kuntrabanda!

In 2006 a little band called Brikkuni played two shows – one in Scaremongering’s Memento Mori exhibition in Valletta, the other, a few days later, in a hay-strewn Poxx Bar – and instantly proved themselves to be possibly the most exciting Maltese band since, well, ever. Their mixture of local and foreign folk influences, a harsh satirical eye, carnivalesque pop energy, inventive songwriting and rich instrumentation set them apart from the unambitiously derivative output many local bands unfortunately fall into. Not only did it sound like something new, it sounded like an idiosyncratically Maltese take on pop music, with its own distinct character that could not have emerged anywhere else. More importantly, their gigs were capitalized, italicized Fun, and the local scene was left wanting more.

Then…they went under the radar.

Now, with some changes in lineup, they’re back, with big news. They’ve been working hard on debut album Kuntrabanda!, which shall be out soon. Some shows are also planned for the near future, though details are still unavailable. If you’re already acquainted with the band, you need no encouragement. If you aren’t – make some space in your schedule.

You can listen to a couple of (unmastered) tracks from the album by following the link below. Those present at the 2006 gigs will remember the songs…

Brikkuni on MySpace

listen to: silje nes

The Scandinavian folk scene has produced some of the most interesting music of the past few years. Artists like Lau Nau and Islaja have released hypnotically beautiful, if sometimes challenging, music that is unlike anything else I can name. Miles away from the unadorned voice-and-guitar songcraft of most traditional folk singer-songwriters (not that there’s anything wrong with that), these songs display complex, often assonant arrangements and unorthodox instrumentation that take a while to get used to, but that are well worth the effort.

Norwegian artist Silje Nes, who grew up in the town of Leikanger in Sognefjord, and now makes music in Bergen, is one of the newer additions to the scene, and one of the most interesting and rewarding. Her debut album, Ames Room, was released by Fat Cat earlier this year, and it’s a thing of immense beauty and intricacy. Always at the forefront is her gentle voice – at times coming close to a less mischievous, more ethereal Bjork, at others washing away in harmonic whispers. A muted, suggestively distant guitar plays a prominent role in most of her songs, but what is most interesting is what is happening around these folk staples.

Nes recorded the album herself, using a considerable number of instruments, including some she constructed herself, to create dense, layered arrangements. The result is that in the album’s aural universe, Nes is constantly surrounded by what sounds like a shambolic orchestra of rickety clockwork toys, all clicks, whirrs, hums, plinkety-plonk keyboard sounds and off-kilter percussion. In places Rain Dogs-era Tom Waits is distantly recalled, though the arrangements here are more fragile, threatening to fall apart at any moment but always just hanging together.

These arrangements may be complex and multi-layered, but the end result is not one of epic scope, but of a rich intimacy – each sound feels hand-made and lovingly worked on, making each song feel unique. There is a lot of variety here – “Drown”, an achingly gorgeous piece built around just-barely-plucked guitar notes and Nes’ beautifully multi-tracked voice repeating the enigmatic line “We’ll bring the water to the sea once more”, perhaps adheres closest to folk conventions, though the emphasis on its echoing ambience sets it apart. Other songs, like “Recurring Dream” and “Searching, White”, with their driving percussion and electronic basslines, actually develop nod-along grooves, while “Dizzy Street” almost sounds like a pop song. Elsewhere, as on “Shapes Electric” and closer “No Birds Can”, the emphasis is on the intricate soundscapes Nes conjures up rather than on songcraft. These disparate strands to make Ames Room a hugely promising debut, and one of the best albums of the year to date.

Silje Nes on MySpace