Last night was spent in a slight confusing state doing more edits and more minor mixing on the track Merci by Krysztof Antkowiak. There is still some details on the vocals that needed to be attended too but otherwise it is getting there. Last night I added reversed electric guitar to the second verse. Tried some treatments on the brass section recorded by Ulf Åkerstedt but decided to kill the idea. I also added some field recordings to the end section, a rusty tire swing and my daughter Leia laughing and backwards. I think I will be doing two different endings on the track. One longer and more ambient and then one that just stops so there are alternatives when it comes to track listing. If we are tying the tracks together we will be using the long one…and if we are making it tight…we will use the stop one.
I am hoping to finish the track today.
New intern at the studio.
Throughout May David Svedmyr (from prog bands such as Piu and Cirrus Winery) will be at the studio working as an intern.
First Opium Cartel Review.
"Taking a departure from White Willow, Jacob Holm-Lupo has crafted a brilliant album in the name of "The Opium Cartel". Joining Holm-Lupo from White Willow is Lars Fredrik Froislie so you know you are in for some major mellotron! Night Blooms is a perfect album! Beautiful lyrics, beautiful voices and a very soft mellotron laden symphonic approach throughout. Vocals are both female and male and really has a black and white vibe to it matching and reflecting the cover art. Musically this is an ideal headphone art album with tons of great passages and subtle harmonies. You need to own this album right away so go order this puppy!"
-James Unger, Wonderful World of Progressive Rock
The second Opium cartel Review (or bio)
VÖ: 09.04.09 The Opium Cartel is a project put together by songwriter/guitarist/producer Jacob Holm-Lupo from seminal Norwegian art-rockers White Willow. With something of a split cult following, White Willow has influenced both the modern psych-folk scene (their 1995 debut, Ignis Fatuus" is considered one of the forerunners of the psych-folk revival) and the extreme metal scene (fans include Norway's Enslaved and Emperor, Engand's Cathedral and US group The Soil Bleeds Black). After 5 critically lauded albums ("one of the most significant progressive groups of the current era" (Billboard), "odes to early-1970s prog and 1960s West Coast psychedelics. A standout effort that reaps voluminous dividends upon repeated spins." (All About Jazz),
"the Norwegian band straddles cutting-edge metal and artsy progressive rock with spellbinding ease, simultaneously sounding eclectic and accessible." (popmatters.com)) and tours of Europe and North-America, Holm-Lupo has taken a hiatus from what is generally considered Scandinavias foremost art-rock group. Gathering up his favorite singers and musicians, notably Rachel Haden (The Rentals, Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Todd Rundgren), Tim Bowness (No-Man, Roger Eno, David Torn), Ketil Einarsen (Jaga Jazzist, Grasshopper), Rhys Marsh (Rhys Marsh & The Autumn Ghost, Anekdoten), Mattias Olsson (Ak-Momo, Pineforest Crunch, Änglagård), Sigrun Eng (Kaada) and Lars Fredrik Frøislie (In Lingua Mortua, Wobbler, Xploding Plastix), Jacob Holm-Lupo wanted to make a more eclectic and personal album. Made on a laptop in the comfort of the various contributors' homes, the album was made leisurely over an extended period. Most songs were built around original sketches recorded on dictaphones or minidiscs, and the end result is a patchwork of material sourced from different places and eras. Musically, this is partly a back-to-the-roots dip into the folk-rock that originally inspired Holm-Lupo (Mellow Candle, Fairport Convention, Trees), although the album touches on a variety of genres, from elec ronically impaired folk (Heavenman, Three Sleepers) via garagey power-pop (Honeybee) and art-pop (Skinnydip) to proggy excursions (Beach House). The album also features a cover of By this river from Brian Eno's album "Before and After Science", a common favorite of both Jacob, Rachel and Tim. Jacob also mentions Air, M83 and The Postal Service as influences. A common thread on the album is Mattias Olsson's sound-mangling and an abundance of wobbly, vintage keyboards like Mellotrons and Optigans. The album was mastered by Jens Petter Nilsen of Xploding Plastix, and the package is rounded off with illustrations by Japanese illustrator Mako and design by Trine+Kim.
Apart from The Opium Cartel and White Willow, Jacob Holm-Lupo plays guitar in experimental black metal group In Lingua Mortua along with Lars Fredrik Frøislie and Jørgen Munkeby (Shining), and works as a producer. He produced Wobbler's debut album and is currently working on Rachel Haden's first solo album
”Fine atmospheric pop. I'm reminded a bit of fellow Norwegian artrockers The 3rd and the Mortal, but it's probably a bit more akin to David Sylvian or Kate Bush as this style of prog/pop is far more weighted towards the pop side of things. Y'know, the kind of thing that appeals to 'serious' music types and high-minded critics without alienating the general listening audience. It's possible to geek out on it, but can be readily enjoyed by anyone as the the overall prettiness of the music is by far its strongest asset. " (itsatrap.com) "The Norwegian project The Opium Cartel, led by White Willow's Jacob Holm-Lupo, presents intoxicating, delicately fashioned folk-electronica. Beautiful compositions "Three Sleepers" and "Skinnydip" benefit from the exquisitely gentle vocals of cellist Sylvia Skjellestad. "Honeybee," a Lolita tale, surges with a rock sensibility." (Palo Alto Daily News)