MØ

14 Danish, a Norwegian and a Finnish act have been added to SPOT 2013 line-up. It is shaping up to be a couple of festive and colorful days in May featuring a collection of prominent artists with vastly different musical backgrounds. 

MØ – the pop diva with a past in anarchistic electropunk – makes her second consecutive SPOT appearance. Since last year she’s garnered an impressive amount of attention for her genre-defying hybrid pop, in Denmark and internationally, and she is currently playing at the Norwegian By:Larm festival. It is well deserved that quite a few eyes will be fixed on MØ this year.

Anders Rhedin, who has previously been a part of Choir of Young Believers, now performs under his synth- based Dinner alias with an adventurous mix of experimental pop, baritone vocal and observations from his home in L.A. Possibly including dancing and an ironic twist. The same instrument plays a key part in the music of Ice Cream Cathedral, favorites of the influential Danish music and fashion magazine Soundvenue. After dabbling with the witch house genre, the band has refined their dreamy expression, and spacepop is now their preferred description of the genre.

Danish radio competition Karrierekanonen also cherishes the synth, as is evidenced by the 2011 winners, Kites and Komets, and their upbeat soulful electropop. Speaking of Karrierekanonen, SPOT will also introduce Artificial Brothers from the 2009 edition of the same competition. They have spent the meantime maturing a melancholic indie rock in their home region of Northwestern Jutland.

Ane Trolle has launched her solo career to much appraisal and sold out concert venues. The diverse sounds of her previous merits are weaved into a playful pop variant, which is characterized by the celebrated singer’s extensive travelling. After a number of performances as part of other constellations, the dusty voice will unfold on its own this year. After a five-year album break, Lulu Rouge is at it once again. At SPOT, the dubby duo arrives with a band and a number of vocalists and will be performing both familiar sounds and material from a forthcoming release.

The guitarist from Rock Hard Power Spray, Frederik Valentin, will be stopping by with his uncompromising Complicated Universal Cum project in order to psych out with a five-piece band. A similar state of trance can be achieved if you swing by Finish Kiki Pau, who also aim at both inner and outer space with partially improvised guitar excesses.

From Norway, we find Deathcrush who will deliver an inciting display of noisy musical deconstruction with hit potential. The trio’s live performances have quickly made them festival favorites all over the Nordic region.

Death Valley Sleepers and The Good The Bad share a fondness of California. In the case of the former, sunny psych rock meets a naïve 60s pop crossed with subtle elements from the early-90s break-beat tradition. The Good The Bad attempt to conjure up a new instrumental surf-rock variant. One that is true to the originators, but also charts the course for other shores than those of western America.

Dangers of the Sea have their gaze fixedon North America as well, which is evidenced by theirnostalgic, country-tinged 70s folk-rock. A new Nordic Americana with a particular preference for Neil Young.

Folkeklubben play pop songs for the thinking man/woman who still enjoys the beat of his/her heart. They share an interest in the poetic with the Dylan Thomas worshippers of Eggs Laid by Tigers who, on their debut from last year, managed to squeeze in both erotic jazz ballads and profane gospel. And in the same subdued part of the spectrum you’ll find Sebastian Lind, who is already considered a songwriter with a great career ahead of him after receiving international attention and heavy airplay from the Danish national radio channel P3.