Haiku Salut Play…Detektivbyrån

Haiku Salut are a musical trio from Derbyshire making dreamy instrumental/baroque pop music counting Múm and Yann Tiersen amongst it’s influences. See the bottom of this post for more and their tunes! Gemma Barkerwood from the band – and her pooch – share some love of another inspiration, Swedish electronic band Detektivbyrån.

Since first hearing Detektivbyrån five years ago my music taste has changed. A lot. Before this I was listening to a lot of straightforward indie music. Detektivbyrån soon put a stop to that by providing the perfect answer to a question I didn’t realise I’d asked. This Swedish three piece used accordion, piano, organ, glockenspiel, percussion plus numerous other instruments to make beautiful (if sometimes a little cheesy) classical epics. The sound they create is calm and simplistic, the way in which they perform it chaotic and full of energy. I first heard them on a friend’s myspace page, the track was called Nattoppet from the EP Hemvägen and is glorious from start to finish. It uses a clock as the rhythm and plays glockenspiel with drumsticks. It blew my little mind.

They’ve release two albums since: E18 (consisting of Hemvägen plus a few extras) and Wermland. You should listen to them both, it’s perfect summer music! Unfortunately they’ve split up and I never got to see them live but I think in a strange way that makes me like it even more.

Detektivbyrån opened the floodgates to weird instrumental music. Along with Jon Brion and Yann Tiersen, it changed the way I listen to and also the way in which I write music. I’ve always preferred playing classical music though I love the atmosphere of proper gigs. It’s given me the perfect pocket to climb into so thanks pals!

 Music box stuff indeed, I imagine twirling around dreamily at a fairground. a black and white photo montage, a band who – if they didn’t – should have featured on the Amelie soundtrack. You can check out Detektivbyrån’s star scattered website for more!

Check out Haiku Salut‘s pretty and surreal new video for ‘Los Elefantes’ and the effervescent ‘Glockenbar’ below. Both tracks are from debut LP Tricolore, a swirling, twinkling journey I’m just halfway through it comes with an adorable illustrated booklet.

If you listen to one thing this week…make it a Tiny Desk Concert

I discovered NPR (National Public Radio) Tiny Desk Concerts around the time I shifted from just reviewing gigs and records to writing this here blog, and – driven by a whimsical ambition to listen to as much as possible – was trying to sift through mags and media. Held at the incredibly cool desk of some chap called Bob Boilen I expect the slot’s probably incredibly well known, I’ve just come to know it as a good place to look now and again for artists I haven’t heard of. The most recent find was a session from singer songwriter Chris Bathgate (a last minute addition to Matchstick Maker’s list, see last post for more), leading to this round up of some great sessions…

Chris Bathgate

Charming tunes which are catching, orchestral violin and a foot-stomping delivery – he may hail from Michigan but Scotland’s threaded through.

 

Dirty Three 

Crashing drums, balkan violin and a yelping vocal from the band’s thrusting lead singer – what’s not to love?

 

The Tallest Man on Earth 

Songs to sink right into.

Yann Tiersen 

I discovered this quite by accident. Win.

A few other good places to find new artists are Seattle station KEXP, The Guardian’s column New Band of the Day and Indie Darkroom.…so go now and find music that you love.  Go now.