I‘ve been addicted to Twiggy Frostbite ever since I heard their first single so many years back. I found them through another Swedish band called The Deer Tracks with whom they share a singer (and in turn, her gorgeously abashed vocals), and they’ve since become a staple in my collection of “real music,” the name I’ve given to music that actually sounds like it was made by a person (a quality which has become increasingly rare these days). If you’ve ever heard either of them before, you know exactly what to expect, and if you haven’t, prepare to have the reset button on your musical taste pressed. Given a few times through, you too will learn to impatiently await each and every one of their releases. And trust me, the reward is well worth the wait.

Twiggy Frostbite – Written Within

Greed keeps the good music away. Or rather, greed has the money to put the crap in the eyes of the masses, while the more worthwhile music is left buried, and waiting to be discovered by the lowly few of us who truly care about the noise which our ears are subjected to.

Twiggy Frostbite

So is there any hope at all? A few months ago, I did a post on the breathtaking soundscapes crafted by the Swedish group, The Deer Tracks. In that post, however, I failed to mention that it was that band’s record label, Despotz, that initially clued me in to their nearly unbelievable work. Needless to say, having been hit with another email from Despotz, I was more than eager to find out what this update had inside; Long story short, I can finally sleep soundly, knowing that there are indeed ethics left within a few shards of our shattering audio world. The email was about Twiggy Frostbite.

The band might sound a bit familiar: It “ironically” features the same vocalist as does The Deer Tracks, however, that’s not to say that the sound is pushing a perfect parallel. Where her other works feature largely an electronic arrangement, Twiggy Frostbite captures its sound from more analog than electronic sounds. But the real beauty of the work stems from its thoroughly sentimental sound. The melancholy soundscapes created by the haunting vocals and reverbed strings couldn’t be farther from the “one song fits all occasions” structure that so many labels are forcing upon us. Rather, the sounds make for the fabrication of new doors to open, and new buttons to push, all within the confines of our own minds. As such, it seems an almost perfect anthem for the new year.

In all sincerity, I advise that you keep your eyes closed before venturing into such a curious new world.

Twiggy Frostbite – Heroes