TS: Komeda vs. Komeda

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(Thanks to Felcher in the soundtrack thread below for reminding me to ask this.)

Take Sides - KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA (the composer)
vs.
KOMEDA (The band)

The reason for this post is two-fold:
1/ I know nothing about Komeda the composer, but am intrigued. The comments about the Rosemary's Baby soundtrack re-sparked my interest. Is that a good place to start? Are there other worthwhile recordings or compilations that would be a good introduction?

2/ Does anyone know what the hell is up with the fact that there's a newish Komeda (the band) album seemingly not available outside of Sweden? I remember reading that one of you out there used to work at Minty Fresh. Why haven't they released it? They even reissued their first (Swedish) album after "What Makes It Go?". And I think that one of you mentioned that they received some kind of larger attention due to a separate song (I think) they released in the meantime. Are they shopping the album around, looking for a bigger deal? Any information and theories would be appreciated.

― peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Tomasz Stanko Septet: The Music of Krzysztof Komeda, 1997, is a good place also - although 'dark and introspective' these modern jazz-band versions of a few K's movie themes and other compositions are, quite. Stanko's is a great group, though.

Komeda the band I'm clueless 'bout, really.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 02:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I was the one that worked at Minty Fresh -- but it was only for a summer, and it's been five years now. So I have no idea what's going on with the band or the label -- although it seems like within the last few years, MF has had a much lower profile than they did in the mid-90s. When I was there, we were promoting four or five new records; now it seems like they only release one a year.

I'd sure love to hear some new Komeda, though. The only Krzysztof Komeda I've heard is Rosemary's Baby, but I'd say it's fairly classic. :-)

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 03:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll also say this about Minty Fresh. They're not the kind of label that keeps artists around for very long. This is mostly intentional -- Jim Powers started MF after being an A&R guy at Geffen and saw the label as a way to promote new bands and usher them toward greater success. Their biggest success stories, of course, were the Cardigans and Veruca Salt; after debut albums on Minty Fresh, both signed to major labels. But then there's the example of The Aluminum Group, who had a falling out with the label after Powers didn't care for the direction they were going on Pelo (working with Tortoise). And their catalog is littered with bands that have only recorded one album with the label, like Floraline and Fugu.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 03:26 (twenty-two years ago)

So I guess what I mean is, I'm not altogether surprised that Minty Fresh doesn't seem to be releasing any new Komeda.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

What North American indie label would be a good fit for them?

― peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 03:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Komeda's web site has the lowdown: http://www.komeda.se/

Kokomemedada is totally worth tracking down (it's easily on my top 10 for 2003). It's a little less self-conscious of itself than their previous album, and it sounds like they just set out to make a full-blown 60s pop album.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 04:53 (twenty-two years ago)

fugu have a bubblegum pop record coming out soon, no idea on which label.
komeda would work on le grand magistery. they could forget releasing anything further the godawful music lovers/scarrboro aquarium/blood group/mr wright/mascott, etc... and release kokomemedada and more pas/cal records instead.

― keith m (keithmcl), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 05:26 (twenty-two years ago)

oh i havent heard KRZYSZTOF but i think he is better then the band... uuuh...

― Jens (brighter), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 08:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Aren't we ripe for a band monikered after his given name???

― peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Their website suggests an agreement with Universal (April 2001), but still no CD in N. America.
This could mean:
1/ Only Universal's branch in Sweden
2/ Major Labels are understaffed.
3/ Major labels are too scientific, trying to pick their "spots" as to when a release would be most likely to succeed (or fail, as is their tradition)...like years after the album was made.

― peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 13:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Komeda's deal with Universal is for Sweden only, but I suspect that could also mean that anyone trying to license the album for int'l release would be forced to jump through hurdles and/or pay a lot of money. KoKoMeMeDaDa is a pretty good record, but it wasn't promoted very well so it didn't really do anything. Not really touring on it didn't help matters, but I suspect they just weren't getting much label support. If enough people are curious, I'm willing to get a hold of em and ask them what's up.

*shameless plug*
Marc and Lena from Komeda helped produce and record the new album from KVLR which I'm putting out and Lena also lent her vocals to a few tracks. Samples:
http://www.itsatrap.com/playlist/KVLR-Slow_Clapping.mp3
http://www.itsatrap.com/kvlr/player/index.html (streaming player e-card thingy)

― Avi, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

WTF? Not promoted that well? Does Universal Sweden have that many acts that Komeda gets lost in the shuffle? I guess we aren't gonna hear from them any time soon. My niece, Hannah, will be devistated. Komeda is her fav group, and her first concert (at age four).
I think its a shame, as well.
I'll take more info on KVLR, though. (I can't download music)

― peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Komeda (the composer) was also a noted European jazzer. I only have one of his jazz albums ("Astigmatic") but it is very, very fine and I really should have more. Stanko plays on it and it really shows how much his own music derives from Komeda. Komeda's music is a little more muscular and less intensely brooding than Stanko's recent stuff (so it fits a wider range of moods) but the basic ingredients are all there.

I don't know anything about the band named Komeda.

― ArfArf, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

i love komeda (the band) - the new album has a nicely reworked version of their song "bubbles" on the powerpuff girls soundtrack too. its a shame that all these great indiepop labels from the late90s are sort of, uh, aren't putting that many records out anymore, like LGM and Minty Fresh and, well, Kindercore... March has a few good releases for 2004 - check out See Venus when it comes out.

― phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Krzysztof also goes by Christopher when American record labels decide he should.

― Felcher (Felcher), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

peewee: check out KVLR's website at www.kvlr.net for more info

― Avi, Wednesday, 14 January 2004 02:18 (twenty-two years ago)

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