A couple of random thoughts on Skweee:
- Man it’s a lot of pressure coming up third in a google search for Skweee.
- I’ve never really loved the whole Wiki thing, but when you need a little more info about Skweee it certainly does come in handy.
- It’s also nice to know that there are people more knowledgeable than me when it comes to Skweee, particularly when that person, Pavan, is credited with creating the genre!
I was led to Skweee by the Swedish artist known as Rigas. Every time I hear one of his simple, yet I’m sure infuriatingly complex tunes, I can’t help but tap my foot and wish I was at a rave in some cow field outside of Umea. I’ve learned that the beats are slower than comparative electronic music from Europe but at the same time the pure funk factor is very high. Skweee is a new and burgeoning genre, depending on who you talk to there are between 2 and 3 labels devoted to it and maybe a dozen active bands. A swede named Frans Carlqvist is credited with pioneering the sound (a mix of c-64, electronic dance, R `n’ B and dancehall) as well as starting the first label Flogsta Danshall. He performs under the name of Pavan.
Flogsta Danshall has just released the first ever Skweee compilation CD titled Museum Of Future Sound (previously the bulk of skweee releases were 7″). It’s comprised of all Scandinavian artists including from Sweden: Rigas Den Andre, Pavan, Beem and Uday. I can’t recommend this highly enough. This sampler is a great introduction to this futuristic robotic funk. Buy Museum of Future Sound here.
Green Lantern – Rigas Den Andre
The Bird – Pavan
Earlier 7″ from Pavan
There’s even a You Tube video from the non-swede Mesak and their song “Popkumn”