[editor's note: Mary Carmen is in the hospital once again, our thoughts are with her. This is one of her favorite pieces from the past...]

Sweden and the Exotics Minds Label

Welcome to part two of our Scandinavian musical adventure. This month brings us to Sweden where psychedelic music is alive and well centering around Stefan Kerry and the Exotic Minds label.

The Exotic Minds label is the brainchild of Stefan Kerry and from the credits on the albums, it looks like he created the label for him and his friends to release their music. The albums contain a central core of musicians:

Stefan Kerry: vocals, guitar
Adam Axelxon: drums
Tommy Mobey: drums
Andreas Paulsson: bass
Mikael Sundstrom: various instruments

At least one of these musicians appears on all of the Exotic Mind releases. There are at least ten EM releases (I’m sure there are more), in no particular order here is a sampling of the psychedelic fare that has been released:

Mikael Sundstrom goes by the recording name of St. Mikael. He has released five albums (I only have four of them, if they are not on vinyl, I don’t want them):

1. The Returning: St. Mikeal’s first release. It has only been reissued on CD, I don’t have a copy of it.
2. Clostromania
3. Visions of a Tresspassing
4. Soulflower (double album)

Andreas Paulsson released two albums as the Word of Life. He explains the meaning of this name and of his music. Each album has hand painted covers of trippy art and the music is very very out there.

By far the most remarkable psychedelic effort has been made by Adam Axelxon. Axelxon has released two albums under the name Adam. On his first album Eura, he is joined by Stefan Kerry and St. Mikael on guitars. Adam plays all other instruments. Eura takes us on a dreamlike quest for inner peace. It is a concept album which Adam has written about a place in his mind where he goes when he wants peace. His second album Welcome Back is just that, it is a welcome back to Eura. Adam takes us back on his journey. He plays all the instruments on the album except for the flute. I know I have claimed this before, but this truly IS what psychedelic music is all about. Axelxon takes us on a mental trip that is so far out there, you’ll never be able to find your way back. For all you late night, dark room, headphone wearing, altered state, music listeners out there, this one is for you.

The hardest rocking album of the Exotic Minds label comes from Stefan Kerry. Kerry’s Consecration almost makes you forget that this is supposed to be mind music. Side two is one song that lasts the whole side. It is still a bit hard, but it has a nice hazy edge to it.

Exotic Minds also have a couple of releases that are sort of compilation albums:

1. Entheogens: "The Gnostic Mass" A live album recorded at various different locations in Sweden. Basically it is one great big jam session. It is all the artists mentioned above playing at different people’s homes, clubs, and spots throughout Sweden, Exotic Minds got the material together and put this out.
2. Tripping in the Basement: Subliminal Sounds of Sweden: Not just a clever name. This album contains material from all the bands that St. Mikael and Adam Axelxon were in before they released albums on Exotic Minds. The title speaks for itself and what it doesn’t say, the music does. Just for those that are curious, some of their previous bands include: Freak and Stoner (not very modest fellows).

The Soundtrack of Our Lives: Welcome to the Infinite Freebase: This is a double album that ranges from hard rock to Beach Boys-esque harmonies. It was released in 1996 on telegram Records. This is truly worth searching out. If you can find it, it is one of those albums that gets better every time you listen to it.

Star Glow Energy: This band has released four albums. The first two, Star Glow Energy and Time Machine are studio albums, while the third 100% Live is just that. The music is very good and the band pays homage to other bands they like. They do a very impressive cover of"Eleanor Rigby". Almost all of Time Machine is performed on 100% Live. Their fourth album, Celdan is seemingly innocent, then plays a little mind fuck with you. However, if you are not a fan of vinyl, you can not participate. The first side contains five short songs, but side two starts with one long song followed by a long gap of silence. Then a mystery song comes on. This song is only found on the vinyl release and if I had to make a guess, I would title it Over My Soul.

Our friend, Michael Piper, mentioned in last month’s piece, has his own label called Gates of Dawn. He has released albums by a Swedish band called Spacious Mind. Their album, Sleeping Eyes and Butterflies is heavily hazy, and very acid inspired. The front cover of this double album is fun, if you arrange the sleeves in the cover a certain way, the letters LSD prominently stand out. Not that they are hiding the fact or anything...

An offshoot of Spacious Mind called the Holy River Family Band has also released an album on Piper’s label. Welcome to the River House was released both on vinyl and CD, but unfairly, the CD contains 11 more songs than the record does. The thread running through both the bands is the keyboardist Jenns Unosson. Recently Unosson and the guitarist from the Holy River Family Band have released their own project.

That’s all I have for this month. All of the music mentioned above can be found at the following places:

Michael Piper
The Wild Places
PO Box 150293
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-786-4227
fax: 718-768-4229
ACEofDISCS@aol.com

Exotic Minds
Brannkyrkagatan 112
S-117 28 Stockholm
Sweeden

I am still looking for interesting articles on the bands that have influenced, moved, or obsessed you. If there is a band you would like to see profiled here, or want to write about for this space, please email your work to me. All articles will happily be published.