Plankton

Plankton - 3 - 2006 - Grooveyard

"I can’t stress enough about the tonal nuances and unique ambiences the music projects. It’s groove oriented instrumental ingenuity and melody at it’s finest." - Brian D. Holland, Modern Guitars

"I wish I had found them first." - Mike Varney, Shrapnel Records

"There is a major difference between PLANKTON and nearly 99% of the so-called "guitar heroes" of the day: these guys are one serious freaking band and they approach it that way." - Ray Dorsey, Chaos Realm
"A remarkable band and without a doubt one of the best outfits Sweden has to offer nowadays." - BigRedMachine, Rockprog.com

ON "3", PLANKTON SHOWS THAT THEY CAN MOVE SEAMLESSLY FROM MELODIC AND TENDER ELEGANCE INTO FIERY DISTORTION AND HIGH-POWERED VIRTUOSITY. THE TALENTS OF THE ENTIRE BAND ARE HIGHLIGHTED BY THIS ABILITY TO DANCE FROM ONE PARTICULAR MODE OF MUSICAL EXPRESSION INTO ANOTHER, ALL THE WHILE KEEPING THE INTEREST OF LISTENERS AND DISPLAYING CHOPS THAT ARE BEYOND BELIEF. AND THEN THERE ARE THE GUITARS. AH, THE GUITARS!! - STEVEN ROSEN, AUTHOR, ESSENTIAL HINDUISM (2006)

FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST GUITAR ALBUMS EVER RELEASED BY ANYBODY, ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME. IF THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN OUTRAGEOUS CLAIM OR EMPTY BOAST, THERE'S A VERY SIMPLE WAY TO TEST IT - JUST LISTEN TO PLANKTON 3. IT'S THAT EASY. THAT EXPERIENCE WILL REMOVE ANY DOUBT WHATSOEVER AS TO THE TRUTH CONTAINED IN THAT PRONOUNCEMENT. FOR THOSE OF YOU FAMILIAR WITH THEIR FIRST TWO ALBUMS, YOU ALREADY KNOW OF THE AWESOME POWER THIS BAND POSSESSES. FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE BEST BAND IN THE WORLD THAT YOU NEVER HEARD OF. CHRISTIAN NEPPENSTROM (GUITARS) AND EMIL FREDHOLM (GUITARS) ARE BOTH VIRTUOSIC GUITAR VISIONARIES FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION. END OF STORY. EACH OF THEM COULD FRONT THEIR OWN OUTFIT AND BLOW MINDS WITH THEIR SUPERCHARGED FRETWORK...ON THEIR OWN. WHAT MAKES PLANKTON SO UNIQUE AND SPECIAL IS THAT THEY BOTH CHECK THEIR EGOS AT THE DOOR AND WORK AS AN UNSELFISH AND TRUE COLLABORATIVE TEAM - LINKING THEIR INDIVIDUAL TALENT AND CONSIDERABLE MUSICAL PROWESS TOGETHER TO CREATE...WITHOUT EXAGGERATION...ONE OF THE GREATEST GUITAR TEAMS EVER PRODUCED ON THIS PLANET...OR ANY OTHER, FOR THAT MATTER. LIKE MUSICAL ALCHEMISTS - ARMED WITH VINTAGE STRATS, VINTAGE MARSHALLS, VINTAGE EFFECTS AND PERMEATED WITH A VINTAGE...YET RADICALLY MODERN...VIBE - THEY SET UP SHOP AND HOLD COURT FOR LESSER MORTALS LIKE OURSELVES. COMBINING DEFT FINGERWORK, HYPERDRIVE CHOPS, A HIGHLY DEVELOPED SENSE OF HARMONIC PROPORTION, SEAMLESS INTERPLAY AND MUSICALITY THAT'S OFF THE CHARTS, THEY SERVE UP A GENRE-BENDING SMORGASBORD OF POST-MODERN, RETRO-PROGRESSIVE GUITAR STYLIZATIONS FROM ANOTHER WORLD. THEIR DELIVERY IS AT ONCE HARMONICALLY RICH AND MELODICALLY SOPHISTICATED...FULL OF PASSION AND FIRE...SOULFUL IN THE EXTREME...AND THROUGHOUT, APPLYING A SOPHISTICATED BLEND OF DENSE YET TRANSPARENT SONIC COLORATIONS AND A DEEPLY INTERNALIZED PURIST REVERENCE FOR THEIR CRAFT NOT HEARD SINCE JIMI'S HEYDAY. THIS IS TIMELESS STUFF...TRUE ART...AND IT'S ABOUT TIME. WHILE SINGING THE PRAISES OF THESE TWO GUITAR MASTERS, IT WOULD BE EASY TO OVERLOOK THE PART OF THIS OUTFIT THAT LAYS THE RAILS ON WHICH THIS MUSICAL BULLET TRAIN ROLLS. TOMAS THORBERG (BASS), SEBASTIAN SIPPOLA (DRUMS) AND LARS NORMALM (PERCUSSION) ARE OF ONE COLLECTIVE MIND, CREATING THE DEEP, RICH RHYTHMIC TEXTURES AND INTENSE GROOVES, LAYING THE FOUNDATION UNDER THE MELODIC EXCURSIONS OF THEIR GUITAR-SLINGING BRETHREN. EVERYTHING PULSES AND SWINGS WITH A DEEPLY ORGANIC FEEL AND SENSE OF URGENCY THROUGHOUT, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE WIDELY VARYING METERS AND MOODS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY THROUGHOUT THIS AMAZING COLLECTION OF MUSICAL ART. NO ONE IS OVERSHADOWED...NOTHING IS AN AFTERTHOUGHT...EVERYTHING MATTERS...THE SYNERGISTIC RESONANCE BETWEEN THESE THREE PLAYERS IS PREEMINENT ON EVERY CUT, UNDERSCORING AND ENHANCING EVERYTHING THAT CHRISTIAN AND EMIL ARE LAYERING ON TOP OF THEM. LISTENING TO EACH TUNE IS LIKE A MASTER CLASS ON WHAT HEIGHTS GUITAR MUSIC IS CAPABLE OF ATTAINING. TAKE "COSMIC BRIDGE," FOR EXAMPLE - FROM THE SPACY, ECHOPLEX-COLORED INTRO, THROUGH THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF ITS ELEGANT COUNTERPOINT FIGURES THAT COALESCE, SEPARATE, THEN SEAMLESSLY COME TOGETHER AGAIN, INTO A HEAD-CUTTING SOLO SECTION "BOOKENDED" ON EACH SIDE BY A JOYFUL MELODIC INTERLUDE, SPRINKLED WITH MIND-BENDING DOUBLE LEADS AND INTERSPERSED WITH SYNCHOPATED TRANSITIONS, FINALLY FADING OUT IN A HAUNTING CASCADE OF INTERTWINING MAJOR MELODIC FIGURES SWIRLING INTO INFINITY - THERE IS MORE HAPPENING IN THIS ONE PIECE OF MUSIC THAN ON MOST FULL-LENGTH ALBUMS. IT IS AN AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT, AND INDICATIVE OF THE DEPTH AND SCALE OF ARTISTRY THAT PLANKTON EMBODIES ON EACH AND EVERY CUT. IT'S ALMOST BEYOND HUMAN COMPREHENSION. SERIOUSLY. TRY TO FIND ANYONE DOING ANYTHING THAT EVEN COMES CLOSE TO WHAT THESE GUYS HAVE MASTERFULLY ACCOMPLISHED WITH "3." SAVE YOURSELF THE TROUBLE...YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO. PERIOD. - JIMMY RYAN (TRUTHSQUAD)

“3”, the brilliant third studio disc from the ever-amazing PLANKTON (an exceptional dual instrumental guitar band from Sweden), showcases 10 absolutely stunning new original instrumental guitar compositions of world-class, Hendrix-inspired, retro-70’s, bluesy, expressive guitar artistry that border on genius. PLANKTON has definitely come into their own on “3”, creating a phenomenal “inner galactic earth blues fusion experience”, a virtual heavy guitar masterpiece. The PLANKTON: “3” disc is HIGHLY recommended to fans of HENDRIX (long live the musical spirit of JIMI), ROBIN TROWER, FRANK MARINO, ULI JON ROTH, MICHAEL SCHENKER, LESLIE WEST & MOUNTAIN, CREAM, TOMMY BOLIN, JEFF BECK, ERIC JOHNSON, STEVE MORSE, GREG KOCH, MICHAEL LANDAU, WARREN HAYNES & GOV’T MULE, ALLMAN BROS, WISHBONE ASH, and all of the “old-school” classic guitar greats. Fans of their two amazing previous discs (PLANKTON & HUMBLE COLOSSUS) will be blown away completely by the awesome beyond all human comprehension diverse, bluesy heavy guitar grooves that landed on the “3” disc. Product Description © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/3-Plankton/dp/product-description/B000FTCG7Q/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music

Outstanding progressive instrumental guitar rock from a great Swedish band featuring the two brilliant guitarists Emil Fredholm, and Christian Neppenstrom. Plankton have a growing underground cult status and have received world-wide critical acclaim with their exceptional music. Check out Plankton’s S/T album. Wishbone Ash asked Plankton to contribute a song to their 35th anniversary album, “Wishbone Ish”. Plankton’s cover of Wishbone’s F.U.B.B. can be heard on the tribute album. Buy Plankton’s “Rare Tracks” album and support real music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 115 Mb]

TRACKS

1. The Telltale Heart
2. Stockholm
3. Cosmic Bridge
4. Holy Cow
5. Sea of Tranquility
6. Have You Ever..?
7. Anecdotes of an Aquanaut
8. 1970
9. Dvärgfeber
10. Evolution at Work

All music composed by Plankton

MUSICIANS

Emil Fredholm, Christian Neppenstrom - Guitars
Tomas Thorberg - Bass
Sebastian Sippola - Drums
Lars Normalm – Percussion

ABOUT PLANKTON

Plankton is an instrumental 5-piece band out of Stockholm, Sweden. The band was formed in 1998 by guitar players Christian and Emil, who at the time were playing in various bands around the Stockholm area. They´d known each other for a few years and were both heavily influenced by the music of the sixties and seventies. They usually got together over a cup of tea and listened to the music of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Beatles, Mahogany Rush, Electric Sun, Jan Johansson, Mountain, Deep Purple, Jojje Wadenius, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, Cream and other bands and artists from that era. On a rainy day they decided to put a band together and some time later they hooked up with Lars, Sebastian and Tomas and started jammin´ and recording. These recordings were sent to Joe Romagnola at Grooveyard Records by Janne Stark who had recieved a copy from Sören Dahlgren, a close friend to the band. Joe Romagnola liked what he heard and Plankton was signed to the Grooveyard label. ...the music of Plankton is based on a variety of influences that the five members grew up with. You´ll find blends of everything from The Jimi Hendrix Experience to traditional Swedish folk music, from The Beatles to The Rutles, from Deep Purple to Swedish fairy-tales, from The Shadows to Monty Python´s Flying Circus and of course the legendary Elephantman... © 2011 ROCKPROG Stockholm Sweden http://www.rockprog.com/02_interviews/plankton.aspx

ALBUM NOTES

“3”, the brilliant third studio disc from the ever-amazing PLANKTON (an exceptional dual instrumental guitar band from Sweden), showcases 10 absolutely stunning new original instrumental guitar compositions of world-class, Hendrix-inspired, retro-70’s, bluesy, expressive guitar artistry that border on genius. PLANKTON has definitely come into their own on “3”, creating a phenomenal “inner galactic earth blues fusion experience”, a virtual heavy guitar masterpiece. PLANKTON features two amazing, gifted Swedish stratmasters named CHRISTIAN NEPPENSTROM and EMIL FREDHOLM, who expand the vocabulary of the electric guitar with their exquisite brand of “pure heavy guitar beauty”. The creative dual-guitar interplay between NEPPENSTROM & FREDHOLM is out of this world knockdown brilliant. They re-write the book on how two guitarists can play together. PLANKTON also features an amazing rhythm section (groove machine) in the form of TOMAS THORBERG on bass, SEBASTIAN SIPPOLA on drums and LARS NORMALM on percussion who are all incredible players in their own rite and who add immensely to the overall PLANKTON sound/vibe. Combining mad playing skills, strong powerful compositions and armed with an arsenal of vintage STRATS and MARSHALLS (along with a mountain of vintage stomp boxes, bass & drum gear), PLANKTON has authentically & legitimately captured and created an incredible retro-70’s sound complete with their own style/vibe/musical voice that is truly inspirational on many levels. Gaining world-wide critical acclaim and a growing underground cult following status with their two exceptional previous discs (PLANKTON & HUMBLE COLOSSUS), PLANKTON has taken their extraordinary music deeper on “3” and crafted an utterly distinct, flawless and blisteringly beautiful musical attack. On their latest and most perfect disc to date, PLANKTON has worked their talented asses off, producing and crafting an amazing work of instrumental guitar-art complete with an impeccably perfect mix and sonic delivery that is world-class in every detail. With “3”, PLANKTON has created their version of “Electric Ladyland”, or in this case,“Electric Plankton-Land”. Also worthy of mention, on “3” the band shows great respect to their Swedish roots, both in musical tradition and in the artwork/layout for the disc which features a cover and various artwork by famed Swedish fantasy artist Hans Arnold, of whom the band are huge fans/admirers. Plankton does Sweden and the “guitar world” proud on “3” with their brilliant, classic, out of this world “pure heavy guitar beauty”. The PLANKTON: “3” disc is HIGHLY recommended to fans of HENDRIX (long live the musical spirit of JIMI), ROBIN TROWER, FRANK MARINO, ULI JON ROTH, MICHAEL SCHENKER, LESLIE WEST & MOUNTAIN, CREAM, TOMMY BOLIN, JEFF BECK, ERIC JOHNSON, STEVE MORSE, GREG KOCH, MICHAEL LANDAU, WARREN HAYNES & GOV’T MULE, ALLMAN BROS, WISHBONE ASH, and all of the “old-school” classic guitar greats. Fans of their two amazing previous discs (PLANKTON & HUMBLE COLOSSUS) will be blown away completely by the awesome beyond all human comprehension diverse, bluesy heavy guitar grooves that landed on the “3” disc. What sets PLANKTON apart from the 56 million other instrumental guitar bands out there in “guitarland” is their ability to write strong, timeless, diverse, complex, elegant & sophisticated “compostions” (songs) that are not mere shred-fest’s, but are are outstanding “musical vehicles”, enhanced by their incredible playing abilities and original styles on their instruments. PLANKTON: “3” is a guitarist’s dream where the emphasis is clearly on the music. Not just for instrumental guitar freaks, PLANKTON is on a mission, sure to convert old & new believers out of diehard music lovers everywhere. If you are a fan/collector of outstanding, excellent, top-shelf TOTAL GUITAR music, you owe it to yourself to tune into the remarkable, majestic, bluesy retro-70’s heavy guitar magic of PLANKTON. Exclusively available on GROOVEYARD RECORDS, an indie label dedicated to outstanding “TOTAL GUITAR” music. “Have you ever been to Electric Plankton-Land” © 2012 & BEYOND - GROOVEYARD RECORDS, INC