Slaraffenland - Private Cinema

Based in Copenhagen, Slaraffenland found it's final formation in 2002: Christian Taagehøj, Mike Taagehøj, Bjørn Heebøll, Niklas Antonsson, and Jeppe Skjold. They expertly expanded on the guitar-bass-drums standard with brass and woodwind instruments, various racketmakers, and transfixing gang vocals. Many of them childhood friends (and Mike and Christian identical twins), they've spent years developing a sound that conjures everything from free jazz to noise to melodious addictive rock. The band began their own label, Honningmand, to release their self-titled debut album in 2004. This was quickly followed in 2005 by Jinkatawa, an EP produced by Mads Brauer and Casper Clausen (from fellow Danish band Efterklangt. Slaraffenland joined Hometapes in 2006 and began work on Private Cinema. Private Cinema is one of those records that just screams 'album.' There are one-million-and-one ideas pouring out of every nook and cranny. Little drops of sunshine pelt you in the face until a summer thunderstorm sneaks up from behind you. Startled, you turn and take it head-on. The songs are rarely in a hurry to get where they are going, but it's such a delight when they arrive. Rock (post and otherwise), jazz (avant and otherwise), electronics (both 'out there' and accessible), and vocals (sung, shouted, chanted, & hummed) all find themselves intermingling.