Twice A Man – The Coloured Breeze Is a New Dimension

While the skies of the world are darkening, something powerful and resilient is pushing from below through the pungent springtime topsoil close to the City of Göteborg in Sweden. This sprout that is charged with organic and electric energy bears the name “The Coloured Breeze Is a New Dimension”. TWICE A MAN planted its seed with the song ‘Dahlia’, a ‘new’ track that was written to complement the compilation album “Songs of Future Memories”. 

 

For three years, the Swedish dark electronic trio fertilised and nurtured the germ bud until it had taken firm root in their musical heritage and began to send offshoots to find new sonic spots beyond any previously built garden walls. “The Coloured Breeze Is a New Dimension” is an organic entity that creates something new by re-combining its musical DNA in various ways. As a result, its tracks blossom in many hues of electronic colours.

TWICE A MAN have always been pioneers. They spearheaded electronic music in their native Sweden. Long before it was fashionable, the Swedes positioned themselves as environmentalists. This theme is still running through their lyrics but is also reflected in their music that still amalgamates futuristic electronics and organic elements. In their holistic approach of creating a sonic cosmos of their own, the band resembles THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS. Musically, theirs is a different story that has been lovingly described as “Ultravox on weed – also melancholic but without the saccharine pathos” or “like a sad Gary Numan, but with a warm, organic touch”. There are also gentle echoes of TANGERINE DREAM, KLAUS SCHULZE, and THE HUMAN LEAGUE among many other possible references.    

 

When singer, guitarist, and keyboarder Dan Söderqvist teamed up with synth player Karl Gasleben in 1977, the duo formed COSMIC OVERDOSE as the first electronic band in Scandinavia, which grew into TWICE A MAN. During their remarkable career, the Swedes released a multitude of full-length albums that include special projects and two compilations. They also played countless shows and went on to create a soundtrack for 7 full-evening theatre performances at The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, music for movies, exhibitions, dance performances, and computer games.

 

TWICE A MAN‘s interest in nature, environmental issues, and natural protection was always present and manifested for example in music for an exhibition about whales at the Cultural House of Stockholm in 1984. The multimedia performance “Driftwood” (1988) described the nature of their childhood at the west coast of Sweden and in a similar vein they also released the ambient forest album “Cocoon” (2019). Samples from the sound of the natural world and field recordings have been incorporated into the music of TWICE A MAN already in the early 80s.

 

The natural world still remains as a strong presence in the lyrics and sound of “The Coloured Breeze Is a New Dimension”. It is the musical equivalent of TWICE A MAN seeking and offering comfort by allowing their minds to wander into nature, art, and towards friends and books to get away for some time from all modern evils.