What does it all mean? Just A Number 05272011 feel 'The Pain'

Who’d have thought that when Karin Dreijer Andersso unveiled The Knife side-project Fever Ray back in 2009 it would spark such an unprecendented influence on the Scandinavian musical landscape? It’s less of a sound, more of a direct extraction of the cold, harsh winters of the Nordic countries. Oh Land, Lucy Swann and Niki and The Dove – just a handful of female fronted acts that are producing music that goes beyond the realms of the straight-forward (and often bouyant) Scandi-pop that we’ve become accustomed to over the years.

It’s the absolute antithesis to the constant flow of balearic tinged groups that have emerged recently; Air France, Bodebrixen, Korallreven, jj – where these guys take their inspiration from the tropical things in life, the aforementioned acts seemingly produce music that could have been born out of the dense Scandinavian forests or carved into shape from a glacier. It’s as thrilling as it is intriguing.

Out of nowhere arrives Just A Number 05272011, an anonymous artist/band/production team (who knows) that claim to be from the Isle Of Man over on their Soundcloud page, but you only have to listen to the opening bars of ‘The Pain’ to realise this is simply a red herring. It’s Scandinavian through and through – everything about it embodies the ethos behind this current trend of glacial pop. And, if you hadn’t already guessed, it’s utterly remarkable. It throbs, almost causing your heart beat to slow as the pulsing synth guides the verse towards a celestial male/female shared vocal chorus. Throw in some D. Lissvik inspired guitar phrases and you’re suddenly thrown inside perhaps the most exhilerating pop song of 2011 so far.

The Pain by Just a Number 05272011

‘He Didn’t Want A Love Song’ – the accompanying video below – comes from a slightly different angle. It’s less of an instantly accessible introduction to these mysterious beings, but none the less thrilling.