The Stockholm sound art scene, in all its singular glory, is the focus for episode #8 of The Belsona Academy. From turntable meltdowns to glow-in-the-dark electronics to skewed humor, this all-too-brief showcase features some of the more interesting exponents of a creative milieu that has been thriving at least since the foundation of the Fylkingen organization over 70 years ago. Here are the track selections for this episode, and some corresponding information: Sten Hanson, ‘My Galloping Heart’ (b-side)- 7” single on Fylkingen Records, 2002 “On the night between the 1st and 2nd of April 2001, after a period of increasing fatigue, feebleness and shortness of breath, I understood that the reason must be bad function of the heart. I felt dizzy and my heart was beating irregularly, fast and hard. I took a taxi to the hospital emergency room. I was in a hospital bed for one week and felt my body slowly lose all its reserve power, while the heart was beating two or three times faster than normal. Numerous medications were administered but none restored a normal heart rate. Normal heart rate was finally restored through electric shock treatment. Several ultrasonic heart examinations were performed, and they were all recorded on video. I managed to obtain a copy of those videos. The sounds from them are, with the exception of the final electronic choir, the only sources of the sounds in this composition, which tries to depisct the positive and negative experience of how fragile man can be and yet how strong the will to live really is. The composition is dedicated to the chief physician Inger Axelsson M.D. and her staff at the cardiology unit at the SÖS hospital, Stockholm.” See also www.fylkingen.se Leif Elggren and Thomas Liljenberg, “Did It Taste Good? / Opera 3” from C*** 69, Firework Edition, 2007 “In connection with a show we did in Kassel in 1996, we met a German artist in a bar, we were all in high spirits and the conversation flowed back and forth and finally landed in a long conversation about Charles Bukowski. It turned out that the artist lived near the bar and we went with him to his place to continue the party. Our German friend told us that he had met Bukowski at a party and that Bukowski had given him the manuscript of a collection of poems. ‘These are my last poems and you are the one who is going to publish them!’ Bukowski had said. The story sounded incredible, but our new friend pulled out a pile of paper, worn and torn, spotted and dirty. It was a collection of poems written on an old typewriter. The manuscript was also signed with Bukowski’s name. The party continued and in the early hours we left with the manuscript tucked away in a pocket and an idea that sometime in the future we would be able to publish it. Now is the time: these poems by Charles Bukowski are probably the last he wrote. The worn-out artist has radically minimized his expression, and yet retained his characteristic voice of form and address.” -Leif Elggren / Thomas Liljenberg, Stockholm, May 4 2001 see also www.fireworkedition.com Selections from ‘Sounds 99’ 3xCD compilation on Blue Tower Records, 2000 “Power Painting” by Rockout (Henry Moore Selder on turntable, Niklas Korssell on drums) “Den Röda Duken” by Mats Lindström and Sören Runolf (both live electronics) All recorded at a 4-day festival at Fylkingen, Stockholm, from October 7-10 1999- organized by ‘FRIM’ production group (Dror Feiler, Mats Gustafsson, Kjell Nordeson and David Stackenäs) See also www.frim.se and www.mic.stim.se ++++++++ [music behind DJ: “Sporen” by Fetisch Park, from the Extreme CD ‘Sporen / Binumb’ / “I Don’t Want To Have Easy Listening Nightmares” by Nurse with Wound, from the Dutro 12” ‘Alice the Goon’/ “Cleanliness and Order” by NON, from the Mute Records CD ‘Easy Listening for Iron Youth’]