Artist: Steensland, Simon
Label: Altrock
Released: 2009
Rating: 4.4/5
Simon Steensland is best known for his album The Zombie Hunter, which he recorded in 1996 and which earned him his nickname (the zombie hunter). He’s been away from the music scene for quite a while, but for the past five years he’s been hard at work on a new record, which finally saw the light of day this year. The album is called Fat Again.
First off, I have to admit I hadn’t heard a thing from this composer before this album, but it won me over right away with the punch of this magnificent music. I reckon Steensland is an exceptional composer, with a great feel for drama, complexity and melody, especially considering his music is so often labeled avant-garde.
The first and last tracks really do sound like Univers Zero, roughly from the Heatwave era. Some of the harmonium parts even remind me of Ceux du Dehors. It feels like every instrument is mimicking Univers Zero – bass, guitar, keyboards, drums, clarinet. That was obviously Steensland’s biggest influence. For me that’s not a problem at all, since there’s only ever been one Heatwave and nothing has sounded quite like it until now, and if Steensland decided to pay tribute to that wonderful album, I think that’s lovely, especially since he pulls it off so well. The tracks in between are more original. I especially like the vocal parts, which sometimes sound like they’re sung by ghosts. You can hear a lot of Scandinavian folk influences here, which at times reminds me of Sigur Ros. You could also say the vocal parts are a bit Magma-like in their own way. There are some lovely instrumental passages in this middle stretch too. The only time Steensland goes back to the Univers Zero influences in this part of the album is during Hide & Seek, but it’s not as obvious as on the first and last pieces.
The album’s biggest weakness is probably also its biggest strength. The first and last tracks show obvious Univers Zero influences, but they’re well conceived, well arranged and well played. This is one of the best avant-garde albums I’ve heard lately. Sure, it’s not the most original, but the twisting, intricate compositions more than make up for the lack of innovation.
The album is crafted to perfection, no doubt about it. I find it quite a tough listen, though. There are loads of complex structures and rhythms. Personally, the Univers Zero influence doesn’t bother me – I look at the album from a strictly musical point of view, and from that angle it’s outstanding. The music is beautiful, heavy and aggressive. You could say the same about Univers Zero in the Heatwave days. Even though Steensland’s music is somewhat similar, I still think it’s original enough. All the tracks are entirely his own, and he does a great job.
The album also features a lot of notable guests, including Morgan Agren (Kaipa, Mats & Morgan, among others), and that definitely helps the sound. Agren’s drumming is especially good, and the same goes for the gorgeous vocal arrangements.
For me, Fat Again is one of the best albums released in the last few years. Sure, it borrows a lot from Univers Zero, but I’ve heard far more blatant rip-offs. It feels like Steensland still wants to create something new, something that builds on his love for Univers Zero. I think he managed to craft a superb album, one of the best of 2009 in my book.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Simon Steensland is best known for his album The Zombie Hunter, which he recorded in 1996 and got his nickname from. He has been absent from the musical scene for quite some time, but for the last five years, he has been working diligently on composing and recording his new album, which saw the light of day in 2009. The album is called Fat Again.
First of all, I have to say that I haven’t heard a single note of his music until this product, but I was swept off my feet by the sheer impact of this great music. I think Steensland is a wonderful composer with a great sense of drama, complexity and melody, especially if you consider that his music is often labelled as avant-garde.
The first and last compositions of the album are, admittedly, very similar to Universe Zero, circa the time of Heatwave. Some of the harmonium passages even remind me of Ceux du Dehors. It seems that every instrument mimics Univers Zero – the bass, guitar, keyboards, drums, clarinet. This was obviously Steensland’s main influence. I for one don’t really consider this to be a problem because there has really only been one Heatwave made, nothing else sounds quite the same, and if Steensland wants to pay tribute to that wonderful album, I salute him, even more so because he does it extremely well. The pieces in between are a bit more original. I especially like the vocal pieces, with the ghostly voices. On here we can notice a lot of Scandinavian folklore influences, which occasionally even remind me of Sigur Ros. One could also say that some of the vocal parts are similar to Magma in some way as well. There are also some very nice instrumental segments in this middle part of the album. The only time Steensland returns to his Univers Zero influences in this part of the album is during Hide & Seek, but it’s not as blatantly obvious as before.
I suppose the biggest flaw of the album is also its biggest attribute. The first and final piece may show clear Univers Zero influences, but the pieces are very well constructed, arranged and played. This is some of the best new avant-garde music I’ve heard lately. Sure, it’s not the most original, but the lack of inventiveness is more than made up for with the intricate compositions.
The album is extremely well done, there’s no doubt about that. I find it to also be a very challenging listen, with complex structures and rhythms. I’m not troubled by the obvious nods to Univers Zero, I just take this album as it is. The music is beautiful, complex and aggressive. Much of this was also true of Univers Zero during the period of Heatwave. Even though Steensland’s music bears a certain resemblance, I still feel there’s plenty of originality left and it’s not as if Steensland used a direct Univers Zero quote. All the compositions are his own and he does a fine job too.
The album also features several prominent guests, including Morgan Agren (Kaipa, Mats & Morgan, among others) and this definitely contributes to the better sound of the album. Agren’s drumming is particularly good, as are the beautifully arranged vocals.
For me, Fat Again is one of the best albums to be released in the last few years. It might be a bit derivative, but I’ve heard much more derivative things. I feel as if Steensland is still trying to do something new, to add to his Univers Zero love. I think he succeeded in creating a fine work of art here and one of the best albums of 2009.
Lineup
Simon Steensland – bass, keyboards, guitar, bells, harmonium, cello, banjo, vocals
Robert Elovsson – keyboards, clarinet
Arvid Pettersson – Fender Rhodes, accordion
Einar Baldursson – guitar
Morgan Ågren – drums
Aurelia Le Huche – vocals
Eva Rexed – vocals
Production
Simon Steensland
Track list
1. Der Klang Von “Musik” 16.13
2. Lost In The Ark 02.00
3. Merde! 00.25
4. Memories Of Jan Jösta 2.27
5. Loch Ness 2.20
6. Hide & Seek 08.26
7. Fräls Oss Ifrån Ondo 02.05
8. The Queen Of Sweden 01.52
9. Petite Merde 00.26
10. The Lion Tamer 20.23
