Lost In Tyme Blog

Blandbladen - I Grevens Tid

Date of Release: 2003
2003 CD: Private Release

Tracks
01 - I Grevens Tid
02 - Pε Grφn Kvist
03 - I Afton Trans
04 - Dimland

Sebastian Wellander - Guitar, Sounds
Ola Eriksson - Synthesizer, Fender Rhodes
Dave Janney - Bass
Kaufmann Cosmo - Drums, Percussion

Notes:
- Blandbladen means "among the leaves" in Swedish.
- I Grevens Tid was recorded live Dec. 30-31, 2002
in the rehearsal studio.
- Only congas and percussion have been overdubbed.

Blandbladen are a quartet from Malmφ, Sweden who play a killer
instrumental brand of Space Rock that blends Ozric Tentacles,
jamming lysergic Psychedelia, Trance, and Progressive Rock. The
band consists of Solen (Ola Eriksson) on Fender Rhodes &
keyboards, Sabana (Sebastian Wellander) on guitar & sounds,
Kaufmann Cosmo on drums & percussion, and Dave Janney on bass &
fishmouth. I Grevens Tid is their first album and includes three
tracks in the 12-13 minute range and one at 6 minutes.

The set opens with "I Grevens Tid", laying down a cool
psychedelic groove and the Rhodes gives the music a 70's
prog-jazz flavor, while blending in more modern Space Rock
stylings α la Ozric Tentacles. But the band stretch out nicely,
transitioning through several themes, including a trippy Blues
psych segment peppered with liquid FX and hypnotic floating
atmospherics. "Pε Grφn Kvist" is a heavily Ozric influenced tune
that builds the pace and intensity to smokin psych-rock levels.
"I Afton Trans" and "Dimland" include some of the most high
energy trip rocking moments of the set. The music consists of
searing space rock with hints of Zappa amidst the Ozric styled
space vibe and old time kosmiche prog and heavy rock feel. The
rhythm section on "Dimland" is particularly heavy, pounding away
furiously while shooting alien synths and wah'd guitars wrap
themselves around your brain. Absolutely mind-bending and the
way the music evolves and builds positive energy and intensity
they could have easily gone on for 20 minutes or more and never
lost the listener's attention. So chock another one up for the
Swedes. This is 100% totally spaced out rock and prog played by
a band with pure psychedelic hearts. You are commanded to check
these guys out now!
-- Jerry Kranitz (Aural Innovations #24, July 2003)

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Blandbladen is a new band from Malmφ, Sweden, playing
instrumental progressive space rock. This four-piece band
reminds at times of Ozric Tentacles and through that also the
Finnish Hidria Spacefolk, but they've got a more organic style
than these two bands. They don't use sequencers, backing tapes
or machine beats, so they might have been around in the 70's, as
well.

This stuff is also more progressive, in the mellow 70's style.
At times the bubbling analogue synths do bring to mind the
Ozrics, and this band certainly has listened a lot to Gong and
Steve Hillage.

This, about 45 minutes long album has four long tracks. "I
Grevens Tid" is a long prog giant with many parts, also
including some jazz and folk influences. The reggae styled "Pε
Grφn Kvist" sounds a lot like early Ozric Tentacles, and one
bass riff is a rather direct loan. In the end the track grows
nicely into a more groovy direction. Very good guitar solos and
nice percussions.

"I Afton Trans" starts very peacefully and slowly, the comp
comes along after about two and a half minutes. There are some
wacky, spacey analogue synth effects to create a pretty
psychedelic atmosphere. At seven minutes point, the track cools
down, a nice Fender Rhodes part begins, and it's being stretched
out until 13 minutes.

The last track, "Dimland", grooves very well with its bluesy
rhythm. This faster track also has some oriental Gong feel to
it. After 5 minutes and a very quiet part, an interesting and
very fine delay guitar thing starts, which reminds a bit of
Ashra. After this, reggae rhythms give way to an Ozrics-like end
climax.

Blandbladen is a very talented and welcome newcomer to the space
rock circles, and will for sure also get the interest of a lot
of the fans of more traditional prog.
-- Santtu Laakso (Space Rock)

This great album was posted in Lost-In-Tyme when the initial issue (private) was out of print.
Now it's reissued by Transabstance label and it's available to all.

Visit Blandbladen's myspace page for a taste and buy it from here or here.
Originally posted by Innocent76 at January 2007.