Lars Hollmer - 1985 - Tonoga

Lars Hollmer

1985

Tonoga

01. Onk Kch Onk Kch (3:44)

02. Slutet På Tangqn (3:25)

03. Höstvisa (Autumn Song) (3:28)

04. Klipp en Apa (2:53)

05. Karlafrigue (3:55)

06. Lilla Pas du Valse (2:26)

07. Tonöga (3:02)

08. Damernas Rumango (3:25)

09. Arvevals (2:42)

10. Skiss M. Brest O Segosero (1:48)

11. Annu Ingen Pelle (1:56)

12. Rindatröst (3:52)

13. Simfågeldans (3:44)

14. Harmonium III (5:27)

- Lars Hollmer / accordion, keyboards, vocals

Guest musicians:

- Alva Strand Hollmer / vocals

- Eino Haapala / guitar, mandolin

- Gabriel Strand Hollm / vocals

- Hasse Bruniusson / drums

- Kalle Eriksson / trumpet, congas

- Mattias Jonsson / vocals

- Ulf Wallander / soprano saxophone

Another amazig solo album by Lars Hollmer of Samla Mammas Manna. The album features a lot of styles and emotions, all delivered with unique Lars Hollmer style. I would say the first part of the album is more experimental (Onk Kch Onk Kch being the example), the second part contains more melodical and traditional music which is a mixture of folk, prog, RIO, jazz, tango and God knows what else. There is a lot of accordion all over the album, my favorite tracks are Lilla Pas du Valse & Harmonium III, but the rest is also very solid.

For 1985's Tonöga, Lars Hollmer brought a few friends into the Chickenhouse to help out here and there -- notably Zamlas guitarist Eino Haapala and drummer Hans Bruniusson, as well as trumpeter Kalle Eriksson and soprano saxophonist Ulf Wallander. The musical palette is even wider and deeper than the preceding Från Natt Idag, ranging from the full-on Zamla prog of "Slutet Pa Tangon" (sounding like a Familjesprickor outtake) to the gentle lullaby of "Höstvisa," the tick-tocking percussion experiment of "Klipp en Apa," and the nearly funky worldbeat of "Karlafrique."

Elsewhere, meters and harmonics are particularly adventurous in "Lilla Pas du Valse" and the title track, "Damernas Rumango" is a fairly straightforward prog tango, and "Arvevals" is an accordion waltz accented by a spectral flutelike melody. As the ever-changing program wraps up with "Simflageldans," a tune as engaging as anything dreamed up by Simon Jeffes at the Penguin Cafe, and the dramatic "Harmonium III," with an emphatic march-like cadence and dramatic crescendo, one could only guess what Hollmer might dream up next, and it turned out to be a leap into bandleading with the Looping Home Orchestra's 1987 release, Vendeltid. [Several selections from Tonöga were later included in the 1993 single-CD Hollmer comp entitled Lars Hollmer 80-88 (later re-released as The Siberian Circus), and in 1998 Resource Records included the entire album in the very worthwhile two-CD set Tonöga/Från Natt Idag/Vendeltid. Among the bonus tracks on this set is a hyper live version of "Lilla Pas du Valse," retitled "Alfa Beta Pas du Valse" and somewhat mysteriously presented as a bonus track to Vendeltid rather than Tonöga.