Audiopile Review: Latest otherworldly transmission from Gothenburg’s Discreet Music lands in the shop, delivered via the newly formed Demeters Döttrar, a trio comprised of two of the label’s mainstays—Astrid Øster Mortensen and Charlott Malmenholt (Treasury of Puppies) who are joined by Ida Skibsted Cramer, a new name to us. The eerie bedroom folk of Søndag I Spejlet is both comforting and harrowing, the home-fi recordings drops us right into the room with the trio, their echo-laden, illusory voices fading in and out of focus. Rain pelting the window melds with the hiss of tape, an intimate, dream-like ambiance that further shuts out the world beyond. Hushed guitars serve as a constant component, evoking the fragile lo-fi work of early Low and the atmospheric drift of Hydroplane, albeit refracted through the distinct Gothenburg vibe. That is to say, anti-vibe. The recent homespun experimental works from Franciska, Juho Toivonen, and Loopsel also come to mind, a whiff of Mortensen and Malmenholt’s previous endeavours can also be traced here—both of which have been previously championed in the shop, setting this project up to be a shoo-in for us and the growing Gothenburg devotees out there. Edition of 500.

Demeters Döttrar is the new trio of Ida Skibsted Cramer, Charlott Malmenholt and Astrid Øster Mortensen. Søndag I Spejlet (‘Sunday In The Mirror’) was mainly recorded in Gamlestaden, Gothenburg between 2022 and 2023 and consists of 8 tracks that lies somewhere in between 90’s lo-fi experimental bedroom music and brash text-sound compositions channeled through the ever-inspiring cassette underground.

Listening to Demeters Döttrar is like stepping into a parallel universe; a tiny unexplored corner with paper-thin walls or a very delicate bubble that is about to burst any moment. The instrumentation is sparse and mainly consists of guitar, vocals, prepared tapes and occasional harmonica. The recurrence of rain in different forms throughout the recording almost functions as a percussive backbone at times, the one thing except for the sound of the actual room that sort of keeps it all together.

With one foot in Sweden and one foot in Denmark, the group is utilizing both countries’ language in an uncompromising and peculiarly alluring way. The almost brutal intimacy brings the more mellow Deux Filles moments to mind, though music wise this owes more to Un, early Charalambides and at times groups like Dadamah. A daring, major statement and one of the most beautiful, strange and other-worldly debut albums we heard in quite a while.

Mastered by Lasse Marhaug. Gloss laminated covers, comes with insert.