Looking for an excuse to get together and have a good time, longtime Swedish friends Carl-Henrik Hallén and Daniel Nordh formed Kompis in 1999. Blessed with a passionate love for electronic music, and confident in the knowledge that a pop sensibility is a blessing and not a curse, the duo are ready to unveil their debut album.
Ok, it’s a mini-album, but given the amount of label hopping, globe trotting, golf playing and computer crashing that Carl-Henrik and Daniel have been through in the last five years, we should be grateful that these seven exquisite tracks exist at all. And lest we forget, thanks are due to Rob Da Bank and the Sunday Best crew for giving Kompis the warm and loving home that helped bring the album to fruition.
Kompis’ first real break came when Carl-Henrik and Daniel’s studios were amalgamated in Oslo in the summer of ’99 and, two weeks of studio work resulted in the 10″ ‘Visar Vägen’ EP on their own label Grevé Recordings. The EP made serious waves in Scandinavia, and a host of live dates and remixes followed. The follow up, ‘Supermodern’ EP on Eloge House music, further established the duo’s name as producers to watch, and the pair were now mixing with like-minded musicians and labels across Europe.
Kompis developed a close relationship with the Norwegian label Tellé records (former home to Royksopp, Kings of convenience, Annie etc.) which led the way to the release of the critically acclaimed 7″ ‘First Base On The Moon’ by their alter egos Basecamp Wolf. Their live show had now developed further and word of their talent finally began to spread to the UK, with DJs such as Rob Da Bank championing their innovative electronic pop sound.
In 2002 Kompis released the single ‘Clouds Instead Of Heads’ on Ultimate Dilemma, and things really started to move. As well as making plenty of new friends and supporters in the UK, Kompis also turned out a bunch of great remixes for artists including Mint Royale, Plej and Palace of Pleasure.
At this point Rob Da Bank stepped in and secured Kompis signatures for the album you now hold in your hands. Seven tracks of sublime electro infused pop, which gladden your heart and sprinkle a little stardust on your dancing feet, this is a record that stands out like a gloriously sore thumb in a world of lame moody electro and sterile techno. Angelic voices are supplied not only by Kompis themsleves, but by guest vocalists Markus Hasselblom (‘Go Down’, ‘We Move’) and Hanna Göransson (‘Filthy Bills’, ‘In Somebody’s Spot’), who add some real class to proceedings.
So there you have it – things could not look brighter for our longtime Swedish friends. And when this album and their forthcoming UK live shows make them the household names it is their destiny to be, we will see you all at the 19th hole to celebrate.
