club8
1995年，成立Club 8，96年出版第一张唱片《Nouvelle》。七年里，他们曾经在不同的唱片公司出版唱片，其中包括西班牙甜美夏日名厂Siesta公司，后来离开，选择了DIY的自主之路，自行制作唱片，然后交由不同的唱片公司发行，因为这样的方式可以直抒真我情怀。
乐队的标志是女主唱Karolina的飘逸嗓音，七年来，这把声音在多少个寒风袭来的夜晚给无数孤寂心灵带来一丝暖意；乐队的主脑是Johan，他负责Club 8所有歌曲的创作和乐器，同时还和弟弟组成另一支乐队The Acid Kings；除此之外，以音乐为生的他还拥有一间录音棚Summersound Studio，出版了很多专供夏日聆听的惬意声响；最后，他还是Labrador唱片公司的要员。
Johan喜欢美国导演Woody Allen，Hal Hartly，以及当地著名作家Ulf Lundell，但Club 8的音乐并非受他们影响，而是受其他热爱的乐队和他们自己的生活影响。Johan最喜欢英国乐队The Smiths，对他来说，这支乐队开启了另一个让人目眩神迷的世界的大门；他深信， The Smiths为所有的Indie Pop乐队打开了音乐工业的大门；听到The Smiths，让很多人大开眼界。
Club 8有很多怪习惯，比如说他们不希望太出名，又比如说他们觉得瑞典当地的流行榜上多数是一些垃圾音乐。他们也从来不作现场演出，因为乐队中只有两个人，现场演出无法表现所有乐器，除非是事先制作音乐在现场卡拉OK或者邀请其他乐手，但这都是他们所厌恶的；他们讨厌彩排，也从来不彩排自己的歌曲----“现场演奏是浪费时间，我们不喜欢、也无法在现场好好演奏”----仿佛他们生来只为在录音棚里制作美妙的声音。他们习惯把歌写好后，就马上在自己的录音棚里录音，因为这样可以更好地保留创作时最初始的感觉。一般来说，他们的歌曲成品做好离创作的时间最多只有一个星期，有时甚至只是几分钟。
Club 8的音乐风格是Anorak Pop和Easy Listening的混合体，类似的声音我们也许听过，从前的Sarah Record和新干线唱片公司就有很多情调动人的类似出品，但他们又是独一无二的。根据Johan自己的形容，Club 8是：“旋律优美的，哀愁、感性、放松的（Melodic，Melancholic，Sensitive，Ease Down）”，他希望在音乐中更好地表达自己，不希望别人听到他们时说：噢，他们听起来象谁谁谁。
喜欢Club 8清亮的声音以及淡淡的伤怀的感觉。
转评:四季流转的club 8 作者：秀树
第一张唱片Nouvelle推出的时候正是1996年夏天，当时Johan和Karolina还是二十出头，象很多瑞典的年轻人一样在迪厅认识差不多刚好一年，正在热恋中，有人说，即使现在来听这张唱片，音乐中还仿佛带有冻结时光的魔力，也许那时两人都希望彼此能永远如此靠近，象两张相邻的书页。
1998年秋天，他们推出了The Friend I Once Had，而两人已经由恋人成为了朋友，唱片中的几首歌如I Wish You'd Stay、The End Of The Affair等等，都好像如风中落叶一样在追述这段恋情，特别在missing you 中唱到：now I know ，I was wrong about you ，I still can't be without you。仿佛告诉我们虽然书页已不再写满爱情，但依然充满着两人雅致而优美的音乐。
2001年的冬天，他们出了club 8同名唱片，于是在那个初冬的夜晚，我听到了这首love in December:
so this is love in the end of december
quiet nights quiet stars
and i'm here monday to sunday
cause you're fragile and i'm weak
往事随风涌上了心头,踏着单车从桥头冲下，歌声顺着发尖和记忆一起逝去，碎成过去的一场温暖的小雪，簌簌的落在身上，象爱一样慢慢融化，渗入躯体，犹如主唱Karolina细腻温润的声音刚刚落在耳里，就密密的渗入了心里。几段钢琴又使歌曲流转着波光，象挂在眉梢的融化的水光。那是个纯净的冬天，有下雪的喜悦，也有节日的忙乱的喜悦，当然还有在温暖的被窝里期待春天的喜悦。
Club 8是冬季圣诞的音乐盒，每一首的编排都如音乐盒里那根闪光的金属轴，布满精心安排的金属凸点，当它转动时，琴键落在上面，击出优美的旋律和迷人的声响，听到的人都会喜欢，这人工的精巧的极致。今年春天，他们又出了第四张唱片，Spring Came，Rain Fall，春天到了，春雨下了，四季流转的club 8，他们的歌声又如鲜花一样在雨中开放了！
另:
2001年Indie Pop的风继续强劲地横吹2002年,但过多雷同的吉他手法和简朴的唱腔已经开始让人发腻,从早期的Blueboy到中期的Belle&Sebastian继而Edson,早已让我厌倦.但Indie pop重镇瑞典出品的Club 8却又是一个破例.
Club 8依然能走出一条吸引人的路线,是因为他们淡淡地为Indie Pop抹上了一层synth-pop外衣,这点和Trembling Blue Stars的作法有点类似,Club 8巧到好处电化,并没有掩盖自身清新流行的guitar-based主线.即使这次Club 8试着带出一些类似"Say A Prayer"这样充满太空迷离电子的深沉作品,也不乏过去那份初恋般的可爱.主音Karolina的轻谈浅唱,而负责词曲创作的Johan有时也会羞涩地唱着和音,听着Club 8,就如春风抚面,无论是阳光明媚的早上或者是繁星闪烁的夜晚都是欣赏Club 8音乐的绝佳时光.
其实纵观整个清新流行界,从最早期到C86到Sarah厂牌似乎都不属于我的时代,但新锐的瑞典清新品牌Larbrador和Siesta则显得更加平易近人.(文/Indieman)
第一张唱片Nouvelle推出的时候正是1996年夏天，当时Johan和Karolina还是二十出头，象很多瑞典的年轻人一样在迪厅认识差不多刚好一年，正在热恋中，有人说，即使现在来听这张唱片，音乐中还仿佛带有冻结时光的魔力，也许那时两人都希望彼此能永远如此靠近，象两张相邻的书页。
1998年秋天，他们推出了The Friend I Once Had，而两人已经由恋人成为了朋友，唱片中的几首歌如I Wish You'd Stay、The End Of The Affair等等，都好像如风中落叶一样在追述这段恋情，特别在missing you 中唱到：now I know ，I was wrong about you ，I still can't be without you。仿佛告诉我们虽然书页已不再写满爱情，但依然充满着两人雅致而优美的音乐。
2001年的冬天，他们出了club 8同名唱片，于是在那个初冬的夜晚，我听到了这首love in December:
so this is love in the end of december
quiet nights quiet stars
and i'm here monday to sunday
cause you're fragile and i'm weak
往事随风涌上了心头,踏着单车从桥头冲下，歌声顺着发尖和记忆一起逝去，碎成过去的一场温暖的小雪，簌簌的落在身上，象爱一样慢慢融化，渗入躯体，犹如主唱Karolina细腻温润的声音刚刚落在耳里，就密密的渗入了心里。几段钢琴又使歌曲流转着波光，象挂在眉梢的融化的水光。那是个纯净的冬天，有下雪的喜悦，也有节日的忙乱的喜悦，当然还有在温暖的被窝里期待春天的喜悦。
Club 8是冬季圣诞的音乐盒，每一首的编排都如音乐盒里那根闪光的金属轴，布满精心安排的金属凸点，当它转动时，琴键落在上面，击出优美的旋律和迷人的声响，听到的人都会喜欢，这人工的精巧的极致。今年春天，他们又出了第四张唱片，Spring Came，Rain Fall，春天到了，春雨下了，四季流转的club 8，他们的歌声又如鲜花一样在雨中开放了！
Club 8 was formed in 1995 by Karolina Komstedt (from the band Poprace) and Johan Angergd (Acid House Kings, Poprace). They immediately signed with the Spanish label Siesta and released a single called "Me too" and an album called "Nouvelle". Their sound at this point could almost be categorised as "anorak pop" with influences ranging from Sarah bands, Jim Ruiz, and The Smiths.
In 1998/1999 their 2nd album - "The friend I once had" - and single - "Missing you" - were released. "Missing you" became a club and radio hit in Spain and a college radio fave in North America. The band started playing live, their first gig was in New York at March Records' 1998 CMJ event. Their sound had developed into a more bossa nova and dance oriented one.
Striving for constant change and improvements, the band once again changed musical direction on their 3rd album in 2001. "Club 8" is a beautifully laidback - almost a chill out - album, though it was often compared to Portishead, Air, and called triphop upon release. Club 8 did not rest after the release of "Club 8". In the autumn of 2001 the band locked themselves in the famous Summersound Studios; writing songs and experimenting with different sounds and songs. Dub, C-86, triphop, chill out, 80's and bossa nova were mixed-up here, without ever losing focus on those wonderfully Scandinavian and melancholic pop melodies. The album was named "Spring came, rain fell" and was released in 2002.
Later in 2002, Club 8 started working on a follow up for "Spring came, rain fell". This time Club 8 crept closer to the listener with a more focused sound theme. It's warmer, possibly more acoustic, and definitely more sensitive. The result is "Strangely Beautiful" - and yes, it is their best album so far. The album peaked at #18 on the CMJ charts. For the first time since 1999 the band released a single and video from the album. Backed by 5 exclusive tracks, the song "Saturday night engine" was released as a single in the spring of 2003 and the video made it to #16 on the Up North chart on MTV Nordic.
After having released 3 albums and 2 EPs in two years, Club 8 is now slowing down the tempo. This means you will probably have to wait until 2004, or even early 2005, before the next album is released. . .
Nouvelle
曲目 · · · · · ·1. Blue Skies
2. Don't Be Gone
3. Breakdown
4. She Never Calls Me
5. Love Affair
6. Sunday Afternoon
7. Those Charming Men
8. All Dressed Up And Shy
9. I Guess I Was Wrong
10. Look Out!
Saturday Night Engine
Club 8's spring 2003 EP, Saturday Night Engine, is a turning point in the band's young career. This is mostly due to the title track. "Saturday Night Engine" is a song unlike any other Club 8 song committed to record. A pounding drum beat like a Swedish Northern soul stomper, gleefully twisting guitar lines, a fat and funky organ, and Johan Andergard's uncharacteristically excited vocals combine to make this a classic indie pop song. It is the first Club 8 track that makes you want to get up and jump around for joy. It is the first track that transcends their influences (Saint Etienne, the Cardigans) and sounds like a truly inspired band. The next track is closer to typical Club 8 fare; "I Have No Plan" is a dreamy ballad that shows off Karolina Komstedt's sultry vocals. Elsewhere the band dabbles in distorted, dramatic Slowdive-esque shoegazing on "So Tied Up"; hip-hop on the abbreviated "Giza"; glitzy Euro dance-pop on "People Who Would Go For You"; and otherworldly trip-hop with a country feel on the very good and quite-reminiscent-of-One Dove "Sometimes I Feel Like a Loser." The previous Club 8 record found the group to be repeating themselves and drifting toward boredom, but this EP bucks that trend in a very emphatic manner. The band sounds much more interested in arrangements and musical exploration here, the vocals sound inspired, and the songs are memorable. Fans of Club 8 who had begun to write the band off will be pleasantly surprised to say the least.
曲目 · · · · · ·1. Saturday Night Engine
2. I Have No Better Plan
3. So Tied Up
4. Giza
5. People Who Would Go for You
6. Sometimes I Feel Like A Loser
Spring Came, Rain Fell
曲目 · · · · · ·1. We're Simple Minds
2. Spring Came, Rain Fell
3. Spring Song
4. Close To Me
5. Baby, I'm Not Sure If This I..
6. The Chance I Deserve
7. I Give Up Too
8. Friends And Lovers
9. Teenage Life
10. Karen Song
11. The Girl With The Northern S..
12. We Set Ourselves Free
Strangely Beautiful
曲目 · · · · · ·1. When Lights Go Out
2. What Shall We Do Next?
3. I Wasn't Much Of A Fight
4. Stay By My Side
5. Cold Hearts
6. Between Waking And Sleeping
7. This Is The Morning
8. The Next Step You'll Take
9. The Beauty Of The Way We're Living
10. Saturday Night Engine
11. We Move In Silence
Club 8
曲目 · · · · · ·1. Love In December
2. Boyfriends Stay
3. She Lives By The Water
4. The Sand And The Sea
5. Falling From Grace
6. Hope For Winter
7. London
8. Say A Prayer
9. A Place In My Heart
10. I Don't Need Anyone
11. Keeping Track Of Time