Undertheradar | Club 8 - The People’s Record

By Laura Studarus

...For The People's Record—their seventh—the duo (Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård) have expanded their melodic sonic pallet with traces of Afro-pop, bossa nova, and South American jazz. The result is a warmly inviting album that's as sweet as it is cleverly composed.

Not ones to shy away from melancholy, nearly ever track is crafted with a coolly detached air—every bright instrumental flourish or lighthearted refrain tempered by Komstedt's sorrowful voice (a kissing cousin to fellow Swede Victoria Bergsman). Even when challenged by the complex instrumentation of up-tempo tracks such as "Shape Up!" or "Western Hospitality," Komstedt remains perfectly composed—the juxtaposition between singer and instrumentation lending her vocals an otherworldly resonance.

This isn't to say Angergård and Komstedt are without joy. Quite the opposite. Slyly subversive, some of their most maudlin sentiments are underscored by a newfound love for dance beats made the old-fashioned way—by an actual drummer. "We're All Going to Die" features not only pounding drums but a brass section, proving that if you've got to end it all, you might as well do so dancing. Komstedt may lament about "When friends give up on you when everyone has heard your story twice" in "My Pessimistic Heart," but its soaring chorus and minimal chord verses prove to be the best antidote to troubles. The U.S. may not be talking, but having successfully dipped into several different cultures, it's clear that Club 8 is more than capable of bringing the world to them. (www.myspace.com/club8)

Popmatters.com | Club 8: The People's Record

By Dave Heaton | 17 May 2010
PopMatters Associate Music Editor

...Now here they are with an album clearly inspired by the rhythms and guitar sound of African music. That’s obvious right off the bat on the opening song, “Western Hospitality”, even to someone like me, an ethnomusicologist by no means. They’ve clearly taken inspiration from the music of other parts of the world, without completely abandoning their standard musical personality, if that were even possible. This approach continues throughout the album, their first recorded using a producer besides themselves (Jari Haapalainen, who produced Camera Obscura’s brilliant Let’s Get Out of This Country). What’s striking about The People’s Record isn’t just how different it sounds. It’s how familiar it sounds while also sounding different.

Actually, what’s most notable is how well this combination works. In 2010, it isn’t shocking for any musician, or music fan, to splice genres, to mix and match. Still that doesn’t make every combination makes sense. Swedish pop plus African rhythms doesn’t necessarily make sense, but in Club 8’s hands it seems seamless and natural, yet also fresh. “Western Hospitality” marks this as party music that manages to also be thoughtful. Komstedt’s singing like she’s deep inside her own thoughts, but they’re not just about a broken heart or personal struggle. As the music makes the album seem more outward-looking, so do the lyrics. “One day we’ll come to the point when we know what we’re waiting for”, Komstedt sings, over a big, boisterous groove of a song. “We’ll march through the cities”, she sings like she’s leading a movement. The song ends with the voices of people talking.

If this is The People’s Record, music for street corners, that doesn’t mean the focus isn’t still on the way people feel, on the tough emotional roller coaster of life. “Isn’t That Great?”, the second track, sounds as much like party music as the first, but it’s about making a relationship work. As she sings, “I’m gonna take good care of you this time”, the flurry of musical activity behind her makes the intention to do better seem like a triumphant choice. Often, though, those personal feelings are put in a larger context of the crowd. “Shape Up!” might be a wakeup call just to one person, but it sounds like a call to us all, to speak up and get out of our everyday routines. Club 8 are doing the same in that moment and across The People’s Record: shaking themselves out of their routine, and shaking our expectations a bit, too...

Read the complete review here:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/125291-club-8-the-peoples-record

MYXph.com | Club 8's "The People's Record" is lighter but tougher

Lighter, but tougher
Indiepop darlings share their new global sound
by Mario S. Serrano
May 16, 2010

"It's all part of the plan for me to take over the whole world and make everyone an exact clone of me. If everybody will look like this in the end and listen to the same music, then I have succeeded." Johan shares his secret world domination plan. A lot of indiepop bands from the late 90's throughout 2000 have come and go. But after ten years and six albums strong, Club 8 continues to build its discography and The People's Record has more to offer.

"We had a special idea about this album. And one day we read an article about Jari Haapalainen, the producer, and when we read that he was into the same kind of music that we were into, we called him." Karolina enthusiastically explains. "We explained to him (Jari) what kind of sound we want to make and seemed he really understood what we wanted to do," states Johan. "But then in order to get to this (holding a copy of the People's Record), we just have to leave it in his arms. So, he picked the musicians and so on," Johan further states. Apparently, losing control for Johan in producing this album was indeed a blessing.

Once you give the album a spin, you would instantly recognize the afro-cuban beat fused into their music. Although there are other indiepop bands into the same direction, The People's Record sound more organic than electronic - which, of course, is a good thing. In order for that to happen, Club 8 did go to Brazil to experience, feel and record. "The atmosphere in Brazil is really different from the atmosphere in Sweden. It's like day and night. We got inspired by the warmth and you can hear that in the new album," explains Karolina.

However, having a happy sound is not entirely a Club 8 trademark. "Well, all the songs are still about death. So, I think we're still ok." Johan joking explains on whether Club 8 will lose their melancholia while having a happy sound. Give the songs Dancing With The Mentally Ill, My Pessimistic Heart and We're All Going To Die a listen and you would understand what he meant. "I just write the lyrics from my head from the way I am and ends up the way I am, I suppose" says Johan. Don't get me wrong, as those are some of the outstanding tracks for me. Personally, it somehow reminded me of songs by A Certain Ratio, The Slits and even Au Pairs. The other tracks that stood out were Isn't That Great, The People Speak and Like Me.

All in all, The People's Record does have that have summer feel that one can dance to. However, it also contains tinges of melancholia - an unwritten trademark I presume. Karolina believes that the climate is responsible. "We always yearn for the summer," she states. "It creates some sort of bittersweet feeling," she continues. I would think that she was right as that is exactly how their sound like. Bittersweet. Happy-sad. Lighter, but tougher.

Postscript

Club 8 is a Swedish duo composed of Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård. Since about 2002, Club 8 has been one of those indiepop bands that were anticipated to come to Manila. After eight years, we are thankful that Karolina already has the courage to perform live. And so, we are all grateful to have interviewed them and seen them perform. It was truly an honor.


View this article directly on MYX's site:
http://www.myxph.com/tabid/333/a/1596/Club-8-s-The-People-s-Record-is-lighter-but-tougher.aspx


Other related articles:

Club 8's Artist Profile: http://www.myxph.com/tabid/337/artist/1592/CLUB-8.aspx

FHM Phils. | 8 Things About Club 8

Words by:  LOU E. ALBANO
May 13, 2010

It seems Manila has finally become a concert destination. Just few months after pop sensation Justin Timberlake, and indie faves Jens Lekman and Kings of Convenience visited the country, in comes Club 8.

The Swedish duo is set to play Manila at the SMX Convention Center tomorrow, May 14.

Then they head off to Cebu for a gig on Saturday May 15 at the Cebu international Convention Center.

But before we can join the collective indie hooray, let’s know what we are rejoicing to, shall we?...

Continue reading here:

http://www.fhm.com.ph/entertainment/music/article/2302/page/1

Club 8 will release brand new album "The People's Record" this May

Sweden’s Club 8 is commonly recognized for their personal blend of melancholic, dreamy and irresistibly catchy style of pop has been a forerunner for bands like Camera Obscura, jj and Kings of Convenience. Their 7th album "The People’s Record" marks the beginning of a new era. The band has travelled to Brazil for inspiration, bought records made in the '70s in Western Africa, used a percussion player from Cuba and hooked up with producer Jari Haapalainen (The Concretes, Camera Obscura, Ed Harcourt). The result is unique mix of Swedish pop melodies and African rhythms - undoubtedly one of the most unique, captivating and catchiest pop records of the year! Includes "Western Hospitality", "Isn't That Great?", "Back To A" and more.

Click the play button below to listen to the track "Western Hospitality" or click the down arrow to download for free

Western Hospitality by Labrador Records

Universal Records will Re-Issue Club 8's 1998-2003 albums

Sweden's Club 8 was formed in 1995 by Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård. They made simple bedroom recordings of their three first songs and sent them to their ten favorite record labels. The response was just as immediate as it was good with half of the labels wanting to release the band's music. Club 8’s first six albums originate from Swedish melancholy, classic English guitar pop and Brazilian sounds. They are commonly recognized for their personal blend of melancholic, dreamy and irresistibly catchy style of pop and have been a forerunner for bands like Camera Obscura, jj, and Kings of Convenience.

Universal Records is proud to announce the re-issue of Club 8's albums released between 1998 and 2003.

Club 8 "The Friend I Once Had" (originally released in 1998) + 6 bonus tracks
Club 8 "Club 8" (originally released in 2001) + 2 bonus tracks
Club 8 "Spring Came, Rain Fell" (originally released in 2002) + 5 bonus tracks
Club 8 "Strangely Beautiful" (originally released in 2003) + 5 bonus tracks

Watch out for Club 8's newest album "The People's Record" to be released in May. Still available is their 2007's album "The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming".

Club 8 will be performing in the Philippines for the first time this May, brought to us by Lilystars Records & Modern Rock Bureau. Here are the details :

MANILA - MAY 14, 2010 (FRIDAY)
SMX Convention Center, 3rd Floor, Function Room 1
8:00 PM
Ticket Price : P1,300

CEBU - MAY 15, 2010 (SATURDAY)
Cebu International Convention Center
8:00 PM
Ticket Price : P1,000

For ticket reservations & inquiries, please contact:
MANILA:  0916-4004343 | 0915-9006954
CEBU:  0923-2707090 | 0917-3283777

Club 8, The Story So Far...

Club 8 was formed in 1995 by Karolina Komstedt (from the band Poprace) and Johan Angergård (Acid House Kings, Poprace). They made simple bedroom recordings of their three first songs and sent them to their ten favourite labels. The response was just as immediate as it was good with half of the labels wanting to release the band. Club 8 chose the Spanish label Siesta where they released their debut single 'Me too' later the same year and the debut album 'Nouvelle' the year after..

The sound on the debut album was definitely a bit naive and twee. And as charming as a lot of people found the debut to the follow up 'The friend I once had' (1998) felt like a big step forward for the band. Their mix of bossa nova, glittery guitars, shiny pop melodies and small hints of dance music made this album an indie-success. They also debuted as a live act with a performance at CMJ in New York in 1999.

Striving for constant change and improvements Club 8 moved away from the bossa nova influences and direct pop songs of 'The friend I once had' with the self-titled follow up. 'Club 8' (2001) was both darker and slower. Still, they managed to expand their audience and had somewhat of a hit with 'Love in December'. The only real problem the band had experienced was the fact that recording on limited studio time was a hindrance to their experimental lusts. Late 2001 Club 8, along with fellow band Acid House Kings, set up their own recording studio – Summersound Studios.

With 24/7 access to a recording studio of their own Club 8 entered their most creative and productive phase to date recording the diversified, semi-electronic and slightly experimental, but intensely emotional 'Spring came, rain fell' in 2002 and the more guitar-based and kept together follow up 'Strangely Beautiful' (2003). The latter contained the song 'Saturday Night Engine' which was, very accurately, described as "a storming (very) Northern soul-inspired track bursting with an excitement that sounded quite out of place in that quiet group's discography” and a forerunner to Johan’s band The Legends according to All Music.

After the release of 'Strangely beautiful' Club 8’s activity slowed down while Johan formed The Legends and released three albums with the band between 2003 and 2006, plus the album 'Sing along with Acid House Kings' with Acid House Kings in 2005. During this period Club 8 only did a few minor tours in Asia and Europe.

Summer 2006 Club 8 was about to burst of creativity and urge to start recording again and in September they started recording their 6th album.

'The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming' is Club 8's most profound to date, balancing perfectly between sunshine and melancholia. Twelve songs that’ll make you sing along about death to while dreaming of summer days. A glorious return to say the least.

Next album 'The People's Record' is due in May and is said to be different and absolutely amazing. It's the first time the po duo has collaborated with a producer and the choice fell on Jari Haapalainen who to this date has produced the likes of Camera Obscura and The Concretes.