It's hard to overrate Archimedes
Badkar, probably not even possible. They understood the music they
were playing, had a firm grip of the different elements they found
all over the world, especially in Africa. They entwined traditions
without ever sounding fake or coming off like tourists picking up
mass-produced artefacts for cheap and then displaying them on a shelf
to impress their friends. They were simply genuine with a sincere
love for music, never
out to dazzle or convince people of something they had read in a book
somewhere. And that's why their albums stand up so well after such a
long time, that's why they're still so exhilaratingly fresh, and
that's why I count Archimedes Badkar as one of the finest
bands ever to come out of the music movement.
Badrock för barn i alla åldrar (MNW,
1975)
Instrumental
Instrumental
International relevance: ***
After the self-financed 7” ”Rumpstek”
released in one hundred now brutally rare copies in 1973 – the year
after their formation – Archimedes Badkar got signed by MNW. Their
first full length album was ”Badrock för barn i alla åldrar”,
so rich with ideas but never pretentious or 'show-offy', not even
when they jump head first into some intricate rhythms, 'foreign' but
never foreign to Archimedes Badkar. Their sheer vitality and joy of
musical discoveries save them from self-absorption; they always aimed
their music outwards, towards the listener, inviting him or her to
follow them along in the flow.
Archimedes Badkar style hadn't yet
quite stabilised here; ”Badrock för barn i alla åldrar” is a
bit sparser than their successive releases, but it's a brilliant
album, one that make you feel a little more alive, a little more
lighthearted, a little more encouraged and determined to get through
whatever you need to get through. It's music in the best sense –
and it's not even Archimedes Badkar's best album!
II (MNW, 1976)
Instrumental
International relevance: ***
”II” shrinks the world down to a
double album. Rarely have the continents been as close to each other
as they are here. Africa, Asia, America and Europe gather in a
reflective but splendurous meeting where minimalism, Eastern drones
and Balkan rhythms are equal and fully compatible. As most Archimedes
Badkar albums, ”II” is a genre defying achievement; Archimedes
Badkar is their own genre, defined by their collective open mind and
brilliant musicianship. Like all their albums, this is a must-have.
Badrock för barn i alla åldrar full album
II full album
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