Lars Hollmer - (Sweden)
Lars Hollmer (July 21, 1948 – December 25, 2008) was a Swedish composer, accordionist and keyboardist. The Talmud teaches that the loss of a single life is like the destruction of an entire world. But the passing of the prodigiously productive, beguilingly creative Swedish composer, accordionist and keyboardist Lars Hollmer, who died at the age of 60 after a brief and sudden illness, is more like the end of a steadily expanding galaxy. He was a founding member of the influential "Rock in Opposition (R.I.O.)" movement. His band Samla Mammas Manna, was a hugely popular force on the Swedish progressive rock / avant rock scene for about 15 years in the 70s and into the 80s. Concurrently towards the end of Samla’s original life-span (the band reformed in the 00s and is recording and playing shows again), Lars started a solo career, where he emphasized his very personal compositions and his accordion playing, of which he is a master. Hollmer’s status as a musical renegade took a hit when his album 1998 Andetag won a Swedish Grammy Award. In presenting him with the award, the Swedish Music Academy recognized the prolific nature of his creative output, writing, “from Samla Mammas Manna to 'Boeves Psalm' to the new CD Andetag...there's always wonderful music coming from the Chickenhouse.” After Samla/Zamla/Von Zamla ended in the mid 80s, he founded and performed in a number of other bands. With one or another of his bands he toured throughout Europe, the Americas and beyond.
A composer of astonishing range and depth who combined earthy folk forms with a wide torrent (rock, jazz, film scores, carnival and circus music, classical and more) of contemporary musical currents, Hollmer’s music transcended any single musical genre and evoked the heart and soul of traditional Scandinavian music. Like Astor Piazzola (Argentina), Ivo Paposav (Bulgaria), and Fela Kuti (Nigeria), he was a musician/composer who created radically unique, modern music that paid homage to indigenous folk forms. Beloved in his native land, as he was awarded Swedish Grammy for 1998’s Andetag, and long revered internationally by the musical avant-garde, Hollmer died on Christmas Day 2008, on the verge of gaining overdue popular recognition on music’s global stage.
Lars’ solo albums have a great warmth, intimacy, and even innocence to them. Although he makes music that can be abrasive and even purposefully a bit demented, with rough textures, quirky instrumentation, and unusual rhythms and time signatures, Hollmer's compositions are mostly tuneful and easy going, sometimes catchy, and often disarmingly lovely.
Lars Hollmer - "Beat mm (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:16
Is that a synthesizer player or a mad trombonist taking the jaunty, almost madcap lead over steady, galloping beat and a wash of keyboard chords? Either way it’s like a horseback ride through a circus tent. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Siska (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:02
An accordion pumps out a perky European folk melody for a traditional-sounding feel that could accompany anything from a beer hall dance to a merry mountain hike. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Crazy Stuff (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 1:05
Angular, minor-key keyboard melodies dart across a breathless beat for a sound somewhere between a spy movie soundtrack and an Eastern European wedding. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Tyskromans (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:15
A deep, very European-sounding voice sings atop a bed of piano arpeggios and what sounds like carefully modulated fuzz guitar on a track whose plaintive quality is appealingly undercut by its endearing oddness. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Nyfin (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:23
Atmospheric keyboard chords are splashed dramatically across a track dominated by some of the least accordion-like accordion playing you’re ever likely to hear, sounding something like a hornet’s nest just before some hapless provocateur comes along to disturb it. [Tempo: Down-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Mellan stol och bord (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:30
The staccato rhythms being pounded out by the keyboards might approach a reggae feel in another context, but with the angular, mechanized mood of this tune, the overall effect is more like a pinball being bounced from bumper to bumper in a pinball machine, lighting things up briefly at each turn. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Skröna (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 1:24
Tart accordion tones lead the way in this folkish tune with a strong European flavor, making simple, declarative statements over a steady rhythm whose repetition carefully contrasts with the organic, untamed feel of the main melody. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Tages (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:01
Full, rich accordion tones are the main occupants of this track, which moves from a hypnotic, serpentine feel, to a sensual, thrusting, tango-like rhythm. [Tempo: no fixed tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Kanske (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 1:08
Deep, guttural-but-goofy vocal tones ride a low-register accordion melody that sounds like a merry mutation of ‘30s French swing a la Django Reinhardt. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Den arga kvinnan (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 1:08
Imagine the most chaotic scene in a classic Warner Bros cartoon, with a maniacal European marching band provide the deconstructive soundtrack. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Tivolimarsch (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:32
Pumping accordion is at the heart of this subtly skewed tune, which mixes elements of polka, 1930s Hot Club de Paris swing, and the soundtrack music to a particularly offbeat silent film. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Förutbestämningen (predestinator) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:50
A regal keyboard line unfolds across an almost martial beat, incorporating elements of European folk and classical music and ultimately billowing out into dramatic melodic and rhythmic gestures before moving towards subtler climes. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Vendelvarianter (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:34
A repeating, hypnotic electric piano pattern slowly opens out into a rich, acoustic-based arrangement, with bewitching accordion at the forefront. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Ukuleles (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:33
True to its title, this track takes its rhythm from the humble-but-happy sounds of the ukulele, with accordion lines billowing out below and above, for a sweet, springtime-in-the-country kind of feel. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Bam ba ra (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 0:33
An airy female voice rings out a wordless melody over keyboard chords that skillfully skirt the line between blissful consonance and devilish dischord. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Antilobo (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 1:31
Welcome to the music section of a ‘50s department store gone mad, as cheerfully cheesy home organ melodies chirp out atop an endearingly rickety rhythm machine for a feel you can foxtrot to with or without irony. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Innanpop (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:49
Asian-inflected melodies meet European flavors in a track fueled by insistent accordion rhythms, with elements of jazz and lounge music adding extra spice for a truly international-sounding track that could easily be the backdrop to an exotic travelogue. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Proggövergång (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 0:12
Odd time signatures give this track’s edgy keyboard chords an element of angularity to go along with their urgency, achieving a mix of unease and eccentricity. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Talrika (original) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 4:36
There’s a touch of anxiety to the harmonic friction between the accordion and keyboards on this track that simply screams “suspense.” It’s the kind of thing you’d imagine leading up to a shocking climax in an intense action film. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Radioyl (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:07
A foreboding, electro-acoustic waking nightmare, featuring ominous drifts of electronically processed sounds looming like monsters at the edge of your consciousness. [Tempo: no fixed tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Aningar (1983) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:45
Throbbing low notes and an almost tribal-sounding rhythm conspire to create an unsettling soundscape that feels like the prelude to something horrific, even though there’s little overt action atop the doomy rhythmic framework. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Go to Africa (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:58
This track stays somewhat true to its title, maintaining a head-nodding African-flavored groove throughout, but the moody, murmured vocals and sax and keyboard lines laid across the top are more like mutant Afro-pop from the Twilight Zone. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Vandelmässa (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 1:11
Piano arpeggios lay out a simple but poignant pattern for the accordion to follow on an open-hearted tune that evokes lush, lazy summers in a small, rural town. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Franklåt (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:01
Sprightly piano lines that mix folk and jazz flavors bounce off of sweet-toned accordion lines for a warm, welcoming feeling. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "In the R.I.O (concept) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 1:37
Simple, syncopated keyboard lines unfold regally over a punchy, powerful synth bass line, evoking the image of some great structure being built from the bottom up. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Viandra (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:52
A solo accordion plays pretty, folkish melodies with a European feel and a hypnotic fluidity. [Tempo: Down-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Simfâgeldans (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 4:48
Solo accordion makes good use of the instrument’s rhythmic abilities for a sound that falls somewhere between bayou country Cajun/zydeco flavors and European folk music. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Moro (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 1:58
A solo accordion offers up an invigorating, minor-key folkish tune that sounds just right for whirling a dancing partner around a noisy beer hall. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Dron (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 4:20
The droning, low notes of an accordion adopt an Eastern sound for a meditative, raga-like feel that’s accentuated by low, wordless vocals following along with the melody. [Tempo: no fixed tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Tama-Chan Snoa (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:40
A merry, perky accordion spins out a peppy tune that touches on European folk tradition but could easily be imagined occurring anyplace where snowflakes are falling. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Höstvisa (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 4:09
A sweet, subtle melodic statement by a solo accordionist, with poignant lines unfolding in a gently autumnal manner, with soft, low vocals resting atop the music like a sleepy head happily encountering a pillow. [Tempo: Down-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Portaletyde (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:41
A rapidly riffing accordion reels off lines that fall somewhere between pastoral classical music, European folk, and the Hot Jazz sound of 1930s Paris. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Nât (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 4:13
Imagine an avant-garde European accordionist deconstructing a classic ‘60s New Orleans R&B tune while dipping into his own heritage, and you’ll be in the ballpark for this angular, eccentric track. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Utflytkt Med Damcykel (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 5:53
Maniacal, rapid-fire accordion riffing makes it sound like the instrument itself is about to either hyperventilate or explode, giving the feeling of a million things happening at once in a mad flurry. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Inte Quanta (Live: Gouveia 2005)"- full track= 2:54
Seemingly inspired by the Cuban folk song “Guantanamera,” as reimagined by an eccentric European accordionist, this track is a skewed, frenetic deconstruction of South American musical tradition. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Talrika (Live: Gouveia 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 4:59
An ominously descending bass line pumps blood into a slightly demonic-sounding prog-rock band with swirling accordion riffs and fiery guitar licks tumbling into each other amid the carefully controlled chaos. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Portalytde (Live: Heuwiesse 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 4:03
A rapidly riffing accordion reels off lines that fall somewhere between pastoral classical music, European folk, and the Hot Jazz sound of 1930s Paris. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Franska Valsen (Live: Heuwiesse 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 2:47
A solo accordion offers up a slightly skewed take on a Viennese-style waltz, mixing madcap moments with old-world romance. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Nât (Live: Heuwiesse 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 4:27
Imagine an avant-garde European accordionist deconstructing a classic ‘60s New Orleans R&B tune while dipping into his own heritage, and you’ll be in the ballpark for this angular, eccentric track. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Höstvisa (Live: Heuwiesse 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:42
Simple, lovely accordion chords paint the poignant lines of a pastoral, meditative melody, with low-key vocals adding to the intimacy. [Tempo: Down-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Boeves Psalm (Live: Heuwiesse 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:26
A solo accordion sketch offers a study in contrasts, with one hand pumping out rapid chordal accompaniment while the other draws long, graceful lines, for a feel somewhere between European folk and classical music. [Tempo: Mid-tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Dron (Live: Heuwiesse 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 4:31
The droning, low notes of an accordion adopt an Eastern sound for a meditative, raga-like feel that’s accentuated by low, wordless vocals following along with the melody. [Tempo: no fixed tempo]
Lars Hollmer - "Inte Quanta (Live: Heuwiesse 2005) (Excerpt #1)"- full track= 3:02
Seemingly inspired by the Cuban folk song “Guantanamera,” as reimagined by an eccentric European accordionist, this track is a skewed, frenetic deconstruction of South American musical tradition. [Tempo: Up-tempo]
