BWO's Martin Rolinski releases solo single

Martin Rolinski, lead singer of Sweden's BWO is set to release his debut single "blame it on a decent matter" next month. While the other members of BWO have been busy with other projects Marina teaming up with her old synthpop group PAGE and Alexander Bard forming Gravitonas singer Martin seemed to be enjoying fatherhood. The new single shows he too has been busy!

The single "blame it on a decent matter" premiered this week on Swedish radio. The song is exactly what you would expect from him. The production is upbeat dance-pop with a catchy melody that only the Swedish are capable of crafting. Martin is also performing the song on the summer festival circuit. You can watch below.

New Otur Single "Retrigger"

Swedish singer Otur's music has always transplanted me to somewhere else. Her electronic pop songs are frosty and minimal yet saturated with emotion. Her music evokes a wild range of emotions. It is the soundtrack to getting your heart broken, staying up all night, feeling all alone in the big city, and getting intropsective during sunrise after a night of crying.

Otur's new single "retrigger" is part Pet Shop Boys part Swedish pop sensibility and another triumphant romp through minimal electro land. While some may say Otur hasn't really grown much musically since her light bulb project days I say who cares? I think "retrigger" is her best offering yet! We get 3 minutes filled with electronic echos, whispy synths of course Otur's unique vocals. The chorus with its insistent declaration "i cry and I'm climbing til I try to find out what I left behind" is pure melancholy and I love it to bits. I can't wait for the album "twin behaviour." Retrigger is out (today!) April 27 on iTunes or Amazon.com. You can listen to the track below.

Otur - Retrigger by pepperbox

VanBot - Sweden's latest export

Sweden has a long history of producing some of the best pop acts the world has seen. ABBA, Roxette, Ace of Base- the list is long. The latest artist from Sweden to bring us musical goodness is the amazing Vanbot. They just released their self-titled debut digitally and it is a must have for anyone who appreciates smart electronic pop. Sounding like a mix of Robyn, la Roux and just a hint of September- this album really delivers!

Fans on the fence can fear not. Vanbot are currently offering not one but two(!) free tracks via soundcloud for your listening pleasure. If you like what you hear you can preview the whole album at their website http://vanbotmusic.com.

Make Me, Break Me by Vanbot

Possibly, amazing is back!

Happy Easter! After months of no posts we're back! 2011 is proving to be another amazing year of pop music with a few odd mishaps along the way.

To get the party started I have a special treat. I don't usually post mp3s but to celebrate the blog returning and because it's amazing you can download Swedish singer Gathania's album sampler from Hard2Beat records. I just got this off Ebay and the unreleased tracks are awesome. Fans of September or the VDB production will want for sure. Enjoy!

download: Gathania [album sampler]

1.Blame It On you
2. Spinnin' Around You
3. Heart of Mine
4. Don't Bring Me Down

Ace of Base Return

Unless you lived under a rock in the 1990's you couldn't escape the infectious sounds of Swedish quartet Ace of Base. Their debut album "The Sign" spawned multiple global hits. While later releases never quite matched their early success that didn't stop Ace of Base from amassing a legion of pop fans world wide.

After several years of silence and comeback rumors Ace of Base return with two new female singers, loads of internal drama and a new album slated for release in autumn 2010. Up first though is a new single "all for you" which went to European radio this week. A snippet was posted on youtube and you can sample the track below.



Personally I find the new Ace of Base project to be a bit curious. There has been loads of drama between former singer Jenny Berggren and the two men Ulf and Buddha. Blonde singer Linn left awhile back and the Scandipop website has a great post here that summarizes the turmoil between the two camps and how fans are reacting to all the conflict. In the middle of this we have a new AoB single "all for you" which is a pleasant if not inoffensive song to me. However when I think about the possibility that Jenny was ousted by a group she helped make successful it makes me feel a bit hesitant about embracing this newest incarnation of AoB. There's probably a bit of truth in what both sides say.