The Finnish-American composer Alex Freeman has been described as being ‘as comfortable in the realm of the pop ballad as in that of the concert hall’ and yet his songs ‘are imbued with the craftsmanship and care one would expect of a composer of his formidable academic training, just as his concert works carry the emotional immediacy of popular music.’ Himself a choral singer, Alex Freeman has written a number of works for choir: music that aims to be sonorous and melodic, but is carefully crafted to avoid the clichés that can burden conventional tonality.

Influenced by a wide variety of music, Lena Willemark has not been afraid to take chances – and the Swedish folk-pop singer takes her share on Windogur. This introspective effort, recorded in Stockholm in 1999, underscores Willemark's eclectic, unpredictable nature and showcases how many different styles of music have affected her. Swedish folk is her foundation, but Willemark is no purist and liberally incorporates elements of pop and post-bop jazz. In fact, two of the musicians she employs on Windogur – pianist Bobo Stenson and bassist Palle Danielsson – are Swedish jazz musicians who command a lot of respect in European jazz circles. There are also traces of East European and Middle Eastern music on some of the material. As experimental and risk-taking as Willemark is, Windogur never sounds forced or unnatural – all of the selections sound very organic, and Willemark has no problem bringing them to life.

Monica Zetterlund & Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby (1964) {Philips–Universal 510268-2 rel 2001}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 187 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 81 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 74 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1964, 2001 Philips / Universal Music AB | 510 268-2
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Modal Jazz / Piano

This 1964 date places the Swedish jazz vocalist Monica Zetterlund alongside the Evans Trio (with Chuck Israels on bass and Larry Bunker on drums). Still, the match is seemingly perfect. Evans' lyricism is well suited to a breezy, sophisticated songstress like Zetterlund. There is an iciness on this recording, but it is difficult to decipher if it is in the performance or in the engineering where she seems to be way out in front of the band, when she was really in the middle of all the musicians in the studio.

Agnetha Fältskog is the debut studio album by Swedish pop singer and future ABBA member Agnetha Fältskog. It was released in Sweden in early 1968 through Cupol Records.

Myrkur is the musical project of Danish singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, model, and actress Amalie Bruun. The word translates from Icelandic to English as "darkness." The Myrkur project has become musically fluid and embraces everything from black metal to traditional Scandinavian folk. In 2015 Myrkur's debut full-length, M, was produced by Ulver's Garm, the set also included other personnel from that band as well as horns and strings. The r; traditional folk instrumentation had been added. She toured the globe on the festival circuit before returning to Denmark. She married death metal drummer Keith Abrami in 2018 and gave birth to her first child the following year…

Finally the long wait is over. One of Sweden's most classic synthpop acts Saft returns with the followup to their praised comeback album "Norrbacka". If "Norrbacka" was sort of a collection of tracks made over the years this album is a 100% new start going fresh. The production, the songs EVERYTHING sounds better than ever. Of course that classic catchyness wanting you to sing along to all the tracks that Saft has ALWAYS possessed is still there. A stunning album for sure. The limited edition which comes with a bonus CD signed by mastermind and singer Carl Steinmarck hold 7 tracks including a remake of the old synthpop classic "Undantag".

If ever there was a baritone voice made for this music, Bo Skovhus’s is it…Except for the Lange-Müller and Malling items here making their debut on disc, most of the songs on this CD have been recorded before, but mainly in mixed programs, and not, in my opinion, as consistently well sung and beautifully played as they are on this Chandos release. Bo Skovhus is phenomenal, and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Michael Schønwandt is equally magnificent. This is a must-have CD.

Scandinavia’s archaeologically known prehistory encompasses around twelve thousand years, culminating in the Viking period (c.800–1050AD). The Middle Ages then followed, around six hundred years later than in continental Europe – a late development due to the long period in which ice still covered Europe’s northern parts. Volume 2 in Delphian Records’ groundbreaking collaboration with the European Music Archaeology Project constructs a soundscape of these two periods, featuring both music improvised on Viking instruments, and notated songs and instrumental items from the early centuries of Christianity in Scandinavia.