Cherry Pick - Jenny Lundmark

by Frank Gualtier -- 08/24/07

I'm a huge fan of Swedish artists, which you'll be hearing more about not too far down the road, and I also like electronic, traditional (think Greensleeves or the many inerwoven themes within Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture) and world music.

Especially when it's all rolled into one package.

Most of the Swedish artists I listen to are far southerners in and about Scania -- the city of Malmö in particular. It seems many don't actually live there but rather maybe it's 'the place to be' for music in Sweden.

Time to head up north (Norrland)...

Based there in Umeå is the very versatile composer and singer Jenny Lundmark.

You may have seen her on YouTube singing Då and Vilsen with Swedish hip hop artists Block 44 (from their album 'I skuggan av Tellus') and you can also hear her sing with Patrik Öberg in their folk-rock/pop-rock project Below Zero.

Not enough contrast for you?

Okay dig this -- as a solo act she writes and sings in a genre that is very 'epic-world'. This one's the sweet spot for me.

While claiming influence that include Vangelis and Loreena McKennitt I believe it's the Enya sway that you'll hear above all else.

I always took Vangelis as 'epic-electronic' (Blade Runner, for example - one of my favorite movies) and Loreena McKennitt as 'celtic-world'. Enya seemed to be a fusion of both gone super nova. I'll never forget the first time I heard Orinocco Flow (Watermark - 1988) -- I could not get to a record store fast enough. And being a student of classical theory going back to the origins of scales I was beside myself with pieces like 'Cursum Perficio'.

It's in the similar vein of 'epic-world' that Jenny Lundmark writes and she's incredibly talented at it.

She currently has a few pieces up on her myspace profile from the project she's putting together.

Here's your chance to get in on something fresh with an artist in situ.

Lyrics for "Du och Jag" by Jenny Lundmark (2007)

När din blick möter min
Säg mig vad är det du ser?
När du rör vid mig
Säg mig vad är det du känner inom dig?

Lalala...

När din blick möter min
Stannar världen, allt blir tyst
När du rör vid mig
Tänds en låga jag ej trodde var möjlig

Lalala...

All den tid som vi har kvar, ska vi dela du och jag
Nu har jag fått den jag vill ha, det finns inga tvivel kvar

Lalala...

Links for Jenny Lundmark:

• MySpace: Jenny Lundmark
• Below Zero