01	Circus Apparatha						06:04
	02	Pausus						00:20
	03	Vidgat Lage (Broadened Condition)						03:19
	04	Slade Till Santori (Slayride To Satori)						04:17
	05	Schenkina						02:52
	06	Uvertyr Till Snall Hast (Overture To A Kind Horse)						02:55
	07	Flickan I Skogen						02:22
	08	Manna Jamma						06:07
	09	At-One-Met						04:20
	10	Skrik Fran Embassy (Shouts From Embassy)						02:29
	11	Fittravisan						00:58
	12	E' Pop Tai						04:12
	13	Cirkus Impala (Bonus Track)						03:39
	14	Lawrence In Sahara (Bonus Track)						02:01

SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA

Lasse Hollmer: Piano, organ and vocals
Lasse Krantz: Bass
Bebben Oberg: Congas and percussion
Hasse Bruniusson: Drums and vocals

Cover by Lasse Wikfeld

SILENCE SRS 4604 - 1971

Samla Mammas Manna: pressrelease (the original, from 1971)
A band that has gathered a lot of fans in a short time is Uppsala based Samla Mammas Manna. It all started with the festivals i Uppsala and on Gardet in Stockholm. They are musically unique, with a sound of their own that has been developed from a way of dealing with the music, seldom exposed on record.
Samla Mammas Manna is to a great extent part of the movement that is on the move in Swedish pop right now. They form their own music, individually, without intervetion of producers that try to guide their ideas to "what people want". They have their own material and their own, peculiar musik.

Samla Mammas Manna is Lasse Hollmer: electric piano, organ and piano; Lasse Krantz: bass; Hasse Bruniusson: drums; and "Bebben" Oberg: congas and percussion. On their first album on Silence there are recordings from "home ground", studio and live shows. This is probably the first time a Swedish album can offer so many different places of recording. They have among other things worked with the festivals in Uppsala. They have also performed in a couple of TV shows and worked a lot with radio. Soon they will be on a TV show connected to the moon. (TV2 in October)

Press: "...Manna on the other hand has "someting for everyone". There is a lot of irony and many nice rhythms. At least they are something as unusual as a Swedish pop band with a personal touch to their music..."
Henrik Salander in DN
"... In the drought that pop music is in, you are delighted at Silence that has released lots of interesting albums. The latest LP with Uppsala based Samla Mammas Manna (say it quickly) is no exception, on the contrary. From the first track, the tragicomical 'Circis Apparatha', on to the last 'E Pop Thai' it is still intresting..."
Bert Gren in GP




Artist: SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA
Title:
Label: SILENCE (SWEDEN)
Format: CD
Price: $14.00
Catalog #: SRSCD 3603

The Swedish Silence label has finally moved forward in completing the reissue of their classic catalog from the 70s, with 7 new titles (the first Algarnas Tradgard, Samla Mammas Manna's Maltid, & first Trad, Gras och Stenar are older titles that were first issued in the early 90s). Simply put, A Major Event. From Silence's press release about this reissue program: "The seventies was one of the most interesting decades from a musical point of view in Sweden. Rock music had had a few years and all sorts of musical theories and expressions met and changed old expressions into music never heard before. Even though you might say that the modern recordindustry was born sometime in the earliest seventies the whole scene was rather innocent at the time. Stars like The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix had been touring in the smallest towns in Sweden during the sixties and Hendrix had had jamsessions with almost who ever musician he met and as for the musical forms you could do almost anything. The audience was as curious as the musicians. Bodyguards, tough managers or stuck up representants for the record companies were not around. In the midst of this jumble of new expressions and musical experiments Silence was born, most because other Swedish companies were not interested, they were mostly doing middle-of-the-road Swedish mumbojumbo and other more traditional kinds of music, and because all this new exciting music just had to be heard by more people and also because we had great fun. Silence was consciously looking for the most odd, most thrilling expressions and was most fascinated by those who had the courage to follow an idea to the far end. Parallel to this the movement that came to be called 'The Swedish Musicmovement' started and it was an attempt to gather all sorts of different interests under the same hat ? like political youthclubs, Vietnam movement, environmental groups, hippies, intellectuals, musicians and 'ordinary' young people with an interested in music. Of course it did not work for very long, especially when people started to claim that they were 'the only correct movement' and finally it was more wrangling than workshop. The musical broad-mindedness that was to be found among the musicians around Silence was almost totally lacking within the so called Movement and Silence was soon considered the black sheep in the herd and accused of beeing non political and fuzzy because our records did not have clear political statements and instrumental music was kind of the top of the fuzziness. It is not without pride that we now are reissuing 7 almost instrumental records from the late sixties and early seventies. It is clear that these records with totally different expressions yet are a mirror of the spirit of the time ?the lust for experiments, a freedom in the musical expression that there is hardly room for today." About the first Samla Mammas Manna: "Exacting reissue of the 1970 debut album by this trailblazing Swedish kwartet, led by composer/pianist/organist/accordionist/vocalist Lasse 'Lars' Hollmer, just prior to any knowledge admitted or otherwise anything called "RIO" (Rock In Opposition mind you, not a reference to Nagel's finest work). Formed in the late late 60s in Uppsala, SMM canvassed the festival circuit (appearing on the same bill that Trad Gras Och Stenar recorded their mammoth Live Gardet 1970 at) to popular and critical appeal. Later SMM would team up with groups like Henry Cow and such to affix a politically bent moniker to their particularly labyrinthine chord progressions. This is a few years down the line yet apparently, as here they're seemingly taking the piss... We get a few prog-polkas for the kids, a bit of tasteful Rhodes bob (esp. the nice & short 'Flickan I Skogen', a dope jam), a few Swedish-folk sounding numbers, a fast carnivall-ing segue or two, near Deep Purplesque organ snaking, etc... Some of the band-recorded material (assumably mono, practice space stuff) could pass for the sort of raw funk nuggetry you'd find on one of those Keb Darge comps, albeit of distinctly Euro white male origin. Altogether pleasing, crude at points, plenty of humor, handclapping. Not bad at all." -- Hrvatski.







Samla Mammas Manna - The Story
The early days

The roots of Samla Mammas Manna history go right back to 1969, and the meeting of Lars Hollmer (keyboards), and Bebben жberg (percussion), who try out some ideas together, and then decide to try and get together a proper band. As was popular at the time, the germ of the Samla sound came from adapting traditional Scandinavian folk themes into modern music. Other friends would join in jams at their own "Chickenhouse" studio outside Uppsala, and eventually a proper band began to gel, with Lars Krantz joining in Autumn 1969 and Hasse Bruniusson in early 1970. Lars Krantz and Hasse were already accomplished musicians, playing in rock and pop bands since the mid-60's, and thus they added the professional edge to ideas spawned from the uncontaminated imagination of Lars Hollmer. After this, there followed an intensive period of jam sessions, trying out all sorts of ideas, with unlikely combinations of folk, rock and jazz structures.

The name Samla Mammas Manna, apparently, is derived from some Swedish children's nonsense poem, and was seen apt for a band who would make nonsense of convention! Summer 1970 saw the first live performance as Samla Mammas Manna at a major festival in Uppsala. So impressed, the independent label Silence contacted them immediately afterward with the offer of an album contract. It seems that Samla's were an instant success! So, in August through to Autumn 1970 they recorded their debut LP with this unusually highly percussive line-up. Extensive touring in Sweden, and a TV concert followed, and then eventually, in Spring 1971 the LP was released. As a debut it only hinted at the sound of Samla's to come, as mysterious and crudely constructed as the cover art, the slightly low-fi jumbledness of it all also adds a quaintly dated edge. Sometimes like a folky Santana cum avant-garde band (sans guitar), sometimes atypically Swedish (of that generic form that doesn't come from anywhere else but it is impossible to pin-down or explain) and a hybrid of all sorts of cultures. As a collection of short tracks it amazingly held together as a cohesive whole.

The second phase
On to summer 1971, and with new material composed, several concerts and plans for a second album, the whole idea is blown when Bebben leaves. So, for a while, they continue as a trio as best they can, with a TV concert and a tour organised by Rikskonserter acting as great promotion. But, after they felt a fourth member was needed, so a search was on. After a jam with jazz guitarist Coste Apetrea during a festival gig in the Summer of 1972, they decide the chemistry is good and invite him to join them on tour. He not only accepts, but also joins as a permanent member.


Lars Hollmer quotes Spring and Summer of 1973 as being a very creative period, with many gigs throughout Sweden, and also some in Norway. The addition of a guitarist had given Samla's the freedom they needed, to be able to fuse the rock and jazz elements into a more powerful hybrid. Coste was so dazzingly proficient a guitaris, that the music became more and more complex, and also compositions became longer. With the album Maltid, the definitive Samla Mammas Manna sound was born: a music with complex chopping and changing, underpinned by a balanced combination of energy and dynamics, not forgetting diversions from folk themes, and a happy, humoruous, sometimes totally eccentric, surreal comedy edge. The latter especially comes across in the vocals, a gibberish nonsense hybrid of Swedish and English. Apt really, for a band with a nonsense name to use nonsense vocals! Maltid amounts to an unpredictable and fascinating album.

In his brief overview of Samla's history Lars Hollmer makes a point here that they were "getting famous". Thus, eager, due to the critical and public success of Maltid, and the enthusiasm recieved at concerts, including a short tour in Finland and a second TV gig, amazingly they were back in the studio in Autumn 1974 with a whole new repertoire of material. The sessions result in Klossa Knapitatet, which is another step to surrealist and twisted fusion realms. There's an amazing section with bicycle bells, horns, etc, which still amuses after all these years, and throughout, even when serious, it's a FUN album! Even Coste lets-rip here, with some of his most dazzling guitar excursions. You can tell that Samla were on both an emotional and creative high.

A very busy year followed: 1975 saw tours throughout Scandinavia, including works together with Ron Geesin, a Swedish tour co-billed with Finnish legends Tasavallan Presidentti, two radio gigs and much more. And, as their reputation grew, they became more in demand. In 1976, Gregory Allan Fitzpatrick (an American living in Sweden, and a friend of the band since 1970) composes the ambitious opus Snorungarnas Symfoni for an expanded version of Samla Mammas Manna, featuring: Kalle Eriksson (trumpet) and Ulf "artan" Wallander (sax). An unusual album for the Samla crew, in that it saw them in a more serious mood, playing a melodic instrumental progressive with all the symphonic trimmings you could imagine. Depending on how you look at it, it's either a major progressive triumph, or an unlikely diversion that shouldn't be compared with the rest of the Samla output. Apparently, at the time, Samla's saw it as a challenge, to perform someone else's music. The legacy of Snorungarnas Symfoni is that shortly afterwards the band disintegrated. Whatever the reasons, it was the end of a phase, and is also where Samla history becomes complicated!

Samla to Zamla and other diversions
So, in autumn 1976 Samla Mammas Manna fragments and disbands. Lars Hollmer joins Coste (who had left the band a few weeks before) in a new project: Ramlosa Kvallar. Lasse Bruniusson forms Hivri with future Zamla Eino Haapala. I'm not sure where Lasse Krantz went at this time! And, also this resulted in a variety of other projects, sessions and guest work. The best thing to come out of it all was the Ramlosa Kvallar album, an odd blending of folk, jazz, tango's and such like, typically Swedish yet too schizophrenic for its own good really (too many conflicting ideas - possibly), and on which Lars Hollmer only plays accordion deliberately avoiding the choppy keyboard style he played in Samla.
At this time however, the name of Samla Mammas Manna was being latched on to abroad. Recommended Records had started to promote their albums in the UK and internationally. I imagine that word got back to them, and thus it was inevitable that a reformation was imminent. In January 1977 they reform as the subtly renamed Zamla Mammas Manna, to indicate a new start and a new style. Again there was a problem getting that fourth member, what they needed was a creative guitarist, one that was even more free-thinking than Coste. Lasse suggested Eino Haapala, who had a long history in professional and amateur musics. In March Eino joins, and promptly takes the band in a different direction, notably due to his penchant for experimentation and free improvisation, incorporating his work in avant-garde guitar techniques into the Zamla sound.


Deciding to get away from composition altogether for a while, the band spends a great deal of time from Summer through Autumn 1977 on pure improvisation tours. All the concerts are recorded for possible inclusion on an album. Chris Cutler has often been quoted as saying that Zamla were the finest improvisers he had ever witnessed (or words to that effect) which was high praise from the drummer in the UK's finest improvising band: Henry Cow! Carefully, for a few weeks after the tours, the resultant reels of recording were auditioned, catalogued and assessed for possible inclusion on the planned LP. The results were the live album For aldre Nybegynnare (which, as you may expect, means "For Older Beginners"), a carefully edited suite of musical encounters unlike any earlier Samla music, schizophrenic, wild, but controlled, and extraordinary creative, and clever in that no matter which side of the LP is played first it continues! I don't know if they were trying to emulate Pink Floyd's Ummagumma, but (for the reverse reasons than with that album) it was decided that they should also include a more "normal" studio album as well. To indicate that these were indeed separate albums, indicators "- - - - -" were included on the inner spine! Yet, really, even each side of Schlagerns Mystik (English title "The Mystery of Popular Music") was vastly different one being folk songs in the more eccentric Klossa Knapitatet style crossed with the maddest Residents (so tongue-in-cheek it's unbelievable) and the other largely encompassed by the 17 minute opus The Fate, which bridges the Snorungarnas Symfoni style with a new Zamla music that was yet to come, a much more fiery and distinctly RIO type of rock fusion.




The RIO connection
Shortly after this (in 1978) Zamla Mammas Manna joined Rock In Opposition, and soon embarked on their first UK tour, which conveniently coincided with the release of the double. Such a chemistry in playing alongside like-minded bands was a big buzz for them, especially tours alongside Etron Fou and Henry Cow. But, just in what way Zamla were "Rock In Opposition" I've never been sure. Okay, as Zamla they were now against the conventions of playing and adapting folk themes that they did as Samla, they were against being normal or commercial in any way, but I don't see them as "left-field" really, except in that they were radical. In interviews that I've read from the late 70's, it seems that Lars and Co, were never really that sure as to what RIO was meant to be about.
Alongside with this activity, there was also other projects that ran parallel to Zamla. Lars Hollmer also continued with Ramlosa kvallar, and there were apparently even some concerts with Zamla and Ramlosa Kvallar playing together. Spring 1979 saw extensive touring of: Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, France and Italy. And in August 1979 they organise an RIO festival in Uppsala, followed by a second tour with Etron Fou, and also meet the Munich band Munju for the first time, which leads to their first German tour early in 1980. Also around this time they play sessions with (ex-Henry Cow) Fred Frith for his Gravity album, resulting in another new hybrid of their style, a fiery fusion full of schizophrenic passages.


Maybe so much activity was too much for Hasse Bruniusson, and in Spring 1980 he leaves, who (for a tour of France of Belgium) is replaced by one Vilgot Hansson, he also plays on the next album Familjesprickor, after which he and Lasse leaves the band. You can tell with Familjesprickor (an apt title, which in English means "Family Cracks") that there's a lot of tension in the air (they even apologise on the sleave that it's not as happy as older records) but such tension is used to an advantage to create their most powerful and gripping album. Symphonic progressive in first gear, dark fusion, avant-garde composition and uniquely Swedish juxtaposition of folk, classical and rock musics, amounted to a dizzying potpurri of RIO styles, yet distinctly of Zamla's making. Even Zappa and the Mothers never whipped-it-out like this!
But, even with such a chemistry at work (and with their new friends Munju as support) Zamla Mammas Manna split after a final Swedish tour in Autumn 1980. Hollmer and Haapala decided for a while after this to continue as a duo, an album was recorded but has remained unreleased. So, when this failed, Lars Hollmer decided to pursue a dream, and starts to work on his debut solo album. Meanwhile, Hans Bruniusson and Karl Eriksson had another project, the supergroup Nya Ljudbolaget, who fused the Samla style with the ethnic jazz of Arbete och Fritid, and other diversions into ethnic and folk music...

Alan Freeman - Autumn 1996




Samla Mammas Manna
Formed 1969

Although little known in the U.S., the experimental and quirky jazz-fusion/progressive rock outfit Samla Mammas Manna has enjoyed a following in Scandinavia since the early 1970s. Samla was formed in Uppsala, Sweden in 1969, when its original lineup consisted of keyboardist Lars Hollmer, bassist Lars Krantz, drummer Hans Bruniusson and percussionist Karl Henrik "Bebben" Berg. Samla called its studio the Chicken House, which was so-named because it really was built on a former chicken house that had belonged to Hollmer's mother. It was at the Chicken House that Samla recorded its self-titled debut album of 1971 for Silence Records. Berg left the group that year, and Samla spent several months as a trio before guitarist Coste Apetrea came on board in 1972. Samla's second album Maltid (Meal Time), came out on Silence in 1974 and was followed by Klossa Knapitatet (also on Silence) in 1975 and the MNW release Snorungarnas Symfoni (Symphony of the Brats) in 1976. In 1977, Apetrea left the group and was replaced by Eino Haapala, who is featured on the Silence double-LP For Aldre Nybegynnare/Schlagerns Mystik. Samla, which continued to go through personnel changes, changed its name to Zamla Mammaz Manna in the late 1970s, and in 1980, it recorded Familjesprickor (Family Cracks) before breaking up. Then, in 1990, the name Samla Mammas Manna was reborn after Bruniusson, Apetrea, Hollmer and Krantz got to reminiscing about old times at Bruniusson's 40th birthday party and decided to hold a reunion concert. The 1990s found the reunited group performing live shows in Scandinavia here and there and recording for the Swedish Amigo label. - Alex Henderson

Similar Artists: Momo Rossel Nimal Volapьk Fred Frith Iva Bittova King Crimson Happy the Man
Formal Connections: Lars Hollmer
from CDNOW

1971 Samla Mammas Manna Silence
1973 Maltid Silence
1974 Klossa Knapitatet Silence
1976 Snorungarnas Symfoni Musiknatet Wax
1978 For Aldre Nybegynnare Silence
1993 Kaka Amigo Musik




The Story So Far.
Writings from the Chickenhouse Archives.
Samla Mammas Manna/Zamla/von Zamla/Looping Home Orchestra/Fem Soker En Skatt and others 1965-


1965-69

LH (LARS HOLLMER) starts playing music with loose combinations of friends.
1969-70
Formation of SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA (SAMLA) with LH. (Keyboards). LARS KRANTZ bass) HANS BRUNIUSSON (Drums). BEBBEN OBERG (Perc.). LH has a recording studio outside Uppsala, Sweden, called "The CHICKENHOUSE", where he also lives. SAMLA play at the first alternative festivals in Uppsala, and Stockholm + other concerts and TV performances. First SAMLA Lp recorded at the CHICKENHOUSE.
1971
First SAMLA LP - SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA released on SILENCE Records. SAMLA is now a trio: LH, (keyboards), Lars Krantz, (bass). Hans Bruniusson, (drums). Several long tours in Sweden, TV-appearances.
1972
More concerts. COSTE APETREA (guitar) joins SAMLA. Long tour in the north of Sweden.
1973
Intensive year with a lot of concerts. Second SAMLA LP MALTID recorded in three days and released on SILENCE. (Re-released by Silence and Resource on CD 92/93).
1974
Concerts. TV and Radio performances in Sweden, Norway and Finland. Two tours in Finland and Sweden with the British multi-instrumentalist RON GEESIN. SAMLA write music for a theatre production in Stockholm. At the end of the year third SAMLA Lp KLOSSA KNAPITATET are released on Silence. (Re-released by Silence -95 on CD).
1975
Concerts throughout Scandinavia. ULF WALLANDER (reeds) and KALLE ERIKSSON (trumpet) join the group. SAMLA participate in and record SNORUNGARNAS SYMFONI by GREG FITZPATRIK. Released on MNW records.
1976
SAMLA take a break autumn 76, after a lot of touring. LH and Apetrea start the folkoriented group RAMLOSA KVALLAR with Kalle Eriksson, Ulf Wallander. and BILL OHRSTROM (percussion).
1977
Spring: SAMLA start again with EINO HAAPALA (guitar) replacing Coste Apetrea. Change of style with a lot of improvisations on stage. SAMLA change their name to ZAMLA MAMMAZ MANNA (ZAMLA). A live LP along with an LP of 4 track recordings from the CHlCKENHOUSE is released as the ZAMLA Double album FOR ALDRE NYBEGYNNARE/SCHLAGERNS MYSTIK on Silence. (Re-released on Silence -94 on CD). RAMLOSA KVALLAR play a lot and release the live LP RAMLOSA KVALLAR in the autumn 77. (Re-released by Resource records -93 on CD).
1978
ZAMLA who have been in contact with similar groups in Europe, go to England for a tour organized by the british group HENRY COW. In London the organisation ROCK IN OPPOSITION (RIO) is founded by HENRY COW (GB), ZAMLA (SW), UNIVERS ZERO (B), ETRON FOU Le Loublan (F) and STORMY SIX (I) with the aim of supporting each other and arranging tours and RIO Festivals throughout Europe. Several such events actually come off and further the contact between the different groups.
1979
Longest ZAMLA tour to date with concerts in France. Italy. Sweden, and Finland. FRED FRITH. Guitarist from Henry Cow comes to Uppsala where he records one side of his solo album GRAVITY with LH, Bruniusson and Haapala in the CHICKENHOUSE. LH organizes, together with ZAMLA the RIO Festival in Uppsala, where all tie RIO groups play plus ART ZOYD, a French group, ZAMLA encountered in Italy. ZAMLA and ETRON FOU tour Sweden. Ten ZAMLA concerts on ICELAND. ZAMLA release the singel LEJONET AV LJUGA. RAMLOSA KVALLAR play successfully in Sweden and Denmark.
1980
First German tour of ZAMLA. Organized by WOLFGANG SALOMON from the Wurzburg based group MUNJU. Hans Bruniusson quits ZAMLA and is replaced by VILGOT HANSSON on drums. ZAMLA tour France and Belgium. Summer: Silence release the seventh ZAMLA Lp FAMILJESPRICKOR with studio and live material. (Re-released on CD by Silence -94). Vilgot Hansson quits ZAMLA. Autumn: The ZAMLA trio with LH. Eino Haapala and Lars Krantz tour Sweden together with MUNJU. After that also Lars Krantz quits the group. LH and Eino Haapala continue to wmpose and record as a duo. PELLE ENGMAN, artist and friend is invited to join LH and Eino Haapala for studio recordings by the experimental Oral/musical group THE PARENTS who meet occasionally for sessions during 1980-83.
1981
LH and Eino Haapala are invited by the french bandleader and composer ALBERT MARCOEUR to play twenty concerts with his band in Paris and in the south of France and Switzerland. Kalle Eriksson (trumpet) join the project too, and among the music played are ZAMLA tunes and new material by LH and Haapala (eg. Palais des glaces). Later that summer LH and Haapala invite two of the Marcoeur musicians: JAC GARRET (bass) and DENIS BRELY (bassoon/oboe) to record with them in Sweden. After that all four plus Eriksson tour Germany together with MUNJU. Garret and Brely go back to France. LH works a lot on his own, and releases his first solo album XII SIBIRISKA CYKLA in Autumn, on Silence Records. (Re-released -96, together with Vill du hora mer by Resource on CD).
1982
Spring: Von ZAMLA. (i.e. LH and Haapala.) release the album ZAMLARANAMMA with music from the recordings with Garret and Brely. (Urspar records. Re-released on Resource -94 on CD). LH works a lot more alone during the year and releases his second solo album VILL DU HORA MER (KRAX/Urspar. Re-released on CD by Resource) Because of good reception of ZAMLARANAMMA by RIO groups, a six man band is formed by LH and Haapala. with MICHEL BERCKMANNS, (ex. Univers Zero) on bassoon and oboe, WOLFGANG SALOMON (MUNJU) on bass HANS LOUHELAINEN (keyboards) and BILL OHRSTROM (Ramlosa kvallar) on perc. and rehearses in the CHlCKENHOUSE. Autumn: VON ZAMLA tour Sweden with ART ZOYD. Bill Ohrstrom leaves and is replaced by MARTEN TISELIUS on drums.
1983
Big and successful tours for VON ZAMLA: Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden and Holland. LH records and releases his third soloalbum FRAN NATT IDAG. (KRAX 2/Urspar. Coming as CD -98) and makes theatre music. The second VON ZAMLA album is recorded in the CHICKENHOUSE.
1984
Release of the second VON ZAMLA album NO MAKE UP (KRAX 3/Urspar/Ja Ro rec. Coming as CD -98) Two long VON ZAMLA tours in Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium. LH releases the single JOGGINGCHARLESTO" for fun in Sweden (KRAX 6/Urspar). VON ZAMLA play an irrportant concert at the Maison de la Culture in Reims, France and perform on TV in Sweden. Autumn: Last tour of the original VON ZAMLA in Germany. After that the group split up.
1985
LH continues to work on his soloprojects and in summer he releases his fourth soloalbum TONOGA (KRAX 7/Urspar. Coming as CD -98). He also writes music for the play TIVOLI staged in Stockholm and based on a novel by Ray Bradbury. A new version of VON ZAMLA with LH. Haapala, Salomon, Kalle Eriksson and Bruniusson tour Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden, and then split up. LH temporarily leaves the CHlCKENHOUSE and moves to VENDEL, north of Uppsala. He decides to form a group wich will play music from his solo albums plus new material. and in december -85 the LOOPING HOME ORCHESTRA (LHO) is born with LH, (keyb. accordion. voice etc.). OLLE SUNDIN. (bass, keyb, balalaika) MARTEN TISELIUS (ex. Von Zamla. drums. voice. glockenspiel) SVEN AARFLOT (bassoon, reeds, keyb.) and SVEN JANSSON (keyb. voice). LH and Salomon continue to work together on music for theatre. (e.g. Kein Prinz fur Mirandella). and music for ballet. (eg. FAUST) for the Stadt theater Wurzburg. MUNJU performsFAUST in Germany. LH also writes film scores for Karlsson vom Dach in Germany and Victoria och giljotinen in Sweden.
1986
First long tour for LOOPING HOME ORCHESTRA (LHO) in Sweden. Together with Wolfgang Salomon LH writes music for the play Lord of the flies, based on the novel by William Fielding. LH also play duo concerts with Ulf Wallander. In Vendel a new band is formed; FEM SOKER EN SKATT (FSES). It is a continuation of what RAMLOSA KVALLAR were doing in the seventies; based on folklore but at the same time with a lot of personal ideas. Members are LH, Eriksson, Wallander, (ex Ramlosa). Olle Sundin (LHO) and OLOF HELLBERG (drums). Both LHO and FSES play and improvise a lot in Vendel.
1987
Several LHO Concerts in Sweden and a tour in Germany and Switzerland. LH moves back to Uppsala for recordings and mixing in the Chickenhouse. Release of the first LHO album VENDELTID. (KRAX 5/Ding Dong, coming as CD -98), musically a continuation of the LH solo albums. FSES play many concerts in Sweden. L.H and Wolfgang Salomon tour Swedish schools as a duo, playing their music and demonstrating their recording techniques.
1988
Last Concert with the original LHO in Uppsala. recorded live by radio. The group split up mainly because the musicians live so far apart from each other. LH plays concerts with FSES and writes more filmscores Det har ar jag, Jolantas oden och aventyr (Sweden), and music for the p!ay Bretechers Hjaltinnor at Pistolteatern in Stockholm, where he also appears on stage.
1989
FSES play a lot and are very popular but LH puts together a new version of LHO; LH, Olle Sundin, Hans Louhelainen (ex von Zamla), Ulf Wallander and LISELOTTE NORELIUS (drums). ln June Fred Frith comes to Uppsala as a special guest to rehearse with and join the constellation in the CHICKENHOUSE. Summer: LHO II tour Europe twice. First through Switzerland and France (where Fred Frith plays with them at the Festival MIMI ), then in August through Germany. Switzerland and Austria. ln autumn Michel Berkmanns. (ex von Zamla). Wolfgang Salomon. LH. and EDDIE RODEL (MUNJU). form "MUSIC OVER DISTANCE (MOD). in Wurzburg and play concerts in Germany. For the Stadttheater Wwurzburg Wolfgang Salomon and LH collaborate on the music for the ballet Alice in Wonderland, which opens in October.
1990
LH composes and records for a CD project to be released by Ayaa retords in France. He is aso deeply involved in building a house (which is finished in november -91). He travels twice to Germany to rehearse and play with MOD. From October til the end of the year he writes music for the play R by Susanne Osten at Stockholms Stadsteater where he also participates on stage.
1991
Until May LH goes to Stockholm every evening to play the music for R but keeps on working on the house. He also writes music for a dance piece: SKARVOR by Lena Josefsson, performed in May at Dansens Hus in Stockholm. FSES record a lot in the Chickenhouse. SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA (SAMLA) LH, Bruniusson, Krantz and Apetrea reform. Just for one concert but enjoy it so much that they decide to keep going and see what it will lead to. FSES tour Germany and Switzerland for the first time in August.. LH and Olle Sundin play as a ministyle version of LHO at the ETNO SOI Festival in Finland in November.
1992
January/February: The reformed SAMLA play successful concerts in Stockholm and Uppsala. SAMLA works so good that LH decides to try if SAMLA + Olle Sundin can form LHO III and this constellation play in Sweden and at the ANGELICA Festival in Bologna, Italy with Fred Frith (guitar/violin) as a guest. The dance piece SKARVOR wins a competition of twelve dance pieces and is elected to represent Sweden at the Bagnolet Dance festival in France. LH finishes work on two pieces of music for a French compilation CD of musical interpretations of ART BRUT. Big goodbye party for the old CHICKENHOUSE in August with nearly all the involved musicians through the years present. FSES tour Europe in September. ln Autumn LH forms Looping Home Orchestra IV. (LHO IV). LH, Sundin, Lars Krantz, Eino Haapala, Fred Frith and JEAN DEROME (saxes,flutes) meet for rehearsals and concert at the festival of VICTORIAVILLE (VICTO) in CANADA in October. In Nov-Dec. the old CHICKENHOUSE is torn down by LH. (Bad shape). The good material is used for the CHICKENHOUSE II. LH and Olle Sundin play live in Swedish radio in December.
1993
Januaryr/February; LHO IV tour Sweden. Stockholm, Uppsala, Linkoping. LARS HOLLMER 80-88 later called THE SIBIRIAN CIRCUS a compilation of tunes from LH soloalbums + VENDELTID, comes out on Resource -records on CD. April: LHO IV play the Spring any day now Festival in Schaan, Liechtenstein. LH makes film music for I Ljuset av Alvar Alto, I skuggan av en Fabrik by Mervi Kekarainen. May: LHO IV play in Nancy, France, Ulm, Hannover, Hamburg, Berlin and at the MOERS Festival in Germany. SAMLA play several concerts in Sweden during the year. Also FSES play a lot. LH edits and mixes live music from all LHO lV concerts and puts together a live CD for Victo Records in Canada in September. LH and Olle Sundin do some duo gigs in the Autumn. Also a lot of work is made on the Ayaa CD project. In the summer the new CHICKENHOUSE II is ready.
1994
January: Release of the second LHO record LARS HOLLMER LOOPING HOME ORCHESTRA LIVE 92-93" (KRAX 7/VICTO records). LH finishes the work on the Ayaa project. Wallander, Sundin and LH do ten institutional concerts around Uppsala. LH makes film music again for VINDARNAS VAG by Elisabeth Marton. ln February LH undergoes an ear surgery and has to rest for one monyh. March: LHO IV play at THE BANLIEUES BLEUES Festival in Paris. SAMLA play in Gothenburg in April. ZAMLA. ( LH, Krantz, Bruniusson and Haapala) rehearse and do one successful concert in Uppsala in May. LH, Sundin and Wallander do one mini LHO-concert in Oslo, Norway in June. Release of LH's fifth solo record. 'VANDELMASSA' (KRAX 8) with material from 1983-93 is released by Ayaa records, France. August-September: FSES play several concerts in Sweden. SAMLA play in Sundsvall, Sweden. On the way home Lars Krantz has a traffic accident and suffers heavy injuries, a fact that stops several plans for concerts for LHO and SAMLA/ZAMLA in the autumn. MNW releases XII SIBIRISKA CYKLAR/VILL DU HORA MER LH's two first solorecords on CD. (Resource records). FSES play, for the fifth time, at Pelle Engmans KULTURLADAN in Mora and record the concert for a CD to be released in the Autumn. LH travels to Wurzburg, Germany in the Autumn to help Wolfgang Salomon recording his soloproject PETER PAN. In October LH works on film music for DVORAK DEN FANTASTISKE a film by Ylva Julen. In December lots of work with a new FSES CD project.
1995
January/March. Full time work with the FSES CD project. It's released on the KRAX label, in April; FEM SOKER EN SKATT (KRAX 9/Amigo). SAMLA play two succesful concerts in Sweden in April. Lars Krantz is healthy again. In april LH rehearses for a solotour in Switzerland in May and plays in Geneva, Neuchatel, Luzern and Bern. He also prepares for a bigger piece for EVA KANT an orchestra in Bologna, Italy. This project fails but lead to new music that will be used in other constellations later. Several concerts with FSES during Spring and Summer. Last concert with the group in October. FSES decide to take a break. In the Autumn LH agrees with AMIGO Records in Stockholm to release VANDELMASSA in a slightly new version in Sweden. From now on this is the official version of this CD (KRAX 8/AMCD 874). LH travels to Russia together with Pelle Engman for research, and meets several musicians. Contacts are established. ln December SAMLA plays in Varberg, Sweden.
1996
LH participates in TV program from the CHICKENHOUSE, and gives several interviews to radio and newspapers. Also some local live performances. May: LH travels to GENT, Belgium, to join the ACCORDION TRIBE AND MEDICINE MAN TOUR. An idea developed by the Amercan accordionplayer GUY KLUCEVSEK. Together with GUY KLUCEVSEK, (USA), MARIA KALANIEMI (Finland), BRATKO BIBIC (Slovenia) and OTTO LECHNER (Austria), LH tours Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Sweden and Finland during May -96. Thec tour was very succesful, and resulted in several recordings, mainly from different radio stations. These recordings were edited by LH during the Autumn in the CHICKENHOUSE resulting in a CD that will be released by lNTUITlON Records Germany, Autumn -97. August: LH does a solo performance on TV, and a concert together with Olle Sundin Hans Loelv (Louhelainen). In September a meeting with MNW Records result in the decision that all previous LP:s and releases from the 80's by LH or/and Zamla and von Zamla shall be released on CD. (Fran natt idag, TONOGA- LH, Vendeltid - LHO and No Make Up - Von Zamla). In October Wolfgang Salomon visits LH in Uppsala and participates in several recordings for coming projects. November: LH travels to Helsinki. Finland, invited as a teacher at the SIBELIUS ACADEMY. The teachers and students at the academy had visited the Accordion Tribe Concert in Helsinki in May and wanted to know more about LH's music. It was very successful and more visits are planned for -97. LH starts to record for a new CD projeot. called ANDETAG. A new contact, a violinplayer from Cuba, living in Stockholm; SANTIAGO JIMINEZ records in the CHICKENHOUSE and gives new dimensions to the sound.
1997
LH finishes the work producing the Accordion Tribe CD for Intuition records. Drummer Hans Bruniusson contributes on some tracks on the new CD project. Santiago Jimenez visits the CHlCKENHOUSE for recordings as well. In February Olle Sundin, present in all constellations except Samla/Zamla quits. KIMMO POHJONEN. an accordionplayer from Helsinki visits LH in Uppsala. During LH's visit in Helsinki he met Kimmo, who is also a teacher at the Sibelius academy (as Maria Kalaniemi). Plans were made to make something together. May. LH travels to the Sibelius academy for the seocnd time to play with teachers and students. In a meeting with Maria Kalaniemi, OLLI VARIS (guitar/mandolin) and Kimmo Pohjonen, it is decided that all three will come to Uppsala in October for rehearsals and to tour in Sweden/Finland + possibly Russia in November 97, mainly playing new music by LH. Samla play in Uppsala in September and in Oslo, Norway in December. L.H. also composes and records pieces for the HAIKUS URBAINS dance project on CD 8Autres Musique, Geneve). In december L.H. finishes the work on ANDETAG.
1998
ANDETAG (Krax 10) is releaded in January, on Krax. The ACCORDION TRIBE CD is released in Europe by INTUITION RECORDS in February. April: The Orchestral project with Maria Kalniemi, Kimmo Pohjonen, Olli Varis, Santiago Jimenez, Anders Bromander (keyb.) rehearse in the CHICKENHOUSE and tour Sweden (Lund, Uppsala, Gavle, Stockholm) and Helsinki, Finland at the TAIGA FESTIVAL, under the name ANDETAGEN. The tour is succesful with a lot of good reviews. L.H. travels to Canada to play with ACCORDION TRIBE at the VICTORIAVILLE FESTIVAL, where also the ACCORDION TRIBE CD is released in North America...
1999
Lars Hollmer is awarded the Swedish Grammy Award for ANDETAG (Krax 10). LH travels to Wolfgang Salomon in Germany to finish the live record 2 "von Zamla 1983" to be released by Cuneiform records USA. And for other musical work together, plans vere made to meet later for recording in Uppsala. During the spring Coste Apetrea and LH works on the CD KAKA by Samla Mammas Manna and finish it in May. Released May 99 by Amigo Musik.. Samla was supposed to play at the Ring Ring festival in Belgrade in May but the festival was cancelled because of the bombings so Samla made, together with other groups around the world, a support Ring Ring festival in Uppsala in the end of May, partly transmitted over the Internet, between the different activities over Europe. June - Samla plays several concerts in Sweden. In July LH travels to Barcelona for a concert with Kimmo Pohjonen (Accordion) at the Miro Foundation. Late July - Michel Berckmans, (ex von Zamla, Univers Zero etc) and Alain Gilbert, (Belgian Theatremusician) with their families come to the Chickenhouse to visit LH and to record the CD "Uppshalla" there. LH participates on the record with both playing and music. Plans were made to meet later in the autumn. More Samla gigs in Sweden August/Sept.

Autumn 1999 LH form a new group again, using the name of the coming solo Cd :"UTSIKTER" (Wiews) is formed in the Chickenhouse by LH.Keyboards, Accordion,melodica Compositions etc. Michel Berckmans (MB) Bassoon, Oboe, English horn, perc. Santiago Jimenez (SJ) Violin. Matti Andersson(MA) Bass, Flute,Keyboards, Accordion. And Tomas Arnesen (TA) Guitar, keyboards. Playing a mix between new material and music from Andetag and earlier productions. The new constellation rehearse in the Chickenhouse and make the first Performance in Club Bla Oslo Norway in September. Samla play several concerts during the autumn but after a concert in Gimo outside Uppsala in November Hasse Bruniusson quits Samla. And the group takes a break. In December LH travels to Bruxelles to participate on two concerts with the Project Uppshalla, with Michel Berckmans , Alain Gilbert, with familys , children and friends.

2000
January. Recordings with Santiago Jimenez in the Chickenhouse for LH.s new CD UTSIKTER. In February the group Utsikter makes a tour in Sweden,with four concerts. April: LH travels to Wurzburg Germany for playing and make two performances with Wolfgang Salomon and make Accordion workshops there during the Swedish week in Wurzburg.3-9 april. Tomas Arnesen jumps off the group Utsikter and Wolfgang Salomon replaces him just before the Russian tour with Utsikter in late April. St. Petersburg at the SKIF festival, and Moscow, (The Chinese pilot). May: Michel Berkmans travels to Sweden for recording on the new Utsikter CD during one week. FSES Play two concerts in Uppsala May/June. A new formation is born in August in Uppsala. KULTURKROKODILERNA (the culture crocodiles) It's a combination between FSES and former Ramlosa Kvallar, with Coste Apetrea on Bouzouki and guitar/Bass. LH,Acc. Keyb.Melodica,Voice. Ulf Wallander, Saxes. Matti Andersson, Bass,Flute, Accordion. And Olof Hellberg, Drums. The new group make two performances in Uppsala and at Gardesfesten in Stockholm in august. September: LH finish the recordings and mixing of the new CD, and the new s0lo CD "UTSIKTER" is released beginning of October. LH get an invitation to Japan in November to play solo and together with Japanese musicians, Wataru Okhuma and Tatsuya Yoshida.

Dec. 2000
LH go to Tokyo and play two concerts plus soloperformance 4/12 at Mandala 2 in Tokyo,with the group Pochakaite malko where he play some Samla tunes
together with them, plus a soloperformance and 6/12 at Mandala 2 again with the new constellation, later called SOLA, where he play LH tunes from different times. plus soloperformance.
Musicians:
LH Accordion.Melodica,Keyb.voice, Compositions
Wataru Ohkuma Clarinets.
Hiromichi Sakamoto Cello.
Yuriko Mukoujima Violin, Toypiano,Melodica,Accordion.
Tatsuya Yoshida Drums, Glockenspiel
Kazuto Shimizu Keyboards.
Both concerts was very succesful and plans were made to meet again as soon as possible for recordings etc.
See websites: Japan 1 and Japan 2)


2001
January. LH undergo a surgery for a serious Eye disease,in end january. This effects the whole spring and plans must be changed first part of the year. Some updating of recording equipment for Chickenhouse is made.
New recordings with LH alone and together with Santiago Jimenez.
May. UTSIKTER: (LH. Michel Berckmans.Wolfgang Salomon. Santiago Jimenez,and Matti Andersson) play at the Ring Ring festival in
Belgrade. and in Novi Sad. Serbia. contacts is made with among others Boris Kovac in Novi Sad.
Later in May LH make soloperformances in Uppsala.

Summer. LH compose new music for coming meeting with the Sola constellation in Tokyo in september.
He releases a new "MiniCD" "Autokomp A(nd)More in a collaboration between Krax and Infinite records in Tokyo (Krax 12)
The music on this CD are retrospective recordings, not released before from -82- 96. and pressed in a limited edition of 500 copies.
FSES play in Uppsala. with guests. (Coste Apetrea and Santiago Jimenez) and RAMLOSA KVALLAR play in Stockholm at the "Gardetfestival" at Skeppsholmen. Stockholm in August. (LH. C.Apetrea.U.Wallander:K.Eriksson.Bill Ohrstrom.and guest:Santiago Jimenez)
Michel Berckmans visit Uppsala in August and UTSIKTER make a "Chamberversion" concert outside Uppsala at Sjoo Slott.

September. LH travels to Tokyo Japan again.
The SOLA constellation rehearse and play a concert at "Tribute to the love generation" TLG. in Tokyo 16/9.
LH and all SOLA musicians start to record a new CD in the GOK studios in Tokyo. to be released spring 2002 under the name "Lars Hollmer.s SOLA. The global home project."
Also LH meets Pochakaite Malko again and together they play a concert at Mandala 5 Star pines cafe in Tokyo 24th of September where they perform both LH and Samla Tunes again. The Samla tunes as a tribute to Samla Mammas Manna, who doesent exist anymore.Guests: "The Handsome Brothers" on voices.
October. LH return to Sweden for a short meeting with UTSIKTER again in mid october. with concert in Stockholm and recordings.
LH also work with the recorded material from the SOLA group in september. and he will return to Tokyo for final mix in december.
Later in november ACCORDION TRIBE will come to the Chickenhouse to record the new CD.

November
Accordion tribe. Maria Kalaniemi. Guy Klucevsek. Bratko Bibic, Otto Lechner
and Lars Hollmer meets in the chickenhouse Uppsala and record the second Acc. tribe album to be released by Intuition records in 2002. A Swiss filmcrew,Maximage,also visit the Chickenhouse for a documentary about Acc. tribe. They will follow the Tribe on the coming European tour in 2002
and film several concerts too.
Later in november LH makes film music for a documentary about girls with problems in Moldavia, by Malcolm Dixelius.
December. LH travels to Tokyo again for mix of the SOLA CD

2002
Jan. Feb.. LH Mixes the Acc. Tribe album in the Chickenhouse and make some additional mixes for the SOLA Cd as well. The Acc. Tribe CD is mastered by Anders Lind at Silence records.

March, FSES play in Uppsala. and Samla start to rehearse again after Hans Bruniusson left the group. Planned concerts in May 2002 with Tatsuya Yoshida on drums, replacing H. Bruniusson.
LH. Olle sundin and Ulf Wallander play as trio on Katalin Uppsala.

April. Continuing rehearsals with Samla. LH plan to invite the whole SOLA orchestra to sweden in june and make booking for that
Also neghotiations with Amigo Music to release the SOLA CD in Sweden. planned release beginning of May.

May. Tatsuya Yoshida arrives to Sweden and Samla rehearse with him and play in Umea. Gavle. Uppsala and Stockholm mid May.
LH continues to work with the coming SOLA tour in Sweden in June. Concerts. Gothenburg 15th, Oslo (Norway, not confirmed) 16th, Uppsala 17th, Stockholm 18th and Uppsala 19th of June.

July. coming concerts with Acc. tribe in Berlin and Kassel, Germany.

August. LH will play solo on a festival in Avignon France. arranged by Guigou Chenevier among others.

Sept. Samla are invited to play in Siberia, Russia.

October/November. Acc. Tribe tour in Europe.

November. Sola tour in japan.


To be continued.