Yttling Jazz (Sweden) – “City in Darkness (feat. El Perro del Mar)”

I doubt whether Björn Yttling does too much sitting around watching the Swedish equivalent of ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ on his weekday mornings. He is, of course, one-third of the (still touring) Peter Bjorn and John, seemingly produces about half of new Nordic pop releases, and has now re-awakened his Yttling Jazz project for the first time in over a decade — we suspect the man’s concept of “a quiet weekend” involves conducting a small orchestra in his kitchen. His latest album Illegal Hit is both playfully titled and elegantly performed, with Malgomaj my personal favourite — there’s something about it that reminds me of the excellent 1900 project, which I really do need to go back and revisit.

To compliment Illegal Hit he’s worked on a separate version of instrumental track ‘City in Darkness” with fellow Swedish singer El Perro del Mar, and between them they’ve turned the track into a beautiful and intimate song accompanied by a sparse piano arrangement. The lyrics are profoundly moving:

“In another world / In another time / I’d do it all again / I’d give myself to him / In another place / Where the sun is shining / Still I’d do it all again / I’d walk right into hell.”

There’s sadness and grace here in equal measure — enough to register a definite flicker on our Mirel Wagner Scale of Bleakness.

Anyway both the new album and this collaboration are well worth checking out, and Yttling Jazz will play 2 Scandinavian concerts in the New Year. I’m sure it’s not the only thing in Björn Yttling‘s diary for next year,

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