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It’s Alright With Junip: Akai LPK25

Fans of Swedish indie rock, rejoice: After four years of inactivity, the eclectic popsters in Junip have reunited to record their first full-length album. The trio—vocalist/guitarist José González, keyboardist Tobias Winterkorn and drummer Elias Araya—formed more than a decade ago in its hometown of Gothenburg and released a well-regarded EP in 2005. Soon after, the trio parted ways to pursue different avenues. González made a major name for himself with his solo work, while Araya went off to study art and Winterkorn turned to teaching. Earlier this year, the three came back together to record a new EP, Rope And Summit, a teaser for the brand new Fields (Mute), an album that represents an extension of Junip’s delicately abstract sound, with loping organs, exotic rhythms and González’s trademark dreamy vocals. The trio’s intoxicating mix will soon get the live treatment, as it supports the release with tour dates in Europe and a trip stateside in the fall. The members of Junip will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with them.

Jose: The Akai LPK25 is a tiny USB keyboard that you can make music with anywhere, any time with a laptop and headphones. We traveled by van from Sweden to Belgium to Switzerland to Holland and then back to Sweden, and I spent the hours making a new song each day. One day dub, the other day house, another day some kind of funk pop. Only as a happy amateur, of course. All the boring traveling parts of tours have all of a sudden become fun.

Video after the jump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnkeBTXJ9To