Review: Kungens Män ‘För Samtida Djur 1’
That thirteen-second intro of an old analogue telephone being dialled brought back so many memories of a happier time before mobile phones, but it also opened up the box of mystery and intrigue as my senses became more on edge as you never know what to expect next from Kungens Män.
And so begins a pleasurable journey into the world of groovy, trippy, funky psychedelia from the Stockholm sextet. Having spent a decade in constant motion, pushing the envelope, creating music and coaxing genres, this is their most ambitious project to date. My mind is all over the place, as I can hear so many different noises, sounds and textures, it immediately makes me think of DJ Shadow and his Entroducing… album, which is no bad thing, as that’s a stone cold classic of any genre!!
För Samtida Djur 1, which (according to Google) translates into ‘For contemporary animals, Part 1’, and this is as trippy and spaced out as anything I’ve heard is quite some time. Almost like it’s been made as a relaxant, and should be available on prescription, because it’s so laid back and chilled, Tycka Rakt being a fine example of this, with the intricate guitar sound laid over a solid bass, coexisting together in total harmony and allowing the listener to focus on both at the same time.
taking the listener on a sort of out-of-body experience with their uniquely crafted blend of kraut, psychedelic and post-rock…
This is the first of two chapters to be released through Majestic Mountain Records, and they have demonstrated that they are just as capable of creating minimalist masterpieces as they are full-blown and immersive sonic explorations, and these nine songs give you everything and then some. Grovmotorik is just an amazing piece of music from start to finish, which draws the listener in and just allows the music to wash over you, with Motoarbetaren showcasing another style with the saxophones taking centre stage.
It feels very much like music from another dimension at times, with several of the songs pushing the sounds in all sorts of directions, taking the listener on a sort of out-of-body experience with their uniquely crafted blend of kraut, psychedelic and post-rock. Bra Moln reminds me of the sort of track that should’ve been played in several scenes of Taxi Driver when Travis Bickle is driving around the streets of New York, alone with his thoughts.
They close off the album with the slow and brooding Nu Eller Aldrig which has that lovely free-form jazz feel to it from the off, it’s a sprawling genius of a song which just adds to the auditory bliss that this album is from start to finish.
Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
