01	Monolith						06:07
	02	Ricochet						05:44
	03	The War Is Over						04:42
	04	What Should But Did Not Die						06:43
	05	SW4						06:04
	06	Gravity						08:19
	07	The Games We Play						03:24
	08	Seljak						05:16

Gravity

Monolith
Ricochet
The War Is Over
What Should But Did Not Die
SW4
Gravity
The Games We Play
Seljak
Released on CD in June 2003
Sweden: Virta 004

Released on LP in June 2003
Virta LP 004, Sweden

Nicklas Barker - Voice, Guitars, Mellotron, Rhodes, Farfisa, Vibraphone
Anna Sofi Dahlberg - Mellotron, Voice, Piano, Farfisa, Organ
Jan Erik Liljestrom - Bass, Voice
Peter Nordins - Drums & Cymbals, Vibraphone, Mellotron

Recorded at Atlantis Grammofon and Sisu Sound - January to April 2003. Engineered by Anekdoten and Janne Hansson
Produced by Anekdoten.
Mixed by Simon Nordberg and Janne Hansson March, April and May 2003. Mastered by Christoffer Stannow
Lyrics by Jan Erik Liljestrom



ANEKDOTEN - Gravity

Ten years is a very, very long time in the life of a rock band. Most of rock's most impressive empires have been built and destroyed in less than a decade. Led Zeppelin's entire career lasted just about 10 years. The Police, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Nirvana and the Beatles didn't even come close to their tenth birthdays; and of course, all of the most famous progressive rock bands did all their best work in a few years in the early to middle '70s.

So here we have Anekdoten's fourth studio album in exactly ten years. The band has lasted a relatively long time considering the statistics above - a very long time for a band that releases its own albums and which operates within the tiny niche of modern progressive rock. And yet they've released relatively few albums during this period. They've had lots of time to sit around and plot each move - lots of time to contemplate changes for the next album - plenty of time to "mature." So anyone who was paying attention should have seen it coming. In case you didn't get the subtle hints on From Within, the band has laid it out on the table for all to see on Gravity. The message is clear and unmistakable: Anekdoten is abandoning progressive rock.

"Abandoning" is used in the present tense because the deed is not entirely done, but the act is in full swing on Gravity. The band is caught red-handed here as they trade complex rhythms and long, complex instrumental passages for simplified guitar chord riffs and a new emphasis on vocals. It all makes sense now. In retrospect, it even appears they've wanted to get caught for a long time. Even on Nucleus - the band's most engaging and progressive album to date - the crunchy guitars and bass riffs seemed to hint at the more commercial grunge/alternative rock of the day. Now those once subtle innuendos have become what sound like all-out overtures to audiences of more conventional rock. We're not talking about anything as lowest-common-denominator as Aerosmith or anything like that, but fans of modern European rock a la Coldplay or possibly Radiohead would have no trouble getting into Anekdoten's latest release.

Despite this startling revelation, Gravity is generally a pleasant enough listen. There are some very nice songs here. Very nice. Songs. The singing is better than ever actually. Jan Erik and Nicklas have obviously been practicing. "Ricochet" is a fine example of their newfound vocal prowess. Even better than the good vocals though, this track has a lush, polished sound (especially the Mellotron) with infectious melodies and chord progressions. Extremely well produced and dripping with bittersweetness, it somehow it sounds like something bands like The Smiths, Simple Minds or Psychedelic Furs would have done 15 or so years ago.

"SW4" and "The Games we Play" show the band reaching out in a promising direction toward ambient music by way of loops and lots of delay, but it's done mostly as decoration rather than as the main focus of both tracks. Had the band really pursued this further, it could have been very interesting, like "A Way of Life" on the Live EP, but they chose the middle ground instead. "The War is Over" is another interesting track that departs from the usual realms of Anekdoten's brand of heavy prog into hand drum and acoustic guitar territory. It again makes use of the band's newfound penchant for good vocals, but as with most of the rest of the album, searing guitar solos, Anna Sofi's cello or anything else you might expect from Anekdoten is missing (except the ever-present Mellotron).

As usual, there is one instrumental on Gravity, but it doesn't do very much. It's basically a couple of rumbling bass riffs with repeating melodies for guitar and organ on top. Changes are subtle and few, so it's a long way from past gems like "Karelia". The rest of the album features a lot of similar sounding slow-to-medium tempo tracks. Overall, the album sounds a lot like a rehash of From Within but with most of the really interesting parts surgically removed for the sake of more easy listening. The days of heavy riffs and complex time or tempo changes seem to be a thing of the past for this band.

There's nothing particularly terrible about Gravity, but prog enthusiasts will likely find it disappoints more than it delights. Gravity proves it takes more than good production, lush Mellotron chord progressions and an off-the-cuff sounding instrumental to make a good prog album. There's just not much on Gravity that's going to make Anekdoten's fan base stand up and cheer. We've come to expect much more sophisticated compositions and more variation than this. Where Nucleus boiled and From Within simmered, Gravity shows Anekdoten letting their music cool to the temperature of warm bath water. It's comfortable, maybe even relaxing, but ultimately rather safe.

If you can only buy one album of Swedish Mellotron prog in the next several months or so, hold out for the new one from the resurrected Anglagard. If the new material they played at NEARfest is any indication, that album will make everyone forget about Gravity in a hurry. - Scott Hamrick [July 2003]

progweed.net







ANEKDOTEN - Gravity

When does a band sound like itself yet tries to move itself into new directions? That very case is presented here with Anekdoten's 2003 release, Gravity. Gone is Anna Sofi Dahlberg's cello, but the things that made Anekdoten a band so outstanding in the 90's (strong bass lines, mellotron, heavy riffs) are here. The band also tries to take its' sound in new directions, which could cause some "old and faithful" fans to lose interest. I sincerely hope not, as they'd be missing out on a band that is looking to expand its universe of sounds and allows all of us on the journey.

The album opens with Monolith, a song that would feel quite comfortable on Anekdoten's first release, Vemod (1993). There are few guitar solos here, but it doesn't hinder the song any. It's more about setting up a groove. Jan-Erik Liljestrom's bass rips through the song while Nicklas Berg (now Barker)'s guitar accentuates Jan-Erik's vocals. Peter Nordins' drums are further back in the mix but they're there more to accompany the track rather than to lead it. The mellotron (and fender Rhodes) accompanies the track to give it a different vibe than the vocal passages would you leave you to believe it was going. The breakdown section (around 3:30) takes the song in a completely different direction altogether.

Ricochet follows, led by a great mellotron line by Anna. Nicklas takes the lead vocal spot here. The song is a little bit of a departure as the lyric sections are musically sparse (by Anekdoten standards) but the chorus sections are drenched in mellotron (this is a good thing) and a heavy bass accentuation by Jan-Erik (which is his "sound" if I had to pinpoint it). A keyboard solo (around 3:10) is a bit back in the mix, allowing the bass to lead the way. The mellotron fury comes back around the 4:00 minute mark with Nicklas sending the song on its way with some great vocals around the 4:35 mark. This ending is more Crimsonique at first but if you are familiar with Anekdoten's sound, it's just part of their toolbox of great melodies and sounds. An acoustic guitar passage ends the song around the 5:25 mark.

The next song is The War Is Over, and it starts off with acoustic guitar and some interesting percussion to set the mood. Right off the bat you know this does not sound like your typical "Anekdoten" song. Nicklas takes the lead here on vocals. The song is a departure for the band, as the bass is buried deep in the mix and the acoustic guitar is the lead instrument on this track. This does has mellotron accompanying Nicklas's vocals, allowing the listener to follow the vocal melody. An acoustic guitar solo starts around 3:15, with the mellotron following close behind to accentuate the mood.

What Should But Did Not Die starts out with a mood and a groove rather than "in-your-face" sounds. The beginning wouldn't be out of place as a DOORS song. Jan-Erik's vocals only add to the mood by singing through the mood created rather than trying to make his voice the most important part of the song. This adds to the songs' effectiveness as more of a "mood" piece than a song like Monolith which is heavier. You could say that his vocals here stand out more because...they don't stand out! The mood makes you want to delve deeper into Jan-Erik's vocals to know exactly what he is saying. The guitar solo (starting at 3:30) increases the mood and tempo, with the drums not going overboard and allowing the bass and guitars to breathe. The breakdown section at 4:08 takes the song in a completely different directions (is that a cowbell I hear in the background?). The outro of the breakdown section (beginning around 5:03) is typical Anekdoten, albeit done much differently. The "solo" here is somber, almost sad. The "groove" comes back around 5:40 or so to bring the song full circle and allows Jan-Erik to finish his vocal passage.

The next track is SW4, which starts off with a drum beat and some scat vocals, then followed with a guitar/keyboard passage to set the stage. Nicklas takes the lead here, with the bass/drums/keyboard backing him up. Anna's background vocals accentuate Nicklas's vocals quite well on this track, as you normally don't hear her vocals in this context. Each of the vocal sections end with an odd piano/vocal treatment which is very unlike Anekdoten, yet seems right in place. Some vocal scatting occurs right after the 2nd chorus, which builds to an almost Doors-esque passage. The scene changes itself around the 4:10 mark with Jan-Erik's bass attempting to move the track forward back to the original groove. His attempt fails, as the vocals and guitar melody get louder and louder. Finally the drums and bass stop, letting the guitars and vocals continue on together.

A guitar melody begins Gravity (the longest song on the album, clocking in at 8:20), with Nicklas singing about angels, love, and gravity. When Nicklas's vocal passage completes (accompanying with bass and fender Rhodes), the band breaks into "hey, we're still Anekdoten and we know how to rawk!" mode around 1:35. Your typical Crimson/Anekdoten-esque mellotron-lead passage starts with a guitar outro into the vocal sections, done as before yet now with guitar and the drum beat driving the song along. I could see this song being played on the radio driving down an open road in the middle of nowhere as the sun was beginning to set (that's the mood that I see when listening to this track). The vocal section ends around 3:21, letting the more-typical Anekdoten sound come back into play. Around 4:20 or so, the vocals come back but the Anekdotenesque style does not leave us, allowing the mellotron to lead the passage along with Nicklas's vocal melody. The breakdown section of the track starts at 5:10 or so with a joint bass/guitar line. The cymbal-rides of Peter suggest something's right around the band, at 6:10 a great groove comes out of the first breakdown section. The bass is the lead here, followed closely behind by some keyboard sounds that aren't the lead instrument but they're *just* behind the bass enough to give you that "driving" feeling that I mentioned earlier. At 7:20, the breakdown section ends, returning us to the heavy section to complete the song...wait, is that acoustic guitar I hear around the 8:00 minute mark? Very cool ending.

The Games We Play begins with some acoustic guitar and vocals by Nicklas. The piano comes in right after the 1st vocal passage (totally unlike Anekdoten...not that this is a bad thing!) and accompanies Nicklas through the 2nd vocal passage. The bass is buried deep in the mix, letting the guitar effects take center stage and set the somber mood that this song chooses to stay in...until about 2:45, when everything but the keys disappear, giving an almost ambient twist to the song. No, this isn't ambient music, this is Anekdoten!

Seljak completes the album, with the main groove starting around 25 seconds, led by bass first and guitar close behind. Keyboards mimic the guitar lead. The scene changes moods around the 2 minute mark, with the bass holding down in odd keys the fort as the mood changes it's groove to a more sinister one. At the 2:30, the groove ends to a bass/guitar passage which enters into a new segue way (with acoustic guitar to add to the section). The mellotron starts at the 3:13 mark, becoming the "vocal" section of the piece. The guitars fatten up a tad around the 3:35 mark and get louder, with a solo starting around 4:05. You can hear the mellotron softly in the background, crying to be heard. Around the 5 minute mark, the mellotron comes back into the lead, joining the guitar. The track "ends" at 5:16, suddenly.

Gravity is, to this reviewer, an album that continues the new chapter of Anekdoten (which started with 2000's release From Within). The cover art (seen above) really does fit the music. They're on a new planet, looking at the earth they know and love. This album is filled with the staples of what Anekdoten is known for as well as plenty of new surprises to keep you on your toes. I don't know what planet that girl on the cover is on, but if the music on Gravity is any indication as to where she is, I want a ticket to get there.

www.progscape.com






Anekdoten - Gravity

Released: 2003 (June)
Label: Virta
Cat. No.: Virta 004
Total Time: 46:22


Reviewed by: John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, June 2003
Getting your hands on a brand new Anekdoten studio album is like a Christmas feeling that never stops. In the case of Gravity we were rather lucky to be able to get it during the band's short tour, as the finished product only reached the band a day before they left! Talk of suspense! What strikes me is that no fewer than three of the four musicians play the mellotron, but sadly I also notice that Anna Sofi Dahlberg no longer plays the cello. I thought that the cello was an integral part of the Anekdoten sound, but this proves just how wrong one can be. Anekdoten's music has always been physically demanding, what with the extremely low sound of the bass and the many rhythmic changes. The band opens with "Monolith," which is the kind of song one would associate with the band's previous album From Within. However on most of the album they will clearly leave their path in order to explore new territories. And that new direction is mainly in the hands of our beloved Anna Sofi Dahlberg, who this time around takes on the role as "fulltime" keyboard player. She's not the kind of virtuoso who will tickle the ivories faster than the speed of light, yet she adds interesting touches and plays a mean bit of mellotron. Nicklas Berg, who in the liner notes is called "Nicklas Barker," delivers a very unique guitar sound, experimenting with flanger and reverb that in turn complement the rest of the arrangement very well. And arrangement is the major difference between this album and their previous releases. This time around the band has taken the time to analyze their compositions and add little bits and pieces to make the end result more intresting. This kind of implies that Anekdoten no longer finds it necessary to compose loud and repetitive compositions all the time. On the contrary, as Jan Erik can approach his bass guitar from a different angle, with the music becoming kind of ambient in places.

With "The War Is Over," it's as if you are rocketed back towards the sixties and its psychedelic heydays. Both Nicklas and Jan Erik don't have strong voices, but it's that slight hesitation in their voices that brings a certain extra dimension to the music. Here Peter Nordin simply adds some percussion, whilst Nicklas performs on acoustic guitar backed by prominent mellotron, delivering a slight Arabian feel. "What Should But Did Not Die" is a very addictive kind of song with the perfect blend of guitar and keyboards. With a track written and conceived in London, "SW4" maybe can be seen as the future direction for the band, as this time around also Anna Sofi sings. The result is no longer prog as we know it, but rather the direction of bands such as Paatos or the Belgian band Hooverphonic. Needless to say, the band has its fair share of the production duties and over the years they've managed to learn their way around the studio fairly easy. Throughout the band's career I have often spotted similarities to the new wave band The Sound, and here a song like "Gravity" could well be an outtake of The Sound's very own From The Lion's Mouth album. Especially when the mellotrons are introduced there's a slight resemblance with the song "Winning." And for sure this title track is a winner in every respect. And addictive! Very addictive!

The sound of the loud mellotron has just died down and the band introduces another acoustic composition. "The Games We Play" almost sounds like those sentimental Bilitis soundtracks once again drifting on Nicklas' uncertain singing. It's a short piece but ever so beautiful and fragile, ending in a haze of sound. The album closes with "Seljak" which is the Servian word for farmer. Here guitar and Farfisa play the same chords together, resulting in a powerful sound backed by Peter Nordin, who is equally effective as a Swiss watch. Vibraphone adds an unexpected flavour in order to yet again deliver a very interesting track that is not that typical Anekdoten. So it looks like Gravity introduces a newborn Anekdoten, a band who tries to progress in every possible way without adding unnecessary guests or instruments. In a way you could say they deliver "more with less." It's still Anekdoten, mind you, but a new Anekdoten with an ear for detail, a sense for fantastic arrangements, and a superb album as result. A very interesting development and not once did I miss that cello!

More about Gravity:

Track Listing: Monolith / Ricochet / The War Is Over / What Should But Did Not Die / SW4 / Gravity / The Games We Play / Seljak

Musicians:
Anna Sofi Dahlberg - mellotron, voice, piano, Farfisa, organ
Nicklas Berg - voice, guitars, mellotron, Fender Rhodes, Farfisa organ
Jan Erik Liljestrom - bass, voice
Peter Nordins - drums, cymbals, vibraphone, mellotron

Contact:

Website: www.anekdoten.se
Note: will open new browser window

Email: anekdoten@anekdoten.se

Discography

Vemod (1991)
Nucleus (1995)
Official Bootleg: Live in Japan (1998)
From Within (1999)
Gravity (2003)







Anekdoten - Gravity
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Release Date: 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track Listing
1) Monolith
2) Ricochet
3) The War Is Over
4) What Should But Did Not Die
5) SW4
6) Gravity
7) The Games We Play
8) Seljak

Member: Duncan Glenday - 07/03/03
Style : Symphonic Progressive Rock

Rating : 3-1/2 out of 5

Summary : A sophisticated, modern incarnation of classic symphonic progressive rock. A little spacey.

Since Anekdoten started off as a King Crimson tribute band, comparisons with Crimson are inevitable. But their work has progressed through their 4 studio albums in 12 years, and the Swedish foursome has established a sound and a style of their own. And Gravity is a big step in their new direction.

If there was ever a failure to understand the value of recurring themes and selective repetition, this album should be prescribed as a case study: A cynical reviewer might remark that all of the songs on this album sound the same, and that after listening to the title track you have heard everything Gravity has to offer. But that cynic would be rewarded by closer inspection, by the subtleties and the class of music that shine through.

Despite the deliberate similarity of the sounds on most tracks, they escape monotony not with melody but with texture and mood. And after listening to Gravity, you probably won't remember any of the melodies - but you won't forget sound. It sticks in the mind and haunts for hours after the CD has stopped playing.

And if our cynic still doesn't get it, he should go back to reviewing pop.

After listening to Gravity several times, the lasting impression is the rhythm! It changes, it is gentle, but it is persistent and relentless - carried now by bass, now by percussion, now by lead guitar, now by acoustic guitar, and at times, even by a simple piano melody. With few exceptions, the rhythm does not let up - even in times when there is no percussion, it is always there, always driving the music along quietly but insistently.

Nicklas Berg's somewhat unusual, often Fripp-like guitar sound ties the album together nicely with its consistency and distinct tones - usually played clean, often with heavy reverb. Listen for the passages with electric guitar played in the acoustic style - finger picked and very clean.

Some of the lyrics are good but others fall into the common trap of pseudo poetry so esoteric that it challenges analysis.

On this album, Anna Sofi Dahlberg is a full-time keyboard player and some-time contributor of high range female vocal effects. Gravity is a Mellotron-fest, with lush tones on almost every track, punctuated by simple piano passages. In addition a Farfisa - the poor-man's Hammond - is used sparingly in the final track.

Peter Nordins' percussion is particularly good. Never in the way, but deeply integrated into the music.

Voice is the weak link here, effective in some places, but generally fragile and uncertain. So it is fortunate that most of the lullaby-soft vocals are withdrawn into the texture of the sound, like another instrument. Remember - this is music, not songs. This is symphonic prog with vocals, not neo.

No track really stands out from the others, but pay attention to "Monolith", which reminds you that this is Anekdoten and sets the tone, and "Gravity", the title track, whose themes define the album.

Track 3, "The War Is Over", combines mellotron, acoustic guitar and occasional bongos - in a combination that works remarkably well

The 3 minute "The Games We Play", is a sentimental ballad with those whispy vocals accompanied by acoustic guitar and gentle piano in the beginning, gradually introducing keys and electric guitar, and fading into ambient, spacey echoes. Delicate and elegant.

The closing track "Seljak" has unusual instruments (vibraphone and a rather brash Farfisa tracking a heavily reverberated guitar), and a bass foundation that rollicks along in the higher registers with an insistent fusion-like timbre that gives this piece a breathless pace, even when it slows down. But for the occasional female voice, it is an instrumental piece that works well, closing out the album after a short 45 minutes.

There are no soaring guitar solos on Gravity, no keyboards to set the world alight, and no powerful vocals. This is a composition, and although it is not a concept album, those themes that recur again and again can make it a demanding listen. This is music for the intelligencia, although it could also be played as an ambient, slightly spacey background sound.

Gravity won't set the prog world on fire, but it is a solid piece which will be played again and again - and every prog collection should include a copy.


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