I’m taking advantage of the long weekend by “clearing out the cobwebs” here on Popservations. Behind the scenes of this blog is a sizable pile of newspaper and magazine clippings, TiVo recordings, scribbled notes, and text messages to myself—bits of pop culture captured nearly nonstop as I determine what to feature here. So although the origin of today’s post dates back a good 10+ months, the subject still merits a mention.
The May 2008 issue of Details included an interview with Swedish pop singer Robyn, whom I adore and whose eponymous album I continue to play regularly. First released in Sweden in April 2005, a UK edition of Robyn followed in 2007 (I purchased my copy during a visit to London that May). Last year, her album finally saw a proper release on these shores, and the Details article coincided with that timing.
In the piece, Robyn was asked to share some favorite music from her fellow Swedes. In addition to The Knife and Peter Bjorn and John, she called out Familjen, describing the sound as “punk-techno, really simple and rugged.” Coming from Robyn, that endorsement alone would have been enough for me to go in search of more, but she went on to call Familjen’s “Det Snurrar I Min Skalle” her favorite song of the year. If it’s up Robyn’s alley, I surmised, it would likely move me as well.
As you may have guessed from the photo at right, Familjen is a one-man band. Johan Karlsson lists Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, The Stone Roses, and Grand Funk Railroad (?) among his influences. Originally issued overseas in 2007, “Det Snurrar I Min Skalle” (loosely translated as “My Head Is Spinning”) is deceptively simple in construction. Because the lyrics are in Swedish, I haven’t a clue as to what Karlsson is singing about, but his melody will undoubtedly get you spinning too.
While the tune alone is fantastic, the video is definitely worth the watch, inventively using reclaimed footage from some sort of religious revival meeting:
The “Det Snurrar I Min Skalle” video was directed by frequent Madonna collaborator Johan Söderberg, who most recently crafted the “Get Stupid” interlude for her “Sticky & Sweet” Tour. Familjen won the equivalent of a Grammy in its homeland for the clip and Pitchfork named it one of 2007’s best.
Though the calendar now reads 2009, much like Robyn’s current-yet-recorded-long-ago release, Familjen’s “Det Snurrar I Min Skalle” seems poised to remain in tune for years. I don’t know how Swedes concoct such long-lasting pop, but I think Robyn and Familjen will be on my iPod for quite a while.
Purchase Familjen’s “Det Snurrar I Min Skalle” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.
