Efterklang

Casper Clausen, Mads Brauer and Rasmus Stolberg grew up on the small Danish island of Als. The three friends moved to Copenhagen with the innocent hope of becoming full-time musicians, and soon met drummer Thomas Husmer to form Efterklang late in 2000. Efterklang's first release was Springer in 2003, an EP on the band's own indie label Rumraket. By 2004 Efterklang had completed their dazzling debut studio album Tripper, which incorporated strings, a brass section, a choir and guest lead vocalists. The same year they signed to the UK-based Leaf Label (Colleen, Murcof, A Hawk and a Hacksaw). Tripper remains the fastest selling debut album in Leaf's history. Their next album, Parades (2007) was even more ambitious, with 30 guest musicians, including strings, brass and several choirs, layered in the band's own studio in Copenhagen. After Parades, which took eighteen months of hard work, Efterklang went out on the road with an eight-piece touring line-up, playing more than 130 gigs around the world. The experience of touring brought a new dimension to the band's music. "Casper stepped up as front man and his singing became much more extrovert," says Rasmus Stolberg (bass). During this time they also collaborated with composer Karsten Fundal and the Danish National Chamber Orchestra to make an orchestrated version of Parades. Magic Chairs, Efterklang's third full-length album (and their first on their new home 4AD), is the most 'band-like' to date. British engineer-producer Gareth Jones (known for his work with Tuxedomoon, Nick Cave and Depeche Mode) mixed Magic Chairs in London, another first for the band, since Brauer usually is in charge of all the mixing. "This was a little scary and not easy for us," recalls Stolberg, "but it turned out amazing." Yet Magic Chairs is far from conventional. The album is full of the restless energy and sonic ingenuity that made Tripper and Parades so memorable. But ultimately it's good pop music, and it seems clear that the new approach to songwriting and recording has brought Efterklang's instinctive tunefulness to the fore.

Links

http://www.efterklang.net

http://www.myspace.com/efterklang