The Embassy

The Embassy, quite correctly called "architects of some of the past decades’ best new sounds" by Pitchfork, are without a doubt one of the most influential Swedish bands of the 21st century. As leaders of the blooming Gothenburg scene The Embassy opened a new era in Swedish music. Their light and elegant sound, subtle melodics, sharp lyrics and blending of acoustic and digital elements became a model.

Their debut Futile Crimes (2002) started this chapter, with bands like Studio, The Tough Alliance and Air France following, culminating with the masterpiece Tacking (2005). Instead of exploiting the momentum, The Embassy kept cool for eight years. Sweet Sensation (2013) is incredibly elegant and self-controlled, like laser cut velvet. A high point esthetically, still for the future to truly discover. White Lake (2018) followed to applause, with its somewhat introspective and laidback ambience.

However, The Embassy have always been to cold war against the actual present and the current values, as expressed in the title of their singles and b-sides retrospective Life in the Trenches (2009). With humor and style, they misinformed, deconstructed and monkey-wrenched. These pop saboteurs are neither contemporary nor ”timeless”, but untimely: in favour of a time to come.

The new album E-Numbers (2023) explores an almost self-celebratory nihilistic position, possibly with irony. "I don’t want the world to change. I just want to be against. Three cheers for us" - The tone is darker than before, both musically and lyrically. But the force and the beauty of the composition points further, to an overcoming of nihilism by affirmation of creative power. This affirmation is the truly transformative moment in which the habitual is opened up to the yet unknown, the past is opened to the future.