FearTheBear (Sweden) – Summer Rain (single/track from forthcoming album)
FearTheBear (FTB) is Björn Holm and he promotes himself as “a one-man solo orchestral project that has evolved over time and that makes cinematic instrumental music from the North”, the north here being Sweden and it goes a long way up.
He adds that his music “is characterised by its sombre, cinematic, and instrumental nature, yet it eludes genre categorisation, drawing inspiration from a wide spectrum of musical influences accumulated over the years, in addition to the profound moods of the North.”
You know I do read some weird and wonderful artist self appraisals at times but this one is spot on.
This track anyway is dark, moody and intense. It would suit a Nordic noir thriller absolutely. I chose that adverb deliberately, if you watch these noirs, be they from Sweden, Denmark or Norway you’ll hear that word more than any other…absolut(t).
Or a road movie, especially one with a car chase in it as the tension mounts. Think Duel for example. Or in a Michael Mann film. Manhunter, or Collateral.
FTB deliberately (I think) uses discord and dissonance to add even more atmosphere.
I don’t know if this was produced in a studio or a bedroom but FTB does exactly what it says on the tin. This is clearly sync-able material and I hope we hear more of him.
The album ‘Sophomoria’ will be released later.
Find him on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095398488304
Lauge Heebøll (Denmark) – Higher Love (single)
You’re going to think it’s a Stevie Winwood cover aren’t you? No sir, this is Lauge Heebøll with a super-catchy retro 1980s dance-a-long of the same title and it’s every bit as upbeat as Stevie’s song.
Lauge plays around with the idea that the ‘Higher love’ can be one at the extreme of happiness, pleasure and satisfaction, or an ambitious target to aim for when things aren’t moving so fast beneath the sheets.
It seems he might be erring on the latter interpretation as the song dates back a few years to when Lauge went through a hard period (no pun intended, in fact quite the reverse), dominated by loneliness. He wasn’t lonely as such, but he also didn’t have that one other person who provides security and cohesion. He missed love and didn’t think he could ever find it again. Aw, bless.
Indeed, a previous single, ‘Set You on Fire’, examined the self-fulfilling prophecy of destruction, by which he means that he understood that he had destroyed relationships before, simply because his fear of losing overshadowed all the good things.
‘Higher love’ is a great indie track which incorporates disparate 80s disco-pop, guitar riffs and balladry in one instantly attractive pop vibe.
‘Higher Love’ is Lauge’s third single as a soloist. He has previously been a drummer in the band Silque.
Find him on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lheeboell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laugeheeboell/
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