Contemplative and endearing music from the inspiring wilds of the Danish countryside.

There’s something to the wild, barren landscapes of Scandinavia and Iceland that seem to breed such beautiful and jaw-dropping music. The faintest sound of dripping water or the howl of the northern wind seems to inspire their natives into creating cascading walls of sound that bring shivers down one’s spine.

Efterklang hail from tamer wilds of Denmark. They have, over the years, released numerous mini-albums and their accomplished debut Tripper. October saw the release of their second album Parades. Efterklang has its genesis in the wilds of the Danish countryside, on the island of Als to be precise. “It’s extremely beautiful with many isolated places” local and lead singer Casper tells me. “It’s pretty desolate. I wouldn’t call it a cold place but it’s extremely beautiful”. Casper and fellow band members Mads and Rasmus grew up on Als but in time they felt this “common feeling that we were too big for this place”. So they left for the bright lights and cosmopolitan charms of Copenhagen. Over a few years they met fellow band members Rune and Thomas and with the addition of visual artist Karim Ghahwagi, Efterklang was brought into this world.

Efterklang are an odd bunch. “We are just curious about sounds in general”- Casper explains -and it shows in their music. Combining an orchestra of violins and electronic beats with harmonious vocals, it’s a rich mixture that tickles the mind and soothes the soul. “We don’t think we can find music that won’t fit into the Efterklang universe”. Would that include such things as garbage cans? Well maybe. “If we find a nice soda can we would generally bring it home and start a song with that one”. That’s what constitutes the Efterklang universe, and what a universe it is. This is no ordinary band churning out album after album, it is more of an overall sensual experience. The eye is treated just as handsomely as the ear. “We are all fascinated by cinema and visuals in general and we use it in our music” Casper continues. “Sometimes it is nice to have a visual to create a scene and story in picture to help to make the music. It felt like a natural way of making music”. Because Karim is an integral part of the band all this works to a mesmerizing degree. “We would make the music and he would create the universe”.

Debut album Tripper left many a critic salivating over its lavish musical texture. Comparisons with the aforementioned Sigur Ros made others sit up and take notice. The band embarked on a European tour and then it was time for a return to Copenhagen to create a new sensual experience. This time the band members decided to enlist an outsider to produce second album Parades. “We wanted to find a person who could deal with epic things, with both electronic and acoustics”. The band decided on Darren Allison- the man behind such classics as My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless and Spiritualized’s crowning glory Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space. The result is an album more coherent and more lush than its predecessor.

Efterklang are not content with just music and visuals. They have taken it upon themselves to set up their own record label Rumraket. But what brought about this recent foray? “It was just a reaction” Casper tells me. “We wanted to release our first mini album and it was simply just nice to have a label behind it. We created it for that purpose and afterwards we used it to release some special editions of Tripper. Efterklang didn’t think much would come of it but opinions and fate soon changed. One day an email popped into the Rumraket inbox from none other than Grizzly Bear asking the band to remix one of their tracks. The band said yes,one thing led to another and Grizzly Bear ended up on Rumraket. Score!

So Efterklang are a band that want to wrap you up in a warm, sensual duvet and treat you to an overall experience bordering on the religious. Go catch them in Dublin in Whelans on November 28th.

Conor O'Neill is a winetaster and former Buenos Airen, studying History and Politics in Trinity.
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