Mikael
Kahrle

Foreign albums
Archive: Londinium
Beautiful, cinematic and melancholic music that doesn't allow you to place it in a certain genre. Just wonderful music that sends a shiver up your spine.
Paradise Lost: One Second
Everything falls into place perfectly. These high-tech goth rockers accomplish what so many struggle for and they make it seem so easy.
Depeche Mode: Ultra
They came back and they didn't disappoint anyone. What more can you wish for?
Recoil: Unsound Methods
One way to look at it is to think that we got two fantastic "Depeche Mode"-records this year, instead of one.
U2: Pop
These guys know what they are doing. A genre disolving fusion of their usual song writing skills and the sound of today.

Foreign songs
U2: Mofo
Just undiscribably fantastic.
Pig: No One Gets Out of Her Alive
An extremly powerful knock-out. The energy of old hard electronic music with a fresh and new edge.
Björk: Bachelorette
She does it again.

Foreign live artist
Rational Youth
Perhaps not an extremly good show, but they deserve to be placed here simply beacuse the made it all they way from Canada to Sweden 1997 just to satisfy their fans at one gig. That's really something.

Foreign newcomer
Mono
An english duo that made a really interesting debut 1997, with their mix of calm pop music and soundtrack-like dreamy tunes.

Foreign artist
The Prodigy
They are convincing in everything they do.

Swedish albums
Peace, Love & Pitbulls: 3
"Caveman", "Kemikal", "White White White"... Do I have to say more?
Yvonne: Getting Out, Getting Anywhere
They made it again, even though they sound less unique nowadays.
Kent: Isola
They also made it again, even though this sounds a bit like we've heard it before.
Koop: Sons of Koop
Nice to hear tunes like these from Sweden.
EnCounter: Kontakt
After the never-ending row of boring David Gahan sound-a-likes there is suddenly a strong girl behind the microphone. Classic synthpop with respect for the roots.

Swedish songs
Tiamat: Cold Seed
A typical goth hit.
Saft: Underbar
Pure pop at its best.
EnCounter: Date on Mars
So simple, so good.

Swedish live artist
Lustans Lakejer
Far from the best live show I've seen, but I want to give them credit for still playing their old hits live. No, I don't think it's pathetic.

Swedish newcomer
EnCounter
A promising band for the future.

Swedish artist
Kent
They make everything right - the songs, records, live shows, videos, artwork, image... And that is rare for a swedish band.