AKROBAKKUS

This is just a big ball of fun! Afenginn's sophomore release finds the band doing their thing more or less like before, but a bit more mature. Their crazy brand of avant-ethno-folk-rock is one that should be heard by everyone. It's a little weird, but an open mind will enjoy this with no problems. The music is catchy, melodic, complex and original.

It's almost impossible to not love this album. Besides being technically dazzling, it is sheer fun. Imagine a quirkier, faster, lighter, more jovial Alamaailman Vasarat, and you might have the right approach to this group. They use a lot of different instruments (all of which are acoustic), so the sound is always changing and fresh throughout the disc.

While both Afenginn albums are brilliant, this one is a bit more mature and memorable than its predecessor. It also has more variety and isn't as long. I don't think this group's style can sustain a length of over 45 minutes without risking loss of interest on the listener's end. This one is pretty susinct and maintains my full attention start to finish. Anybody who's adventurous to any degree should listen to Afenginn. For those unfamiliar, this would be the place to start.

Akrobakkus is the second studio album from Danish act Afenginn. Afenginn is a weird bunch and their music is a mix of genres like avant garde rock, ethnic balkan and Scandinavian folk, jazz ( the kind that´s played in old silent movies) and chamber music. Add lots of humour and you have yourself a pretty unique cocktail. I reviewed Afenginn´s debut album Retrograd a couple of weeks ago and I was pretty impressed and thought it was a great album but I wasn´t really sure if I found it excellent. It lacked some variation IMO. Akrobakkus has just that and it´s a very dynamic album with both crazy up-tempo tracks and more calm beautiful chamber music influenced songs.

Songs like Ralli I D-Mol and Terror Humppa are really up-tempo and fun songs while my favorite the beautiful and moving Fotonen and Valse Melankolika shows the softer side of Akrobakkus to great effect. This is not your average avant garde rock band with strange time signatures and dissonant sounds. The music is very melodic and memorable. It´s still very challenging though and it took my a couple of listens to appreciate. The music is mostly instrumental but there are a few choir parts where various members of the band shout and make noises.

The musicianship is excellent. The five musicians play instruments like mandolin, mandocello, harmonium, clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, violin, viola, bass and drums and most sing choir too. The music has a very organic sound as a result of the choice of instruments.

The production is wonderful. The emphasis is on an organic sound and every instrument is right in the mix.

Akrobakkus has really captured my attention and I´ll definitely give Retrograd another spin to see if it´s grown on me since the last time I listened to it. If you like music with a happy mood but with time for more serious moments as well Akrobakkus could be your thing. I think it´s highly recommendable and unique. It certainly deserves all the 4 stars I´ll rate it.

The second album from Afenginn really establishes their sound.

Afenginn is listed in PA as avant-garde/RIO. Which they truly are. Their sound and music is a mix of Balkan, Finnish, Faroe Islands and Scandinavian folk music + jazz. That and a great deal of cheerful insanity. This is music to laugh and party at. The soundtrack for a night out in the midnight sun at a campfire while eaten by midges and drinking too much locally produced 80 % proof moonshine. So yes, this is party music and Afenginn has toured Scandinavia with this music. Let me add; with great success.

There are some interesting details in the music too which means it can be enjoyed in peace and quiet too. Played live, I may appreciate the music more though. Any chance for a live album, guys ?

The music here is good throughout without really firing me up to the great joys. My gripe with this album is the lack of some really signature, killer tracks. It kinds of get to the point when I find the music too familiar and not exciting enough. But this is still a good album, well worth checking out.

3 stars

Released in 2006 via independent record-label Tutl, "Akrobakkus" is the sophomore album by the Danish Avant-Prog-Rock group AFENGINN. The music is all instrumental, except of very few fragments featuring voices in Danish, and has very strong Klezmer, Gypsy, Balkan, Norse Folk, and Jazz-Fusion. There is no rock-guitarist in the line-up ? the major soloing instruments in arrangements are mandolin (performed by Kim Nyberg who is also the main composer for the band), violin (by Niels Skovmand), and clarinet (by Rasmus Krøyer). While these instruments create amazingly colorful, intense, and often humorous melodic ornaments, the rhythm-section (drums by Rune Kofoed, bass by Andrzej Krejniuk) tends to be more Prog-Rock oriented. The ensemble creates originally imaginative pieces and sometimes takes more challenging avant-garde approach to traditional musical structures, yet never loosing rhythmic and melodic finesse. The musicianship and sound production are wonderful, and this 62-minute album featuring 11 tunes is good fun-art from front to back. Highly recommended!

3 stars seems a little harsh for an album that I truly enjoy and have even recommended to people, but allow me the opportunity to explain myself here.

Afenginn have created a fun, quirky and exciting album where they have successfully blended several sounds together seamlessly.

Perhaps too seamlessly...

The result is not a single track that really stands out to me, I have tried multiple times to closely listen to this album, and although this is a fun, pleasant listen throughout nothing grabs at me and nothing (no song, not even any part of a song) really stands out amongst the rest.

As a result, I couldn't tell you a single song on this album.

Nevertheless, the creativity here IS off the charts. The musicianship is excellent, the songs are quirky and fun and likely different from anything you've heard in the past.

Just don't expect this one to really stick with you afterwards.... At least it didn't for me.