Robyn "Sexistential" (2026)

Sexistential

udgivet: 27. mar. 2026

format: digital (9 x File, FLAC)

[vurdering: 4 / 5] [3,76]

producer: Klas Åhlund

selskab: Konichiwa - nationalitet: Sverige

Udvalgte numre: 1. "Really Real" - 2. "Dopamine" (4 / 5) - 4. "Sucker for Love" - 6. "Talk to Me" - 8. "Light Up"

9. studiealbum fra svenske Robyn følger hele 7½ år efter albummet Honey (okt. 2018). Tilbage ses Klas Åhlund som medkomponist og producer efter at været fraværende / fravalgt på 2018-udgivelsen - og ellers har Åhlund været med Robyn på alle udgivelser siden det selvbetitlede 4. album fra 2005.

Robyn har lavet en del forskellige albums i årenes løb uden at lyde som andet end... Robyn, og i den kontekst har Åhlund nok en rolle at spille uden det er klart, hvor stor indflydelse han har i det store billede. Albummet er et af de kortere af slagsen med sine blot lidt over 29 minutters totale spilletid fordelt på 9 numre. På den måde minder det i format om de to første udgivelser i "Body Talk"-serien Body Talk Pt. 1 (jun. 2010) og Body Talk Pt. 2 (sep. 2010) uden at dette nye album nogen steder benævnes som et decideret 'Mini-album'. Sådanne format-angivelser er ligesom blevet underligt antikvariske størrelser efter streaming-tjenesternes dominans, hvor spilletid er blevet noget ganske sekundært, mens det primære synes at være at kunne fremvise nye udgivelser.

Udover Åhlund er der som vanligt et mindre sammenrend af medsangskrivere og komponister, hvor det er svært at pege på andre end Åhlund som gennemgående figurer, og på den måde fremstår albummet nok mere som en samling nye numre lavet med forskellige andre, som Åhlund og Robyn så i sidste ende har fået til at fungere som et samlet hele. De to første numre fremstår måske mere som en slags singler, som også er kendetegnet ved at være lavet i samspil med andre kendte kunstnere. "Really Real" er lavet med Jonathan Bates fra amerikanske rockband Mellowdrone - han er også medkomponist på "Sucker for Love" sammen med Svein Berge fra norske Röyksopp, og "Dopamine" er skrevet med hjælp fra britiske Taio Cruz, hvorimod resten af numrene er lavet under medvirken af især svenske kunstnere, sangskrivere og producenter som fx Oscar Holter, Elvira Anderfjärd og så et gensyn med Max Martin (aka Martin Sandberg), som tidligt i Robyns karriere stod bag flere af hendes første store hits.

Resulatet er noget, der i mine ører umiddelbart falder mere i tråd med Body Talk-trilogien end en fortsættelse af Honey, men det er samtidig noget andet - noget nyt. Jeg synes ikke helt vi er på højde med tidligere tiders høje standarder, dertil er der et par helt anonyme numre med, hvilket er for meget, når vi er på så kort spilletid, mens de fremhævede numre alle har særlige kendetegn, der gør det til den temmelig unikke Robyn-musik.

I håb om en gentagelse af flere udgivelser samme år, så er dette dog indtil videre klart anbefalet.

[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The Times 4 / 5, PopMatters, Uncut 3,5 / 5 stjerner ]

Lorde "Virgin" (2025)

Virgin

udgivet: 27. jun. 2025

format: digital (11 x File, MP3)

[vurdering: 3 / 5] [3,02]

producer: Lorde & Jim E-Stack

selskab: Universal Music New Zealand - nationalitet: New Zealand

Udvalgte numre: 1. "Hammer" - 2. "What Was That" - 4. "Man of the Year" - 6. "Current Affairs"

4. studiealbum fra den newzealandske popkunstner Lorde, også kendt som Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor. Albummet udkommer fire år efter Solar Power (aug. 2024), som var genstand for begejstrede anmeldelser. Enkelte fandt det poleret og formløst, mens andre så det som et potentielt mesterværk. I den henseende har Lorde delt vandene hos fans og kritikere siden sin internationale debut med albummet Pure Heroine (sep. 2013). Det var et album, som vakte en del opmærksomhed, selvom opfølgeren Melodrama fra 2017 i vid udstrækning nok må anses som hendes egentlige gennembrudsalbum. Det toppede både albumlister verden over og sikrede kunstneren flere internationale musikpriser, men det var også så massiv en succes, at Lorde efterfølgende forsvandt fra rampelyset i en periode. Hun har allerede oplevet den form for succes, som mange drømmer om, men de færreste opnår, og den korte rejse mod toppen inden for pop er uundgåeligt forbundet med en pris.

Personligt er jeg ikke i målgruppen, og jeg har det lunkent med den musik, hun er udkommet med indtil videre. Lorde er et navn, der på det nærmeste er umuligt at komme udenom, og det er den eneste grund til, at jeg har lyttet til hendes albums. Igen: Jeg er ikke en del af målgruppen, og jeg har ganske enkelt svært ved at nyde dette album. For mig, er det en generisk popmusik, der lyder som så rigtig meget andet derude, og som jeg ikke finder nogen glæder ved. Det er uden tvivl uptempo, det er flot produceret, og det holdes primært i en positiv stemning - der er bare for mange ting ved det, jeg ikke bryder mig om. Fx er arrangementerne for tætpakkede - det opleves som effekter til at udfylde huller for at undgå kedsomhed eller tomrum? Desuden lyder mange numre ens, og jeg formoder, det er en god indikator for, at det ikke er min stil - lidt ligesom når jeg prøver at forstå en Wagner-opera: Jeg ender med at kede mig og synes, det grænser til det usmagelige.

Hvorfor så 3 ud af 5 stjerner i stedet for et sted under 2,5, kunne man spørge. Tja, jeg anerkender vel iboende kvaliteter... Det er ikke sådan, at jeg føler mig udsat for noget skadeligt, og der er bestemt god energi at hente i musikken, som jeg også finder velegnet til fysisk udfoldelse; jeg ville sikkert endda værdsætte albummet i det lokale fitnesscenter. Især "Hammer" vil jeg karakterisere som et ret iørefaldende electropop-nummer. Ganske hæderlig baggrundsmusik. Jeg er heller ikke på bølgelængde med kritikerne, da de fleste priser Virgin som Lorde's næstbedste album til dato, og jeg forstår ikke hypen. Mange sammenligner hende med Kate Bush: et ungt, ekstraordinært talent, der skriver og komponerer musik i en alder, hvor det burde være umuligt... Jeg ser bare ikke sammenligningen, men finder den villet, fordi der savnes en ny Kate Bush (?). Men det må være god musik, bare ikke for mig, og hvis dette er en reel udfordrer til hendes bedste nogensinde, forstår jeg vinket: Jeg bør nok ikke lede efter skjulte perler i denne boldgade – hvilket muligvis gør dette til min eneste kommentar til musikken fra denne nutidige popgigant. Man skal dog vare sig med at sige 'aldrig', eller jeg kunne tilføje Never for Ever [!]..

Ikke anbefalet.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Guardian, NME 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,6 / 10 stjerner ]

M.I.A. "MATA" (2022)

MATA

release date: Oct. 14, 2022

format: digital (13 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]

producer: various

label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "F.I.A.S.O.M. Pt. 2" - 4. "Beep" - 5. "Energy Freq" - 6. "The One" - 8. "Time Traveller" - 9. "Popular" - 11. "K.T.P. (Keep the Peace)" - 13. "Marigold"

6th studio album by M.I.A. following six years after AIM (Sep. 2016) is M.I.A.'s first album to only be issued in digital format. AIM had initially been released as her final studio album but the desire to release new material made her change her decision. MATA is a typical M.I.A. title - instead of refering to an individual, the title is an ironic pun hinted at the change of the name of Facebook to Meta. Furthermore, the front cover depicts a Christian cross in the writing of MATA in vertical letters, and M.I.A. has been outspoken in finding a meaningful life after turning to Christianity, and then, when pronounced in 'working-class' British, 'MATA' becomes 'matter' - meaning this is the / what 'MATA[r]'s. The album consists of thirteen tracks of which none is longer than 3:36 minutes and three tracks are below two minutes making it a relative short full-length album with a total running time under 33 minutes.

MATA is in many ways a typical album from M.I.A. with lyrics touching on social and political awareness. It's music about her role, about being parents, and about living at a current age where global issues demand our full attention.

M.I.A. is confrontatory in her very approach, and that has made her both extremely unpopular but also the opposite, and she's been perfectly aware of this from the very beginning of her career. The song "Popular" says everything about being just that, and that's just very much the very essence of her narrative. "F.I.A.S.O.M. Pt. 1" and "F.I.A.S.O.M. Pt. 2" are other neat examples of her gift with words to elaborate on issues of concern. Here, it's an abbreviation for 'Freedom Is A State Of Mind' ('whatcha gonna do with mine?'), which she uses to deal with exactly what it implies, and at the same time it cleverly refers to being 'Fearsome'. She speaks her mind of the things that she encounters - there's no hiding behind a public image or a media persona, and at the same time, that also reveals her conflicts of trying to be herself in a world where the media image is out of your own control. She rides along, reacts to issues and accusations and no matter what always find herself in the middle of a conflict she never asked for. And the fact that she never writes a song just to make it sound like a good hook or rhyme, but starts off by having something on her mind, and then makes a song about it incorporating rhymes, hooks, and beats is something extremely rare these days.

Anyway, MATA is another fine album from M.I.A., although, its not really among her absolute best, but in this case, much less will do, 'cause she's always right there in the midst of war zones reporting about actual human issues and not really caring about being [TaylorSwift-Reehannah-and-the-like-radio-friendly]-pop-ulaaar!

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Slant Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

Eee Gee "Winning" (2022)

Winning [debut]

release date: Feb. 25, 2022

format: digital (14 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]

producer: Rasmus Bille Bähncke

label: Future Classic - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Favourite Lover" (4 / 5) - 2. "You Don't Have to Tell Me It's Over" - 5. "Contraband" (live session) - 6. "Bad Person" - 7. "Love Hurts" - 8. "Winning" - 10. "All or Nothing" - 11. "Killing It" (4 / 5)

Studio album debut by Danish act Eee Gee [stylised 'eee gee'] aka Emma Grankvist is virtually a debut-out-of-the-blue. I first listened to the song "Favourite Lover" and then "Bad Person" without knowing anything about artist or nationality, and I remember thinking it must be yet another one blending Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish, although still doing that quite nicely. But after realising it's music by Danish songwriter Emma Grankvist and upon listening to the whole album, I have to admit it's much more than a copy and quite a remarkable achievement. Why hadn't we heard about her before? And speaking of influences, I also found it's waaaay too simple to mention the aforementioned two American stars as only sources 'cause there's also traces of much else. There's a tongue-in-cheek (Lily Allen-like) presence and songs that are stronger singer / songwriter or alt. folk related that reminds me of Cat Power or Sharon Van Etten, or was it Ane Brun leaning on Joni Mitchell? And then why even compare?!

The album has a total running time above 45 minutes with songs written by Grankvist, and most of the music is co-composed with producer Bähncke. Granted, this may not be highly original, but it's a most powerful collection of personal songs produced in high-end arrangements. Yes, there's influence and traces of others, but looking at the whole picture instead, this is simply one of the strongest Danish debut albums in years.

Highly recommended.

[ Politiken, 👉Soundvenue 5 / 6, Undertoner 4 / 6 stars ]

Julian Cope "20 Mothers" (1995)

20 Mothers

release date: Aug. 28, 1995

format: cd (ECHCD 5)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Julian Cope

label: Echo - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Wheelbarrow Man" (live) - 2. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" - 3. "Try Try Try" (Top of the Pops performance) - 4. "Stone Circles 'n' You" - 10. "Adam & Eve Hit the Road" - 15. "Senile Get" - 16. "The Lonely Guy"

11th studio album by Julian Cope is like the one year old predecessor Autogeddon released on the Chrysalis-owned sublabel Echo. With the album, Cope returns to his 'habit' of releasing extensive albums - 20 Mothers is nearly 72 minutes long and is divided into four 'phases', as was also the case with Peggy Suicide (Apr. 1991). His new album is similar to his most recent concept albums without it' being absolutely obvious where the focus lies, because it's more of a unifying album for all of Cope's thematic interests: climate and environment, the condition of our planet, consumerism, cars, religion, prehistoric cultures, and then as a more recent theme of his: stories from one's own lived life about family relationships. In the same way that themes are diverse, the music aspect is even more varied than on most of his other albums. Yes, there is the usual neo-psychedelia and space-rock, and then you'll also find indie rock, funk, and tracks with a clear folk touch, but also elements taken from Europop, synth-pop and rock & roll - in other words, the range is w--i---d----e, and the seemingly conceptual title, supported by the cover featuring family members - wife Dorian and friends, all of whom are actually mothers (as mentioned in the inlay) - then the album basically covers everything, and in that way it comes across as a bit of an all sorts mix - on all levels.

20 Mothers is by no means a bad album, the best side to it being Cope's stories, but at the same time it's somewhat incoherent and occasionally odd to listen to in its entirety.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

 

back cover: 
Julian with his
two daughters

inside:
Julian with family and friends
(wife Dorian on Julian's right)

Kraftwerk "The Mix" (1991)

2009 remaster

The Mix

release date: Jun. 11, 1991

format: cd (2009 remaster)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

10th studio album by Kraftwerk following a full five years after Electric Cafe (1986) isn't officially a compilation, although it may perfectly appear as that since it's dedicated to compositions stemming from all of the band's studio albums beginning with Autobahn (1974) right up to the most recent studio album Electric Cafe (1986). Ralf Hütter has offered his thoughts on why it's not to be considered a compilation or let alone a remix album, as others would claim. He states that these tracks are an expression of the band's live versions of well-known songs, all of which have been subjected to reshaping during the many years of performances. Since '86 percussionist Wolfgang Flür has left the band and as of '87, he was practically substituted by Fritz Hilpert. In 1990, Karl Bartos also left the band, after which Fernando Abrantes took over in his place and on the album here, but Abrantes left shortly after the release only to be replaced by Henning Schmitz.

Incidentally, 2009 is the year in which Kraftwerk reissued all of the it's essential albums in newly remastered editions - like this one - and they also reissued the box set Der Katalog (2004) with a back cover label '12345678', indicating the band's 8 studio albums from 1974 to 2003. Regardless Hütter's explanation, and intention, it doesn't change the fact that the tracks on The Mix have all been taken from previously released studio albums, and yes, they are here in completely new remixed versions. The album consists of 11 tracks and has a total running length of 65 minutes.

From both Autobahn (1974) and Radio-Aktivität (1975) only the respective title tracks have been included; from Trans Europa Express (1977) three tracks are included: the title track, "Abzug" and "Metall auf Metall"; from the album Die Mensch-Maschine (1979) only "Die Roboter" has found its way the this; from Computerwelt (1981) we again find three selected tracks: "Taschenrechner", "Computer Liebe", and "Heimcomputer", and from Electric Cafe (1986) only the song "Music Non-Stop" is included. With a bit of quick math, that sums up to only ten tracks, and that's because, in addition to album tracks, there's also room for "Dentaku", which is a Japanese version of "Taschenregner" in a slightly different version, originally featured as a B-side to the single release.

The album received a slightly luke-warm reception, but still landed at number #7 in Germany and at number #15 in the UK. Kraftwerk also released the new versions of "Die Roboter" and "Radio-Aktivität" as the two (promotional) singles from the album.

The Mix is a fine album without dazzling. However, I think that especially the earliest compositions have been altered and given a more modern sound in such a way that they certainly don't stand as improvements to the originals. Later well-known tracks have been exposed to a little bit of everything, and at the end, the album is mostly for fans and connoisseurs, as others will be better served with the original versions. And of course you're are free to think what you want about all their fine tracks they have passed on and not included here. You may ask yourself why on Earth they didn't just release a double album, when there's plenty of material to revisit? It's certainly not an essential release, which basically functions more as bonus material - an appendix you can easily do without.

[ allmusic,com, Mojo 3 / 5, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]

org. cover

I Break Horses "Warnings" (2020)

Warnings

release date: May 20, 2020

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]

producer: Maria Lindén

label: Bella Union - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Turn" (4 / 5) - 2. "Silence" - 4. "I'll Be the Death of You" - 6. "The Prophet" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "Neon Lights" - 8. "I Live at Night" - 9. "Baby You Have Travelled for Miles Without Love in Your Eyes" (4 / 5) - 10. "Death Engine"

3rd studio album by I Break Horses as a follow-up to the more than six year old Chiaroscuro (Jan. 2014) is much as usual produced by the band's dynamo, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer Maria Lindén, and it's like the duo's two previous albums released on British label Bella Union.

Six years is a long time between releases in modern popular music culture, but it's the pace of Lindén and percussionist Fredrik Balck who seem in complete control, although part of the explanation for the long wait may have to do with Lindén's perfectionism and the fact that some recordings were lost. The album consists of 12 tracks varying from 1 to 9 minutes and with a total running time of 54 minutes.

Musically, the album lands somewhere in between the first two albums - Hearts from 2011 with its guitar-driven shoegaze and My Bloody Valentine-esque wall of sound versus the more electronic synthpop release from 2014. You'll find energetic uptempo tracks with almost inaudible guitar as background instrumentation, but otherwise it's a more strict synthpop and electropop version of dreampop guided by keyboards, synths, and drum programming, the duo presents here. Lindén is undoubtedly the duo's leading figure - in addition to her vocal contributions, she handles guitar, bass, and keyboards, while Balck, in addition to his part of co-songwriter, apparently is content to contribute as the duo's rhythmic planner.

Warnings has been released to fine reviews, and it's an album that may leave you with a feeling of something ingenious and original pointing back to the best by The Knife, but which also borrows from Cocteau Twins and Radio Dept., but cleverly avoids imitation, because it appears thoroughly new. Lindén doesn't reveal an impressive vocal as some contemporary pop artists, but on Warnings the vocal side is more of a contribution to the tone of dreampop in line with the sound of a synthesiser or the keyboards, and the rhythmic contribution of percussion and drum programming varies from trance-like monotony over more traditional simple rhythm structures to something almost dynamic organic as you would find on albums by The Creatures.

With Warnings, I Break Horses has made a minor masterpiece by balancing the positive energy of their debut with the greater rhythmic complexity of the follow-up. It's a huge musical overview with ties to various styles, which creates rare dynamics, and it's an inviting and captivating sound that deserves all the great reviews. With Warnings the duo has made a most surprising leap to the front of bus.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Under the Radar 4,5 / 5, NME, 👍The Line of Best Fit 4 / 5 stars ]

2020 Favourite releases: 1. Gorillaz Song Machine, Season One - Strange Timez - 2. Kesi BO4L - 3. I Break Horses Warnings

Lily Allen "Sheezus" (2014)

Sheezus

release date: May 5, 2014

format: digital (14 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]

producer: various

label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "L8 CMMR" - 4. "Our Time" - 7. "As Long as I Got You" - 8. "Close Your Eyes" - 12. "Hard Out Here" (4 / 5) (live)

3rd studio album by Lily Allen following more than 5 years after It's Not Me, It's You (Feb. 2009) again features producer and songwriter Greg Kurstin, but here in a smaller part compared to the 2009-album.

Thematically, Allen stays much to the same formula of singing about relationships - explicit details of what you really wouldn't want to experience in that particular arena of your private life, and she has found her own funny way of exposing everything from sex and the downsides of her partner to artistic competition as part of contemporary music business. Yes, Allen has always been outspoken about the use of her first person's fictional stories as completely and 100% made-up narratives. Still, it's striking how these stories share similarities with that of her own life. Regardless that, she onfolds witty stories that make it all that more interesting. That is generally speaking because on Sheezus - the title being an obvious wordplay of 'She' and 'Jesus' (i.e. a she-version of Jesus) - the musical aspect doesn't deliver on a scale we have become accustomed to when speaking of Lily Allen. Stylewise, it's a mixed bag of britpop and electropop with the latter style being reduced somewhat on this one compared to the predecessor. Tracks like "L8 CMMR" and "Air Balloon" does sound like paler imitations of songs and a style presented by M.I.A. but what's most crutially missing are obvious hits.

The promotion single "Hard Out Here" is a mighty fine pick to introduce an upcoming album but when it stands alone on the actual full-length release it's not hard to understand the lukewarm reviews the album garnered. Four following singles are simply not on the same level, and clever lyrics, bucketfuls of irony, and a bunch of witty songs are not really enough to save this from being Allen's least favourable album to date. That said, Allen is still someone to watch out for with the songs she has put out on two consecutive albums. This is indeed her first miss and in the long run, Sheezus is an album that drowns in indecisiveness and immitations, and / or: generic pop sounding too much like Katy Perry, M.I.A., Kate Nash, you name it, instead of carrying an original tone of its own.

Not recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Spin 2,5 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 5,4 / 10, The Guardian, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, Slant 3,5 / 5, NME 1,5 / 5 stars ]

Kraftwerk "Electric Cafe" (1986)

Electric Cafe

release date: Nov. 10, 1986

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]

producer: Kraftwerk

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Boing Boom Tschak" - 3. "Musique Non-Stop" (video-version) - 4. "Der Telefon-Anruf" (4 / 5) (single-udgave) - 5. "Sex Object" - 6. "Electric Café"

9th studio album by Kraftwerk released 5½ years after Computerwelt (1981) is the first album where the whole band is credited as producer - and the whole band is no longer as it used to be. The front cover shows the usual four faces, which are supposed to look like Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos, and Wolfgang Flür, however, only the first three actually appear on the album, while Flür is only credited as a permanent member. On his own initiative, he would leave the band after the album release at some point in '87. Additionally, Bartos has been 'promoted' from solely being credited 'electric percussion', he's now credited keyboards, 'electronics' and as lead vocalist on track #4. All six compositions are credited Hütter, Schneider, and Bartos, and only tracks #1 and #6 were created together with the songwriters Emil Schult and Maxime Schmitt, respectively. The original version counts six tracks with a total running time at just under 36 minutes.

Stylistically, the album doesn't introduce new elements or a change of sound, and the music is easily seen as an extension of the '81 album, and in reality most of the compositions were composed already in '82 but the production and mixing of the new Kraftwerk-album, which was intended to showcase 'top-of-the-art' sound quality was delayed for various reasons - including the fact that Hütter was injured in a cycling accident. The composition "Tour de France" had originally been intended for the this album, but as the album proved to be further delayed the song was instead selected for a stand-alone single and EP, and similarly, various titles for the new album were in play. In 2009, Electric Cafe was released under the original working title: Techno Pop, which came with the addition of "House Phone" and a shorter version of "Der Telefon-Anruf". The album release was met by lukewarm reviews, and nationally it peaked at number #26, at number #9 in Sweden, but at a more modest number #58 on the albums chart in the UK, which by this time already featured big synthpop names like New Order and Depeche Mode, who delivered breakthrough albums. Two singles were released from the album: track #3 "Musique Non-Stop" (Oct. '86) and "Der Telefon-Anruf" (Feb. '87), as the best composition from the album, although, also sounding like inspired by New Order.

Electric Cafe is not really a poor album, but it's yet another step in the wrong direction, where you find much of the compositions sounding like repetitions of previous ideas and parts of familiar songs - in general, the album doesn't stand as something that others could take great inspiration from, and the band appears most of all like a train that has lost its steam and perhaps should consider a (permanent) return to the garage.

[ allmusic.com, Uncut, Drowned in Sound 3 / 5, Smash Hits 2,5 / 5 stars ]

2009 cover

Kraftwerk "Computerwelt" (1981)

Computerwelt

release date: May 10, 1981

format: cd (1986 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Computerwelt" - 2. "Taschenrechner" - 3. "Nummern" - 4. "Computerwelt 2" - 5. "Computer Liebe" (4 / 5)

8th studio album by Kraftwerk released three years after Die Mensch-Maschine (1978) - also seen as number five in the list of classic Kraftwerk albums counting from Autobahn (1974), which by Hütter and Schneider is regarded their first, although, they actually released three albums before that. Like the band's recent albums this was recorded in the band's Kling Klang studio in Düsseldorf, and as usual it's the band's founders Hütter and Schneider who are credited as producers. On the 79 album we saw percussionist Karl Bartos as co-composer and on this, he's been granted a more prominent role as composer, and he is thus exclusive composer together with Hütter on all of the album's tracks. Schneider is credited the music on four of a total of seven tracks, and once again Emil Schult is credited album cover and as contributor as songwriter of three songs. And - one might be tempted to add - percussionist Wolfgang Flür is only credited as... percussionist, although rumor has it that he only appears in the credit list and doesn't play on the album at all, but officially it's the band's final album with Flür as instrumentalist.

The album continues deom where the '78 ended, and may at first sound like a mere extension of that, but Kraftwerk basically defined their strength in the present by composing small hooks and catchy melodies, made sharper as pure 'pop' tunes. This is best expressed on "Computer Liebe", as song Coldplay has used on its 2006 hit "Talk", just as La Roux incorporated parts of the track in the song "I'm Not Your Toy" (2009), and LCD Soundsystem has used a sample of "Heimcomputer" (track #6) on the song "Disco Infiltrator" from its debut album LCD Soundsystem (2005).

Reviews were again quite positive and in Germany the album reached number #7 (as Autobahn had done back in '74), and number #15 in the UK. Four tracks in total were selected for singles release: in order tracks #2, #5 , #3, and #1, with no significant rankings. The second single "Computer Love" didn't initially perform significantly, but when it was re-released later that year as the B-side to "The Model" (from the 78 album Die Mensch-Maschine), then it topped the singles chart in the UK (although it was more likely "The Model" pulling that home). In retrospect, the album has achieved a fine position as an influential album, appearing on a number of lists counting the best albums of the 80s.

In my opinion, the album is a classic Kraftwerk album, although without reaching the same heights as the previous four. In the early eighties, the band was overshadowed by bands and artists who managed to write better hooks and music that wasn't so strictly electronic, although most of them drew great inspiration from Kraftwerk's back catalogue. I don't find a lot of recycling in many of the album's compositions, and it may be seen as the band's first step away from the strong influence they have otherwise had in shaping synthpop.

The title track makes it essential.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, Mojo, Select 4 / 5, Uncut, Q Magazine 5 / 5 stars ]

Kraftwerk "Die Mensch-Maschine" (1978)

2009 remaster

Die Mensch-Maschine

release date: May 19, 1978

format: cd (2009 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Die Roboter" (4 / 5) - 2. "Spacelab" - 3. "Metropolis" - 4. "Das Modell" (5 / 5) (officiel video) - 5. "Neonlicht"

7. studio album by Kraftwerk following one year after Trans Europa Express and it's like that produced by the two co-leaders of the band, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider.

Musically, the album falls closely in the same style as the '77 album with the addition of more danceable rhythms - especially heard on tracks #1, #2, and #4. Possibly, the biggest difference is that the balance of power - or at least the composer credits between the two founders appears to have changed. The music is now no longer solely credited Hütter and Schneider, as has been the case on all of the previous six albums. Percussionist Karl Bartos is here for the first time credited as a co-composer, and even on all six tracks, three of which solely with Hütter. Schneider, on the other hand, is only credited as co-composer on three tracks, and then Hütter stands alone as songwriter on all tracks except "Das Modell", which is co-written by Emil Schult. The fourth and final member of the band, Wolfgang Flür, is only credited 'elektronisches schlagzeug' ['electronic percussion'].

The album received generally positive reviews and reached a fine 12th position on the German albums chart list and went to number #9 in the UK, as the band's second best-charting album here. Three singles were released from the album, with track #1 as the first single, reaching number #25 on the national chart list, followed by track #4, which didn't chart, and finally track #5, which again didn't make it to the charts. "Das Modell" was reissued again in '81 as B-side to the versioned single "Computerlove" and was by then often chosen over the A-side by UK radio stations, after which EMI issued the single with "The Model" on the cover listed as A-side, although it was the same recordings with "Computerlove" on the A-side, but now the single reached number #7 in Germany, number #4 in Ireland, and going all the way to number #1 in the UK - as the first and only single by the band ('74's "Autobahn" is the closest competitor as the best-selling single at No. #11).

"The Model" from '81 was probably the first time I really took notice of the band and I especially remember the excellent music video that was made to promote the reissue, but I only got to know of the album during the late eighties without being terribly impressed back then. The strict synthpop was definitely not my favourite genre - I needed a clearer connection to new wave and / or post-punk to accept the music, and therefore Kraftwerk and artists like Tangerine Dream, Electric Light Orchestra and Brian Eno were typical examples of music I opted out on, while instead, I was much more excited about Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark, Human League, New Order, and German band Ideal when they combined synth with new wave and post-punk. After the turn of the millennium, I rediscovered Kraftwerk. It's not music I've listened to intensively but still find fascinating - especially considering all the artists they've inspired over several decades since their start in the 70s. Kraftwerk has exerted a great influence on the British 'second wave' with artists such as Human League, Gary Numan, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, OMD - on the development of the hip hop genre - and again during the late eighties and early nineties they have inspired the industrial rock genre and especially an entire techno scene, not to mention post-rock artists of the 90s, and when more comtemporary artists after 2010 find a starting point for their music, it's not seldom in combination with one or more of the aforementioned styles AND basic synthpop and electronic performers, making Kraftwerk one of the most influential bands ever.

Die Mensch-Maschine is well-produced, it has fine touches for strong pop-melodies and it may not sit as the band's most interesting release, but it's worth much more than just to know of.

Recommended.

org. cover
l-r: Bartos, Hütter,
Schneider, Flür

Lily Allen "It's Not Me, It's You" (2009)

It's Not Me, It's You

release date: Feb 4, 2009

format: digital (12 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Greg Kurstin

label: Regal - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "The Fear" (4 / 5) - 3. "Not Fair" (4 / 5) (official video) - 4. "22" - 7. "Never Gonna Happen" - 8. "Fuck You" (clean video version) (live) - 10. "Chinese" - 11. "Him"

2nd album by Lily Allen following close to 3 years after a near Earth-shattering succesful debut with Alright, Still (Jun. 2006). Kurstin produced three tracks on the predecessor but is here sole producer and likewise, all but one cover song are written by Allen and Kurstin together, which really makes this a different approach. Another striking difference comes to mind when listening to stylistic influences. The debut showed a near-abundance of styles, and then here, it's basically an electropop album, through and through. Yes, there's still room for ballad-like tunes and really up-beat bangers, but the overall sensation is much more narrow. "The Fear", "Not Fair" and "Fuck You" stand out as obvious singles but the remaning tracks actually don't differ that much, and that's what makes it a more coherent album than the promising debut.

Personally, I still enjoy "Smile" and "LDN" more than any tracks from this one but Allen comes out as a matured songwriter, and although, I really enjoyed the ska and grime-influence, this new album also strikes me as more personal. On the debut, she demonstrated strong influences that made me think of Winehouse and Mike Skinner, but here, it leaves me thinking Lily Allen is an artist that will continue to impress. All in all, Allen does more than well by making a follow-up that doesn't repeat the recipe from a certified banger but explores new territory and still proves her worth as someone to follow.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, NME, The Guardian 4 / 5, 👍Spin 3,5 / 5, Pitchfork 6,6 / 10, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Billie Eilish "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" (2019)

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? [debut]
release date: Mar. 29, 2019
format: digital (14 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,48]
producer: Finneas O'Connell
label: Interscope Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Bad Guy" - 3. "Xanny" - 7. "When the Party's Over"

Studio album debut by 17-year old Billie Eilish (full name: Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell - yeah...) produced by her older brother, 21 year old Finneas O'Connell [aka FINNEAS]. The two are children of actors Maggie Baird and Patrick O'Connell.
Stylised as new enfant terrible prodigy Billie and brother Finneas have made a tight collection of art pop and electropop compositions that are... nicely bottled.
The album and Eilish have been lauded with critical acclaim almost world-wide where common denominators use phrases as "game-changer", "artistic vison[ary]", "haunting", "impressive cohesiveness" and Will Hodgkinson of The Times describes the nature of the album, when stating that it "captures one of those rare moments when an artist knows exactly how her audience feels because she feels the same way too." All right, all right, hold your horses, Will... when will that ever occur??
I do not agree, and others also point to opposite stands when eg Roisin O'Connor of The Independent says it's "dull and bloated" and simply rates the album below average. Because once you have listened through the album, it turns out more like a collection of artsy fartsy material that the music industry promptly swallows up like art critics when facing new art by Jeff Koons. All others find themselves as uninvited guests asking themselves what it is they don't get - and what the in-crowd praise as a new-found treasure.
I don't enjoy it one bit. It's over-the-hill hyped because she's predestined to fill out some spot (that really wasn't there). Nothing more. And there's nothing there except The Emperor's New Clothes. After having read several positive reviews it's quite a disappointing affair.
Not recommended.
[ 👎allmusic.com, The Guardian, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, 👉The Independent 2 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "The Now Now" (2018)

The Now Now
release date: Jun. 29, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Gorillaz, James Ford, Remi Kabaka
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Humility" (feat. George Benson) - 2. "Tranz" - 3. "Hollywood" (feat. Snoop Dogg & Jamie Principle) - 4. "Kansas" - 5. "Sorcererz" - 7. "Lake Zurich" - 8. "Magic City" - 11. "Souk Eye"

6th studio album by Gorillaz released 14 months after Humanz (2017). The album is credited Gorillaz consisting of live band musicians James Ford, Remi Kabaka together with Damon Albarn featuring a (smaller) bunch (than ordinary) of additional musicians; however, in reality, the only permanent band members are Albarn and visual artist (and lyricist) Jamie Hewlett - the latter only responsible for the artwork on this release. Gorillaz is and has always been Albarn's musical outlet where he experiments with a variety of guest artists, and for this album, he has "invited" Gorillaz' live musicians James Ford, who is credited for handling drums, bass, guitar and synthesiser, and Remi Kabaka, only credited for playing percussion on track #7, to join "the band" to record an album, which means: Albarn has directed, composed and let others participate in the process - just like old-timer guitarist George Benson, rapper Snoop Dogg and house musician Jamie Principle all do on selected tracks, but also a few other featuring artists playing bass, percussion, or additional vocalists on specific songs are all credited as co-composers. This also includes Albarn's former Blur-associate guitarist Graham Coxon featuring on track 8.
The Now Now is rather different from its predecessor by being more laid back. The 2017 album was loaded with guest appearances - and loaded to a degree where the sensation of a whole album was put in a drawer on the expense of the single compositions. This is much more in the spirit of an album like The Fall from 2010, where it's not so much about showcasing hit singles but rather the embodiment of a tone or a specific mood. In that way, it also reminds me of Albarn's so far only solo album Everyday Robots from 2014. Instead of having 'euro-pop' dance floor hits, there's simply much more focus on neo-psychedelia and synth funk to make it "hit" material. But altogether, it's undoubtedly Gorillaz as we have come to know "them", and also more of a grower.
The album was met by lukewarm to positive reviews, and the main reason seems to be a founding natural ingredient in all productions by this project: a need to experiment and incorporate various styles, inviting other artists in the process-making - and yes, sometimes it went that way, sometimes another way, and this time... this way. It all depends on how things turn out while Albarn is at the steering wheel. But he is also that "one component" that binds everything together - and pretty much as always: that ain't bad.
I really enjoyed Humanz, which wasn't liked by a lot of music critics, but I find that this is a much more coherent album, but also a much more delightful listen, and to me, The Now Now is not only the band's best album in years, it's simply one of Albarn's best efforts, ever.
[ allmusic.com, Uncut 3,5 / 5, 👍Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, SputnikMusic, NME 4 / 5 stars ]

Robyn "Honey" (2018)

Honey
release date: Oct. 26, 2018
format: digital (9 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Joseph Mount (primary)
label: Konichiwa Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Missing U" (live on Later) - 2. "Human Being (feat. Zhala)" - 3. "Because It's in the Music" - 4. "Baby Forgive Me" - 6. "Honey" (live on Later) - 7. "Between the Lines" - 9. "Ever Again"

8th studio album by Robyn released some 8 years following her previous studio album Body Talk from 2010. The album has various producers - with Joseph Mount as the album's main producer on 6 out of 9 tracks, and with Klas Åhlund (Robyn's main co-writer on 5 tracks), as producer on 4 of the songs.
The album spawned the two singles, "Missing U" released in August and the title track released the following month reaching number #13 and #23 respectively on the Swedish singles charts. The album topped the charts in Sweden and it's her best-faring album on the US albums chart list as number #40, and it was soon attributed positive reviews from major music magazines and sites world-wide, which I fully understand.
A first listen doesn't necessarily convince the listener of a major development when comparing to her previous albums, but already on a second or third confrontation I notice how the songs are composed with a slower and more progressive approach where the single songs stand out as near-monumental compositions - musically as well as lyrically. There's a presence of maturity all over the album - something one cannot ascribe her previous seven albums, and the sensation is more indirect but perhaps more life-strong as contrary to her bolder dance-floor hits.
Honey is no less than one of Robyn's best and most coherent albums to date, as well as a major album of the year. For a year or so, I had this at a first spot, but in retrospect I found two albums bettering another really strong release by Robyn. She basically dunnit again, although, the lasting impression leaves me with the sensation that it doesn't reach the high level of the 2010 nor the 2007 albums - but lesser will do more than fine.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4,5 / 5, 👍NME, Q Magazine, The Times 4 / 5 stars ]

2018 Favourite releases: 1. Jon Hopkins Singularity - 2. The Fratellis In Your Own Sweet Time - 3. Robyn Honey

Let's Eat Grandma "I'm All Ears" (2018)

I'm All Ears
release date: Jun. 29, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,78]
producer: David Wrench
label: Transgressive Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Whitewater" - 3. "It's Not Just Me"

2nd studio album by Norwich-founded electropop-duo, Let's Eat Grandma consisting of the friends Jenny Hollingworth and Rosa Walton.
The album offers an energetic release with electropop tunes with a twist of something in between art pop and indietronica and sometimes fused with progressive pop. It's mostly moulded as a warm, positive sound, but it also contains a bitter-sweet tone and plenty of classic synth pop.
I'm All Ears has generally harvested critical acclaim from near and afar - which is the main reason for my interest here. I just don't quite understand the general reception. It's nice, and it's fine. I believe, that's the most positive, I can come up with. I don't find it specifically original, and the majority of the songs are easily forgotten. The singing voices of the two front figures are much alike and all together not impressive as musical instruments. I find elements of songs that I really like, but as an overall experience, I'm bewildered and confused 'cause it must contain something, I just don't appreciate. The best thing about the band is its name.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo, NME, The Times 4 / 5, Q, The Guardian 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

I Break Horses "Chiaroscuro" (2014)

Chiaroscuro

release date: Jan. 21, 2014

format: digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Maria Lindén

label: Bella Union - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "You Burn" - 2. "Faith" - 3. "Ascension" - 4. "Denial" - 7. "Disclosure"

2nd studio album by Swedish duo I Break Horses following the 2011 debut album Hearts consists of 9 cuts with a total running length of just under 46 minutes.

Maria Lindén is the band's multi-instrumentalist, who has also composed the music, while the lyrics have been created in collaboration with percussionist Fredrik Balck.

Chiaroscuro is a markedly different from Hearts, which largely departed from a familiar scene crowded by bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain, and which was an album you would be tempted to label as shoegaze revival. Compared to that, this new album sounds as the music from a completely different artist. Here, the duo steps into the keyboard universe of electropop filled with keyboards, synthesizers, sequencers, drum programming, and various software programs as elementary instruments. In this way, the guitar has stepped much into the background or is completely out of a soundscape, which is far from a copy, but in terms of style nevertheless builds on music that reminds of The Knife, Crystal Castles, Cocteau Twins, and Beach House (another Bella Union band). If you enjoyed the band's grinding 90s sound, you will probably be disappointed or think that it's completely different people behind the music here, but just as the debut was Lindén and Balck, Chiaroscuro is made by the same duo, and it also proves how inspiration is a thing you collect from various places.

It's both a happy-go-lucky pop atmosphere, certified dance beats, and gloomy timbres without losing a sense of coherence. It's a fine and artistically challenging album that may not be called the best of the year, but Chiaroscuro garnered international praise and is quite an exciting and original follow-up to Hearts.

[ allmusic.com, Drowned in Sound 4 / 5, PopMatters, Uncut 3,5 / 5, Gaffa.dk 5 / 6 stars ]

Björk "Volta" (2007)

Volta
release date: May 7, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,04]
producer: Björk
label: One Little Indian - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 1. "Earth Intruders" (feat. Konono Nº1) - 2. "Wanderlust" - 3. "The Dull Flame of Desire" - 4. "Innocence" - 11. "I See Who You Are"

6th studio album by Björk is a primarily self-produced album with various others producing and co-producing single tracks. Here, it's Timbaland and Danja (tracks #1 and ¤4 - with Timbaland also co-pro. track #8), Mark Bell (track #9) and Damian Taylor (track #6).
Volta signals a return to a more melodic mainstream pop universe with more traditional electronic instrumentation and with compositions based on drum and bass in a dance pop sphere. It feature several guest musicians including Congolese music project Konono Nº1 and Toumani Diabaté, Antony Hegarty (Antony & The Johnsons) feature on two tracks, Min Xiao-Fen (also on two tracks), Mark Bell, and Sjón.
"Earth Intruders" is the only great track on an album, which is a bit of... everything and nothing, really. Generally, I find the somewhat disappointing predecessor Medúlla (2004) slightly more interesting, although that fails on other parameters. Volta is certainly more pop-minded - at least more danceable, but it's basically also easier forgettable.
This is not one of her better album - in fact it's her so far least favourable.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, NME 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 ]

Blondage "Blondage" (2016) (ep)

Blondage, ep [debut]

release date: Sep. 15, 2016

format: digital (5 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,92]

producer: Blondage

label: self-released - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: 1. "Lucky Black Skirt" - 2. "Dive" (2,5 / 5) - 3. "BEG" - 4. "Pray" (2,5 / 5) - 5. "FLF"

Studio EP debut by Danish synthpop duo Blondage, which basically is identical to the duo Rangleklods who most recently released the acclaimed Straitjacket (May 2015). Esben Nørskov Andersen and Pernille Smith-Sivertsen are both credited all songs and music as was the case on the 2015 album.

The 'new' name of the duo with reference to 'Blonde' and 'Bondage' may be a result of restarting a career with a more international edge after experiencing some attention from both the British and the US markets - and then some [national] critics already pointing to the odd ambiguous Rangleklods, which again was a made up name, although, in Danish only.

The five tracks here have a total running time of approx. 18 minutes and the style isn't far from what we heard on Straitjacket. You could add that the musical soundscape has been condensed to a lighter and less aggressive, or: less playful style, which doesn't include the archetypical progressions from house nor the electronic reminiscense from the first releases by Rangleklods. It's more like MØ (especially on "Dive"], Oh Land and the huge pond of contemporary generic pop, which loans and has its foundation deep in art pop, electropop and dance pop - and where 'pop' is the common denominator. Andersen and Smith-Sivertsen now sings on most tracks together utilising the new standard: vocoder and emulators. Instead of being groundbreaking or highly original, this mostly sounds like a detour into club and 'pop'-land. To me, it's too strained and willed likeable. Only composition with a positive outcome is the end-track "FLF" (abbreviated for 'Feel Like Falling'), which combines indie pop and electropop with a fine melody. Imho, this is the least interesting release by Esben Nørskov Andersen.

Some critics - see below - found this a fascinating turn, but still the duo never issued a full-length album. They released a few more singles - after a single remix released Nov. 2017, Andersen and Smith-Sivertsen - now a romantic couple - apparently decided to split as a musical duo but now with Smith-Sivertsen continuing as Blondage, while Andersen returned to his one-man brainchild project of Rangleklods.

[ 😮Soundvenue 5 / 6 stars ]

Trentemøller "Fixion" (2016)

Fixion

release date: September 16, 2016

format: digital (13 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]

producer: Anders Trentemøller

label: In My Room - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "One Eye Open" (feat. Marie Fisker) - 2. "Never Fade" - 4. "River in Me" (feat. Jehnny Beth) - 6. "Redefine" - 7. "My Conviction" (feat. Marie Fisker) - 11. "Complicated" (feat. Jehnny Beth) - *13. "Redefine (Trentemøller Rework)"

*Bonus track on digital album

4th studio album by Trentemøller following three years after Lost showcases the combo of Trentemøller's own stereotypical IDM microhouse progressive compositions in between more uptempo and bolder standard melody-structured and chorus-based songs with vocal arrangements made in collaboration with the two songwriters Marie Fisker and Jehnny Beth - much in the same manner as he presented with his 2013 album, only here, he has cut down on the number of featuring artists. With Beth he stood behind two single hits from this album, the almost electroclash-shaped song "River in Me" and the bolder post-punk / gothic rocker - the Siouxsie and the Banshess-like: "Complicated".

Although, the songs point in many directions - with inspiration from post-punk, from electroclash and from his catalogue of microhouse and ambient material it's still held together by a striking and predominantly coldwave soundscape. I suppose many would tend to label it darkwave and thus being inspired by gothic rock of the 1980s, but I also find it one of his better and more straightforward albums. Compared to his most recent album, this may contain stronger singles, but as a full-scaled album it lacks some of the cohency he after all demonstrated better on Lost.

A fine and yet somewhat flawed album with strong individual compositions and a lack of direction.

[ bandcamp ]

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]