Fontän are Jesper Jarold and Johan Melin. Their introverted, idiosyncratic take on Krautrock, psychedelia and chamber music has given birth to Winterhwila, their debut album, set to be released on Swedish label Information, run by fellow Swedish duo Studio.

Fontän – Swedish for Fountain – have been quietly making music for many years. Their musical heritage is formidable with both parents members of a legendary Swedish prog band, whilst Fontän themselves have also worked with a broad range of top contemporary Swedish musicians.

The recording of ‘Winterhwila’ was an uphill struggle. All the equipment broke – computers, hard drives, synths, guitars – you name it, it failed. In total, twenty pieces of broken equipment were accumulated. Not only this, but the first recording sessions for the album took place in a shed. Jesper’s grandmother’s shed to be precise. The shed is usually used to bake bread but was commandeered by the band for the recording. In tribute to this, the opening track, ‘Backustugu’, is named after the Swedish word for shed as it was the one track that was exclusively recorded at the end of the grandmother’s garden.

Musically we’re listening to driving, balaeric sun-kissed moments that recall label mates Studio and are reminiscent of the rolling tempos of Can and the Happy Mondays, with ethereal layered vocals that wash in and out of focus. Guitar parts come from all angles to create lush instrumentals. Celestial strings and psych-disco, thrilling guitar licks and dreamlike soundscapes instill this album with an otherworldly feel, a record of musical voyages across the universe. It is this feel that gave rise to the album title. ‘Winterhwila’ comes from an ancient Swedish word and means ‘winter hibernation’ and it encapsulates this sense of otherness and disconnection.

The single ‘Early Morning’ was released last year, earning rave notices as it combined Hawkwind and Harmonia, all set against driving drums and an awesome guitar blasts. Propulsive and psychedelic, it sounds, like much of this record, as if it came from the dark side of the moon.

Links

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