Poptones’ experimental vigor can be traced to Copenhagen’s Rhythmic Music Conservatory, one of the world’s most creatively unfettered environments. That’s where teenage pals Mads Bertelsen (bass, vocals), Simon Hiemstra (guitar) and Anders Poulsen (drums) shook off the last confining vestiges of their rural upbringing on Denmark’s west coast and locked into their genre-fluid groove. And they’re sure in the thick of it on Pure (Happy Metal). Recorded in India, Italy and their home country, the trio’s second LP intersperses intimate solo sketches with more collaborative improvisation for an indefinable sonic pastiche that sways between prog, hardcore, ambient, indie and the avant-garde.
Here’s more from Hiemstra.
—Hobart Rowland
1) “Skin Of Sea”
“This was written through intuitive and free improvisation during a Danish artist residency in the death house of former Danish prime minister Jens Otto Krag. The song marks a change in our sound, with both metal associations and grand orchestral ideas. It went from zero to a finished sketch in just a few hours, which is not our usual pace of writing. There’s something powerful about working quickly and not overthinking every chord. Lyrically, it’s a grand and explosive tale of an inner emotional life—about the unexpected sense of security found in the darkness.”
2) “Say Something Now”
“Born from a self-invented improvisational game controlled entirely by a deck of Uno cards. You draw a card that then decides how you should act in the improvisation. It’s something we’ve done a few times, though it’s not successful every time. But sometimes it clearly works. The game was inspired by Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies and John Zorn’s ‘Cobra.’ The chorus is taken directly from the instrumentals, without any changes. There’s actually a video of that exact moment on our Instagram. The lyrics are about delusionally imagining and dreaming about one’s own future, only to realize that it’s just a dream. It’s a hopeful story of youth and feeling ready to take the next step in life.”
3) “This Will Be A Good Day”
“Made by playing basic chords with a strange guitar tuning, while looking for the calmness and peace in the dissonant soundscape. The song constantly teases its next move, culminating in a grandiose chorus and saxophone solo. It’s written to be performed as low as possible in the verses and as powerfully as can be in the chorus. Lyrically, it’s about how self-doubt can be a difficult thing to break out of. At the same time, it’s a reminder that it’s living inside your own head, and it’s actually possible to escape. But it requires constant work.”
4) “Asleep”
“An improv session we did with some of our friends: (guitarist) Harald (Ingvarsson), (saxophonist) Oscar (Alstrup) and (vibraphonist) Rémy (Gouffault). Oscar is playing on almost every song on the album, and the others are also part of ‘Eyes Closed.’ We’re so grateful to have close friends who want to be a part of our project.”
5) “Mirror World”
“The first ideas for ‘Mirror World’ were written in 2022 in an improvisation with Mads on drums and Simon on guitar. The track has changed a lot since then, and it’s now the most metal-influenced track on the record, especially with vocalist Victor Kaas. We wanted to work with explosions, extreme dynamic contrasts and changes in tempo, while drawing inspiration from grunge, dissonant indie and metal. The song is about racing thoughts and anxiety and trying to escape your chaotic thoughts.”
6) “O Of Life”
“All about speed, power and chaotic vibes—only stopped by the hard-hitting breaks in the chorus. The most hardcore-inspired song on the album. The foundation appeared when we were the most into Black Midi. Definitely the shortest song with a typical song structure we’ve ever written.”
7) “Narrow Streets”
“An interlude that works as an introduction to the universe of ‘17 Hours.’ It’s a recording of Mads improvising on singing bowls.”
8) “17 Hours”
“Based on a book by Mads’ grandad, Poul-Erik. The book describes Poul-Erik’s memories and experiences from his life in Nepal working with kids in schools. The song was written shortly after his death and is both a tribute and a way to hold on to his memory. Mads later went to Nepal himself, visiting the areas where his grandparents had been. That trip has inspired some of the music and lyrics on the album, including the lyrics for ‘Thin Air.’ The song is about being far away from home.”
9) “Thin Air”
“The idea for ‘Thin Air’ was initially written by Simon while he was on an Interrail through Europe with his partner. They went to a house by Lake Iseo in northern Italy, and it had a guitar. He started playing, and the guitars to ‘Thin Air’ were made right there in the moment, captured on a voice memo. The lyrics and vocal melody were written by Mads while hiking in the Himalayas with his wife. The song is about how incredibly beautiful and fragile life can be.”
10) “I Am Here”
“This was written by Mads while he was fooling around with an epic synthesizer plug-in in Ableton. He took a bunch of recorded guitars from an old song, reversing them and converting the whole thing to midi. Afterward, he recorded some guitars in the outro/chorus. To finish it, he improvised on vocals based on a flow-write he’d just done the same day. It was meant to be done fast, without thinking too much during the process.”
11) “Hypnagogic State”
“One of the first songs we wrote for this album, it draws on inspiration from the ’90s shoegaze scene—something we’ve listened to since we were kids. It has a lot of explosive dynamics, which we’re really into. The verse shifts between open, floating dissonances and closed, synchronized rhythms.”
12) “Eyes Closed”
“An improvised continuation of ‘Hypnagogic State.’ We’ve played it live a lot and enjoy the noisy buildup, which always ends in complete meditative chaos. When we recorded it in the studio, it was only the three of us, but we felt like the track needed more instruments. So we decided to invite some friends to record improvisations on top of the bass-and-drum recording from the studio. We then did a few free improvised takes, which we cut up and arranged. That ended in the version of ‘Eyes Closed’ you hear.”
