https://www.high-endrolex.com/18

Lorenzo Woodrose Documentary Born to Lose DVD out May 27

Posted in Whathaveyou on April 16th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

lorenzo woodrose

I’m fairly sure I’ve posted it here before at some point in the last couple years, but if you’ve never seen it, check out the trailer for the Born to Lose documentary about Uffe Lorenzen, aka Lorenzo Woodrose of Baby Woodrose, Spids Nøgenhat, Dragontears, On Trial, and so on. Undoubtedly a key figure in the Danish psychedelic scene, Lorenzen has a new solo album coming out this year as well, but the documentary covers his entire history going back to — as in the trailer — his first experience with psychedelic drugs. I haven’t seen the full film — yet — but am very much looking forward to doing so, as a fan of both his work and the style he’s helped influence. Also, his new record kicks ass. I’ll have a track premiere from it May 7. Mark your calendar for it.

The DVD has a longer cut and an hour of bonus footage included. The more the merrier, as far as I’m concerned. Info came from the film’s social media, and check out the cover:

born to lose dvd

BIG NEWS: BORN TO LOSE will FINALLY be out on DVD!

The DVD will contain 1 HOUR of EXTRA material – besides of course the original theatrical 82 min. cut of the film (NOT the shortened 57 min. TV version) – with optional English subtitles.

Release is set to MAY 27, and the DVD will be available online, and in selected (record) shops.

Sorry it took so long to figure out about a DVD release, but life, work and music came in the way.. It’s a huge pleasure to finally put it out there.

If you know someone interested in this, please share with them, as I’ve been asked many times during the years, when it will be available for viewing… Thanks!

-Palle

Credits:
Filmed & Directed by Palle Demant

Produced by Kirstine Barfod & Louise H. Johansen

Edited by Rebekka Lønqvist

Sound Design by Jacques Pedersen

Music by Lorenzo Woodrose, Spids Nøgenhat, Baby Woodrose, Dragontears & Pandemonica

Featuring: Lorenzo Woodrose, Anders Grøn, Anders Skjødt, Morten Larsen, Henrik Klitstrøm, Anders Onsberg, Hans Beck, Mads Saaby, Kåre Joensen & Ralph A. Rjeily

Supported by The Danish Film Workshop, DR 3 & Kong Gulerod film.

https://www.facebook.com/LorenzoWoodroseDocumentary/
https://yesiamaloserandwantaposter.bigcartel.com/

Born to Lose trailer

Tags: , ,

Review & Track Premiere: Uffe Lorenzen, Galmandsværk

Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on November 6th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

Uffe-Lorenzen-Galmandsvaerk

[Click play above to stream ‘På Kanten Af Verden’ from Uffe Lorenzen’s Galmandsværk. Album is out Nov. 10 on Bad Afro Records.]

It would be difficult to overstate the level to which Uffe Lorenzen has contributed to the Danish and wider European heavy underground. Better known by the stage alias of Lorenzo Woodrose, Lorenzen was a member of pivotal anti-trend psych rockers On Trial before going on to found Baby Woodrose and, with that group, assume a figurehead role for Danish garage rock and heavy psychedelia that he maintains to this day — to wit, Baby Woodrose‘s 2016 full-length, Freedom (review here), was marvelous — driven by a relentless creativity that has led him to not only evolve that band but found and contribute to other projects like Dragontears and Spids Nøgenhat, keeping a steady flow of releases through Bad Afro Records and other labels and building a listenership and influence that at this point spans more than a generation.

Galmandsværk is not the first solo album Lorenzen has produced — there was the Pandemonica series of home recordings captured in the ’90s and released in the early 2000s, and Baby Woodrose‘s origins certainly stem from his compositional and performance method — but it is the first solo album he’s ever produced under his own name, and that would not seem to be a decision made lightly. That an artist with nearly 30 years of output under his belt would suddenly decide a single long-player represents his intent enough to put his real name on it when he’s never done so before? Not only that, but the write and sing songs for the first time in his native language?

That may or may not make Lorenzen‘s 10 inclusions on the 36-minute Galmandsværk — the title of which loosely translates to “act of madness” — the truest manifestation of who he is as an artist at this stage in his career, but it should definitely catch the eye of his followers, and taken in kind with the psych-folk basis and arrangements in many of these cuts, it seems to drive toward the notion of conversing with bedrock influences in Lorenzen‘s overall milieu. To be sure, cuts like “Ny By” and the earlier “Ridset Plade” bear the hallmark guitar fuzz and Mellotron spaciousness one might expect from Lorenzo Woodrose, but the shift in context toward a peaceful feel — not to mention the xylophone on “Ny By” — approaches garage rock vintage-ism from a new angle and makes for a deeply satisfying progression in style.

Backed by the not-at-all-language-dependent foundation of Lorenzen‘s songwriting — a standard that remains seemingly unfuckwithable, as shown here in the flute-laden dreamer “Flippertøs” and acoustic, backmasked-sample, keyboard-and-psych-wash-guitar sublime freakout of the penultimate “Høj Som Et Højhus” — Galmandsværk is at once quintessentially his own and a bold foray into new ground, the acoustic origins of many of the arrangements remaining prevalent while nonetheless fleshed out by electrics, keys, percussion and sundry other elements.

uffe lorenzen photo james daltrey

This is especially true on the longest cut and near-centerpiece, “På Kanten Af Verden,” which introduces sitar and percussive elements early into its 5:23 in order to set up a later-emerging jam that hits circa 3:45 joined by more weighted electric guitar tone and provides a singular, standout moment for the record as a whole, at once patient and scorching. In the serenity around it of songs like the aforementioned “Flippertøs” or “Dansker,” which opens, its vibrancy and resonance shimmer all the more, and with the bouncing jaw harp of the subsequent “Sang Om Merværdi,” it marks a turn in energy level that keeps Galmandsværk dynamic and all the more accomplished in its overarching sense of balance.

Fans of Baby Woodrose will no doubt recognize many of the elements at play here from that band, and if nothing else I think that speaks to the level at which that group has come to stand for Lorenzen as a player and composer — somehow making the transition to releasing under his own name seem increasingly natural — but between the language swap and the acoustic basis of songs like “Dansker” and the catchy “Rimets Tyranni” at the outset, Galmandsværk has no trouble establishing its own framework separate from that group, and its distinction does nothing to undercut the atmosphere of immersion and playfulness of style throughout, whether that’s the garage flourish of “Ridset Plade,” the wistful melodicism of “Min Skygge” or the final otherworldliness of “Blues for Havet,” which marks the return of the sitar that showed itself on “På Kanten Af Verden” — the end of side B perhaps calling back to the end of side A; a nod to structure of form one could only call suitable given Lorenzen‘s penchant for same in his craft.

Individual tracks move in any number of directions between garage rock, acid folk and classic psychedelia, but if nothing else, Galmandsværk — the bulk of which was reportedly written by Lorenzen on an island off the coast of Morocco over a 10-week stretch — is properly presented under the artist’s name. It is his own, and he absolutely owns it across what despite the level of engagement remains an utterly manageable LP span. While I’ll admit to feeling somewhat at a disadvantage compared to someone who might be able to examine the lyrics on their own level for being in Danish and talk about Lorenzen‘s representation of himself, of Copenhagen, of Denmark and so on, what comes through clearly in this material regardless of the words being said is a universal nature of sonic equilibrium — a poise that holds itself forward as a crucial aspect no matter where a single track might veer around it.

This can be seen as a function of the single origin of the songs themselves, and with Lorenzen thus at the core, the album is entirely his own. It’s been floated the solo-project will be an ongoing modus of exploration for Lorenzen from here on out, and while it’s difficult to imagine Baby Woodrose being put to rest given the vitality of Freedom and the band’s continued impact, if he does indeed choose to focus elsewhere even for some measure of time, this first act of madness brims with potential for future development while emphasizing the root of what has always made his work so special. It is a triumph, a worthy landmark, and hopefully another step in the ever-forward path of a storied career.

Uffe Lorenzen, “Flippertøs” official video

Uffe Lorenzen on Thee Facebooks

Baby Woodrose on Thee Facebooks

Baby Woodrose on Bandcamp

Baby Woodrose website

Spids Nøgenhat on Thee Facebooks

Galmandsværk at Bad Afro Records Bandcamp

Bad Afro Records on Thee Facebooks

Bad Afro Records website

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Lorenzo Woodrose to Release Solo Album Galmandsværk Nov. 10; New Single Streaming

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 11th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

Oh shit I want to hear this. Today if possible. Like, the sooner the better. A solo album sung in Danish by Uffe Lorenzen, AKA Lorenzo Woodrose? So you mean to tell me that the arguable spearhead of modern Danish heavy psych and garage rock, founder of Baby Woodrose, Dragontears and Spids Nøgenhat has found an avenue of expression so personal that not only is he unwilling to translate it into English, but he’s also refusing to release it under any but his actual, real name? Written on some island off the coast of Morocco? Fuck yes. Sign me up. Sign me up faster. Sign me up today. I want to hear this. Presently.

Lorenzen has always been a key songwriter in the above-listed outfits, and going back to a project called Pandemonica in 2002 he’s shown an interest in solo releases, but this would seem to be a different level entirely. He’s got the single “Flippertøs” streaming now ahead of the Nov. 10 release of the album, titled Galmandsværk, and I’m sorry, but if you listen to this track and aren’t immediately as stoked on the prospect of hearing the rest of the record as I am, you’re living wrong.

So live right:

uffe lorenzen flippertos

Uffe Lorenzen – Galmandsværk

Uffe Lorenzen (alias Lorenzo Woodrose) is the frontman of Baby Woodrose and Spids Nøgenhat but from now on he will be recording and performing under his own name and be singing in Danish. The first result is the new solo album Galmandsværk (loosely translates to “act of madness”) that was conceived during a vacation on the island Gomera near the coast of Marocco where Uffe Lorenzen stayed in a small room doing nothing but writing new songs.

“Flippertøs” (Hippie Chick) is the first single from Galmandsværk. While the rest of the album sounds as if Baby Woodrose, Spids Nøgenhat and Dragontears merged and turned into something new, “Flippertøs” stands out as the most traditional pop song on the record.

Uffe Lorenzen: “Flippertøs was an attempt to write about all the things I missed about being home in Copenhagen, meanwhile sitting all alone, staring at the ocean and playing my guitar on a small volcanic island for 10 weeks. The lyric ended up namedropping a lot of my favourite places in Copenhagen, like Loppen, Floss, Kronborggade, Lygtens Kro, etc.. I guess it is a song about longing on many levels, but there is also a bit of social criticism in it. MAYBE the hippie chick in the song IS Copenhagen?”

“Flippertøs” will be available digitally September 8th. Galmandsværk will be released November 10th on LP/CD and digital.

Video for “Flippertøs” made by Palle Demant.

https://www.facebook.com/BabyWoodrose/
https://babywoodrose.bandcamp.com/
https://babywoodrose.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/spidsnogenhat/
https://badafrorecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/badafrorecords/
http://badafro.dk/

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Baby Woodrose, Kicking Ass and Taking Names: Gone Yesterday, Here Tomorrow

Posted in Reviews on March 27th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

Seems likely that Copenhagen psych-garage aficionados Baby Woodrose have a considerable backlog of unreleased material. Before the band led by guitarist/vocalist Lorenzo Woodrose, also of Dragontears, released their righteously cool 2012 sixth full-length, Third Eye Surgery (review here), they preceded it with a 2011 comp of early demos titled Mindblowing Seeds and Disconnected Flowers (review here). The new collection, Kicking Ass and Taking Names, also dips back to the beginnings of the band, and from the second one unfolds the six-panel Bad Afro Records digipak (or, presumably, opens the vinyl), there’s an archival feel. Lorenzo Woodrose himself offers liner notes extolling the virtues of the B-side as an opportunity to experiment and gives recording dates and circumstances for each of the comp’s 14 tracks, spanning years from early 2002 to 2013, and as he explains it, there’s more on offer than just B-sides. The tracks “Coming Around Again” and “I Feel High” were released together as a single in 2008, and “Light up Your Mind” and “Bubblegum” came out together through Bad Afro last year. Covers of The Troggs‘ “6654321” and Otis Redding‘s “That’s How Strong My Love Is” (which Humble Pie also covered in 1973) end each half of the tracklist and represent the earliest material included, coming from the band’s Feb. 2002 first session with their original lineup. Of course, with variation in the years of release, production and lineup, Kicking Ass and Taking Names has a few notable jumps in sound, but a remaster for everything included gives some sense of flow to the collection’s 36-minute course.

Really, the structure of Kicking Ass and Taking Names isn’t that of a compilation of individual, standalone tracks, but of a previously unreleased EP plus enough bonus cuts to extend it to full-length. While they were subsequently released on singles, the first five tracks — “Information Overload,” “Good Day to Die,” “Coming Around Again,” “I Feel High” and “Making My Time” — come from the same session, recorded by the late Ralph Rjeily in 2007 and issued in drips and drabs in the years since. Those with prior exposure to Baby Woodrose‘s fervent worship of 13th Floor Elevators-style psychedelia will be right at home with “Information Overload”‘s space-rocking thrust and Woodrose‘s own howls echoing up from the swirl. I’ve always considered his style to have similar roots to those of Monster Magnet‘s Dave Wyndorf, but Woodrose‘s approach is looser, the material it tops less concerned with sprawl. “Good Day to Die” is an early highlight the energy of which is a precursor to some of what arrives later on side B’s (can you have a side B on a collection of B-sides?) “Here Today Gone Tomorrow” and “Live Wire,” while “Coming Around Again” delivers a poppier take and “I Feel High” backs it with acoustic-based lysergics, a steady undercurrent of fuzz and organ making a complex mix sound simple. That track builds but remains drumless, leaving the buzz of “Making My Time” to sum up the preceding four with organ start-stops, echoing space and an easy, right-on groove. As ever, Woodrose remains a strong presence, but I wouldn’t discount the organ work of Fuzz Daddy either, which is featured in a solo in the song’s second half.

Read more »

Tags: , , , , , ,