Album three coming up!

Hey! This page hasn’t been updated in a while but it’s getting a face lift any day now by the wiz kid Anton Sjölander, from Hyper Island. This is my mother ship, but it’s always best to follow Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see what happens. I always try to gather my thoughts and happenings here but you know, life is what happens when you’re busy making new music. I want to spoil you this year! I’ve got my own studio so there’s every possibility to create. I feel very blessed.

So what’s been up? Let’s see. The single Tragedy and Changes came first with a European premiere at The Line Of Best Fit, US premiere at Under The Radar, praise in Prefix Mag, Musikguiden in Swedish national radio and all the lovely people that live to write about music they love. Nordic By Nature, Que Club/Djungeltrumman, Ge Hit Musiken, Synthpoprocks, Rippletunes and whoever I forgot to mention. All us independent musicians need you!

Last week we dropped the Every Ending Story EP with two A sides and three fabulous remixes by greek synth queens Marsheaux, the painterly dreamscape supreme The Land Below and a cool indie house take by ODahl. The single track had a world premiere in Musikguiden in radio P3 and a bunch of cool blogs like Swede + Sour, Nordic By Nature, who made me artist of the week and let me run their Instagram for a day, and Ge Hit Musiken who even reviewed it with a 8 out of 10 grade. Listen to the tracks out so far below!

Design: Alexander Palmestål

From Nite Flights to album three

I feel like it’s been forever since Azure Blue released something, but the album came out less than a year ago, and I’ve put out two EP’s with my new spacey project Nite Flights this year. But since I’ve decided to tour less the last year has felt much calmer than 2012 and 2013 anyway. And I have a new album pre recorded for Azure Blue already. I’ve actually started a studio, right in the heart of Södermalm in Stockholm. Me and my production partner Gustav will write, record and produce other artists. We started with a track I wrote with Asha Ali. The next step is finishing Azure Blue’s third album! We will start this week, so I’m pretty excited. I really like the way my sounds have evolved. It’s not a revolution, but a significant change in my book.

Update

Hey guys. All is fine here, just want to let you know I’m working on new material and will come with a surprise very soon!

Remixes and collabs

I’ve done some new remixes and collabs, too.

My collab for Redbull Music Academy’s Stockholm Weekender with Silvana Imam got praised in Rodeo, Nöjesguiden, PSL and Festivalrykten.

Also my remix of Futurecop! got some nice attention. You can buy it at Beatport and it was premiered at Aerial Noise. And I remixed Wild At Heart, too and that was at PSL, The Line Of Best Fit, Radar Magazine etc.

I also have some new interesting stuff in the pipeline.

Tours

The tours have been great so far! 800 people at Debaser Medis, 600 people in Göteborg, great crowds in Uppsala, Lund and Norrköping. Now we have Umeå left before Christmas and in January we head down to Germany. More info will be announced asap!
http://admiralavtomaty.com/novomatic-besplatno/sizzling-hot-deluxe/

Beyond the media

I’ve gathered some media in the Media section. Highlights for the album were the Swedish reviews with a 3,5 average at Kritiker.se and nomination to the best album and best Swedish solo artist in the Gaffa Awards.

And Interview Magazine piece that I mentioned before, a nice piece in Radar Magazine, a 3,5 out of 5 review in the almighty The Allmusic Guide, and album world premiere at Swedish Television’s PSL in Sweden, album streaming premiere at Popmatters in USA,
streaming at Prefixmag in USA, UK premiere at The Line Of Best Fit, streaming at Jajaja in The UK, a review in Blurt in USA who gave my debut 9/10 and good reviews in When You Motor Away, Austin Town Hall, The Sound Of Confusion etc.

Beyond the dreams

Beyond the Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt out now. Coming soon is a deluxe 2x180g gatefold vinyl of Beyond the Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt + Rule Of Thirds. More info will follow. The album has gotten great reviews! I’m very moved by the response. This week we do massive gigs in Göteborg and Malmö. And don’t miss the gorgeous video that premiered at Interview Magazine alongside a long interview on the US release day October 8th!

Meet me, my live band and vj here!

131221 Umeå, Scharinska
131116 Norrköping, Klubb Republik
131115 Lund, Mejeriet
131019 Stockholm, Debaser Medis
131018 Göteborg, Pustervik

+ more dates to come.

Album streaming and Spotify

Today the album had streaming premieres in all four territories where the album has a label. The Soundcloud set is found to the right on this page under “Listen”. It started with a world exclusive on top of the front page of Swedish national television SVT’s music site PSL. Then three other great sites in UK, US and Germany followed.

“Det nya albumet med den grubblande titeln ‘Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt’ är betydligt svartare i kanterna än debuten och behandlar en kärlek som till slut rinner ut i misslyckanden.”
PSL, Sweden

“Like the soundtrack to a fantasy movie that’s never been made, Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt is a record filled with unabashed wonder, pastel coloured hues and heart flipping melodies.”
The Line Of Best Fit, UK

“With Azure Blue, former Irene and Laurel Music songwriter Tobias Isaksson creates a melange of ’80s synthpop textures and ’90s shoegaze vocals mixed with that wall of sound, perfected by pop music back in the ’60s. Yet, this music sounds utterly contemporary.”
PopMatters, USA

“It’s basically a Beach Boys feeling when you listen to Azure Blue’s music in general, only add some sugar and take away the drooling brother, broken guitar straps and those disturbing braces (not to mix this up with Lemon Popsicle).”
Nordic By Nature, Germany

A bunch of reviews are in too. All positive! Even one majestic 9,3/10! But I’ll make some sort of summary later on. The album is up on Spotify and iTunes! I believe Spotify and iTunes in USA will open in a few days. Maybe not until the US release October 8th.

External links:

Spotify:
http://open.spotify.com/album/4odXghXcoIK8S4naR1GVp0

UK vinyl out now!

Today is the UK release day for Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt and we finally get to see an Azure Blue release on vinyl! Thanks Tom at Fika Recordings for putting this out. And thanks Kalle at Hybris for the patience in designing the sleeve with me. It looks and sounds great! You can order it directly via Fika or you can go to Rough Trade and pick it up.

An early UK review has popped up at Seesound. Since the vinyl is a very hands on format the streaming will be tomorrow! And the CD and digital release will be out via Hybris in Scandinavia October 2nd and in USA via Matinée October 8th. There will also be a double 12″ deluxe LP in audiophile 180 g black vinyl in late October via Anna Logue Records. The design of that sleeve is made by my live VJ, award winning designer Viktor Blomstergren.

Sunset (single)

The third single from Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt is out now! It opened on PSL in Sweden and was followed by a Central European premiere by Nothing But Hope And Passion, US premiere by The Fader and in The UK it was song of the day at The Line Of Best Fit. This is a sad and dark tune so I’m humbled to get this heartwarming response.

SUNSET
I can’t turn the lights out darling.
I can’t close the door.
I can’t say forever
cause I’ll love you evermore.
You changed me.
You changed me.

You held my hand at night.
We crumbled
- the tears were black and gold.
The eyes of fallen lovers whispered:
“Never evermore”.
You changed me.
You changed me.

Your body’s calm and fear beside me.
The feeling of defeat inside me.
The dream within the nightmare coming through.
To uncreate the uncreated.
Dismissing the disintegrated.
Our gravity – the fear letting go.

External links:

iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/se/album/sunset-single/id704921422

Spotify:
http://open.spotify.com/album/3J5IuLk6zXuNvRuEhThqjB