Fractions and Pastures Brus 017

Whether being Denmarks’ most popular Swede in September 2010, should be considered positive or not, as well as the significace of it, escapes us. What we do know is that multi-instrumentalist Gustaf Ljunggren has been called this on numerous occasions over the last year. It does however seem quite clear that Anders Lund Madsen’s Det Nye Talkshow and Gustafs role as musical director of said TV-show has had some importance in the matter. That Gustaf left Sweden in time for the Royal Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, and spends his time in Copenhagen and Berlin, may also have been beneficial. Be this as it may, Gustaf has hit home in Denmark.

In Sweden Gustaf Ljunggren has mainly been heard as bandleader in Sofia Karlsson’s touring band. He also shared producer credits with the singer on her latest outing ”Söder om kärleken.

Fractions and Pastures is Gustaf’s first album under his own name. It’s an album that may be described as a musical improvised road movie from an American journey. Four different studios in three different cities, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle, where Gustaf meet up with a star studded posse of four Americans and a Dane, in Free fall towards a maybe common ground, in a music where the meeting, the actual recording situation and the studio room in itself, and the result of these circumstances are the sole purposes.

Short bios:

Gustaf Ljunggren is a Swedish musician born in 1974. GL has played with a number of the most important musicians from different countries and generations, among them Sofia Karlsson, C.V. Jørgensen, Boo Hewerdine, Robyn och Eivør Palsdottir.

As a musician GL has distinguished himself through his intuitive approach to music, his abilities on many different instruments as well as his lust to explore his musical boundaries an his habit of exposing himself to new, unaccustomed situations and settings.

Bass-player Erik Sanko from New York has played with The Lounge Lizards, Marc Ribot, John Cale, Yoko Ono, Jim Carroll, Gavin Friday, They Might Be Giants, The Melvins and James Chance and the Contortions.

Multi-mediaartists Bruce Tovsky 30 year career cuts acroos the disciplines. As producer and sound engineer for bands asuch New York cult bandLiquid Liquid to documentaries and music videos.

Dane Emil de Waal; drums, pecussion, electronics and laptop of the most heavily engaged drummers in Danish music. Since 2004, Emil de Waal+ has released three albums with his “Emil de Waal+” project and has toured the world with guests such as Wayne Horvitz, Danny Frankel, Erik Sanko, Bruce Tovsky and Yan Jun.

Producer, engineer and bassist Sheldon Gomberg’s CV reads as a Who’s Who of contemporary American music history, he has worked with among others Rickie Lee Jones, Zooey Deschanel, Mark Olson Warren Zevon, Ryan Adams, Beck, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Grant Lee Phillips, Victoria Williams, Mark Olson, Chris Spedding and Minnie Driver.

Los Angeles-based Danny Frankel of the US most frequently hired drummers. He’s a regular member of K.D. Langs band and Dakah Hip Orchestra. A session musician Frankel has recorded with Lou Reed, Fiona Apple, Bebel Gilberto, G Love and Special Sauce.

Alt/folk/rock-guitarist Pete Droges debut on Rick Rubin’s American Recordings gave him something of a hit with “If You Don’t Love Me (I’ll Kill Myself)”, (also featured in the siundtrack to the movie till ”Dumb and Dumber”). Since the he has released three critically acclaimed albums and been a part of super-alt group The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Shawn Mullins. Droge also made a cameo in movie ”Almost famous”.

Track listing:
1. Islands
2. One Big Day
3. GuBru 1
4. Ninth Yard
5. Aerohead
6. Efter dig
7. The Slow Boat
8. Nine Sevens
9. Suit and Thai
10. Kick Out