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viewing 1 To 11 of 11 items
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CD
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TR 550CD
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Naked but for a soft blanket of reverb, Christian Kjellvander's tender voice invites us into his latest creation, the swooning Hold Your Love Still. His first solo album since 2020's About Love And Loving Again (TR 468CD/LP) finds the Swedish troubadour in a reflective mood, exploring the difficulties of an honest life amid the entanglement of capitalism, and imploring us to nurture that faltering hope for a better tomorrow. Though he's grappling with existential and environmental tensions, Kjellvander strides from stoicism to optimism, augmenting his trademark minor melancholy with soaring major compositions, each concise, precise and considered -- a conscious turn towards song from the freeform expressions of recent collaborations. Rich in natural imagery, understated poetry and an infectious empathy, with meaning imbued in every line, this is the work of an accomplished songwriter at his most vital.
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LP
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TR 550LP
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LP version. Naked but for a soft blanket of reverb, Christian Kjellvander's tender voice invites us into his latest creation, the swooning Hold Your Love Still. His first solo album since 2020's About Love And Loving Again (TR 468CD/LP) finds the Swedish troubadour in a reflective mood, exploring the difficulties of an honest life amid the entanglement of capitalism, and imploring us to nurture that faltering hope for a better tomorrow. Though he's grappling with existential and environmental tensions, Kjellvander strides from stoicism to optimism, augmenting his trademark minor melancholy with soaring major compositions, each concise, precise and considered -- a conscious turn towards song from the freeform expressions of recent collaborations. Rich in natural imagery, understated poetry and an infectious empathy, with meaning imbued in every line, this is the work of an accomplished songwriter at his most vital.
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CD
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TR 468CD
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Christian Kjellvander's new solo album, About Love And Loving Again, undeniably feels like a big record. The seven songs on this gently unhurried long-player are allowed to build and meander, make unexpected turns, or even pause to look over their own shoulder before moving on, four of them ending way beyond and one just shy of the seven-minute-mark. It comes as a bit of a shock then to learn that this sound that ranges from almost-silence to unbridledly expressive, widescreen hugeness was created mostly as live by a minimal three-piece line-up in a Stockholm studio basement: Per Nordmark on drums; Pelle Anderson on a Fender Rhodes, a Prophet 5, and a Korg Prologue; Christian Kjellvander on vocals, guitars and whatever came to hand, adding just a touch of bass at the end of two songs. It was May 2020 when this trio congregated, a time, of course, when all of Europe was under strict lockdown, with the famous exception of Sweden. About Love And Loving Again is the sound of Christian Kjellvander waving goodbye to the converted old chapel out in the Swedish wilderness where so much of his music of previous years was written and recorded, "Baptist Lodge" that lends its name to the opening song. The song's evocative lyrics contrast the image of an iconic American car with another stand-out line that finds the singer at the outer edges of Sweden. "Cultural Spain", probably the most tightly written and arranged song on the album, was finished following a mad dash across the old continent back to Sweden, just as borders were being closed in all the countries he passed through. Like a lot of this record, its semi-abstract lyrics are full of complex sexual politics. You don't need to be a celebrity sleuth to realize that much of About Love And Loving Again is deeply autobiographical. In fact, the goddess in the opening song is none other than his current partner, Swedish singer Frida Hyvönen, who also sings backing vocals on "Cultural Spain" and took the cover photo of Christian. Meanwhile, from "Actually Country Gentle" unmistakably alludes to the recent ending of his 13-year marriage. Crucially, Christian Kjellvander describes a world that is much bigger than his private self, and yet there is a vulnerability. As an artist who is "constantly trying to look under different stones," Christian Kjellvander has learnt to rely on instinct rather than intention.
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LP
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TR 468LP
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LP version. Christian Kjellvander's new solo album, About Love And Loving Again, undeniably feels like a big record. The seven songs on this gently unhurried long-player are allowed to build and meander, make unexpected turns, or even pause to look over their own shoulder before moving on, four of them ending way beyond and one just shy of the seven-minute-mark. It comes as a bit of a shock then to learn that this sound that ranges from almost-silence to unbridledly expressive, widescreen hugeness was created mostly as live by a minimal three-piece line-up in a Stockholm studio basement: Per Nordmark on drums; Pelle Anderson on a Fender Rhodes, a Prophet 5, and a Korg Prologue; Christian Kjellvander on vocals, guitars and whatever came to hand, adding just a touch of bass at the end of two songs. It was May 2020 when this trio congregated, a time, of course, when all of Europe was under strict lockdown, with the famous exception of Sweden. About Love And Loving Again is the sound of Christian Kjellvander waving goodbye to the converted old chapel out in the Swedish wilderness where so much of his music of previous years was written and recorded, "Baptist Lodge" that lends its name to the opening song. The song's evocative lyrics contrast the image of an iconic American car with another stand-out line that finds the singer at the outer edges of Sweden. "Cultural Spain", probably the most tightly written and arranged song on the album, was finished following a mad dash across the old continent back to Sweden, just as borders were being closed in all the countries he passed through. Like a lot of this record, its semi-abstract lyrics are full of complex sexual politics. You don't need to be a celebrity sleuth to realize that much of About Love And Loving Again is deeply autobiographical. In fact, the goddess in the opening song is none other than his current partner, Swedish singer Frida Hyvönen, who also sings backing vocals on "Cultural Spain" and took the cover photo of Christian. Meanwhile, from "Actually Country Gentle" unmistakably alludes to the recent ending of his 13-year marriage. Crucially, Christian Kjellvander describes a world that is much bigger than his private self, and yet there is a vulnerability. As an artist who is "constantly trying to look under different stones," Christian Kjellvander has learnt to rely on instinct rather than intention.
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CD
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TR 419CD
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"In days like these, dominated by dark clouds of marginalization and isolationism, an artist like Christian Kjellvander is absolutely critical to our spiritual salvation. The Swedish singer-songwriter embraces the unknown and seeks out the most profound sense of humanity. Take the title of his ninth album, Wild Hxmans; something is different, disconcertingly so. Kjellvander slips us an X for a U. He forces us to think, sets our senses on edge. We cast our vote with an X, but we also use it to blot out a mistake. 'Cross it out and forget about it? If this is how people treat each other, then we have a problem', Kjellvander suggests. Through seven songs drawing upon folk, blues, Americana and free jazz, the 42-yearold speaks to us of farewells and departures, of escape and the sensation of arriving in a new world. In doing so, he crafts a sound which breathes peacefully, pulsating as he surges headlong from intimacy into deep, oppressive darkness. At times it seems as if his music disappears, only to resurface with a flash moments later. Kjellvander is an empathetic vagabond, a daydreaming desperado. On 'Strangers In Northeim' he ushers something new and untamed into a perfect little town. 'Faux Guernica' is based on a road trip through the Basque country with his youngest son. 'Curtain Maker' is inspired by an encounter in Verona with a woman from Syria; it articulates the unbearable silence which follows a separation. Could a musician face a more paradoxical challenge than creating sound to express this eternal silence? These multifaceted songs are carried by Kjellvander's wondrous voice, with echoes of Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, and David Sylvian. A voice so brittle in the presence of pain shines even brighter in the coruscating conviction that emotions routinely concealed in everyday life will rise up to the surface. On Wild Hxmans, Christian Kjellvander faces up to the unknown and uses it in his art, saying, 'I often find myself in situations or places I haven't got a clue about. So I learn and then I write.'" --Birgit Reuther
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LP
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TR 419LP
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LP version. "In days like these, dominated by dark clouds of marginalization and isolationism, an artist like Christian Kjellvander is absolutely critical to our spiritual salvation. The Swedish singer-songwriter embraces the unknown and seeks out the most profound sense of humanity. Take the title of his ninth album, Wild Hxmans; something is different, disconcertingly so. Kjellvander slips us an X for a U. He forces us to think, sets our senses on edge. We cast our vote with an X, but we also use it to blot out a mistake. 'Cross it out and forget about it? If this is how people treat each other, then we have a problem', Kjellvander suggests. Through seven songs drawing upon folk, blues, Americana and free jazz, the 42-yearold speaks to us of farewells and departures, of escape and the sensation of arriving in a new world. In doing so, he crafts a sound which breathes peacefully, pulsating as he surges headlong from intimacy into deep, oppressive darkness. At times it seems as if his music disappears, only to resurface with a flash moments later. Kjellvander is an empathetic vagabond, a daydreaming desperado. On 'Strangers In Northeim' he ushers something new and untamed into a perfect little town. 'Faux Guernica' is based on a road trip through the Basque country with his youngest son. 'Curtain Maker' is inspired by an encounter in Verona with a woman from Syria; it articulates the unbearable silence which follows a separation. Could a musician face a more paradoxical challenge than creating sound to express this eternal silence? These multifaceted songs are carried by Kjellvander's wondrous voice, with echoes of Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, and David Sylvian. A voice so brittle in the presence of pain shines even brighter in the coruscating conviction that emotions routinely concealed in everyday life will rise up to the surface. On Wild Hxmans, Christian Kjellvander faces up to the unknown and uses it in his art, saying, 'I often find myself in situations or places I haven't got a clue about. So I learn and then I write.'" --Birgit Reuther
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CD
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TR 344CD
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"In regards to the album A Village: Natural Light by Christian Kjellvander, I am writing to you as a friend of Christian Kjellvander. I was sitting in Christian's kitchen in Malmö when he picked up a guitar and played the album Faya (2005) in its entirety. I was sitting in his living room in Rynge when he played me the final mix of I Saw Her From Here/I Saw Here From Her (2007). He was at my house in Denmark when he played me the demos for The Rough and Rynge (2010). When Christian bought an old church in a tiny Swedish village I brought my family. We stayed there right before he started recording The Pitcher (TR 273CD/LP, 2013). Walking around that big beautiful room, hearing how beautiful it sounded and knowing that this sound would be captured on many amazing albums to come was comforting. This new album is the best there is. A Village: Natural Light is an album about living, loving and dying. When I listen to these songs I think about how important it is to really live your life. These songs right here are about staying and riding it out. Create a life of your own, surround yourself with good people, don't let bastards get you down and make the most of what you got. Make sure to love. Christian told me that he had started working part-time in a cemetery in a small Swedish village while writing these songs because he wanted to get the realest job he could and let it bleed into his songs. Make something that truly sounded like where he was - in a village, like a microcosm of the world we live in today facing life and death. This leads me to thinking about the beauty in mourning and how it's an important part of life. I think about how we isolate ourselves from other people and how it takes away our reasons to mourn. A mixture of genuine happiness, sadness and appreciation. The album was recorded at Christian's old church in Österåker by Ruben Engzell. The band really made the most out of that beautiful sounding room. A truly great album by a truly great artist who has been releasing nothing but great albums since the late '90s." -- Henry Toft. Mixed by Craig Schumacher. Mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering.
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LP+CD
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TR 344LP
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LP version. Includes CD. "In regards to the album A Village: Natural Light by Christian Kjellvander, I am writing to you as a friend of Christian Kjellvander. I was sitting in Christian's kitchen in Malmö when he picked up a guitar and played the album Faya (2005) in its entirety. I was sitting in his living room in Rynge when he played me the final mix of I Saw Her From Here/I Saw Here From Her (2007). He was at my house in Denmark when he played me the demos for The Rough and Rynge (2010). When Christian bought an old church in a tiny Swedish village I brought my family. We stayed there right before he started recording The Pitcher (TR 273CD/LP, 2013). Walking around that big beautiful room, hearing how beautiful it sounded and knowing that this sound would be captured on many amazing albums to come was comforting. This new album is the best there is. A Village: Natural Light is an album about living, loving and dying. When I listen to these songs I think about how important it is to really live your life. These songs right here are about staying and riding it out. Create a life of your own, surround yourself with good people, don't let bastards get you down and make the most of what you got. Make sure to love. Christian told me that he had started working part-time in a cemetery in a small Swedish village while writing these songs because he wanted to get the realest job he could and let it bleed into his songs. Make something that truly sounded like where he was - in a village, like a microcosm of the world we live in today facing life and death. This leads me to thinking about the beauty in mourning and how it's an important part of life. I think about how we isolate ourselves from other people and how it takes away our reasons to mourn. A mixture of genuine happiness, sadness and appreciation. The album was recorded at Christian's old church in Österåker by Ruben Engzell. The band really made the most out of that beautiful sounding room. A truly great album by a truly great artist who has been releasing nothing but great albums since the late '90s." -- Henry Toft. Mixed by Craig Schumacher. Mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering.
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7"
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TR 285EP
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2014 RSD release. Having only just released his commercially and critically-acclaimed fifth solo record The Pitcher (TR 273CD/LP), here are two previously-unreleased outtakes from the album session from Swedish musician Christian Kjellvander. Recorded in an old church in the Swedish countryside, these sessions mark probably his most elegant and well-crafted recordings to date.
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CD
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TR 273CD
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The Pitcher is Christian Kjellvander's fifth solo record since the 2002 debut Songs from a Two-Room Chapel. Recorded in an old church in the Swedish countryside, this massive piece of work is perhaps his most elegant and well-crafted album to date. We see Christian driving his car across the back roads of Sweden. The road is as straight and as minimalistic as can be. To the left, an ancient forest. To the right, a canyon. Between the lines -- eloquence. In the back seat is the cornerstone of his new album. A guitar with associations to Leonard Cohen, an amplifier that once belonged to Neil Young and a voice as deep as the honesty it spells. We often glorify, romanticize, and mystify the laborious, but we tend to forget that they are among us now. In an old church in the Swedish countryside -- that is both home to Christian's family and his work -- with help from friends, family and players from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra -- The Pitcher has evolved. Carved from words, notes and memories, starting with the opening chord progression of "The Mariner" -- the sweet documentary ballad of cutting your past away for the sake of another's future -- via the midlife interruptions of "The Zenith Sunset" towards the truthful hymn "The Bloodline," the clarity is mesmerizing. After the reawakening of Loosegoats and three years since the release of The Rough and Rynge (2010), from the reality of a man who since then has lost a brother and gained a son, Tapete gives you The Pitcher. Long-time friend and associate Craig Schumacher (Wavelab Studio) engineered the recording during 10 days in early June 2013. It was mixed by Craig at Wavelab and mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering.
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LP+CD
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TR 273LP
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LP version. Includes a CD copy of the album. The Pitcher is Christian Kjellvander's fifth solo record since the 2002 debut Songs from a Two-Room Chapel. Recorded in an old church in the Swedish countryside, this massive piece of work is perhaps his most elegant and well-crafted album to date. We see Christian driving his car across the back roads of Sweden. The road is as straight and as minimalistic as can be. To the left, an ancient forest. To the right, a canyon. Between the lines -- eloquence. In the back seat is the cornerstone of his new album. A guitar with associations to Leonard Cohen, an amplifier that once belonged to Neil Young and a voice as deep as the honesty it spells. We often glorify, romanticize, and mystify the laborious, but we tend to forget that they are among us now. In an old church in the Swedish countryside -- that is both home to Christian's family and his work -- with help from friends, family and players from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra -- The Pitcher has evolved. Carved from words, notes and memories, starting with the opening chord progression of "The Mariner" -- the sweet documentary ballad of cutting your past away for the sake of another's future -- via the midlife interruptions of "The Zenith Sunset" towards the truthful hymn "The Bloodline," the clarity is mesmerizing. After the reawakening of Loosegoats and three years since the release of The Rough and Rynge (2010), from the reality of a man who since then has lost a brother and gained a son, Tapete gives you The Pitcher. Long-time friend and associate Craig Schumacher (Wavelab Studio) engineered the recording during 10 days in early June 2013. It was mixed by Craig at Wavelab and mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering.
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viewing 1 To 11 of 11 items
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