Algarnas Tradgard - Framtiden Ar Ett Svavande Skepp, Forankrat I Forntiden (1971)
The Swedish group Algarnas Tradgard (Garden of the Elks) were formed in 1969 and played an active part in the progressive movement of the next seven years, often performing at free festivals. Their 1971 debut album was a radical exploration of the new possibilities opened up by creative use of the recording studio as an instrument, in a similar vein to Faust and other German experimenters, while also pulling in folk and medieval influences. On stage they would improvise more upon riffs and extensive touring led to their sound becoming heavier and more rocky, yet with complex arrangements and dynamic interplay between their wide range of instruments: violins, cello, zither, sitar, tabla and flute added to the conventional rock band of bass, drums, guitars and keyboards.
They recorded a second album in 1973-74, but its release was "Delayed" until 2001 (hence the album's name). The band finally split up in 1976. No other official recordings exist, although there must be bootlegs. Next I'd like to check out the musical careers of the band members...
- taken from The Music of Algarnas Tradgard
Algarnas Tradgard - Framtiden ar ett svavande skepp, forankrat i forntiden
ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD are a seminal, 6-piece Swedish combo who made one album in 1972, a cult classic and masterpiece of psychedelia that could have come straight out of the 'Kraut' school of Space Rock. After the release of their album, they kept on playing live for a while, even recording a full album's worth of new material in 1973-74. But it wasn't until 2001 that this material was mixed and released, on a cd entitled "Delayed".
Their 1972 classic, "Framtiden ar ett Svavande Skepp, Forankrat I Forntiden", is a veritable testimony to the halcyon days of hippiedom - a time when grown men, like children playing with forbidden colours, were popping hallucinogenic bonbons and experimenting with psychedelic sounds in their quest for mind-expanding adventures and altered states of consciousness. However, ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD's music never lapses into drugged-out silliness or aimless noodling. It ranges from earnest, to Medieval, to completely creepy - a sort of 'RIO meets folk'. They concoct some earthly (and unearthly) sounds using a combination of traditional, modern rock instruments and ethnic/archaic ones, the result being a spectacular blend of slow-smoking psychedelia with a strong vernacular Swedish folk bent. Their guitar-based, trance-like music is reminiscent of ASH RA TEMPEL; it also shares GONG's organic mayhem and the hypnotic qualities of early TANGERINE DREAM. If you can imagine a Nordic version of AMON DÜÜL II or ASH RA TEMPEL, you'll have a pretty good idea of what they sound like. The 2001 cd "Delayed", which makes heavier use of drums and guitars, is yet another marvellously atmospheric and creative mixture of prog and psychedelia.
Highly recommended for Krautrock aficionados as well as for fans of CAN and PINK FLOYD, circa "Ummagumma".
-- http://www.silence.se/algarna/algarna.htm
Members:
- Andreas Brandt: violin, vocals, percussion, flute
- Mikael Johanson: bass, handdrum, zither, tablas, percussion
- Dennis Lindh: drums, tablas, percussion, zinks, jews harp
- Dan Soderqvist: guitars, percussion
- Jan Ternald: mellotron, piano, moog modualr, organ, electric piano
- Sebastion Oberg: cello, flute, sitar, tablas
Tracklist:
1 Two Hours Over Two Blue Mountains With A Cuckoo On Each Side, Of The Hours... That Is (13:13)
2 There Is A Time For Everything, There Is A Time When Even Time Will Meet... (6:10)
3 Children Of Possibilities (3:12)
4 La Rotta (1:41)
5 Viriditas (2:59)
6 Saturnus Ringar (Rings Of Saturn) (7:15)
7 The Future Is A Hovering Ship, Anchored In The Past (5:06)
8 5/4 (10:26)
9 The Mirrors Of Gabriel (8:25)
Algarnas Tradgard - Delayed (1973)
Tracklist:
1. Takeoff 7:55
2. Interstellar Cruise 12:39
3. Reflection 0:40
4. Almond Raga 7:37
5. Beetlewater 3:37
6. The Arrival Of Autumn 4:40
7. My Childhood Trees 7:32