Noisey’s Top 20 Danish Premieres of 2015

2015 was pretty tight, musically-speaking. On the global level, Bieber revealed his secret religious affinities; Drake confirmed that he is now, in fact, nothing more than a human-size meme; and Adele pulverized everyone’s emotional capacity to smithereens with her new album. On the local, Danish level, there was considerably less drama and meme-ification going on—but considerably more excellent stuff that we had the pleasure of premiering. From raging metal releases to in-your-face rap bangers, we kind of covered the whole gamut—so yeah, it was tough narrowing down our list of damn good music from 2015 to just a few choices. However, because we’re really committed to you (and also because this is a lot more fun than doing “real work”) we managed to pick twenty of our favourite premieres from last year. So without further adieu, here are Noisey’s Top 20 Danish Premieres of 2015.

1. The Love Coffin – “Sheets of Ice”

So The Love Coffin came out of nowhere, which made “Sheets of Ice” that much more effective of a track. For a band we’d literally never heard of until we got sent this video, they managed to release one of the most memorable, hard-hitting songs of the whole year—and that kind of surprise doesn’t go unnoticed. “Sheets of Ice” sounds like someone’s just going ahead and spitting their anger in lethal little shards at you. It’s unrestrained, chaotic rock music that punctures you with a powerful melody and the haggard, visceral wail of the vocals. “Sheets of Ice” is impossible to ignore—and the same can be said for The Love Coffin’s debut EP, which they released a few months after this track. Here’s hoping for all of our sakes that they’ll be back with more in 2016.

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2. GENTS – “Circles”

GENTS caught our attention earlier this year with their track called “Young Again”, but it was really this one, “Circles”, that stamped them into our mindsets as a duo to look out for. “Circles” is pretty much dream pop perfection. With deep and mellow guitar, twinkling synths and a subtle dance rhythm that kicks in with the chorus, “Circles” feels like something that’s quite easy to sink into—and for once, the 80s references are kept to a tolerable level.

3. Yung – “Nobody Cares”

We’ve had our eyes on Yung for a while now—ever since the young punk rockers from Aarhus put out their freaking fantastic stunner of an album, Falter, in 2014. Thankfully, “Nobody Cares” followed up on the high standard the band set for themselves in 2014. In the track, raw and distorted vocals are softened by light-hearted and beachy guitar riffs. Despite the carefree vibe in the guitar, the song still feels relentless and fearless thanks to bursting drums and fuzz washing over the whole thing in intervals. Basically, this song still feels punk AF—but with a bit more maturity and potential for growth than we’d seen from Yung before.

4. Sally Dige – “Losing You”

If there was an award for “best musician doing the 80s thing in a way that isn’t annoying or kitsch but is actually quite good”, it would go to Sally Dige. This Danish-Canadian musician definitely captures the cigarette-smoke-and-synth vibe of the 80s, but first and foremost, she writes some pretty fantastic pop songs. Case and point: “Losing You” is a song defined by earthy hooks, nostalgically hollow vocals and (of course) fluttering synths. It’s synthwave without becoming a caricature of itself—which is no small feat. The video adds to the effect, too: shot in Sorø with her sister, it’s a visually tasteful yet not too over the top bit of optical maneuvering—solidifying Sally as one of the emerging musicians doing the 80s well and originally.

5. Molly – “Bagu Bagu”

One day, you’re just three dudes in a band in Copenhagen—and the next, you’ve got everyone calling you the next best thing in Power Pop since Hüsker Dü. Yep, that’s what happened to Molly after they released their debut album Peach Melba—but before that, they released their debut track, “Bagu Bagu”. It makes you think of Hüsker Dü and Weezer, alright, but what makes it stand out is the impressively-crafted melody, the relentless guitar and drum and the fact that the three dudes don’t seem to take themselves a single bit seriously in their video.

6. Cancer – “Age of Pinballs”

We’ve come to expect that prestiged Danish pop duo Cancer will only put out music that’s more than palatable. It has to be the kind of stuff your mum would want to listen to with you, but also good enough that nobody can really deny its melodic richness. “Age of Pinballs” falls into that expected camp: it comes with that pensive sort of stillness and delicate melancholy that makes you feel calm and lingers even after the song finishes. The video compliments that feeling with its elegant simplicity, too: focusing on a runner making his way past the houses and fields of Kenya, it’s subtle and introspective—which is precisely how you feel after listening to “Age of Pinballs”.

7. First Hate – “Trojan Horse”

At this point, can we expect anything other than straight up infectiousness from First Hate? The Copenhagen-based duo seems incapable of releasing something that doesn’t make you either a) wish you were born twenty years earlier so you could be dumb and young in the synthy 80s or b) drop everything you’re doing and aggressively dance. “Trojan Horse” is no exception to this: it catches you off guard (much like, dare we say it, a Trojan horse does) with an electronic energy and depth that even Depeche Mode would envy. We listened to this on repeat at the office for way too long and we still aren’t sick of it. ‘Nuff said.

8. Secret Life – “Possible to Avoid”

Yes, yes, we should probably calm down on the 80s-inspired, synthy stuff by now… but seriously, there were way too many good tracks falling into that category to ignore! One of our faves was from newcomers Secret Life: their debut track, “Possible to Avoid”, is peppered with the brash and hoarse vocals of singer Patrick Kociszewski, plus kind of sounds like you’re in the middle of some sort of dancey retro video game. Coupled with the deep boom of the kick drum, the whole thing has a pretty arresting effect. Plus, extra points: the video features some pretty enviable dance moves from keys player Bastian Emil.

9. October Dance – “Tropical Eyes”

Maybe it’s ‘cause this video reminds us of the first times we ever dabbled with Sims as teens discovering the whole “computer” thing. Maybe it’s ’cause the song makes us feel like we’re about to go surfing in Miami whilst sipping on mojitos and then go hang out at a bowling alley in the 70s. Whatever the combo of factors was that did it, October Dance‘s “Tropical Eyes” solidified itself as THE delightfully campy, beachy kind of song of the year that got us pretty stoked for the summer when we premiered it at the end of May.

10. Shadow Age – “Vexed”

Another one of those “who is this guy and why haven’t we heard of him before?” situations, Shadow Age flooded us with a brand of electronic music that’s downright cinematic. His songs seem to swell in intensity and grow into something majestic—and “Vexed” is probably the best example of this. The song slowly blooms into this melancholic piece that sounds very full; it’s like all the layers of his electronic production come together to make something that actually stretches your chest and your lungs as you listen to it. Oh, and this guy’s like twenty years old or something. Props to Shadow Age.

11. Reverie – “Blood in the Sea”

Metal is one of those genres that seems to constantly teeter on the line between coming off as horribly campy and actually leaving quite a dark and destructive punch. The latter applies to new Copenhagen-based outfit Reverie and their single, “Blood in the Sea”. The song avoids sounding like a hammer attacking your skull thanks to propelling melodies and exceptionally captivating drumming. It’s relentlessly hard-hitting and demands your attention—and that’s pretty impressive coming from a bunch of 19-20 year olds.

12. LISS – “Try”

Hands down, LISS‘ “Try” was the best Danish pop song we heard all year. No wonder, though: it was co-produced by Rodaidh McDonald—the same producer behind The XX, King Krule and Sampha. The track feels lusty and energetic, fusing youthfully intense vocals with snappy beats and playful rhythms in sunny, hip-twisting harmony. It’s a vibe that’s delightfully fresh and crispy, yet timeless—and since LISS has only released one single since then, we’re pretty sure they’re cookin’ up something just as impressive while we wait.

13. Asta Fall – “Justice Done”

Without getting too pretentious about it, we’ve got to mention that Asta Fall is an artist collective based in Copenhagen. Perhaps this explains why “Justice Done” sounds so pristine and perfected: when you’re an artist collective, you want the stuff you put out to exactly mirror your vision. Result: a track that is brimming with harmony between deep bass tones, lighter, more playful synths, and the intense and hauntingly alluring vocals of Asta Fall. The video adds to the allure, too: combining the passing of time with the array of lights emanating from an off-shore oil drilling platform, it creates a captivating and other-worldly spectacle. Dare we say this is the most… poetic release of 2015? Yeah, we do.

14. Av Av Av – “Holla”

This track came at the right time, really. AV AV AV‘s “Holla” was released right after Distortion happened—so at that time, all we wanted was a tune to let us relish in our memories of summertime freedom, irresponsible bike riding and obnoxious dancing. Luckily, “Holla” delivered on letting us relive those feelings: it’s a tune laced with bubbly arpeggios and the sort of smooth guitar licks normally reserved for wooing girls with tongue piercings. We ended up listening to “Holla” for most of the summer, so it’s safe to say that it left its much-needed mark on us.

15. Louis Rustum – “Feelings in the Air”

You know those songs you wanna put on to let out aaaaaall those feels when some silly boy or girl does ya wrong? You know those songs you wanna blast to feel sassy and powerful after life serves you an extra large platter of heartbreak and disappointment? Well, Louis Rustum‘s “Feelings in the Air” is one of THOSE gems. Specifically, the Hukaos-produced song is a smooth and steamy track that’s catchy as hell—even though it’s about taking a dip in the proverbial sewer we call love and relationships, too. At least it’s pretty nice to listen to here.

16. Gooms – “Dumpster Juice”

Gooms aren’t an easy band to pin down, but maybe that’s a good thing. Their music is all over the place in a very natural and organic way: it sounds like they’re letting the instruments take control and decide what feels best for them, without letting the actual people playing them get in the way. With “Dumpster Juice”, that vibe is amplified to full effect yet it’s made almost exhilarating: the track is a bizarre mix of organic sounds, pure rock ‘n roll essence and captivating strangeness that’s a little bit like Animal Collective meets The Books. The video is also like a trip down memory lane if your memories took place in a romanticized vision of a ski resort in the 70s—and that sounds pretty good to us, to be honest.

17. Fribytterdrømme – “Fribytterdrømmen”

2015 was the year that psych music became a thing in the Danish music scene. It’s almost like all of a sudden, every psych band in Copenhagen decided to get their shit together, spend some money recording something decent, play some really tight shows and get the momentum going for the resurgence of psych. Among the best of those bands is Fribytterdrømme and that’s for a few reasons. 1) They sing in Danish, 2) they effortlessly channel the flower power vibe of the 60s and 3) we have personally seen them get an insane crowd to calm down and actually sit still while they play a twenty minute-long hazy, trippy tune. The tune in question is this one, “Fribytterdrømmen”—and as you’ll be able to see for yourself, it’s a slowly unraveling trip into the comfiest corners of flower power. We’re down for that any day.

18. Rangleklods – “lost u”

After many years on hiatus, Rangleklods made their return with this track, “lost u”—a hearty, gut-deep type of electro track exploring the desperate release of suppressed grief that stems from two beautifully androgynous young lovers realising they are drifting apart. The track balances an almost-sinister kind of dark electronica with the ethereal relief of the vocals—which makes it one of the most complex yet widespread appealing electro pop songs of 2015.

19. FUFU AFREAQ – “Valhalla”

Probably the most random song we got sent this year, FUFU AFREAQ sounds as far away as possible from pretty much anything else dominating the Danish music scene. He’s this weird mix of reggaeton, dancehall and techno, which doesn’t exactly scream ‘Scandi’ to anyone. Yet that’s precisely the charm: “Valhalla” just sounds different—and we don’t care how much of a music connoiseur you are, you can’t help but admit that it’s damn catchy. Plus, it includes a bit of a song from The Lion King in it. Dope.

20. Fuji Dream – “Welcome to the Mind of Fuji”

Hands down the most impressive “bedroom producer” we heard this year, Fuji Dream rebutted our fears that he wouldn’t be all that great. The odds were against him, really: his debut EP had drums, bass, guitar and vocals performed by just one man. Oh, and he recorded the entire thing at home in his bedroom. Yet “Welcome to the Mind of Fuji” proved our apprehensions very, very unnecessary: it’s an experimental hybrid of psychedelic harmony as dream pop—or sounds like how your mind would feel marooned on a tropical island surviving on nothing but magic mushrooms. With a fluttering base, laid-back guitar riffs and the vocals of a young Michael Bolton spaced out on LSD, “Welcome to the Mind of Fuji” is experimental lo-fi done well.