Friends making music together has been a recipe for great work many times. The Swedish duo Yalmar, as well, is based on friendship and a special interest in modern ways of music making. David Hjalmar and Emanuel Lundgren have known each other for more than twenty years. But it took David supporting Emmanuel’s Band many times and a long walk home after a sold-out Marilyn Manson concert, before the idea of starting a musical project together sparked. Now, four years later the Duo is about to release their debut EP.
Nostalgia of Life
Over the process of making music together, Emmanuel took on the role of the producer in the background. David put his cards on songwriting and strengthened his singing voice. Today Yalmar is releasing the third single Stop Calling Me exclusively on NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION. An inspiration for the project is the production Vanity 6’s self-titled work from 1982 (produced by Prince). Drawing from their influences, the Swedish musicians turned the single into a smooth pop jam with electronic and RnB sensibilities. The lyrics speak of a topic as old as time: the struggles and pains of getting out of, and over a serious relationship. Subtle mellow beats mixed with pulsating elements display the numbness that can follow a breakup, while the distorted electronic sounds, and what appears to be a wind chime, introduce a wide range of different elements; the outcome of paired creativity.
“Stop Calling Me was written after I found my old forgotten analog synth at the back of my wardrobe. When I plugged it in it still had those same settings from when I once started creating music. Those sounds had always inspired me and it didn’t take me long to come up with the basic idea. Stop Calling Me is about feeling nostalgic over life and the difficulties of letting things go. The sounds and the synth was later recycled and became like a red wire for my upcoming EP.”