TWEEN DECKS 2
TWEEN DECKS 2
ALBUM MULTIMOOD RELEASE: NOVEMBER 15, 1999 AND JANUARY, 2000 (SWEDEN) REVIEW: JANUARY 14, 2000


Swedish duo Tween Deck 2 couldn't be further from the commercial glory of the so called export wonder of Swedish music. But while "artists" like E-type, Ace of Base and A-Teens make absurd amounts of money, gentlemen Håkan Almkvist and Lars Björk have something that these hollow wannabees never will comprehend. That something is called artistic integrity.
Approaching music from an avant garde perspective, Tween Deck 2 takes an almost unique position within Swedish music. This fact is sufficient to pay their ambivalent mixture of ambience and bombast some well-deserved attention. But there is also a lot to learn from these lads' unorthodox way of creating music. Not least among several stagnated fellow countrymen.
On "Tween Deck 2" inspiration is sought throughout the globe. Oriental and South American vibes filtered through a dense industrial soundscape add a pleasant multi-cultural dimension. Improvised moments also liberates their music from standard-like conventions and allows it to float unpredictably between genres. Connections to contemporary classical music and musique concréte can also be discerned.
This experimental concept isn't without it's flaws but still generates some ravishing results. Like the minimalistic "Down the Drain" - an electronically disturbed extension of Ravel's "Bolero", and the hypnotic "Closing Time". Rhythmic tracks like these stand out in a context that mostly lack a necessary emotional impact and simply becomes too theoretical.
But a band that partly travels down the same path as Coil, Plastikman and Gas is bound to have a bright future.

ERIK ALMGREN