Welcome to the Christmas edition of Amazing Sweden. This is where we, along with Nordic By Nature and STIM, usually celebrate Sweden’s superpowered musical output by selecting three tracks that have caught our fancy this month, and for this Christmas edition the format remains the same. So head below for the goods, but on a side note, if you really feel like getting deep into the soul of Swedish Christmas then check out these little chunks of festive insight from TEDDYBEARS, as they guide you through the Swedish traditions including drunk urinating gnome Santa and setting fire to goats.
Photo: Alexandra Kaktus
KALK are a Stockholm duo comprised of Julia Simonson och Freja Drakenberg, and they’ve just dropped their debut EP Ending Era, five tracks of moody, lushly produced synth-pop. Hold Tight is the lead single from the EP, built around icy instrumental swooshes and an angsty, strained vocal before changing gear dramatically and revelling in a hyper-melodic chorus.
JOIN THE RIOT are a Swedish folk-pop band who apparently recorded their debut album, in clear sight of passers-by, in an open-view studio at the Scandic Malmen hotel on Medborgarplatsen, smack back in the centre of Södermalm in Stockholm. Which is pretty cool, and great useful Stockholm background knowledge for an Amazing Sweden playlist. Us Against The Wall is a pleasant, FOSTER THE PEOPLE-sian piece of electro-pop.
LUCAS NORD is a Stockholm-based producer and musician who specialises in the poppier side of house, and has previously worked with TOVE LO and so clearly has the stamp of approval from Swedish music royalty. Faking is a crisp, clean slice of thumping pop, that will dominate any dancefloor you care to drop it on.
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