The Swedish Railway Orchestra is the brainchild of Dublin musician and producer Rob Smith. After five studio albums, thirty-one singles and a couple of remix albums, The Swedish Railway Orchestra unveil a treasure trove of hidden gems with `Besides: B-sides and Rarities`. This fifteen track compilation dives into the archives, offering listeners a rare glimpse at the tracks that didn’t make the mainstage but still pulsate with the outfit’s unmistakable sound. From experimental deep cuts to groove-laden remixes, `Besides` showcases the evolution of TSRO’s rich sonic palette.
The album opens with `Paper Thin Veils` which was released by Dirty Lights in 2020, a collaboration with Steven Gannon (former drummer of Kid Karate). It’s a gentle alluring electronic offering and a soothing piece to ease us in on. We have a cover of The Fat White Family’s 2014 single `Touch The Leather` which is a slightly beefed-up re-imagining of the original.
`L.L.L. (part 2)` which may be an acronym for Low-level programming language has quietly pulsating beats and what sounds like a slide whistle, it rises in volume and depth and is pretty mesmerising with vocal soundbites that are nigh on indistinguishable. We have a faster paced pulsating throbbing composition with `A Riot Van and a Rumble` which had an almost Underworld `Born Slippy` vibe about it.
`In League (reprise)` is sixty-two seconds of tribal beats, cowbells, and deep spoken word. Synth layers, percussive cymbals and dreamy vocals repeating the title strap line are what makes up the appealing `Black Magik Devil Woman`.
`Mickey Money` is Wicklow slang for the monthly government money a parent receives to help with the financial burden a child brings. Here it’s a trippy psychedelic opus in the vein of the Beatles `Tomorrow Never Knows`. A recurring pulse like beat with the title repeated atop arrives in `There`s Too Much Love (reprise)` which has a kind of sadness about it. It grows in stature as it evolves but retains that overwhelming sense of melancholy despite its passionate title.
`The Struggle Is Real, Comrade` is another cut with a throbbing beat and percussive tones that becomes quite hypnotic with proclamations like “Why is nobody is buying art no more” and “The struggle is real” interspliced throughout. The track builds to a climax before quietly fading out. El Cartucho or Calle del Cartucho was a street in the neighbourhood of Santa Inés in Bogata which was destroyed and replaced by a park. At its time, it was one of the poorest and most dangerous areas in Colombia. As to whether `Calle Cartucho (Dark Disco remix)` was inspired by this I’m not sure but we have a kind of stream of consciousness relayed over a recurring electronic beat.
`Book The Engineer (I’m Going On My Holidays Tomorrow)` has rolling synth and drum shades with harmonised vocals that are distantly dusted over the rhythmic backdrop. The wonderfully titled `Ode To Those Arrested at Music Festivals in Ireland` is quite spacy and a bit out there.
`What`s Your Thing` has a hurried rhythmic synthesised backing with vocals that are sprinkled quietly above on this quite spellbinding listen. The bizarrely titled `Music To Be Crucified By` is not what I’d have expected but a fairly mind-bending auditory experience. The final cut `Should You Ignore Me` is a brief noisy shouty segment.
The blurb that accompanies this release extolls it as “Perfect for late-night introspection or dancefloor nostalgia, this collection reaffirms their place as one of Ireland’s most experimental and innovative DIY electronic acts.” This really sums it up but I’d also add inventive, imaginative, and ingenious, a must have.
Rating 9/10
