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KOOP – Koop Islands
Koop Islands, music used for ad of Comfort fabric conditioner
Release date: October 2nd 2006
Before we start we need you to do one thing. Listen to Come To Me. If you ask
me, that song encapsules almost everything you need to know about Koop Islands.
After just a few seconds your´re in two completely different places at the
same time. Come To Me is the point where the Swedish summer solstice meets a Caribbean
christmas. It´s where the sweetest melody ever swings easy on a faraway
beach where Santa Clause handles the steel pans. Welcome to Koop Islands. A place
where music and life swing to a slightly different drum.
It´s been several years since we last heard from the Stockholm based duo
of Oscar Simonsson and Magnus Zingmark. Their album Waltz for Koop (2001) slowly
but surely found its way into the hearts of more than 160.000 record buyers across
the globe. Then followed the world tours, the two sets a night at the Blue Note
in Tokyo and lots of remixes, until finally last year they found themselves back
in Stockholm able to begin work on what was to become Koop Islands.
Where Waltz For Koop was steeped in a modern – and modernist - take on 60s
jazz and swedish songstressess from the time (Monica Zetterlunds name was mentioned
more times than the group thought was fair), Koop Islands has – despite
its name - very little to do with romanticising the Stockholm archipelago. Rather,
it goes much, much further south west, all the way down the caribbean for inspiration.
That´s where you´ll find Koop Islands on their imaginary world map.
Also, Magnus and Oscar realised that sometimes the only way forward is to go as
far back in history as possible.
”I think we can do that”, says Magnus. ”Our music is created
in a post-sampling world where everything is possible. Even time travel. That´s
why we just laugh if someone calls what we do retro.”
So back they went. Back to the swing of the 1930s, the exoticism of forgotten
orchestras and entertainers performing on late 40s yacht cruises to Jamaica. The
characteristic Koop vibes now joined by marimbas, furious gene krupaesque jungle
drums (just listen to them rip on Forces… Darling) and an ever present Cape
Verdean Blues with just a hint of Mento that would have made islanders in european
exile, like the recently salvaged Lord Kitchener & His Friends, nod in approval.
This journey in time and music is what forms the foundation Koop Islands was built
on.
”We play jazz”, says Oscar. ”It´s as simple as that. We
can´t do pop, electronica, techno or whatever because we´re just no
good at it. Knowing this and having accepted it we can basically do whatever we
want. If we wanna explore and pick up pieces from, say, 1929 – we can.”
On their travels towards Koop Islands they were joined by their inner circle of
friends, some of whom you might remember from Waltz For Koop.
The amazing Yukimi Nagano with her free flowing vocals and her male counterpart
- the criminally underrated Mikael Sundin.
Ex-Galliano main man Rob Gallagher (aka Earl Zinger, who released 2 albums on
!K7 in 2002 and 2004) tells a heartbreaking tale that weaves together tennis ace
Björn Borg with the sad story of the passing of a mother.
And, last but no way least, on the album´s title track the norwegian singer-songwriter
Ane Brun heads out on her virgin tour of the Islands.
Even though Magnus and Oscars hearts and souls are filled with exotic and eclecticly
swinging sounds the whole album was recorded in their own tiny studio on Stockholm´s
Södermalm. If you listen very carefully you can hear the number 4 bus go
by on the snowy street outside.
Andres Lokko, London W11, July 2006Further KOOP albums:
1997 Sons Of KOOP
2001 Waltz for KOOP
2003 Waltz for KOOP: Alternative Takes (Remix album)
Tracklisting:
KOOP – KOOP Islands
01 Koop island blues (vocals by Ane Brun)
02 Come to me (vocals by Yukimi Nagano)
03 Forces…darling (vocals by Earl Zinger)
04 I see a different you (vocals by Yukimi Nagano)
05 Let´s elope (vocals by Mikael Sundin)
06 The moonbounce
07 Beyond the son (vocals by Earl Zinger)
08 Whenever there is you (vocals by Yukimi Nagano)
09 Drum Rhythm A (music for ballet exercises)
Koop is Markus Zingmark & Oscar Simonsson
All songs written and produced by KOOP except:
Lyrics on KOOP Island Blues co-written by Ane Brun
Lyrics on Forces…darling & Beyond the son co-written by Rob Gallagher
P&C Diesel Music AB
www.k7.com