Little Dragon live at Amoeba Music SF February 5, 2011

Sweden is a hotbed of diverse and escalating musical talent, and now Gothenburg boasts the dynamic, organically soulful pop sounds of Little Dragon. Featuring radiant vocalist Yukimi Nagano and her close high school friends Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Källgren Wallin (bass), and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards), Little Dragon stepped into the spotlight with the release of their first double A-side single on Peacefrog, "Twice/Test." Their self-titled album followed that year, and 2009 saw the release of Machine Dreams -- a spectacular, pulsating, electro pop epic that Prince would be proud of!

Recorded in their home city of Gothenburg, Machine Dreams is a gigantic leap on from previous material but still maintains a distinct sound that can only be Little Dragon. Be it Nagano’s warmly inviting vocals, Bodin’s dextrous drumming, the vast array of synths and bleeps created by Wirenstrand or Wallin’s bubbling bass lines, together they don’t sound like anything else around right now. The move towards a more electronic sound was a conscious one, as Naganoi explains. “The title Machine Dreams seems obvious. These days, humans seem more and more like machines, and as technology evolves, machines feel more human and it becomes fuzzy and beautiful and science fiction-ish. We feel dependent on our machines to create and live, and their sounds reflect us."

Born and raised in Gothenburg to a Japanese father and American mother, Nagano says, "I grew up listening to American folk because of my Mom, but I've always had an affinity for R&B." Meanwhile, keyboardist Wirenstrand spent his childhood in the deepest, darkest woods of Smaland before moving to Gothenburg, hearing a lot of Swedish folk music, and later getting into electronic and synth music. Bodin grew up hearing early Hip-Hop and jazz.

Little Dragon reminds you that when you're really creating music, it's like building a ship that will travel in a direction previously inconceivable. However, what unites these disparate influences is an undeniable swing and lightness of touch, braced with bass heaviness, borne from the intuitive connection between the band members that epitomises Little Dragon's music. Unwilling to stick to definitions or reasons for why Little Dragon is what it is, Nagano offers effusive and illustrative impressions, which is as good a way as any to understand this very special band. "Maybe Little Dragon is a city," she muses. "Blue traffic-lights, fast food-signs, neon, love, loneliness, technology and a city reflected in the middle of a vast ocean. The music juxtaposes tradition and intense knowledge of musical tools, with destruction, invention... blazing a new trail. I like to think of our music as dreamy, but not always in a pleasant way. Some songs are emotional and some more free and naive."

You can also catch them at The Independent on February 4th and 5th.

Official Website: http://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/performances/san-francisco/2011-february-05/little-dragon/artist.html