Album of the Week: Svømmebasseng – Broder

We wade up to the shallow end, into the cooler waters of the indie synth pop/disco sound of Svømmesbasseng for this week’s album of the week. Always a welcomed sound at Jæger, Svømmebasseng bring an infectious blend of icy electronics, warms bass and attainable melodies through sweet vocals that always manage to capture a sense of a feeling through their music. Broder follows on from their 2014 album Fløte, with the band sticking to the sound we’ve come to know from them as one of the most enigmatic bands in Norway. They channel a fierce musical ability into music with a pop-sensibility without succumbing to commodity. In a tradition that extends back to Röyksopp and The Kings of Convenience, their productions are gentle arrangements, easy on the ear and bright on atmospheres.

Broder uphold the tradition, with thin guitars playing simple arpeggio’s while keys and synths pad out the room for vocals float softly above the fray. With syncopated hats and a formidable kick, the drums bring a unique dimension to the tracks, always on the cusp of breaking away, keeping the energy at a level, that takes the melodic and harmonic parts from the cognitive to the corporeal. Where Svømmebasseng are set apart from their contemporaries, is that they make music specifically for the dance floor, keeping a tradition of Disco alive in their distinctive Scandic accent. the manage to channel that energy we’ve come to hear from them on our stage to recorded format, exceptionally well on Broder, which will keep us dancing throughout this week and beyond.

* Look back an interview with band here as they went back to back with Laurence Guy.