Nina Persson & Martin Hederos at Ystad Teater, Sweden, Thursday September 18th

Nina Persson & Martin Hederos at Ystad Teatern

It’s a treat to be here in the Ystad Teater and not just because it was a nice bonus to be able to tick off another "Wallander" filming location. Dating back to 1894 the theatre is ornate but not too over the top and its capacity of just around 350 people exudes a warm and intimate feel, perfect for tonight’s performance. The concept of the show is somewhat similar to Sparks superb stripped-back “Two Hands, One Mouth” tour, with just Nina Persson singing accompanied by Martin Hederos (The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Tonbruket, Nymphet Noodlers etc.) on keyboards. The pair are introduced by genial theatre manager Thomas Lantz, who also runs the town’s prestigious yearly Ystad Jazz festival. Nina and Martin take to the stage which is set with heavy black drapes and a back-drop featuring a forest scene with warm candlelight illuminating the darkness with an intimacy that really suits the music to follow. At first I am a bit concerned about Nina’s voice as she whispers an introduction and as I don’t speak Swedish I can’t figure out if she is suffering with a cold or sore throat. Martin hits the keys of the grand piano, there is a brief false start and I really hope Nina is OK to sing tonight. But when they get started with “Heavy Metal", a beautiful ballad taken from Nina’s new solo album “Animal Heart” my early worries about her voice are soon dispelled. Despite a noticeable huskiness at first, she then goes on to put in a quite remarkable performance, proving that she has grown into one of the best female vocalists around today. Martin then crosses the stage to take his place at what I guess is a Pump organ or a large harmonium, its church organ like sound highlight the gospel roots of Connie Converse's achingly beautiful "How Sad, How Lovely". 

Nina Persson & Martin Hederos at Ystad Teatern

Next up is "Lead Me Into The Night" from my favourite Cardigans album "Long Gone Before Daylight". I always felt that this album was a turning point for the band as it was a marked progression from the slightly twee Indie Pop of "First Band on The Moon" and the rawer "Gran Turismo" to a warmer, more orchestral sound. Unfortunately, my lack of Swedish language skills means that I can't follow the between song chat but judging by the polite laughter around me people seem to be enjoying the interaction very much. However, despite being in the dark as far as her comments are concerned, I certainly warm to Nina's delightful smile which breaks out at the end of each song as the applause rings out. Martin plays some quite breath-taking piano throughout the set tonight. It’s more of an embellished style than the Erik Satie minimalism of the similar acoustic set-up with his ex-Nymphet Noodlers band-mate Mattias Hellberg. The first set draws heavily on an eclectic selection of cover versions including Rufus Wainwright's "Going To a Town" with its biting refrain "I'm so tired of America…" Martin is then on the move again, crossing the stage to take his place at the electric organ he stabs out some harsh ringing notes over a sinister humming undercurrent. This evolves into a version of Robert Wyatt's "Free Will and Testament" highlighting his more Avant Garde side which becomes even more apparent on the surprising choice of Sparks “Angst In My Pants”. Surprising, mainly as they didn’t go for one of the Mael brothers more orchestral numbers but instead plumped for the discordant, clattering drum machine driven original "Angst In My Pants". Songs by Leonard Cohen and Kate & Anna McGarrigle follow and the first set draws to a close with "The Crowning" from Nina's side project A Camp with its "We're gonna party like its 1699..." refrain. 

Nina Persson at Ystad Teatern

The second set starts off with a familiar piano motif from Martin, it's "Tonight" a song he composed for The Soundtrack of Our Lives and whereas over the years he had the six foot something kaftan clad and bearded Ebbot Lundberg standing there next to him singing it, tonight it's the delicate form of Nina perched on a stool. It really sends a shiver down the spine to hear her sing such a beautiful song and I was deeply honoured to get a birthday dedication, a moment that will live long in the memory! Yet more unusual covers are tackled including "Real Life" by Joan As Policewoman, a great Bluesy "Old Fashioned Morphine" and a superb duet of "Sand" with Nina as Nancy Sinatra and Martin chipping in on the Lee Hazlewood lines. "Don’t Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds)" from The Cardigans last album "Super Extra Gravity" is another stunning jewel in the set, I love this track and to hear it performed tonight was really something special. Martin then gets a violin and plays it like a guitar, picking out the slow ominous riff to PJ Harvey's "Teclo". A nice Bossa Nova sung in Swedish segues into The Cardigans “Lovefool” which is probably the most recognisable moment of the night and we also get treated to "Junk of The Hearts" and "You're The Storm". However, the lack of any of the other more familiar “hits” was never an issue tonight, the choice of material was spot on. It was illuminating that the self-penned numbers stood out as personal highlights even amongst tracks by such song-writing luminaries as Wyatt and Cohen. It makes me think that Nina and The Cardigans deserve a far more serious appreciation and recognition of their talents in the U.K. As the encore ends the audience rise to their feet, Thomas appears on stage and presents the duo with large floral bouquets and Nina and Martin bask in a warm, enthusiastic and well deserved standing ovation. 

Nina Persson & Martin Hederos at Ystad Teatern

Nina Persson has been busy playing some solo shows dates in Sweden to promote “Animal Heart” with a backing band that includes Ian, Kalle and Fredrik of The Soundtrack of Our Lives. She has even played a couple of festival shows with The Cardigans, although there still doesn’t seem to be much news on a more permanent reunion just yet. Martin is busy with Tonbruket and many and varied collaborations as usual. You can read a review of Martin's gig with Ane Brun and Tonbruket at the Kentish Town Forum in London here. Check out Retrosonic Podcast for our interview “specials” with Ebbot, Ian, Fredrik and Mattias from The Soundtrack of Our Lives and other episodes which feature various Swedish bands and TSOOL related acts. With sincere thanks to Thomas, Martin and Nina. For more photos of the evening please head on over to the Retro Man Blog Facebook page and hit “Like”, if you are not already following, to access the photo album. 

Tonbruket and Ane Brun at The Kentish Town Forum November 14th

Tonbruket - Photo by Steve Worrall

Following the split of The Soundtrack of Our Lives in December last year, it hasn’t taken long for some of the band members to get right back into their stride with new projects that in a way, probably suit their musical backgrounds even better. For example, Mattias Bärjed’s unabashed love for Seventies Heavy Rock is given full vent in his new band Free Fall, and when Retro Man Blog reported on their first U.K. show back in February here, you could sense that, although TSOOL was always a very fluid and eclectic band, Mattias was just loving the chance to let loose and “Rock Out”! On the other hand, keyboard player Martin Hederos came from very much a studious, classical music background, but the two very different characters ended up in the Karlstad based Nymphet Noodlers together and Martin's style took the short-lived band off into a sort of free-form Rock ‘n’ Roll. That's not to say the band were meandering Prog Rock by any means, as they always retained that Stooges like edge and unpredictability to their sound, but they had a groove and a fluidity to their music. When Martin went on to join The Soundtrack of Our Lives (to be followed later by his Noodlers' colleague Mattias Bärjed), his classical grounding brought a whole other depth and dimension to TSOOL’s sound. He could veer from the full-on 60’s "Nuggets" Garage Rock style Hammond organ on the Psychedelic Punk of songs like “Galaxy Gramophone” and before switching track completely to add intricate harpsichord or beautifully minimalist Erik Satie style piano on ballads such as “Tonight” and “Song For The Others”. 

Martin Hederos & Dan Berglund of Tonbruket - Photo by Steve Worrall

Hederos also became more than just a highly sought after session musician and orchestral arranger, and more of a collaborator, evident in his successful partnerships with his ex-Nymphet Noodlers front man Mattias Hellberg, under the name Hederos & Hellberg and also with the singer Nina Ramsby. One really telling example of his skill as a musical arranger, in my view, was his impressive work on the Swedish Weekend at La Gaite Lyrique in Paris last year, where he not only played a full set with The Soundtrack of Our Lives but also performed two shows with Peter von Poehl, one with his full band and then one in a more laid back acoustic set-up. Hederos also played a quite stunning set with the superb French singer songwriter, Marie Modiano, whose band featured the equally busy and versatile drummer Ludwig Dahlberg from Free Fall. Tonight, Hederos pulls off another similar feat, although crammed into just one evening’s entertainment – appearing as support with his current band Tonbruket who then provide the majority of headliner Ane Brun’s backing band.

Ane Brun - Photo by Steve Worrall

The two acts are currently out together on a tour promoting Brun’s new compilation album "Songs 2003-2013", released to celebrate her 10 years in music. Martin has previously appeared on some of Ane Brun’s recordings and tonight he not only excels on keyboards and piano, but also contributes violin and accordion. I think of the Velvet Underground's John Cale and the way he switches  between instruments, influences and genres. When Brun graciously left the stage at the end of her main set to allow each of her band members to play on a bit and then depart one-by-one to take the crowd’s acclaim, it was no surprise that the very last person to leave was Hederos to a rapturous round of applause. It was the first time I had seen Ane Brun perform and had not heard much of her music before, but I was captivated by her set of emotional and organic folk songs. Songs which seemed to be made even more naturalistic by the huge backdrop of the rings of an ancient tree, her flowing pagan/druid-like white dress and the glowing Scandinavian lanterns scattered around the stage, it was all lapped up by the packed out Forum crowd with enthusiasm. I will certainly investigate Ane Brun's music further after tonight's show.

Tonbruket - Photo by Steve Worrall

Before that, Tonbruket played an impressive support slot, the band were formed by Dan Berglund, the double bass player with the popular Swedish nu-Jazz outfit E.S.T. or Esbjörn Svensson Trio, who came to a sudden and untimely halt due to the tragic death of Svensson in a scuba diving accident in 2008. Then in 2009 Berglund recruited Johan Lindström, one of Sweden’s best exponents of slide guitar, Martin Hederos on keyboards and Andreas Werliin on drums and percussion to put his combined loves of Rock Music and Jazz together in one band. Tonight, swathed in dense single colour lights, the band are almost only visible as silhouettes against the swirling dry ice. Although Tonbruket are labelled mainly as a Jazz band, no doubt due to Berglund’s E.S.T. career, I think they are out there in a pretty unique field of their own. I’m not a Jazz fan so it’s difficult for me to reference where they might be coming from, as to me they are sometimes more like an avant-garde instrumental Rock band, with echoes of Y.M.O. or some of David Sylvian's more atmospheric work.

Martin Hederos - Photo by Steve Worrall

Sure, there are lots of intriguing passages from each of the highly talented band members, who all contribute equally to the mix. But at times Tonbruket can also crank out a menacing motorik beat that reminds me of Krautrock bands such as Neu! and Can, driving some pieces along with a powerfully hypnotic groove. Unlike a lot of Jazz bands they understand the dynamics of “less-is-more” and sometimes allow things to drop out almost completely, giving the music space and atmosphere. They seem to be as much influenced by the expansive Psychedelic Rock of Pink Floyd or the experimental side of Radiohead, as much as they are by Jazz. In fact I once read someone saying that Berglund played the double bass like Jimi Hendrix which made me smile, but he certainly wrings out some impressive sounds and nimble bass runs from the cumbersome looking instrument. Having just got back from Berlin, at one point I’m immediately transported back there by a thundering drum-beat reminiscent of Iggy’s lurching “Nightclubbing”, and there are certainly strains of the Berlin-era Bowie and Iggy, of “Low” and “Heroes”, of “The Idiot” and “Lust For Life”. It was a relatively short set, but mightily effective and very well received by an appreciative audience. After the show I noticed a fair few of their CD’s being snapped up at the merchandise stall, and I imagined that these people were going to get a bit of a headache if they like to file their albums by genre, as Tonbruket are certainly a tough band to categorize!

Ane Brun - Photo by Steve Worrall

Tonbruket's new album "Nubium Swimtrip" is out now on ACT Records. For more information on the band please check out their official web-site here. Thanks to Martin Hederos. For more photos please head on over to the Retro Man Blog Facebook page, hit "Like" for access to the Photo Album.