“All in all…it’s a really good album to dance to.”
–Johan Rensfeldt
Just when you thought gypsy-jazz-hip-hop-infused swing-rap music from Sweden couldn’t get any better, Movits! launches their second full length album this April for hungry ears worldwide. Ever since their American debut on the Colbert Report in the summer of 2009, Movits! have been taking some pretty big strides in crossing genres with their first album, “Äppelknyckarjazz.” And now, here they come again. With their new single, “Sammy Davis Jr.”, Movits! are experimenting with even more styles than before. Fans, rejoice…the wait is over.
“The song [Sammy Davis Jr.] is about an expression we have in Sweden, that I’m sure you have in America,”says singer, Johan Rensfeldt, “that ‘Old folks say it was better back in the day.’” Between the organ sound coupled with rap on top of the soul kicks, it sounds more like they’re taking old school verses and giving them a contemporary feel for a truly unique sound that’s quickly defining a musical genre on its own.
“We wanted a bit heavier sound this time…use the horns a little differently,” Johan told us. “Where the first album is more of a swing sound, we have a little bit more of a James Brown feel this time.”
Quick to comment, however, that their new-found style is not necessarily an abandonment of their matchless sounds we fell in love with, Johan mentions the importance of that delicate balance musicians need to achieve. “Music is about evolution. You don’t want to repeat yourself, but you don’t want to lose what makes you—you, either.” After all, “Out of My Head” will feature plenty of that swing vibe on various tracks so as to maintain the energy of their debut.
Hard enough as it is to believe, the band’s premier on the Colbert show back in 2009 was the first time the music had ever come overseas. One might imagine that a new band in a new country might have to play a few dive bars to get started. Clearly not the case for Movits! as they came straight to national television on a major network. And it gets better—Stephen Colbert sought the band out himself.
“We originally thought somebody was pranking us,” Johan explains, “but apparently Stephen had stumbled upon us online and had his people contact us…it was crazy.” Later that week, the album became the number one hip hop album on iTunes in the US—besting even Mos Def and Kanye West.
With over a year of exposure under their belt, Movits! carry momentum from their first appearance on American television and pick up speed with their new album, which, according to Johan Rensfeldt, is even better than the last.
“We have much newer sounds. The production is way better, rap is better…heavier hip hop.” Live shows have also been a point of improvement, as Johan tells us, “We wanted everything to sound more suitable for PA systems for venues and clubs with more organ and tweaked dynamic. All in all, it’s a really good album to dance to.”
Be sure to check out the new album, entitled “Out of My Head,” to be released in the US on April 5th.