Tag: Martin Bandyke

Seize the Moment — “Lost in the Woods” Album Features Boisen | Öhman | Rogers Embarking on an Experimental Music Journey

“Lost in the Woods” album artwork courtesy of the artist.

Last summer, three friends got lost in a musical moment.

That moment featured musicians Myles Boisen, Martin Öhman, and Jill Rogers gathering together for a single studio session in Yrde, Sweden, to collaborate and see where their imagination would take them.

“The three of us had agreed to meet at Martin’s recording studio, [Skogen Studios], … but there was no plan, no agenda,” said Boisen, a guitarist, composer, improvisor, and recording engineer based in Oakland, California.

“We didn’t even know we were about to make a record. In a sense, we agreed to wander together, but that was really the extent of our preparation. Along the way, we challenged and revealed ourselves to each other in surprising ways, a real ‘getting-to-know-you’ thing.”

What resulted from that session is an experimental music album by the new U.S.-Sweden trio, Boisen | Öhman | Rogers.

Released on Mellanrum Records, Lost in the Woods, or Vilse i Skogen in Swedish, features three long-form improvisational tracks and one short vocal track.

“There was no discussion at all about what to play,” said Rogers, a musician, educator, and record label founder based in San Francisco.

“I was noodling around with … a song [that] my band, Ex-Juncos, had abandoned, and we were off! When that improvisation reached its end, we relaxed for a moment and started in again—no discussion or planning, just listening, playing, conversing.”

Sonically, Lost in the Woods provides a contemplative soundtrack for embarking on a journey of self-discovery and processing the emotions, changes, and challenges that accompany it.

“The woods and nature are a big part of our lives as Swedes,” said Öhman, a drummer, an electronics and multidisciplinary artist, and studio owner based in Yrde, Sweden.

“Roaming in the woods is something most Swedish kids do as a part of everyday life, especially in the more rural parts. Perhaps that’s what makes us a bit introverted, or in other, more positive words, thoughtful, or ‘eftertänksamma’ in Swedish. I think nature does that to you.”

To learn more, I did an email interview with the trio about their latest album.

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Thank you, ann arbor’s 107one and John Bommarito

Local radio station, DJ inspire my decade-long musical journey

John Bommarito — Photo by Benjamin Weatherston

Thirteen years ago, I flipped the radio dial to 107.1 (WQKL-FM) in my car and haven’t stopped listening to the Ann Arbor-based station that helped lay the initial foundation for my musical journey.

Listening to the station was a nice distraction while driving to and from my MBA classes at Eastern Michigan University. For a few minutes, I could forget about exams, papers and group projects that temporarily consumed my life and focus on hearing new music instead.

Known as “ann arbor’s 107one,” the station introduced me to Death Cab for Cutie, Snow Patrol, Gomez, Spoon, Ray LaMontagne, Nickel Creek, The Alternate Routes, Colbie Caillat, My Morning Jacket, The Shins, Scars on 45 and others. I slowly built up my CD collection and my musical knowledge because of that station.

By 2008, I had finished grad school and started commuting to Jackson for work five days a week. That allowed me to listen to ann arbor’s 107one about two hours a day. Each day, I looked forward to hearing Martin Bandyke and John Bommarito share their thoughts about different artists between songs.

Continue reading “Thank you, ann arbor’s 107one and John Bommarito” →