Track 4: "are you still in vallda?" by jj

It's not a complete year-end list until I've included an obscure Swedish release (this year I have two). Nearly no information regarding the group jj or where they're from aside from Sweden at large exists. jj released their debut single jj n° 1 early in 2009 and released their debut album jj n° 2 months later. The female vocalist has been identified as "Elin" but it's unsure if that's made-up. What is know is that the album was release on the label started by Swedish electronic pop duo The Tough Alliance. This has lead many to believe the group is simply TTA with a female singer. Given that group's propensity for bizarre on-stage antics, it certainly would make sense.

The album's initial appeal comes from my adoration of the famed twee pop label, Sarah Recordsl, only jj have both revitalized and revamped the sound. The vocal style is in place, but here they take a trip around the world, infusing the lo-fi pop with the gentle electronic ambiance of fellow Scandinavians as well as series of emerging global percussions akin to hip hop beats.




"are you still in vallda?" may not be the best representation of the album's diversity, but it was the first song I heard off the brief offering (the album comes in at under 30 minutes) and thus the first I fell in love with. The contrast of such a beautiful voice with the cheese of the synths and MIDI is worth a deconstructive listen before you move on the rest of the album.


4.) "are you still in vallda?" by jj


But the MP3 Album