Most recognize Jose Gonzalez for his work as a solo artist, but his Swedish band Junip is also worthy of your attention. The story begins in the 1990s in Gothenburg with Gonzalez and Elias Araya, who began collaborating when they were 14 years old in the band Renascence. Later joined by Tobias Winterkorn, the trio completely swapped their hardcore rock sound for the gorgeous, haunting folk style we associate with Junip today. Taking the scraps of songs that Gonzalez presented them, the group improvised drawn-out pieces, then re-recorded the best in DIY fashion on 4-track cassettes. The recordings were released in 2000, but the group never managed to piece together a full-length album until now.
Another five years since the release of the band's Black Refuge EP in 2005, Junip has finally obtained its teenage dream with Fields. Lining its raw but soft sound with haunting melodies, hypnotic psychedelia and Afro-beat inspired rhythms, it's clear that the time it took to piece together the album was well worth it.
Copyright 2010 XPN
