Fun fact: a friend of mine knows Tatu Rönkkö!
I don’t remember much about that Liima gig other than it was enjoyable and Kasper (the lead singer) was wearing a shiny tracksuit and a bicycle lock as a necklace. It is The Netherlands, so wearing a bike lock didn’t seem that strange at the time.
So given that the above is not the most prestigious review, it’s a bit of a surprise that I love ii so very much, so much in fact that it’s the kick-off album in my Studio Time playlist.
It has interesting percussion, heavy though not overwhelming electronics, Kasper’s droning voice and some twiddly highlights and brass parping. There’s rock guitar on some tracks. It’s upbeat and low-beat at the same time. I don’t always understand what’s going on, but I definitely like it.
It’s not very often that an album is completely consistent and usually I love some tracks more than others. With this one it’s hard to pick a favorite track; Roger Waters at a push. Whenever a song comes on I like it as much as the last one. There’s not a single weak point. I don’t have a track in Mouse Carnival precisely because I can’t choose one to separate out. They belong together.
I chose ii as my Studio Time starter because it sounds to me how I attempt to live my life – with variety and layers, some unexpected samples and as a cohesive whole.
Even the cover art is inspiring. It’s weird and high quality and the colours are great.
I feel really cool when I listen to this album.
Efterklang have produced more than one Mousterpiece as one listen to Pyramida will likely convince you. Part of Pyramida is a gutrencher for me though, it’s that beautiful.
Listen and enjoy, if you please.
Kim
Co-founder, The Clean Sheet