One-Sided

Efterklang’s incredible 2004 full-length Tripper (The Leaf Label, UK) was among my favorite releases of that year. My Danish friend posted their debut EP Springer on a shared ftp server since it was sold out and only available in Denmark initially. We’re big supporters of file sharing at Burnt Toast Vinyl which resulted in the Mt. Eerie : Live in Copenhagen 3xLP collaboration between btv and Denmark’s Washington Inc. Soon after, I invited Efterklang to do a one-sided LP and we worked out the details over the course of the year. Of the three tracks on One-Sided LP, one features Efterklang collaborating with famed Danish singer Martin Hall who provides the vocals for “Tu Es Mon Image” and another features Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir and Hildur Àrsælsdóttir from Amiina as guest musicians. The LP jacket features a faraway portrait of the band in keeping with the portrait theme for cover artwork in the Burnt Toast Vinyl one-sided LP series. Efterklang’s One-Sided LP is the latest in a series which includes Damien Jurado, Early Day Miners, The Six Parts Seven, Yume Bitsu, Ester Drang, Mt. Eerie, Starflyer 59, June Panic, Aspera, and Bosque Brown. --Scott Hatch, Burnt Toast Vinyl The Danish ensemble Efterklang was formed in January 2001. The following year and a half saw its founding core members Mads Brauer, Casper Clausen, Thomas Husmer, Rune Mølgaard and Rasmus Stolberg develop Efterklang into what it is today. The film-maker Karim Ghahwagi joined the ensemble in the beginning of 2003 and accompanied the band's well received debut EP Springer with extensive video collage work. Springer was released on Efterklang’s own label Rumraket and came packaged in white fake fur in only 500 copies. The band played their first live shows in Denmark in the spring of 2003 bringing audiences a subtle blend of acoustics, electronics and video imagery. The development of Efterklang’s first full length studio album Tripper began in the fall of 2003 in the band's own recording studio in the heart of Copenhagen and incorporated violins, brass instruments, a Greenlandic choir and a fully integrated video collage score. 34 guest musicians played on the recordings of Tripper among them Hildur Àrsælsdóttir and Edda Rún Olafsdóttir from the Icelandic string quartet Amiina who is known for their extraordinary work with Sigur Rós. In July 2004, Efterklang signed to The Leaf Label (UK). In October, Tripper was released in USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, China, Australia and South Africa. Tripper became the fastest selling debut record in Leaf’s 10 year history. It has received remarkable good reviews and airplay on radio stations across North America and Europe. The Guardian wrote "this is the album to spend your tokens on. Five stars." Pitchfork rated it 7.9 and wrote “Astonishing… this music should continue to reverberate in your memory for a long time to come." In late 2004, the MTV program This is Our Music did a 30 minute documentary on Efterklang. In February 2005, the song “Swarming” taken from ripper was released as a radio and iTunes single with remixes including one by Bjørk producer Thomas Knak aka Opiate and a music video by Karim Ghahwagi. In April 2005, the debut Springer EP (2003) was re-released by The Leaf Label worldwide on cd and vinyl. Efterklang toured throughout Europe as an 8 piece band with performances at several high profile summer festivals including Roskilde, Hultsfred, Quart, Sonar and The Big Chill. Efterklang plan to tour the US in winter 2006/2007 in support of their forthcoming full-length.