SPOT Feasts on Music Genres and Styles – 15 New Acts Revealed
From political indie rap to sunshine pop and from African-inspired Danish Schlager pop to synth based techno soul and an English poet in the plural
Now the SPOT releases are beginning to speed up. In today’s big batch of acts you find Treefight for Sunlight, Frisk Frugt, Brother Grimm, The William Blakes and Reptile and Retard as well as a multitude of styles
Sun Sun Sun, here we come
Since the release of their debut album “A Collection of Vibrations for Your Skull”, the young popsmiths of Treefight For Sunlight have been in the fast track towards the stars. In 2010 their psych pop single “Facing the Sun” was first “track of the week” on Danish radio channel P3 and later voted “Best Summer Hit” in 2010 by the listeners ahead of Robyn and the likes! Since then they have enjoyed a lot more radio rotation and toured in Denmark together with The Rumour Said Fire and subsequently a tour on their own which was completely sold out.
Hardworking The William Blakes (picture), who in less than three years have managed to release four albums, have also been confirmed for this year’s line-up. On the new album from February they continue their energetic and danceable rock style, which when played live reaches wuthering heights of enthusiasm on stage and ecstasy in the crowd
Retarded reptile and Africa pop à la Danish schlager
The Aarhus duo Reptile & Retard have also been as busy as a bee, and in just two years they have established themselves as a much-coveted act in the club underground in Denmark – and China where they played 11 gigs in 2010 – and that without any releases at all! In the UK people have also noticed their synth-based techno soul, and this spring the duo will be recording their debut EP with David M Allen, who has previously produced for heavyweights such as Depeche Mode and The Cure.
Anders Meldgaard a.k.a Frisk Frugt makes use of completely different and acoustic artistic effects in his unique fusion of Danish schlager pop, West African music and free-jazz. This has brought Frisk Frugt a lot of praise from the Danish critics and won him a nomination for the prestigious Nordic Music Prize.
Explosive indie rock rap
Embarking on a rap career may sound like musical suicide for a sworn indie head like Asbjørn Auring Grimm from now-defunct Decorate Decorate, but nothing could be further from the truth: Brother Grimm delivers explosive indie rock rap with cheeky and overtly political vocals. Rumor has it that on the live stage the relatively new outfit brings the audience to the boiling point with their heady style, which mixes the best parts from LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz and Rage Against the Machine!
The five above-mentioned acts will be joined by ten more acts, who will be eager to steal the spotlight. Who knows – maybe the big revelation at SPOT 2011 will be the monumental big city rock of Helsinki in Poetry, the Norwegian cello punk of Honningbarna, the collective indie pop from Team Me, Mads Bjørn’s lo fi pop, Faroese Weimar cabaret from Budam, a Dane on the road in America called The Migrant, surf rock that has nothing to do with French cinema despite the name French Films, the computer master Rangleklods, the hopeful and gentle pop from Glass Arena or Kiss Me Scarlett’s 60s-inspired in-your-face rock.
