Gothenburg is Sweden’s second biggest city, a port town built by hardworking sailors known for its art schools afterparties, militant pop bands and pretentious jazz. It’s also where the most forward looking Swedish music is made.
Naturally, Gothenburg was the first Swedish city to pick up on new Scandinavian disco and made sure its citizens danced to it. While the rest of the country slept in a haze of unknowledge, names like Prins Thomas, Lindstrøm, Todd Terje and Metro Area were regular guests on the Gothenburg club scene.
In the middle of this was Sankt Göran.
Born and raised in Falun – a small town most known for cross country skiing and its old copper mine Göran Dahlström fell in love with pop music in his early teenage years. Like every ordinary Swedish teen he rumbled around in different pop constellations before Kerri Chandler and Sylvester danced in and replaced former indie heroes on his record shelf.
Not yet old enough to enter bars in Falun, Göran was already spinning at several clubs and bars. In 2001 he started to play regularly at Banken Bar & Brasserie, a spot that’s been the heart of Falun’s alternative music scene since the mid nineties.
Pretty soon Falun felt too small and Göran headed south-west to Gothenburg to form the deep house/disco combo Hermanos with his older brother Jonas.
Together with other local djs, Qlint, EdEd and JayStarSeven, they made sure to constantly renew the sound of every endlessly long Gothenburg club night. The scene they created influenced bands such as The Studio to leave their guitar-based ground and fly into discophrenia. It made people grunt about self absorbed djs, when in fact it was always about finding new ways to define and transmit dance music.
Göran’s first track Back 2 Back (yep, it’s his first production ever) instantly gained love from Japanese blogs as well as New York’s WFMUs Beats In Space and made Stevie Kotey reach out from Bear Funks headquarters, and sign him up for two 12-inches and an album.
This sent Göran back to his room, trying to compose pop music with the city nightlife of slow house music screaming for attention outside his window. This sound of sinners, of dirty concrete floors in packed afterpartys, of equally hung over and energetic pulse and a never ending struggle to play and make music that doesn’t kick you in the face, but force you to stop, listen and get caught in the groove. An instant monotony of layered melodies and a rusty hinge on the door to dance music is the music of Sankt Göran.
Http://www.myspace.com/Sanktgorangbg
‘Bear entertainment has been releasing quality music since day one, and since they were the first label to show any interest for my music back in 2003, I’ll always save a special place in my heart for them’. Lindstrøm
Rools for Rules Vol.1 Mixed by Stevie Kotey & DJ Kent
At last it’s here! Bear Entertainment’s first compilation has been a long time coming, but it’s been well worth the wait. Started in 2000 when owner Stevie Kotey had trouble finding a suitable home for his music, so he thought lets do it our way. Uncompromising, undiluted and totally underground that’s the bear way.
Bear Entertainment was started in 2000 to release quality leftfield music. It has been doing so for 7 years and has an extensive catalogue of titles.
The label can proudly boast that we released some of the first productions & remixes by now very well established artists. These include such luminaries as Lindstrøm, Chicken Lips, Prins Thomas, Idjut Boys, Todd Terje, Lexx, DJ Kent, ALTZ, Fabrizio Mammarella, Ray Mang, Theo Parrish and of course productions of label boss, Stevie Kotey
The Rools for Rules idea was created in Holland when Stevie Kotey played at the legendary Melkweg (Milkyway) club Amsterdam. We were having a good chat about how liberal Holland is and my friend remarked, “it may seem liberal but in Holland they have rules for rules!” Stevie kept this quote in his mind and saved for the bear compilation series.
At bear entertainment HQ we pride ourselves on not having any rules when it comes to signing new music. Of course there has and always will be a strong link with disco & house but the label has never been scared of pushing boundaries and releasing experimental music.
CD1 mixed by Stevie Kotey has many unreleased gems including new music from 80’s electronic pioneers Research, Sweden’s bright new thing Sankt Göran and new Italian producers The Diaphanoids. The Diaphanoids member Andrea Bellentani is also a classical composer who has written for the late Luciano Pavarotti amongst others);
We also have all the usual top draw stuff you expect from Bear with Lindstrøm, Chaz Jankel, Max Essa, Prins Thomas, Emperor Machine and Lexx all making an appearance.
CD2 mixed by our good friend and Force of Nature member DJ Kent. Kent produced one of our first bearfunk releases and is such a versatile DJ. Force of Nature is one of Japan’s most sought after and popular acts. For Kent’s mix he has included music and remixes from the likes of Idjut Boys, Arturo Capone, Brennan Green, Goat Dance and LA’s Michoacan.
CD 1 Mixed by Stevie Kotey
1.Lexx “Sirocco”
2.Max Essa “I Guess You Can Get A Tan In California”
3.Goat Dance “High Voltage”
4.Sankt Göran “Angel babe the tin man” *
5.The Diaphanoids “What the fuck do you want with us earthlings?”*
6.Junji Masayama “Montone Radio”*
7.Lindstrøm Presents Plague The Kid II “Drums of life”
8.Research “Shape The System” Main mix*
9.Lordy “The Watchtower” Version Emperor Machine
10.Kotey & Mammrella “Love Sprinkle”
11.Kotey Extra Band Feat Chaz Jankel “Sooner or Later”
12.Todd Terje “Bodies” Prins Thomas Orgasmatron
13.Laj & Quakerman “Lust In Space” Beats
14.Tobor Experiment “Disco Moog”*
*Previously unreleased
CD 2 Mixed by DJ Kent
1.Fabrizio Mammarella “Allunagio” @45 rpm
2.Arturo Capone “Svolvaer”
3.Goat Dance “In the system” Kotey & Essa remix
4.Matt Kenny “The Stay”
5.Arturo Capone “Rego Dancer”
6.Altz “Tune in” Version Idjut
7.Lindstrøm Presents Plague The Kid “Jodleknappen”
8.Brennan Green “Pluto’s Retreat” Optimus Remix
9.Dj Kent “Second Moon”
10.Oorutaichi “Misen Gymnastics” Idjut Boys Full Length
11.Goat Dance “Goat Dance”
12.Michoacan “Sabor”
13.Idjut Boys Feat Rune Lindbæk “Laisn”
14.Lexx “Slow Burning
