Sällskapet "Disparition" (2018)

Disparition

release date: Mar. 16, 2018

format: digital

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,15]

producer: Sällskapet

label: BMG Music - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights 2. "Morgenlicht" - 4. "Westerplatte" - 5. "L'autostrada"

3rd studio album by the Swedish duo-project Sällskapet and its first without founding member Joachim Thåström, who left guitarist Pelle Ossler and multi-instrumentalist Niklas Hellberg in 2015. Here, the two have composed nine new songs with German guest vocalist Andrea Schroeder, who is credited as songwriter of eight songs - track #4 is an instrumental, and Thåström appears as guest musician on two compositions. Scroeder has previously released three solo albums - all with titles and lyrics in English, and she plays a major role on Engle og dæmoner (2012) by Danish band Farmen, and she appears on Thåström's Centralmassivet (2017) with backing vocals on one song.

Musically, it's related to Nowy Port from 2013, although, the soundscape has lost some of the experimental bits and instead focused more on scarse instrumentation and melody-structure, which may be referred to as 'ambient-industrial', and then of course it makes a considerable change having German as vocal side. Schroeder's singing voice actually fits the dark arrangements nicely. Her alto coloured tone echoes the sound of Edith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich without sharing obvious original qualities but it adds a certain 'pop noir' quality, but the music tends to stay much on the same track throughout most of all 43 minutes, which makes it a bit of a bland experience.

Not all bad, but mostly interesting without breaking musical boundaries.

Sällskapet "Nowy Port" (2013)

Nowy Port
release date: Apr. 10, 2013
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,92]
producer: Sällskapet
label: Razzia Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 4. "Bagatelle" - 9. "Del 2" - 10. "Rött liguriskt vin"

2nd studio album by Swedish trio Sällskapet - here on the new, independent Swedish label Razzia. The album succeeds the debut album Sällskapet with six years but musically, it follows quite closely on a similar path with Joakim Thåström as vocalist, Pelle Ossler on guitar, bass and piano, and with Niklas Hellberg on keyboard, synthesizer and programming.
Where the debut appeared lighter and with more focus on the electronic side, this contains clear experimental pieces and elements of darkwave, which is also underlined by featuring Swedish artist Anna von Hausswolff, who contributes with vocals on track #4. The title track is pointing towards the industrial rock genre, but apart from that the compositions are rather slow progressive works of minimal wave and darkwave.
Where the debut contained original and interesting compositions, I think, this disappoints by its more obscure sound experiments - like music that may fit some artistic video instalments rather than being a musical release only.
Joakim Thåström left the band reduced to a duo in 2015, and he was replaced by guest vocalist Andrea Schroeder on the band's third album Disparition (2018).
Not recommended.

Moral "And Life Is..." (1984)

own photo

And Life Is...
release date: 1984
format: vinyl (ARPLP 001)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,77]
producer: Ingolf Brown & Moral
label: Arp Grammofon - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: A) 2. "Lady Happiness" - 5. "Dance of the Dolls" - - B) 1. "Trees in November" - 3. "The Wedding" - 4. "Slottet i luften"

2nd studio album by Aarhus-founded Danish minimal synth trio Moral consisting of Hanne Winterberg on vocals, Marco de Andreis on guitar, and with Ingolf Brown on synthesizers.
The band released its debut album Whispering Sons (1982) on cassette only and with that mostly became associated with the album's title song, which had some airplay on the national radio DR P3, although, the band never was more than a mere cult-band. Moral disbanded in 1985, after which guitarist Andreis joined post-punk band Greene and Brown became keyboardist in the experimental jazz-fusion band Picnic and began working as a studio technician. Apparently, Winterberg stopped working with music.

The band appears on the fine Danish compilation Somewhereoutside - Etellerandetstedudenfor (1983).

[ collectors' item - ~ €70,- ]