The Embassy is a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

pop duo consisting of guitarist/vocalist Fredrik Lindson and keyboardist/programmer Torbjörn Håkansson. Their music can be described as a blend of

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

twee pop Twee pop is a subgenre of indie pop that originates from the 1986 ''NME'' compilation ''C86''. Characterised by its simplicity and perceived innocence, some of its defining features are boy–girl harmonies, catchy melodies, and lyrics about love ...

and pub rock. Their music was first released by the independent label

Service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a pu ...

but is currently released via the bands own imprint, International. The group’s

post-modernist Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...

attitude, anti-rock aesthetics and disrespectful live performances have made them both loved and loathed.

History

1999: Formation

The Embassy was formed in

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

in 1999.

2002: Futile Crimes

The group’s debut album Futile Crimes was released in 2002, preceded by the three singles “Sneaky Feelings EP”, “It Never Entered My Mind” and “The Pointer/Make me sad”. The album consists of 10 songs recorded by

Björn Olsson Union Carbide Productions was a Swedish rock band formed by Ebbot Lundberg (vocals), Patrik Caganis, Björn Olsson, Per Helm and Henrik Rylander in 1986. Their music can be described as a fusion of psychedelic rock and raw Stooges-esque rock 'n ...

in Sehr Schöön studios. The group sparked controversy during this time for using instruments made of

cardboard Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light b ...

while performing live, along with utilizing playback.

2005: Tacking

The second full-length album, Tacking, further exemplified the band's self-described style of "Underclass Disco" and won them critical acclaim both locally and internationally. By the end of the 2000s, echoes of the Embassy's aesthetic could be found in critically acclaimed albums by

Jens Lekman Jens Martin Lekman (; born 6 February 1981) is a Swedish musician. His music is guitar-based pop with heavy use of samples and strings, with lyrics that are often witty, romantic, and melancholic. His work is heavily influenced by Jonathan Ric ...

The Tough Alliance The Tough Alliance, or ''TTA'', was an electronic pop music duo from Gothenburg, Sweden. The duo first came together in 2003 and consisted of childhood friends Henning Fürst and Eric Berglund. Previously on Swedish record label Service, in 2006, ...

(who named their imprint, Sincerely Yours, after an Embassy song),

Studio A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...

(with their Information imprint, also named after an Embassy song),

Air France Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global air ...

, and jj, among others. After the release of ''Tacking'', the group went silent for several years. They have later stated that this was because they lost faith in the traditional album format.

2011: Life In The Trenches

In 2011, the group released the compilation album Life In The Trenches, consisting of rarities and b-sides. :''"Life in the Trenches also embodies most of the contradictions that make the Embassy so beguiling. The impression of earnest sensitivity that makes you want to pat the guys on the head often gives way to a mischievousness that leaves a not-unpleasant sensation that you're being had. ��If these guys were handing out Halloween candy, you'd check it for syringes."'' :- Marc Hogan,

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

2013: Sweet Sensation

The group’s third album, Sweet Sensation, was released in 2013 on the group’s own label International. The album clearly showcases the group’s influences of club music while still keeping their distinct sound. During their following tour, the band collaborated with the lighting artist Thomas Hämén. They had previously experimented with light by turning on the light over the audience and keeping the stage in the dark.

2018: White Lake

In 2018, the group released the album White Lake, preceded by the EP "Background Music For Action People". The release consists of 8 tracks, all of which are recorded remotely using

Skype Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...

. The album is inspired by ”post-punk, acid and

eco-terrorism Eco-terrorism is an act of violence which is committed in support of environmental causes, against people or property. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines eco-terrorism as "...the use or threatened use of violence o ...

” according to the band. Following the release of ''White Lake'', the band went on tour in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Style and influence

The Embassy’s blend of various

underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...

sub culture genres with Lindsons yearning singing and lyrics has sparked both confusion and praise. The interplay of earnestness and mischief puts the listener in a

paradox A paradox is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one's expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically u ...

ical situation of two opposing states - being thankful for a beautiful gift and getting the feeling that you are absolutely being fooled. This in turn leads to further confusion — if the listener is in fact being fooled, ''what'' are we being fooled ''of''? In an interview, Lindson claims that frustration and euphoria are very closely related. :''”Our email address has since the beginning of Gmail been ”embarrassing”, that address says a lot about us as a band. We connect in humiliation and turn it into a strength”'' :- Håkansson on the process behind White Lake

Discography

Studio albums

*2002 '' Futile Crimes'' (CD/LP - Reissue) *2005 '' Tacking'' (CD/LP) *2013 '' Sweet Sensation'' (CD/LP) *2018 '' White Lake'' (CD/LP)

Compilation albums

* 2011 '' Life in the Trenches'' (Album, CD/LP)

EPs

* 2004 Wearing Our Pop Art Hearts On Our Sleeves (EP, CD) * 2006 A Compact Disc Including The Embassy (EP, CD) * 2017 Background Music For Action People (EP, Cassette)

Singles

* 2001 Sneaky Feelings (Single, 7"-Vinyl) * 2002 It Never Entered My Mind (Single, 7"-Vinyl) * 2002 The Pointer (Single, CD) * 2004 Flipside of a Memory (Single, 7"-Vinyl) * 2005 Some Indulgence (Single, CD) * 2006 It Pays to Belong (Single, Download) * 2007 Some Indulgence Rewind (Single, CD) * 2008 State'08 (Single, 12" vinyl) * 2009 You Tend To Forget (Single, 12" vinyl) * 2010 C’est La Vie (Single, Download) * 2012 Roundkick (Single, Download) * 2013 International (Global mix) (Single, Download) * 2013 I-D (Single, Download) * 2018 Wasted (Single, Download) * 2018 Sorry (Single, Download)

References

External links

Official homepage

Service Records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Embassy Swedish electronic music groups Musical groups established in 2001