La Fleur Fatale

Ein weiteres Kapitel schwedischen Indie-Pops heißt La Fleur Fatale. Die verhängnisvolle Blume erteilt uns Unterricht in der Geschichte der Popmusik, indem sie Einflüsse aus den 1960ern bis 1980ern verarbeitet und Instrumente aller Art einbaut. Wer wissen will, was sich hinter dieser Band verbirgt, der steht im Dunkeln. Angeblich seit 10 Jahren in diversen schwedischen Bands unterwegs und erfolgreich geben sich alle Mitglieder den Nachnamen La Fleur. Wenn die Band auf ihrer MySpace Seite Timothy Leary und Hunter S. Thompson als Einflüss angibt, dann weiß man, dass durchaus psychedelische Elemente die Musik bestimmen.

Wie immer bei Popmusik stellen Gitarre, Schlagzeug und Bass das Grundgerüst der Songs. Daneben scheint der Vierer aus Skandinavien aber keine Scheu vor anderen Instrumenten zu haben. So beginnt der Opener mit einer Sitar. Stellenweise denkt man an das Instrumentensammelsurium, welches die Beatles in ihrer Spätphase ausprobiert haben. Das ist musikalisch sicherlich ein großer Einfluss. Insgesamt ist die Beatmusik und der Pop der 1960er prägend, wie die Single "Night Generation" zeigt. "I wanna be adored" ist ein heimlicher Hit. Zunächst nur akustisch wächst der Song und hängt sich trotz der dunklen Drums in den Gehörgängen fest. Der Song ist kein Cover des Stone Roses Hits, hätte aber durchaus auf Grund der Schwermütigkeit auf einem Album der 1980er Jahre Platz finden können. Beklemmender, aber schöner Song. Die Melancholie wird aber durch den hüpfenden Klavierbeat und die Flöte von "Children of Neon Lights" vertrieben. Wir befinden uns aber auch wieder ein paar Jahre früher in der musikalischen Zeitrechnung.
La Fleur Fatale schreiben großartige Popsongs, die zu vielschichtig für das allgemeine Radio sind. Der Sänger Alexander La Fleur variiert sein Organ und schafft es, dass viele Textzeilen hängen bleiben. So wird das Interesse an der Musik geweckt und bevor man sich vor lauter Eingängigkeit langweilen könnte, entdeckt man hier eine Orgel, da eine verzerrte Gitarre oder - wie bereits erwähnt - eine Sitar oder so manche Flöte. Das fügt sich 13 bzw. 14 (da mit "Down to the well ein guter Hidden Track das Album schließt) Mal alles sehr sehr gut zusammen und im CD-Spieler rotiert die verhängnisvolle Blume.
- Hififi.de

Right, so out of the blue comes this album from a band and label we hadn't heard about before. The bio accompanying our promo copy of the album is somewhat confusing: "...In the beginning of 2007, La Fleur Fatale emerged from the remnants of one of Sweden's most promising bands. The dysfunctional and psyched out band marriage from the past had to come to an end. But an end resulting in a new glorius morning, with a multicolored sunrise in the shape of fantastic and spiritual management. After years of total apathy and opiate iinduced confrontations on many levels, the former members decided to put their strange difference aside and form a new super group called La Fleur Fatale ..." but no mention as to which "promising" Swedish band they formerly played with, see!?

To confuse things a bit more, the biography also mentions Märvel 's Myspace address allongside La Fleur Fatale 's and their management's. But after a lot of tedious research (some of which had to do with instinctively "translating" press texts in the Swedish language, I was able to assertain that at least, this is not the band formerly known as Märvel (not indeed, because that 3-piece is still well-alive and kicking, and simply the second band on the label...doin' several shows later this Fall). In fact, LFF 's members (lead singer/ bassist Alexander , guitarist Joakim , organist/ keyboardist/ etc David , and drummer Kristian ) were forbidden by their new manager Papa Bear to reveal to anyone in which band they used to play for over 10 years, and to further increase the mysticism they're all wearing the stage name of La Fleur ! Not that these methods will be able to keep the news out altogether, because I'm certain that fellow musicians from the Linkoping (where the band is based) scene will be spreading the news soon enough. In the meantime, the flair of mystery certainly will be enough to entice at least a part of the press.

Recording the album in their own studio allowed the band to develop their 13 songs at their own leasure. A funny thing is, that piece from the bio above mentions opium abuse, and in the interviews I read there's mention of a continued love for the poppy flower's derivatives (their bandname is of course a reference to the fatal flower). And in fact one might actually find some of the tracks on the album a bit too tediously calm in the vocal department, which brings the overall mood on the album to one of serene quietude. Luckily, the music is occasionally much more interesting. As a whole, one might put the band on a parallel Psychedelic Pop & Rock route with fellow countrymen The Soundtrack Of Our Lives (for a brief moment, I even suspected this foursome might've sprouted from that collective, but the names didn't match). There's an occasional simple layered use of instrumentarium, and I suppose that is mainly due thanks to the multi-instrumental faceted David , who'll not only play organ (sounding a bit like a B3 Hammond, but not quite, at certain moments) but also uses other keyboards (a Farfisa in certain moments, perhaps...and a piano keyboard occasionally as well) and even goes on to play some flute and a sitar. That instrument apprears in the album opening "Straightway Ride" , and later on also during "Golden Hair" . From song to song, the mood may vary somewhat, and also the instrumentation. The drummer, for instance, does not stay within the restricted confines of the common drum kit, but occasionally takes place behind a djembe. And it's not because Joakim is "the guitar player" of the band, that every song also has guitar in it! There's at least one song which has keyboards only (next to drum and bass, of course), and at other moments there's NO keyboards what-so-ever, but two guitars in stead. There's occasional Folk Rock sidesteps, like with the enthralling "Children Of Neon Lights" (check out a sample of that track on myspace.com/lafleurfataletheband, where you'll also find samples for the late '60s Psychedelica geared title track, the equally energetic "Sunshine Underground" – crazy tam-tam drums there, and the somewhat calmer but still quite exciting "Free The View" ). Oh, and...before I forget...there's a hidden bonus track. A diddy with just keyboard and vocals, during which the average melancholic mood of the album is exceeded brilliantly.

Conclusion? One needs to be into '60s Psychedelica to appreciate this, and I'm sure potheads of all nations are simply gonna find a new band to adore with La Fleur Fatale . People not into illegal drugs may find it easier to go through a couple of consecutive listening sessions intoxicated by a couple of glasses of their favourite ale, wine, or other alcoholic beverage(s). But at the end of the day, one will have to agree that this is really a very nice album! The vocal department could benefit from the singer learning to be a bit more versatile in his sedate singing style (maybe put in a wider variety of voice inclinations, sing in a slightly different reg - Concreteweb.be

La Fleur Fatale: Night generation Killer Cobra

Det första som slår en är faktiskt den påkostade paketeringen. Djuptryckta mönster och ett omslag som vecklar ut sig som blomblad. Fräckt.

Musikaliskt är det sextiotalsdoftande psykedelisk rock vi bjuds på; någonstans i The Soundtrack of Our Lives kvarter. Och att de här killarna kan sina Nuggetsboxar är uppenbart. Över femtio minuters speltid är dock en utmaning av ett debuterande band. Det spelar ingen roll hur stilenligt och självsäkert det levereras (för det gör det!), för nytillkomna lyssnare blir det ändå lätt jämntjockt.

Men ”Night generation” är en stark debut. Det låter världsvant, proffsigt och tillräckligt lättlyssnat för att inte skrämma iväg några större massor.

La Fleur Fatale (som tidigare hette Planet Superfly) skulle mycket väl kunna få rockvärldens strålkastare att lysa över hemstaden Linköping ett ögonblick.

Johan Kronquist - Östgöta Correspondenten

Sweden's musical fatalists, La Fleur Fatale, cull their sound like they've been taking and storing notes all these years from a generation of musicians who grew up in that early-90s Creation Records-sound, Smart and sullen lyrics surround shoegaze and starry-eyed Brit-pop not heard from since the halcyon heyday of bands like The Charlatans UK, The Stone Roses, and Ride. If you count The Soundtrack of Our Lives and The Bluetones as completely underrated, you may just fall in love with these flowers.

"My swallowed heart has seen that there is a scar left by everyone, 'cause life's too sad to face on your own..."
("Straightway Ride", from Night Generation)

Straightway Ride, the first track on La Fleur Fatale's new album, Night Generation, diversely unfolds using wistful sitar instrumentation, coming on to you as if it were a soundtrack, but leading into a song that could bring out the stars in any night sky... Air organ and 60s harmonies pervade the title track, "Night Generation", and moves the album into a whole other clearer direction. Clever numbers like the psych and piano pop-driven "Children of Neon Lights" and the bittersweet jangly pop of "Sister Fatale" really lend to the album's many brightest moments.

A bonus for the album is the amazing artwork and packaging put together by artist Papa Bear who runs Killer Cobra as well as a graphic design studio. The album comes in an embossed cover, digi-pack format, with a cover that folds out... like a flower - one leaf for each member of the band, lyrics included.

Night Generation Track Listing:

01. Straightway Ride
02. Night Generation
03. I Wanna Be Adored
04. Children of Neon Lights
05. Sister Fatale
06. Sunshine Underground
07. Out of Our Dream
08. Swift Flash of Mind
09. Free The View
10. Gigantic Boredom
11. Golden Hair
12. Queen of Tears
13. Seven Years

La Fleur Fatale - band site / killer cobra / myspace

Posted by Carly Marcoux
- phillygirlabouttown.com

La Fleur Fatale laddar för att erövra världen
Snart släpper La Fleur Fatale sitt debutalbum ”Night Generation”. Vi tog oss ett snack med de fyra gossarna och bad dem berätta om sin musik och varför psykedelisk rock är nästa stora grej inom musikvärlden.

Jaha, ni kan ju börja med att berätta vad ni sysslar med för musik.
-- Det är en slags retrorock med psykedeliska influenser, säger Joakim La Fleur.
-- Det är mycket taget från gammal 60-talsmusik fast i ny tappning. Även lite från brittpopen, berättar Kristian La fleur.
Linköpingsbandet sitter samlat i skivbolagets lokaler och berättar om sin debutplatta ”Night Generation” som släpps i dagarna. De må vara nya för världen som La Fleur Fatale men grabbarna har spelat tillsammans i över tio år. Främst under ett annat bandnamn som hade vissa radioframgångar. Men det är inget de vill prata om. Det, som de säger, ”vatten under bron”.
Vad har förändrats sedan sist?
-- Vi är lite äldre, har bättre låtar, bättre texter och är smartare i allting, svarar Kristian.
-- Vi har fått en nytändning. Bara skivan, jag har knappt förstått att vi har gjort en skiva. Så det är verkligen en ny fräsch start. Nu har vi också ett stort skivbolag som står för allt, säger Alexander La Fleur med ironi mot slutet.
Hur går det till när ni skriver låtar?
-- Jag börjar med melodi och så har vi David som skriver texterna. Sedan har vi egen studio som vi spelar in i, White Light Studio. Det finns både för och nackdelar med att ha egen studio. Man kan pilla hur mycket som helst, så det kan ta tid med låtarna, men samtidigt får man det precis som man vill ha det, säger Kristian.

På den gamla goda tiden var psykedelisk rock ofta kopplad med en liberal syn på användandet av droger. Men det är inget La Fleur Fatale ägnar sig åt. Utöver den enstaka ölen så klart. Deras skivbolag sponsras ändå av ett ölmärke. Men trots det har det inte blivit några galna konsertminnen än.
-- Eller jo, men frågan är hur mycket av det gamla man vill dra upp, svarar Kristian.
-- Vi bytte namn för bara ett halvår sedan. Kom igen om ett halvår, så ska du få något att bita i, skrattar Joakim.
Killarna har varit så upptagna med arbetet kring den nya skivan att det inte har blivit många spelningar än. Bortsett från den där gången i vakttornet med en belgisk joddlare i Amsterdam förstås...
-- Han fick mer betalt än vi. Han fick tre tusen, vi fick inget. Det här var i midsommar i ett gammalt vakttorn till ett fängelse. Där bodde en kille i ett asbestområde. Mycket industrier. Där spelade vi, säger Alexander glatt och förklarar efter en stunds förvirring att det gällde en kompis 30-årsfest.

Vad är det som säger att ni kommer slå igenom stort inom kort?
-- Om man tittar på vad som händer runt om i världen och att allt från kläder till musik går i vågor, så borde det komma en ny våg med den här typen av musik. Och det är så pass snart att vi kommer gå i spetsen för den. Plus att vår musik tilltalar både de som var med på 60-talet och den yngre publiken. Vår musik är väldigt bred, säger Alexander La Fleur.
Hur blev det just ni? Är det den gamla vanliga historien att ni har känt varandra sedan barndomsben?
-- Ja, det är det gamla vanliga. Vi är från samma lilla ort utanför Linköping från början, Åtvidaberg. Där blev det att man kände till vilka som höll på med musik och tillsist slås de bästa ihop, säger David La Fleur.
-- Jag lyckades rädda de andra från fotbollen, annars var det mycket fotboll där, tillägger Joakim.

Vad händer nu framöver?
-- Vi har skivsläpp den första september, sedan kommer det förhoppningsvis rulla på. Vår första video släpps också den första september. Och så har TV4 börjat lansera en ny sportkanal och kör vår låt ”Children of Neon Lights” i trailern, svarar Kristian.
Eftersom det stora brejket ännu inte ägt rum har samtliga bandmedlemmar vanliga jobb vid sidan av musiken.
-- Men vi säger upp oss den första september när skivan släpps. Vi räknar med att Killer Cobra Records försörjer oss då, skämtar Kristian.
-- Lätt! Det blir tre-fyrahundra kronor i månaden minst, inflikar skivbolagsdirektören som råkar sitta inom höravstånd och tillägger:
-- Men bärs fixar jag i alla fall.

Karin Larsson - Kulturkrockzine.se

Our interview with La Fleur Fatale

so here is the long awaited interview I had with the members of La Fleur Fatale. They discuss the making of their new album and the video shoot of their A.L.A.R.M. showcase song "Night Generation" Also find out who's a dafodil and just who is a snapdragon...

A.L.A.R.M.: Your new album, Night Generation, comes out the 20th of August, did you find the making of this album an uphill battle to find your footing or was it one of those moments where everything seems to line-up at the right time?

La Fleur Fatale: When we first started out we had no release date so we took it kinda slow in the beginning, and since we recorded the album in our own studio we have had no pressure at all, instead we have recorded on the days we have felt the most inspiration. When the record deal was secured and release date was set, we speeded up the process and then turned to selecting the songs that would make a good album. We had from the very beginning a very good understanding of how the sound should be, so the recording sessions went by smoothtly without to many hard words.

A: What was the hardest track to commit to the final cut?

LFF: "Straightway ride" because it was recorded in three different styles and we had a hard time deciding the sound of that specific song. But when we put it as the opening track of the album it was really easy to decide which
version to use. "Out of our dream" was another track that we had quite a hard time figuring out what to do with. We felt it was a very good song but had some troubles to decide in which direction it should go. But when we added the right kinda drums and put the melotrone in, it fit like a hand in a multicolored glove.

A: I was reading that you guys just finished work on shooting a video for the single we have on the site, "Night Generation", how was that whole experience?

LFF: It was fun but very hot in the filmstudio. We haven't seen the result yet but we are sure the outcome will be great. Really cool and avantgarde looking.(When we were finished, Papa Bear bought pizza for everyone. He is cool...)

A: Your last names are all listed as La Fleur. Did your birth names inspire the band name or did the band name inspire pen names like the Stooges and the Ramones did?

LFF: We're all flowers and should bloom togehter. Our fertilizer is the on stage time, cheering psychedelic fans of love baby. Alex consider himself being a Daffodil, David a rare species of Fresia, Kristian is a dead certain Star Gazer Lily and at last Joakim – our very own Snapdragon. But at heart we're all part of the Papaveraceae family.

A: La Fleur Fatale is a phoenix that rose from the ashes of your former band. Can you tell us about the former band and what exactly went south with that arrangement?

LFF: Sorry man, we have decided not to talk about the past... Our lawyer has forbidden us to do so. Water under the bridge man, water under the bridge.

A: The downtime involved with touring is always a drag, what's tunes are usually playing while you're racking up the Kilometers?

LFF: British 60's psychedelic, Southern Soul and the soundtrack from the british TV show "Benny Hill".

A: Are there any bands you guys have had the privy to hear that you feel deserve some recognition?

LFF: "Silverbullit" (from sweden), "Black Belt" (also swedish), "The Tune Rockers" (U.S.), "Tomorrow" (U.K.) and "Pontiak" (swedish).

A: Allright guys, thanks again.


- ALARM Magazine

I recently came across a new band called La Fleur Fatale and they canged my whole perspective on Myspace and indie bands altogether. They are from sweden and that maybe one, if not the only reason they are not on a major label because they are one of the best bands I have ever heard. Busting out numbers like Gigantic boredom it makes you wonder why arent they superstars. If you see anything of theirs in the shops buy it cos they are going to be the next big thing. Their music gives you a hint of the 60's but also a hint of the future.

/MM - Music Man

Calling one of their songs I Wanna Be Adored - and giving the original a run for its money - gives you one clue about La Fleur Fatale's influences. The repeated use of 'Supernova' in the chorus of the same song gives you another.

But you can't dismiss this Swedish band as some slick Oasis/Stone Roses crossbreed. Their knowledge of 90s Britpop - from the Charlatans to the Bluetones - is encyclepedic, and they even boast an impressive arsenal of melodic hooks, all dressed up in tight harmonies.

They bring an extra twist with a vigorous take on the 60s psychedelia - jangly guitars and keyboards - and it comes together best on Free The View. You'll also be humming the chorYs to the title track before you know it.

Hugh Fielder - Classic Rock