Author: Tero Heikkinen

All things movies, music (especially Mew), Nordic oddities. Helsinki, Finland
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Jonas Bjerre has just opened a webshop for his art prints which you may have already seen on his Instagram account. As of now, there are four different artworks available and each of them come signed by the artist and naturally they are also numbered. Depending on the edition, only 25-40 prints are available and the number will not exceed from there. The website will let you know when a certain print is sold out.

BIRDS by Jonas Bjerre

Shipping is available to almost anywhere in the world, except to countries that have a very complicated postal system. Artworks come in two different sizes. The bigger ones (Birds and Chooseday) and the smaller ones (What Else? #1 and What Else? #2) have all been printed on a very thick 310g paper.

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Turku, Finland (August 6, 2021)

”There are no perfect live shows.”

Mew: ”Hold my smørrebrød.

Someone wrote this on Twitter right after the show, and it’s funny because it’s kind of true.

I haven’t written about Mew in a while, but that is mainly because there hasn’t been any new material or live shows in years. The last Mew live show was nearly three years ago when they ended their lengthy Visuals tour in Osaka, Japan (November 7th, 2018). The band had planned to have a year-long break only and were supposed to play many gigs last year. Then COVID-19 hit and shows were being rescheduled multiple times or were even canceled entirely. We’ll see which shows they are still able to play this year as restrictions change country by country ever so often.

Kesärauha festival was also rescheduled three times, but they finally pulled it through. In a newspaper interview, the festival’s artistic director said that he even shed a tear when Mew had a soundcheck before the festival gates were opened. The band played Special which had been the power song for the festival organisers for a year and a half. They had done everything amazingly well. For example, each festival-goer had a whopping five square meters to use when some of the bigger festivals don’t even have one per person. So, safe social distances were pretty easy to keep. Face masks were free and washing places plenty. No one can complain about their arrangements.

This was the fifth time that Mew played in the oldest city in Finland. Ruisrock Festival is held in Turku and Mew have played there four times in the past, but this time they were headlining a smaller festival that mainly relied on local bands due to travel restrictions for international acts. Less than 5000 tickets per day were sold, but it was a rather large area, a beautiful setting by this magnificent medieval castle built in the 13th century. Mew and the crew were able to come, but one person was sadly missed. Nick could not travel for rehearsals to Denmark from the UK, so Mew had to teach another guy to play keyboards. Søren Møller did fantastic job, as far as I can tell.

Originally scheduled to play 75 minutes, Mew had asked to play a little longer, so they eventually got a lovely 90-minute slot. It is possible to play shorter sets – and they have – but it’s not very easy now when an hour is spent on And the Glass Handed Kites alone. This was the first time that they performed the 15th… *cough*… 16th anniversary show of the album and Jonas surely remembered to mention that on stage before coming back for encores. They opened at exactly 9:45pm with Kites and it was still sunny. This is a problem in Nordic countries in the Summer, but around half way Kites it was getting darker and the background visuals could be seen in all their intended glory. Many of them were new and some old ones had been slightly altered.

The album is about 55 minutes long, but it takes a little longer to perform live, because at the time of writing they probably never actually planned to play a concept album like that in full from start to finish. Or they may have thought about it, but there’s a reason why something like The Seething Rain Weeps For You has never been on their setlists before. You know, there’s a lot going on in that song, and that may even be an understatement. Some of my musician friends can’t even fathom how Mew can play An Envoy to the Open Fields live. The band used to have that track on their setlists quite a bit, but even they admitted that it is a tricky one.

Why Are You Looking Grave is another one that has been absent for a long time. The ”shorties”, Fox Cub, Small Ambulance and Uda Pruda were all performed with actual instruments and vocals, and Jonas’ voice was as strong as if he had just played another gig yesterday. A Dark Design also had its premiere here and it came with some pretty impressive background animations. As we all know without checking the album track listing, it was immediately followed by Saviours of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me December) that was previously attached to Apocalypso. Now, for the first time it was in its rightful place. I should also add that Silas was absolutely on fire and Johan and Mads were rocking like they never had a break from being on stage. How big was their rehearsal space?

The encores had two surprises. Although not a rarity, I did not expect Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy (full ”I Am Shaky” version), followed by another premiere – Learn Our Crystals – which also had very impressive animations. It was very much expected that festival favourites Am I Wry? No, 156 and Comforting Sounds would end the whole show. It will be interesting to see if some of the future gigs open with random tracks and that Mew will finish with Kites. Fine, but that is tricky to do at a festival. I mean, can you leave an audience to such a sad place where Louise Louisa takes you? Probably not.

Before the Frengers hit songs, Johan said that it was quite surreal and emotional to be back on stage. Back at you, man.

Text: Tero Heikkinen
Photos: Marie Cover
Photo Gallery

Setlist: Kesärauha Festival (Turku, Finland)
Circuitry of the Wolf / Chinaberry Tree / Why Are You Looking Grave? / Fox Cub / Apocalypso / Special / The Zookeeper’s Boy / A Dark Design / Saviours of Jazz Ballet / Fear Me, December / An Envoy to the Open Fields / Small Ambulance / The Seething Rain Weeps for You / Uda Pruda / White Lips Kissed / Louise Louisa — Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy / Learn Our Crystals / Am I Wry? No / 156 / Comforting Sounds

 

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Soundtrack for the documentary series Scandinavian Star has been released on various platforms today. You can find it at least on Jonas Bjerre‘s new YouTube channel and on Spotify. He wrote approximately 60 pieces of music and 38 of them were released. The whole soundtrack is nearly two hours in length which is somewhat unusual, but we can’t complain, right? Many of us have a lot of extra time right now.

The show itself has premiered in three countries so far. NRK1 in Norway (March 8), DR1 in Denmark (March 9) and TV4 in Sweden (April 2).

In related news, Apparatjik has a song in the motion picture London Fields which is now available on Netflix.

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From the official press release:

MEW – Jonas Bjerre, Johan Wohlert and Silas Graae are delighted to announce the special edition reissue of their iconic album And The Glass Handed Kites, as part of Record Store Day 2020 on Saturday, April 18th 2020.

Released via Music On Vinyl (and A:larm in Denmark), the special edition reissue will mark the fan favourite LP’s 15th anniversary – the record which won several music prizes on its original release, including four Danish music awards, and Gaffa’s Best Danish Album of 2005. The exclusive Record Store Day limited edition release is a fully expanded edition of the original record, available as a 2-disk LP, and a 2-disk CD:

  • The original 2005 album, including the singles Apocalypso, Special, Why Are You Looking Grave? and The Zookeeper’s Boy.
  • 10 bonus tracks, including the unreleased song Wherefore Are You Not There.
  • 2-LP in a gatefold sleeve, including an extensive booklet with unseen pictures and liner notes.
  • Limited, individually numbered edition, on black & white marbled vinyl.
  • Album will be released on 2-LP and 2-CD on Record Store Day, April 18 2020.

Tracklisting 2-LP:
Side One
1. Circuitry Of The Wolf
2. Chinaberry Tree
3. Why Are You Looking Grave?
4. Fox Cub
5. Apocalypso
6. Special
7. The Zookeeper’s Boy
8. A Dark Design

Side Two
1. Saviours Of Jazz Ballet
2. An Envoy To The Open Fields
3. Small Ambulance
4. The Seething Rain Weeps For You
5. White Lips Kissed
6. Louise Louisa

Side Three
1. Drown
2. Animals Of Many Kinds
3. Like Chaser
4. 白い唇のいざない (Shiroi Kuchibiruno Izanai)
5. A Dark Design (Red Version)

Side Four
1. Killer
2. Forever And Ever
3. Wherefore Are You Not There
4. Apocalypso (Waltz Version)
5. Why Are You Looking Grave? (Mogwai Remix)

Tracklisting 2-CD:
CD 1
1. Circuitry Of The Wolf
2. Chinaberry Tree
3. Why Are You Looking Grave?
4. Fox Cub
5. Apocalypso
6. Special
7. The Zookeeper’s Boy
8. A Dark Design
9. Saviours Of Jazz Ballet
10. An Envoy To The Open Fields
11. Small Ambulance
12. The Seething Rain Weeps For You
13. White Lips Kissed
14. Louise Louisa

CD 2
1. Drown
2. Animals Of Many Kinds
3. Like Chaser
4. 白い唇のいざない (Shiroi Kuchibiruno Izanai)
5. A Dark Design (Red Version)
6. Killer
7. Forever And Ever
8. Wherefore Are You Not There
9. Apocalypso (Waltz Version)
10. Why Are You Looking Grave? (Mogwai Remix)

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The 50-minute semi-live album Mew with Copenhagen Philharmonic will be released next week (December 14th), but you can have a little read about it now on our reviews-page. Here’s the direct link to the review.

Composed by Mew and Karsten Fundal
Conducted by Hans Ek
Produced by Karl Bjerre Skibsted

If possible, before reading the album review, take a look at our review of the live shows from two years back.

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Last week the Frengers 15th Anniversary Tour kicked off in Mexico. Apart from the exclusive “teaser” full-length show at Stengade back in May, the following ten shows in Denmark, Norway, Finland and Estonia were all Summer festivals with shorter setlists. Frengers album was played from start to finish in all of them, of course, but for example in Estonia Mew only had an hour-long spot, so there was time for only Repeaterbeater, Special and The Zookeeper’s Boy before the 2003 album. Those aforementioned songs have been the first three played on all setlists since the Stengade show. Apocalypso and Saviours of Jazz Ballet have been common too, but besides them there’ve been variations of rarely played songs. Finland had Interview the Girls, Norway had Louise Louisa, both of which had already been teased at the Stengade concert.

This week they’ve returned to full-length solo shows and the first two Mexican concerts were held in the capital city. If you attended both of the El Plaza Condesa shows, you got to see the band play Count to Ten and King Christian. These tracks have never been played in Mexico before, so the fans must have been pleased. Mexican audience – as witnessed from various live streams – is still one of the most enthusiastic. Probably also because Mew have planned to go there during these recent North American tours, but it didn’t really pan out (apart from one festival show three years ago). The third Mexico show last week was held in Guadalajara and the following three will be in United States. After that it’s only two shows in London (one of them is already sold out) and three in Japan. It is expected that Mew will take a little creative break after this year, but you never know.

Get tickets to remaining Mew concerts here.

As a bonus, here are two of our previously unpublished photo galleries from this Summer:

Tammerfest in Finland
Sweet Spot Festival in Estonia
Photo credit: Marie Cover

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Joensuu, Finland (July 14, 2017)

The second oldest (since 1971) rock festival in Finland finally saw Mew performing on one of their stages, and the massive tent was packed right from the start. Funnily enough, it was fairly easy to get to the front if you just walked there ten minutes before showtime. This has not been the case at any other Finnish festival before. Queueing for Mew has taken some serious effort. They’ve always said that Eastern Finns are quite relaxed people, and this was certainly the Easternmost place in Finland that I’ve ever been in. Take a taxi for 40 kilometers and you’d be in Russia. That’s how East. Obviously they had to play in a tent, because what’s a Visuals tour without them visuals? And these Northern parts of the world don’t really see darkness in the Summer. This is refreshing, because for a long time Mew played without the backdrops, to show that they don’t need them, as music speaks for itself. But we love them, Mew.

As usual in 2017 shows, Mew opened with In a Better Place. You want epic, and Mew delivers it from the very first seconds to the last guitar sounds of Comforting Sounds. If you are from Denmark and your band’s name is Mew, a 75-minute festival set has to be big at all times. So much so, that they even cut out the quieter minute-long instrumental ending from In a Better Place and surprised the crowd with Special before no one expected it.

I’ve seen the band live many times, but this was the first time since – I don’t know when – that I found myself being in a trance-like state. When Water Slides was on, I couldn’t recognise the song until the chorus came up. I mean, surely it was Mew, but I couldn’t remember the title or any of the lyrics. Chorus woke me up, and afterwards I found this incident to be very funny. Jonas told me that he was once in Spain and heard their own song on the radio, but he couldn’t recognise it. Maybe this was something similar.

When I first heard Carry Me To Safety, I liked it, but I wasn’t hundred percent sold. Maybe I was over-thinking what the whole album will be like if this is their closing track, and of course it all made sense in the end. At Ilosaarirock I found myself sharing a tear or two during this song. Also something I have not experienced in a while. It felt right. Carry Me To Safety turned out to be the highlight of the show.

Even though it is the first track on Visuals, Nothingness and No Regrets seems like the perfect track to be played before the Frengers hit songs. Mew’s cryptic lyrics are what they are, but the “we could have made it, I believe we faded…” part is probably the one that we all get in a similar way. You can sense it in the audience, as the reactions are the same. The first time when it’s sung, it feels really sad, but then later with Silas‘ drumming it feels like a celebration. Happiness… of knowing how to move on. Well, I guess many of the Visuals songs are about moving on.

Finland is not scheduled for this October’s tour with Scandinavian countries, and this is the first time this has happened… but fear not. There will be an announcement for Finland coming up shortly. “Ei hätää, suomalaiset!”

Text: Tero Heikkinen
Photos: Marie Cover
Photo Gallery

 

Setlist: Ilosaarirock (Joensuu, Finland)
In a Better Place / Special / The Zookeeper’s Boy / Satellites / The Wake of Your Life / Introducing Palace Players / Twist Quest / Water Slides / Apocalypso / Saviours of Jazz Ballet / Carry Me To Safety — Nothingness and No Regrets / Am I Wry? No / 156 — Comforting Sounds

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“Many of the highlights here reflect positivity through pumped up choruses and buoyant swirls of synths and voices. In lieu of robust guitar lines, songs are padded out with sparkling keys set to slow attack and release, and vocal harmonies of satisfying concordance”.

As you pretty damn well know, Visuals was released globally today, and you can read OUR album review by clicking this link.

The weather is better
Oh we could ride there
Cruising on our bikes
‘Till the sun comes up
We gotta be smarter
Oh look at you, so careless on this road
Let your hands go free

We have also added ALL new lyrics to help those listening to Spotify or whatever non-physical format. Obviously the lyrics are also printed in the album booklet. We added lyrics for the two Japanese bonus tracks (Heavenly Jewel Thief and Seeker Shivers) as well. Enjoy our lyrics section.

MewX’s tour section is also up to date, as today Mew announced a month-long North American tour for August, but Mexico was missing from the list. Surely Mew are working on it. Don’t worry.

We will start collecting a bunch of reviews that WE like. If the reviewer didn’t get Mew, we will not be linking that review here. This is a fansite run by fans, and we get Mew. Check the aforementioned link in a few days and there will be plenty of reviews.

Have fun listening to the album!!!

Photo by Morten Rygaard