Peter Sommer - now with anger and bitterness

Image by: Casper Dahlhoff

One of the biggest winners at Danish Music Awards 2009 was singer-songwriter Peter Sommer who could take home no less than three awards for Best Danish Male Artist, Best Danish Songwriter and Best Danish Rock Release. 

Peter Sommer has recently released the album "Til Rotterne, Til Kragerne, Til Hundene" which showed a bit of a transformation from a soft troubadour towards a more dark and angry rock-musician. On the record he puts on a more serious face which suits him well. 

I haven´t been the biggest fan of Peter Sommer because to me the music tended to lack some deeper layers and more fierce lyrics even though that he is a skilled master of playing with words. But now he finally seems to capture my interest with a more mellow and bitter attitude. 

The song "Rødt Kort" is obviously the one with the most hit- potential, and I like the direct and confronting lyrics about pulling your self together. Peter Sommer´s lyrics hits you with the tough truth right in the face without any self-pity, and his confident and laid-back voice has an authority about it that makes me want to listen. 

Here is the song "Rødt Kort" made as a short film by Casper Dalhoff, who follows Peter Sommer in the studio.

Teenage trip hop talent

Image by: Peter Svendsen 

16 years old and already an established musician. That´s the reality for Mike Sheridan who just won a Danish Music Award for "Best Electronica Release of the Year" last month. And it´s certainly not because of the lack of competition on the Danish electronica scene. 

In 2008 Mike Sheridan released the record "I Syv Sind" which got great reviews. The mellow and mature mood that the experimental trip hop reflects makes it difficult to picture that it´s a teenager who is behind the deep felt tracks. Especially when he has been cited for saying, that his biggest trouble at the moment, is his father who does not want to raise his allowance. 

The tracks like "At Elske Dig" and "Med Små Skridt" are smooth and comfortable for the ear while still very experimental. The latter one features the Danish singer Maya Albana. The resemblance with the king of Danish electronica Trentemøller is obvious but as Mike Sheridan has stated himself he is far from a clone of Trentemøller, but refers instead to a special Copenhagen sound that is flourishing at the moment and which does not find its like anywhere else. 

Only critique is the lyrics on some tracks which is the only place where his young age shines through because of the little too banal texts. 

Mike Sheridan has also composed the music to a ballet performance playing at the Bellevue Theater and he has actually been so busy with his career that he had to drop out of high school. All I can say is poor kid.