Introducing… Vulkano

Here at Bearded we aim to shed light on acts who don't necessarily have giant labels or muscley budgets waving banners behind them. This Introducing series will focus on artists who we think are great, regardless of how much hype surrounds them or where their origin story lays.

Bio
Name: Vulkano
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Genre: Post-pop-punk/'riot grrrl'
Similar Artists: MØ, Savages, Deap Vally
Contact: Facebook, Twitter
Events: Debut single 'Vision Tricks' out now.

'Vision Tricks' is a belter. From the off, it's a cavalcade of post-punk grit, snarling twilight sneers, crunchy drum machines and bass thwomps. It echoes across a pitch black decaying urban sprawl, infecting every crevice and shadowy alleyway; it's a lithe beast, ravaging the desolate corners of 4am. On the cut – the debut single from Vulkano – we see singer Cissi Efraimsson transform from a dollop of pop-piped icing into a viscious monster. It's sinister, it's brimming with menace. It's bloody marvellous.



The fledgling duo aren't exactly newcomers to the world of music, though the act itself is. Formed from the ashes of Those Dancing Days, the Stockholm twosome revel in classic psych-rock, new wave and cinematic greats, claiming Pink Floyd, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Siouxsie & The Banshees and Barbarella as big inspirations for their sound. It's obviously got a filmic quality – it's not necessarily an OST, but their paeans pay homage in overall tone to '50s B-movies and schlocky goth-pop. Tracks like 'Choir Of Wolves' and 'Spider Spider' are pulpy, campy horror ditties for the glitterati.

Their sound is brash and dominated by a raw aggression that punk championed. Deap Vally feature a similar swaggering rage – it's not so much pure hatred, but rather a wry, quippy sting that mocks and humiliates. Their passion for pomp and desire to always be bigger, more grandiose and more OTT – their press release states that they want to “explore the realms of art, music, film, fashion and performance” in order to create “ a world where everything is possible.” It's like a Tim Burton fairytale.



Educated via art schools, and nurturing a fascination for the paranormal, the mythical and the tropical, Efraimsson and stickswoman/keyboardist Lisa Pyk-Wirström weave an explosive style. They're alluring, smooshing massive Top 40 hooks and a horror-punk ethos together with outlandish influences and new age paraphernalia. They've got other projects-irons in the fire too – they curate a club night in Stockholm and are producing a short film for release at some point in the future. There's blatantly a wealth of talent here. There's not a vast array of sounds available at the moment, but expect that to change soon. The amount of positive vibes surrounding Vulkano are palpable. Another gleaming example of why Scandinavia oozes the best musicians.