Label: Discreet Music

スウェーデンDiscreet Musicから毎年一つのアルバムをリリースしている、Gustaf Dickssonを中心とするミステリアス・フォーク集団Blod。Elin Engström、Julia Bjernelind、Magnus Jäverling、Erik Rideliusのメンバーに加え、なんと今回はGustafの子供二人も加わった大所帯編成となっており、バンド史上最もダークな探求、また最も高揚感に満ちた作品の両方を体現するアルバムになっているとの事。スウェーデン語で歌われるフォークミュージックの心地良さに子供たちの声がナゼか奇妙なダークさを落とし込む、絶妙なコントラストで続く不思議な内容。シルク刷りのカバーにフォトを貼り付けた一点ものジャケットも美しい。









Blod, the enigmatic Swedish folk collective, announces the release of Den Oändliga Historian (The Endless Story), a new album that represents both the band's darkest exploration yet and paradoxically their most uplifting work. Recorded during spring 2025 and released on Förlag För Fri Musik (catalog number 033), the album showcases an expanded lineup featuring core members Gustaf Dicksson, Elin Engström, Julia Bjernelind, Magnus Jäverling, and Erik Ridelius, alongside a notably intimate addition: Gustaf's children Myran and Alf.

The album draws deeply from Swedish folk music traditions while creating what the band describes as "a rather peculiar and unique mixture of sorrow and joy." This duality has become Blod's signature approach, but Den Oändliga Historian pushes these contrasts to new extremes. The acoustic songs traverse emotional territories that feel both ancient and immediate, with the presence of children's voices adding an unexpected dimension that amplifies both the album's darkness and its strange optimism.

The release reflects Blod's commitment to artisanal presentation. Each of the 300 copies features screenprinted foldover sleeves created at Longest Night, with individual photographs hand-glued to each cover, ensuring no two copies are identical. The package includes a lyric sheet, allowing listeners to engage with the Swedish texts that form the emotional core of these compositions. The album has been mastered by Lasse Marhaug, known for his work with experimental and folk artists across Scandinavia.

Den Oändliga Historian continues Blod's exploration of Swedish musical heritage through a contemporary lens, but the inclusion of family members suggests a more personal dimension to their cultural excavation. The acoustic instrumentation and folk inspirations ground the album in tradition while the band's distinctive emotional complexity ensures it remains uniquely their own. For followers of Swedish experimental folk and collectors of limited vinyl releases, this represents both a continuation of Blod's established aesthetic and a bold step into new emotional territory.