Familjen
Det snurrar i min skalle
Hybris
It’s a sad fact that the initial impression Sweden’s The Knife made here in the States was pretty fleeting. My guess is that it was the duo’s severe and bizarre presentation of electronic music that put people off rather than drawing them in and keeping them enthralled. For those weaker-willed folks, Familjen might be more appropriate. The beats and arrangements are similarly as dense as The Knife’s and the tones of the synths he has at his disposal chime from the same warm end of the sonic spectrum. Cuts like the title track and “Det vet du” are propulsive 4-minute chunks of contemporary club perfection, while “Nan gang” could have easily been copped from a mid-‘80s New Order record, with its three-foot-thick bass lines, live drums and heavenly keys. Of course, one potentially alienating factor for American audiences could be the Swedish lyrics, but the breathy, insistent vocals get the message across despite any language barrier and should pull even the most ardent cynic out onto the dance floor. Good times are universal, right?
Hybris: http://www.hybrism.com
