Copenhagen has a couple of new resident musicians with the recent relocation of Swedish duo franskild. Multi-instrumentalists Love Ojensa and Tim Soderstrom craft lovingly detailed homage to the deep house music of the 90’s, along with threads of UK garage and French break beat. Expertly weaving eerie synths and booming percussion together without lessening the impact of either, they hang these evocative tones on haunting rhythms that sparkle with the occasional bit of vocal work. Churning out enigmatic dancefloor waltzes and obscured soundscapes in equal measure, the band jumps from sound to sound and genre to genre within the course of just a few songs. Tapping Ojensa’s sister Rebekka for vocal duty on a few tracks, Ojensa and Soderstrom both highlight and submerge her ethereal voice, all the while allowing it to bring a welcome lightness to their often dark and murky melodies.
Recently, the duo sat down with Beats Per Minute to talk about some of the records that influenced the recording of their latest EP,Eden, which is due out on August 1 via Sweat It Out! Music. After reading their list of records, it’s easy to see where these artists fit within franskild’s own fractured electronic and synth-addled aesthetic. From the experimental electronics of The Knife to the neo-soul of Jessie Ware and the brash rhymes and beats of Jay Z, both Ojensa and Soderstrom draw their influences from across multiple genres and artists. Though never losing sight of their own singular musical identity, the duo contorts and breathes new life into their individual rhythmic proclivities. Check out their full list below in our latest On Deck feature.
The Knife – Deep Cuts
Sometimes we get the feeling that the electronic community is almost like a religion with its many rules and conventions. Just like in any religion, you have to follow some old teaching. In that sense Deep Cuts may be seen as a blasphemy, not being “real” and sticking to the rules etc. To us that’s a good thing. There is nothing more boring than music made to fit some specific genre-checklist. Sadly enough this seems to be quite a common disease in todays electronic music. Almost like there is a collective fear of being “wrong” or something. The Knife have worked as a encouragement to us to never adjust to fit into a specific scene or genre and a proof that you are more likely to succeed when you fuck the conventions and do whatever you self believe in.
Jay Z – The Black Album
With flawless productions from a bunch of our favorite producers like Kanye, Timbaland, Neptunes and Rick Rubin combined with Jay Z’s inimitable rap, The Black Album is probably the best hiphop album ever made. Getting introduced to the album through the Jay Z documentary Fade To Black, I especially remember the sequence when Jay Z visits Timbaland in his studio and get to hear some new beats while Timbaland is dancing around behind the keyboard, eating fruit and drinking gallons of fruit punch. After dropping the beat to what later becomes “Dirt off your shoulders,” making Jigga almost speechless, Timbaland laughs and states “I’m the best there is!”.
Jessie Ware – Devotion
First heard about her thanks to the Disclosure remix of her track “Running” a couple of years ago and fell in love with her voice. There is something really special with the way she appear. So confident and cool without coming of as cocky or self righteous. Devotion contains a couple of wonderful pop songs, especially the Julio Bashmore produced “Sweet Talk”, “If you never gonna move” and “Imagine it was us”.
The xx – xx
Love: My relationship to The xx have been complicated from the start. When I first heard them, I didn’t get it at all, the songs didn’t make sense to me. For some reason I continued to listen and slowly, one song at a time, starting with “Basic Space,” than “VCR” and “Islands,” I all of a sudden loved the whole album. Although it was reluctant. I felt almost as I was deceived into being a fan and unknowingly deciphered the greatness in their sound. With everything from the unconventional song structures, alternating vocals, imperfections in the drums, to the atmospheric soundscapes and the overall melancholic mood, The xx have manage to make a an album that is more than just a collection of songs. To me it’s more like a short movie or a really moody musical.
Rhye – Woman
When we discuss music we are communicating in a certain, quite odd, language. Our references is feelings and soundscapes rather than speaking in terms of chords and our conversations revolves around different moods. In that way we feel somewhat of a connecting to this band. With a voice that reminds of Sade and with one of 2012 best songs in Open, the Danish/Canadian band Rhye is one of the most exciting new acts. Slick pop with R’n’B-vibes, melancholy and despair dressed in a 90’s-suit actually makes a lot of sense.
