Skweee is a musical style, with origin in Sweden and Finland. Skweee combines simple synth/chiptune leads and basslines with funk, R&B or soul-like rhythms, overall rendering a stripped-down funky sound. The tracks are predominantly instrumental.
| Skweee | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 2000s, Sweden and Finland |
| Typical instruments | Synthesizer |
Origins
editThe name "skweee" was coined by Daniel Savio, one of the originators of the emerging sound. The name refers to the use of analog synthesizers in the production process, where the aim is to "squeeze out" the most interesting sounds possible.[1][2][3]
Producers can vary from high-profile to new talent from the Scandinavian electronica environment.
Recognition
editThe major outlets of skweee music are the Swedish record label Flogsta Danshall[4] and Finnish record label Harmönia. Norwegian Dødpop, Canadian Ancient Robot,[5] US Losonofono,[6] US Titched, US Poisonous Gases, Spanish Lo Fi Funk, Finnish Mässy,[7] and French Mazout have since been added to this family. The preferred media format of skweee enthusiasts is the 7" vinyl record. Early releases were exclusively released in this format. More recently, however, a series of 12" vinyl records, digital releases and CD compilations have been released through these outlets as well.[citation needed]
The increasing notability of the skweee genre has resulted in releases such as the Eero Johannes album on Planet Mu.[8][9] Producers such as Rusko, Gemmy, Joker, Zomby, and Rustie have given their take on the sound, resulting in several releases on the boundary between skweee and dubstep.[10]
References
edit- ^ "skweeelicious! » He Called It Skweee". Skweee.com. 9 January 2009. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Marchese, David (April 2009). "Skweee's Play" (PDF). Spin. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ "Inside Skweee | Clash Music Exclusive Best of Clash". Clashmusic.com. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ "Flogsta Danshall". Flogsta Danshall. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Un. "Ancient Robot |". Bandcamp.com. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ "losonofono". Losonofono.bandcamp.com. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ "Mässy Recordings, Helsinki Finland 2011. Skweee, Mekano-trunk, Wonky etc". Maessy.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ "Planet Mu Records". Planet-mu.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Earp, Matt (9 June 2009). "Somewhere: Nordic Skweee". XLR8R. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ Ralf Christensen. "'Wonky' giver ny søgang i computeren". information.dk. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
External links
edit- Interview with skweee pioneer Pavan
- John McDonnell's (The Guardian UK) blog article about skweee
- Article in Spin magazine (April 2009) as a PDF file
- Article in Clash magazine
- Article in The Wire
- Podcast featuring live recording of Harmönia vs Flogsta battle at the Norberg Festival 2009 and an interview with most of the main artists of these labels