Music, single
release date: Mar. 15, 2006
format: digital
[single rate: 3 / 5] [3,14]
producer: Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson
label: Labrador Records - nationality: Sweden

Tracklist: 1. "The Worst Taste in Music" (4 / 4) - 2. "Flow Flux Clan Remix" - 3. "Industry Standard Mix By Differnet" - 4. "What You Sell"

Single release by The Radio Dept. issued to promote the album Pet Grief (2006). The title track is also on the album.

The Radio Dept. "Lesser Matters" (2003)

Lesser Matters [debut]
release date: Feb. 24, 2003
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]
producer: Johan Duncanson, Martin Larsson
label: Labrador - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 2. "Where Damage Isn't Already Done" (4 / 5) (live) - 3. "Keen on Boys" - 4. "Why Won't You Talk About It?" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "It's Been Eight Years" - 6. "Bus" - 7. "Slottet #2" - 9. "Against the Tide" - 13. "Lost and Found"
[ full album ]

Studio album debut by Swedish band The Radio Dept. released on Labrador Records and produced by Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson of the band. At this early point of their career the band consists of the band's main songwriter Johan Duncansson on lead vocals, guitar and keyboards, Martin Larsson also on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Lisa Carlberg on bass and piano, and with Per Blomgren on drums. The majority of the tracks are written solely by Johansson, excluding three tracks co-written with Larsson, and the two also produced the album.
The style is indie pop / dream pop with traces of noise pop and with inspiration from bands like Felt and My Bloody Valentine. The album's release was almost unnoticed but has gained much recognition in the aftermath. On this their first attempt, the sound is somewhat unpolished, intentionally demo-like lo-fi with heavy reverb and distortion on both guitar and vocal. Several tracks stand out but it's also their most incoherent album as tracks point in various directions making it more of a sketching of greatness.
Recommended as the band's second best album, imho.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, NME, Drowned in Sound 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Radio Dept. "Annie Laurie" (2002) (ep)

Annie Laurie, ep
release date: Dec. 2002
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: Johan Duncanson, Martin Larsson
label: Slottet Recordings - nationality: Sweden

Tracklist: 1. "Annie Laurie" - 2. "Bad Reputation (Rugar Mix)" - 3. "Falafel" - 4. "Tåget"

Early CDr ep issued in a limited number released by The Radio Dept.'s own label, Slottet Recordings prior to signing with Labrador. For these recordings the band is only represented by the two guitarists, Duncanson and Larsson, and compared to the first ep these tracks are more experimental recordings written by Duncanson and Larsson (except track #1, written by Robert Burns), and all are solely played by Duncansson.
The digital mp3s have been made free for download on the band's official site.
The tracks are quite interesting in their own rights without being truly great.
More on the release here.

The Radio Dept. "Against the Tide" (2000) (ep)

Against the Tide, ep
release date: 2000 / 2002
format: digital (2002)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson
label: Slottet Recordings - nationality: Sweden

Tracklist: 1. "Against the Tide" - 2. "Liebling" - 3. "Why Won't You Talk About It?" (4 / 5) - 4. "We Would Fall Against the Tide"

First ep release by Swedish band The Radio Dept., originally released as a demo in 2000 and later in 2002 pressed and released on 7'' vinyl.
The first formation of the band goes back to 1995 when vocalist Elin Almered and guitarist Johan Duncanson started playing together as a teenage project. The two soon split but around '98, guitarist Martin Larsson (aka Martin Carlberg) and Johan Duncanson started playing together under the band name, and in autumn 2001 they were joined by bassist Lisa Carlberg and drummer Per Blomgren - and this four-piece was later expanded to a quintet by keyboardist Daniel Tjäder.
Both track #1 and #3 are also found on the debut album, Lesser Matters from 2003, and #2 and #4 are included on the compilation album Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 (2011).
Despite being self-recorded and self-produced 'lo-fi' compositions the potential is truly remarkable.