the kora records

Fredrik: Chrome Cavities [Video]

Andy Fenstermaker
May 8, 2011May 7, 2011

In a video from Fredrik, you know you’re always going to get something a bit different, just like their music. And just like their music, you know it will be a little strange but very good. “Chrome Cavities” continues this pattern, using a play on shadows and color. It features “a vintage British overhead projector, an off-white canvas, scissors, paper, 8 hands and a fishtank full of flammable liquids.” The result is your standard Fredrik genius. Read More »Fredrik: Chrome Cavities [Video]

Fredrik: Flora [Video]

Andy Fenstermaker
April 18, 2011April 16, 2011

36.1 minutes. That is the length of the new Fredrik album, Flora. Not bad, especially since the band has put together a video that spans that amount of time and covers the album in its entirety. Brilliant, I say! Flora continues what Fredrik has created on their past two releases – eerie experimental pop music that is other-worldly. Read More »Fredrik: Flora [Video]

Fredrik: Origami [7″ Single Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
November 15, 2010November 12, 2010

Consistent in experimentation, exploring the outer reaches of dream pop is Swedish trio Fredrik. On their most recent release, Origami,… Read More »Fredrik: Origami [7″ Single Review]

Donny Hue and the Colors [Feature]

Andy Fenstermaker
August 5, 2010August 4, 2010

Donny Hue and the Colors is back on the radar this summer, dishing out what he’s dubbing fre(e)-singles. Two free… Read More »Donny Hue and the Colors [Feature]

Fredrik: Trilogi [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
February 1, 2010February 1, 2010

The duo of Lindefelt and Fredrik have come a long way since their early work together under their indie pop guise of The Lovekevins. With two entirely too brief EPs, the band transformed into The LK again with Lindefelt at the helm. This was the duo’s first foray into noise-pop, and the single Private Life Of A Cat was our introduction to their new sound. That in itself would lead directly into the band’s first LP, Vs. The Snow. Up to, and including, that album, the band had begun to formulate something very special in the partnership between the two musicians, and it was fully realized when the other stepped into the limelight in their new project, simply dubbed Fredrik. Read More »Fredrik: Trilogi [Album Review]

Fredrik: Vinterbarn [Video]

Andy Fenstermaker
December 14, 2009December 15, 2019

Listening to Fredrik’s dark pop, it should be easy to hear why I believe this is one of the most promising acts around. Off their forthcoming LP “Trilogi”, here’s their first video for a song called “Vinterbarn.”

Fredrik: Locked In The Basement [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
September 18, 2009December 13, 2009

When a new track or upcoming release is announced noting the master duo Fredrik and Lindefelt, be it their original project The LK (or known earlier as The Lovekevins) or the full group simply named Fredrik, the question is not whether they will deliver, it’s how much. Na Na Ni, to prove a point, was my #1 album of 2008. They return now with the upcoming sophomore release, Trilogi, once again to be released on The Kora Records. Read More »Fredrik: Locked In The Basement [Track Review]

Stricken City: Pull The House Down [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
September 16, 2009September 14, 2009

Stricken City‘s “Pull The House Down”, off their upcoming October 12 release Songs About People I Know, is poised to be one of fall’s hype tracks. With clever guitar riffs, enough cowbell to make Bruce Dickinson proud, and hefty synth lines, this London-based, female-fronted pop group is set to explode into international greatness. Read More »Stricken City: Pull The House Down [Track Review]

Donny Hue And The Colors [Feature]

Andy Fenstermaker
July 24, 2009July 23, 2009

Clouded in mystery is Donny Hue’s new track “Steps” off Free Sides. It is filled with pop sensibilities yet is shrouded in psychedelic production, giving the song and the band those added… err, colors. “Steps”, while pop-centric, is not necessarily a super upbeat song. It has echoing guitars masked with a lightly distorted reverb, and the percussion is consistent but downplayed. The vocals, on the other hand, are front and center: their prominence shines even when harmonies are not present. But perhaps the most telling sign that this song remains true to pop is the bouncy keys mostly hidden by the intense guitar mastery but for the closing solo moments. Read More »Donny Hue And The Colors [Feature]

The Great Northwest: The Widespread Reign Of… [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
July 4, 2009July 4, 2009

Iâ€™m becoming quite fond of The Kora Records. With only about a dozen releases under their belt, theyâ€™ve already established themselves as a powerfully unique label with an eye for great talent. Theyâ€™ve released phenomenal records by The LK (bringing the Swedish duo over to the US release of their debut LP), a few by Meredith Bragg, and the amazing Gregor Samsa. Read More »The Great Northwest: The Widespread Reign Of… [Album Review]