Ola Bergman: The Satellite City
New Speak

Though The Satellite City includes a few exclusives and updated versions, it's essentially a fifty-two minute CD compilation of Ola Bergman's previously-released 12-inch outings The Great Family Hotel (2002), Pseudocarp (2003), and Forecast (2005). The fourteen songs generally alternate between warmer Boards of Canada-styled sparklers (“Pseudocarp” and the beautiful “Primapore”) and Suction-styled 'Robot Music' (“Fivecast,” “No Policy,” “Otra Vuelta,” the Kraftwerk-influenced “Rubicon”). Bergman's style emphasizes grandiose glistening melodies, dramatic string washes, chugging bass lines, and squelchy electro beats though he does spin subtle variations on the template throughout: “Panettone” sweetly layers lush strings and organ tones over a delicately pumping shuffle to charming effect while “Vulture's End” (included in Ellen Allien's My Parade mix) conjures a snapping electro-funk groove peppered by staccato synth flutterings and woozy melodies. The aggressive electro-hip-hop and voice cut-ups of “Berrytown” suggest a promising way forward for the Swedish producer.

July 2005