Potpourri Swedish style 22nd October – tracks from Louise Lemón and KÅRP

Louise Lemón – Tears as fuel (single/track from forthcoming album)

Louise Lemón releases the third single from her forthcoming album ‘Lifetime of Tears’, this one is entitled ‘Tears as fuel’ but it might as easily be ‘Tears as a nuclear warhead’.

The artist name is unusual; will she be bittersweet, one wonders? And the multiple use of ‘tears’ in the song and album titles does suggest the subject matter will be oriented towards pain, hurt and despair, and so it is.

I must confess I couldn’t quite get my head around the convoluted philosophy of “When all you have with someone is tears, you will drink those up like they are wine. I started telling myself, if love is true, he’ll truly hurt you, ‘cause why else would there only be these tears. When you have nothing, pain is something, so sometimes you’d rather hold on to that than be left with nothing.”

Time to get on Tinder, Louise?

Seriously now, of course countless woman in battered wives’ homes (do they still call them that?) will testify to Louise’s interpretation of the collapsing relationship; tears, pain, the unwillingness to let go of something that has become nothing and all, and you might recall the Icelander Inki’s attempts to record such emotions in speech and song with inmates of Reykjavik’s female prison.

But what is more impressive to me about this track than lyrics or vocals is the slightly sinister mood music she creates, something she is justifiably proud of when she comments, “the musicians I play with went above and beyond incorporating their passion and making this pain come to life and become something that is love.”

I was interested to learn that her producer here has worked with Sunn O))), who left me deaf for a week when I saw them, and that she is considered to be ‘The Queen of Death Gospel.’

Clearly, a lady of many talents.

‘Tears as Fuel’ is out now on the Swedish label Icons Creating Evil Art. The album ‘Lifetime of Tears’ is set to release in early February 2024.

7/10

Photo by: Sophie Winberg Tyrfelt

KÅRP – K Lay on Your Hands (Sample track from the EP Radical You

KÅRP have been writing an extended musical missive on the state of the world for the last few years now, expressed in the form of three EPs devoted to the apocalypse, and encapsulated by their unique ‘death disco’ sound.

Forever formulaic and symmetrical, in each case two singles have been followed by another two songs to make the EP.

The first two dealt with Chaos (‘Kris’) and Silence (‘Perfect Order’), while this final one, ‘Radical You’ in their own words, is “a forward-looking release characterised by the idea that a new world must emerge when the old one crumbles. A better world that you are a co-creator of.

Well the present one is crumbling alright, more so with each passing day, but I rather suspect that what Klaus, George, Bill, Mark and their ilk have planned for us won’t be a better world and co-creation with the plebs will be verboten.

We shall see, but for now let’s just concentrate on the music and the focus track is ‘K Lay on Your Hands’, which KÅRP explains as being like an instruction manual; the instruction going something like this: “There is music within you. It may be the most important thing you have. Repeat it within yourself over and over again if anyone tries to take it from you. Like a pumping beat adorned with arpeggios.”

I can’t think of a better way of describing the song than that last line.

And you know, that statement could have come straight out of ‘1984’, Winston Smith and Julia discussing how they can listen to the latest release from KÅRP without Big Brother noticing, (again as they say, “the hope for a world where thundering beats and synthesiser textures are your foundation.”)

It’s the most ‘hopeful’ and inspirational track I’ve heard from the duo across the three EPs and Anna-Maria Lundberg in particular is in good form as she delivers her vocal every bit as sensuously as does Louise Lemón.

8/10

Find her/them on:

(Louise Lemón)

Website: https://www.louiselemonmusic.com/