When it comes to Swedish psych, they don’t come much more legendary than Kungens Man, so to find that they are releasing not just one, but two albums in the coming months is a cause worth celebrating. Recorded during breaks on their tour of Europe and the UK over the last two years, For samtida djur 1 is the first, and with its nine relatively short tracks, demonstrates a more playful side to the band than we are used too.
Replacing the usual lengthy jams (although these reputedly are being kept back for part 2), the tracks here are enticing snippets of a side of Kungens Man which we don‘t see too much. On first listen, they seem almost throwaway, but repeated listens bring out a depth to the tracks which is deceiving. A frame of reference could almost be Can’s soundtracks album, although rather than some disparate tracks bunched together, there is a cohesiveness to the album.
A number of different styles permeate this album, ranging from the motorik, to free jazz, workouts, and also fitting in some rather playful moments which are a rare commodity for the band. In some ways, the brevity of the tracks has allowed for the band to experiment more, and it is through these little experiments that we build a theme of exploration.
It will be interesting to see how this album lines up alongside its expected lengthier cousin, and whether the incessant drive of ‘Grovmotorik‘, or the buoyant ‘Motarbetaren’ becomes the main sound for those longer tracks. Of course, underneath it are the ghosts of free jazz pioneer such as Sanders and Coltrane, so we can surely expect our minds to be taken elsewhere.
For an album that almost feels like a stop gap on first listen, For samtida djur 1 is a really enjoyable entry in the now rather large Kungens Man discography. As it slowly grows, it’s little nooks and crannies become avenues you want to stay down longer. It’s variety and accessibility make it one of the more interesting entries from the band, and you feel that the band are having fun making the music which, after all, is exactly what you want to hear.
