I’m right in the middle of a very unofficial series of posts on the upcoming Swedish festival known as Emmaboda (frankly in the hopes that someone over there will notice and invite me to come!). In one of my last posts I called it one of Sweden’s largest fests, but was quickly corrected by a reader. So while not the largest, it is the one most in sync with my tastes. Instead of booking the fest with bands that appeal to the lowest common denominator; they take a more curatorial approach, booking the bands they would like, seemingly with no other considerations (like have they played before, have a cd out, or even if anyone has ever heard of them). Sure this is one way to keep costs down, but it’s also a way to bring in the best underground acts.
Archie Bell is one such band. As you can see from the photo it seems the band coaxes the majority of their sound from a number of computers, keyboards and anything with knobs to twist. The sound has roots in the c-64 movement but also adds some pretty heavy beats to the mix as well as an occasional handclap and vocal affirmation (like yeah or whoa!). If you’re not bopping your head to “The Better Blueprint” you might have a problem.