Born: April 15, 1987 Primary Instrument: Guitar
Daniel Ogren has with his new album Laponia, created music dedicated to the landscapes of northern Sweden. He has a special relationship with the magnificent region of Lapland after having spent his childhood summers there, and his music has become strongly personal and moving as a consequence. His compositions paint scenes of the characteristically bare mountains, the moss-green hills, the streams and the mountain birch. White patches of snow in the sunshine against dazzling greenery. All of it sketched with rare, vast and natural melodies, clear as the eyesight after one’s wiped away a tear of nostalgia.
Inspired by composers such as Oskar Lindberg, Johan Svendsen and Arvo Pärt, Daniel has written songs reminiscent of classical music but strongly influenced by the jazz musicians involved in his project. And it is on this dividing line between two music styles that Laponia has taken its form. Between carefully crafted compositions and an ensemble that gives life to the music, using equal amounts of passion and gentleness. And which also loyally supports the group yet does not shy away from impulses to break away from the written music. The recording was made during 24 hours in a wooden church in Aspudden, Stockholm. Guitars, bass clarinet, piano and drums met the old church organ as well as other instruments such as the clavioline and the cow horn. Using very few microphones and a minimum of post production the nerve and the atmosphere of the enormous church space have been kept throughout the process. Laponia is an important release and an extraordinary debut from one of this generation’s most promising creators of music.
Aside from his own music the guitarist Daniel Ogren collaborates with one of the most acclaimed pop musicians in Sweden: Anna von Hausswolff, both live and on her albums. He has attended festivals such as MADE, Siesta and Peace and Love and has toured in Brazil, France, Spain, Estonia, Norway and Denmark amongst others. Nils Berg plays bass clarinet on Laponia. With his quartet The Stoner as well as his new trio Nils Berg Cinemascope he is constantly on the move. The double bass player Andreas Henningsson has played with Daniel since they were both children growing up together in Kristinehamn. Gunnar Åkerhielm, piano, is responsible for a number of projects such as the club Jazzistan. Christopher Cantillo is the drummer in Daniel’s band as well as a valued member of Mattias Ståhl Trio and Anna von Hausswolff’s live band.
