Category: Music

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Searching for Sugarman

Saw the great Swedish/British documentary about two South African music enthusiasts and their search for the truth about the mysterious death of their and the rest of South Africa’s huge idol, the American singer Sixto Rodriguez. The in America virtually unknown singer and songwriter got an iconic status in South Africa by accident, and is said to largely have inspired the anti apartheid movement with his lyrics and voice.

Searching-For-Sugarman-poster1

“Searching for Sugarman” is a very engaging and moving documentary with one of the best scores I have heard. I would share the trailer with you, but recommend you to skip it as it spoils the end of the movie (I really dislike trailers!) – just trust me on this one, at least to listen to the fantastic lyrics of this magnificent and incredibly humble poet. I’m completely enchanted.


Sixto Rodriguez – Crucify Your Mind
Cold Fact (1970)

Video: “Summer with Monika” (1953) by Ingmar Bergman

Was it a huntsman or a player
That made you pay the cost
That now assumes relaxed positions
And prostitutes your loss?
Were you tortured by your own thirst
In those pleasures that you seek
That made you Tom the curious
That makes you James the weak?

And you claim you got something going
Something you call unique
But I’ve seen your self-pity showing
As the tears rolled down your cheeks

Soon you know I’ll leave you
And I’ll never look behind
‘Cos I was born for the purpose
That crucifies your mind
So con, convince your mirror
As you’ve always done before
Giving substance to shadows
Giving substance ever more

And you assume you got something to offer
Secrets shiny and new
But how much of you is repetition
That you didn’t whisper to him too

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Suddenly I’m hit.

Two years after releasing his fantastic self titled debut LP, James Blake has finally announced April 8th as the release date for his upcoming album, Overgrown. The first single, Retrogade, unveiled just a couple of days ago, has today been officially released – along with a stunning video that I haven’t managed to get my mind around yet. You guys try figuring it out and let me know what’s going on..

I can’t wait to listen to the entire album and I’m very much looking forward to an opportunity to hear this genius self-sampling, multitasking, instrument-mixing voice magician live once again. I barely knew him back when I saw him live in 2011, I had just spent an entire afternoon indulging in the sounds of the James Blake LP hanging by myself in a hammock at a friends house on the same day that we were going to the concert.

Then we went to church, and one could say that I was “enlightened”.


James Blake live at the Annedal Church, Gothenburg, Sweden. 2011.
More photos from that day.

Caroline Bach2 Comments

Beats from Poland

Just stumbled upon this new tune by the Polish beatmaker Kixnare. Released last week under U Know Me Records, the video is a story as seen from the perspective of a young Polish girl who is tired of her ordinary job and dreams of a modelling career. Directed by the photographer and videographer Miron Chomacki who usually focuses on nude art, it is not a surprise that most of the video is tip-toeing on the verge to soft porn, with peepshow styled shots, fingers on lips and glimpses of nipples. Dominated by red colour, probably referring to the name of the upcoming album, the video is slightly monotone but very nicely filmed and beautiful. Due to all the cuts and teasers, however, it very soon becomes quite distracting if one wants to judge whether the sound actually is good.

Let me tell you now that it is. Filled with the illusion of falling drops, cautiously flat drumbeats, pretty bass and some synth sounds bridging the whole thing, the tune is backed up by a great, very well linked and super catchy sample from the oldschool R&B song Beauty Queen by Next.

“Like you was a super model, had your little Gucci dough.”

All in all, I’m definitely loving it, lingerie included.

Just don’t forget to boost it up to HD before listening, for the sake of the details in both sound and video.

Kixnare – Gucci Dough
U Know Me Records, forthcoming on CD, Vinyl and Digital
Published February 4th 2012

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Night drive

There’s something about driving at night, and some songs feel like they were made for exactly this. Good night, Malmö.

For those of you who are wondering, here’s the sound by Kreidler. It was originally released on 12″ Vinyl in 2000, and then featured on the fantastic Eve Future album two years later, changing the title of the song from Circles to Circulus.

Kreidler – Circles
Eve Future (2002)

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Dark mornings

Starting off like something out of a David Lynch movie, this tune kind of conveys what the mornings and days feel over like over here in the distant Nordic lands. Dark.

So I listened to this when it popped up in my Soundclud feed without even realising that it was made by my old roommate David from Barcelona. High-five, Dave.

Caroline Bach1 Comment

Monday: Timbuktu, Damn! and a Brazilian MC

Brought my good friend Albertina with me to the Timbuktu concert on Saturday to show her what I consider one of the absolutely best Swedish bands out there. She liked the music enough to invite them to guest her music programme on Mozambican TV, despite not understanding a word of what they were singing about. “The beats were so great!”

So I set up the connection, and on Monday we went to the studio. It was random, improvised and great fun – the guys got to dance, answer questions, and freestyle some beats and songs on live TV. Suddenly one of them made the weirdest move when dancing, and the TV presenter picked it up, forcing everybody to do the move again and again, I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe. Now I am just waiting to spot “The Swedish dance” in a Maputo nightclub.

We took cabs to the fish market where we had prawns, fish, squid and drinks. Sea food seriously doesn’t get better than here and the guys were very happy. We ate, giggled, spoke a lot, and appreciated questionable art. And then we continued/went home/what?

I found myself in hotel Cardoso as one of the guys had “met this really cool Brazilian girl” the other night. I wasn’t sure what that meant or what my role was in the set up but I was already having a good time and decided to join when invited. “It’s great that you are here, maybe you can help us communicate!” We went up to a suite where Flora and her great friends welcomed us warmly. E took his computer and gear out, went “I’ve made a beat for you!” and they started listening, improvising, and making magic. Music that is – because Erik is a great musician who also makes beats, and apparently, Flora Matos is the biggest female MC in Brazil. And I wouldn’t doubt it for a second, the girl was extremely talented. E’s sounds, Floras beautiful Brazilian accent, looping over and over again – until we got two extremely catchy tunes, loads of content smiles, and a blurry group photo.

I’m voting for all my Mondays to be this random and fantastic.

Here are two small video insights.

Caroline Bach3 Comments

Timbuktu & Damn! in Maputo

Timbuktu and his band Damn! made it from Sweden all the way to my beloved Maputo. They were playing in the FEIMA park right after a really happy and nice Stewart Sukuma concert, all organized by the Swedish Embassy.

People all ages danced and sang along, for me it was a wonderful feeling to get to sing in Swedish and hop around to songs I’ve known for years right after a very traditional Mozambican marrabenta show. It was all there, at the same place! The audience chanted “En gång till!” which is “one more time” in Swedish, and we made Timbuktu and the band jump, dance and sing for us until it was completely dark.

We moved on to an after party at the Scandinavian school where we had drinks and talks before taking the band with us to show them Maputo by night – concert, street party, local bar, clubbing – some even managed to hang in there until early morning, the way we do it here in Mozambique!

For those of you who don’t know any of the musicians, here are two old videos from Youtube to give you a sense of what they are like.

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I couldn’t let you know I’d gone

Meet the marvellous voice, lyrics and guitar of Jamie Woon.

I couldn’t let you know I’d gone
You might have thought you’d done something wrong
Well I can tell you why I’ve been setting fire to the wires that untangle the world

Sorry that I missed your calls
But all I wanna do is throw the phone at the wall
And how many times can you hear that sound
“Don’t leave a message I’m not around”

You know me, I’m with you when I’m with you
Dancing to your rhythm
Understanding why I can’t tell you.

Jamie Woon – Missing Person
Mirrorwriting (2011)

Apparently it’s the acacia season now and the trees are flourishing. That’s wonderful, but judging from the current state of my nose, eyes and energy, it seems like I’m very much allergic to their pollen. I can’t breathe in the night and I wake up tired, swollen and red-eyed. I gues this is when I remind myself about those studies stating that allergy sufferers are less prone to cancer.

Caroline BachLeave a comment

Dying branches and snow.

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Many trees in natural reserves die because of the elephants hurting them when eating off their stems. Beautifully dramatic branches and dark, mysterious landscapes are the result.

We saw a herd of cows while driving through Swaziland. They were on a big field – eating grass, hanging out and just being cows. And then there was one cow, walking all by itself on the side of the road. Far away from it’s cow buddies, way too close to the cars. Walking away, towards nowhere. I wanted to give it a hug.

It’s been quite intense lately and I’ve literally had people around me 24/7. My friends left today at 5am and I’m now properly alone for the first time since two weeks. Blocking everything out with Jamie Woon and Submotion Orchestra. Realizing that I’m in limbo again. Somewhere in between going home and staying here, somewhere in between loving the freedom and longing for my own apartment, sound system and couch, somewhere in between really enjoying what Maputo has to offer and feeling limited by the little city. If it only weren’t so cold where I’m going.. why does the world’s most safe, comfortable, eco-friendly, healthy, design aware, clean, equal and inclusive place have to be covered in snow and sad faces half of the year?

Constantly in search of knowledge, levels of understanding and experiences while enjoying every second of the learning process, I end up wanting and expecting more from people I am sharing my thoughts with. I branch out, hopping between the simplest of banalities to the most weird of theories, hoping for people to join me on my journey. Maputo is wonderful in the simplest of ways, but I’m missing made up theories, word play, long discussions and having my mind provoked.

I wish I had joined my friends to the palm trees, sunsets and beaches of my beloved Tofo for some proper contemplation. I want to listen to this music while staring into the sun.

Submotion Orchestra – Snow
Fragments (2012)