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Featuring: Christopher Brus, Alva Noto, Mapstation, Johannes Helden, Lars Carlsson, Sherif, Peter Hansen, Christina Kubisch, Daniel Skoglund/ 8tunnel2, Dan Fröberg, Paul Bauthén, Ànders Ilar, Leif Elggren, Henrik Rylander, Anna Eriksson. Features all exclusive tracks, commissioned for this release. This is a soundtrack to the book The HIdden City, People and Places in Gothenburg -- an exploration of the open and hidden perspectives of this north European harbour town by writer Magnus Haglund and photographer Stefan Schneider (published separately by Glanta Produktion). "Why is Gothenburg an interesting place? This is a city with a specific cosmopolitical history, where for example the East Indian Company, started in 1731, had its base and through its trading a lot of the wealth and property of the country had its upswing in the 18th and 19th centuries. The culture of trading meant an atmosphere of independence and a sense of both belonging and not belonging to the Swedish state. This is to be reflected in the Gothenburg version of the liberal tradition, something which is investigated and makes up one part of the book: what does this social liberalism mean today, when it is confronted with the multicultural situation and political tensions like the riots during the EU-summitt-meeting in June 2001... To transform, to question, to dream in new patterns: this is one of the themes of the book. Through conversations with writers and politicians, DJs and historians, and through situationist-inspired walkings-dérives through the city, the complexity of the town -- which had quite a solid identity but now is interestingly insecure -- is outlined and elicited. From the old city to the young one, through industrial areas and electronic soundscapes, the miscellaneous character comes through, the productive oppositions. The city disturbs us. The CD The Hidden City consists of some 15 sound portraits from the city, by artists that are featured in the book or have an interesting relationship with certain places or addresses in Gothenburg. The record is a collage of the city, just like the book."
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