Exiting one's niche, there's a hallway full of entryways, each door opening to several more. Start down one flight of stairs, and it forks into six. Suddenly, you've curved one too many corridors, and “back home” has become out of reach. With any hope of backtracking now lost, you feel an intrinsic urge to drift forward, aspiring to become beyond “lost”. Fredrik's compositions invoke something similar to Synesthesia: unlocking senses to where you can nearly touch the sound. One door opens to a deep trench, pounding with dreary dissonance. The next sends you to a breezy hilltop, alive with the sound of with chirping birds. Forests, mountains, deserts...no matter where Fredrik takes you, it will surely be somewhere different. Shortly after cultivating one of the most highly-regarded debuts of 2008, Sweden's folktronica sextet Fredrik emerged with three sequential EPs: Holm, Ava, and Ner. With equal promptness, the gang reappears with those same rare three, compiling them into a full-length record, aptly titled Trilogi. Quickly! Grab the best pair of headphones you can get your hands on and find a warm, dark room; you're about to embark on a journey.

Fredrik resides in a far off place, where things never seem to be as they are, and where the past suggests nothing of the future. Where Fredrik constantly shifts and molds, ideas erode one another until all that is left is a beautifully unique formation. This group is a varied melting pot, with contents swirled in from separate bands, such as The LK, Vit Päls, and Scraps of Tape. First name-only multi-instrumentalists Fredrik and Lindefelt lead the rest, contributing both their extensive repertoires and affinity with detachment to construct the assembly's backbone. Post-Na Na Ni, the band's debut, the world (or some small fraction of it) awaited their next move. According to their press release, “This second outing is more consistently inward-looking and takes on themes like social realities and subconscious geography.” Make of that what you will, but what I imagine is a group of scruffy bearded guys and girls with tousled hair, sitting in pow-wow formation, trying to come up with the most absurd sentences imaginable. Besides that, Fredrik seems to have other outside talents. For one, they're marketing/craft wizards: the record is accompanied by a free digital download of itself and an exclusive EP; a similar approach that was taken with hand-making origami packaging for Holm, Ava, and Ner. Say we were blind, what else signifies Fredik as such a formidable competitor to the music masses of today? The answer is found in the mad scientist experimentation they employ even as they are grasping at symmetry. That and the staggering amount of passion they pour into every track. Most likely, it's simply because of their near-unrivaled beauty.

First off, let’s consider Holm, roughly meaning “Frozen Forest Island”. Opener “Vinterbarn” in no way eases you in; make it easier on yourself and just go along with it: “the more you agree the more you can breathe”. Our first look into Fredrik's warm voice and subdued delivery is complimented by “Na na na na na's” and foreign electronics. Tinkling crystal piano, tripling basslines, and waves of percussion slowly build until flatlining at the finish. Most definitely an in-your-face intro if I've ever heard one. Also featured, “Milo” and “Den Sista Fabriken” reveal a new, much lighter side of the group. In the former, harp-like acoustics are plucked and muted, followed by sharp sonic pings. Parallel to the latter, Fredrik hums soothingly, infusing his wordless tune in a river of other intricate sounds. Lasty, “Holm” introduces static to the small orchestra of sounds. Horns and strings front that track until fading off into listlessness. Reading alone, the words are as equally beautiful on paper as in practice.

Next in the trilogy, Ava suggests "Water Through Sound". Premiering, “Vanmyren” showcases a sort of primal elegance, evoked by meditative chants rise. Then “Ava” kicks things into gear with fast swarms of syncopated drumbeats, which are reminiscent of fleeting footsteps. Horns pave the way for cut-short guitar strums and far-off jingles. It'd be a shame to leave out how beautifully effective Fredrik's vocals are against those of a mysterious woman, who's after my own heart. “Flax” has a more peculiar, far away vice to it. Emotionally, Fredrik's vocals build with powerful synth, prevalent horns, and sequenced chimes. Bringing up the rear, “Under Vattenverket” sounds of water swooshing around in a jug as a spoon bangs around to knock loose the sediment. Fully instrumental, I could say out of character, but really, there's no such thing with Fredrick. The track fades to silence several seconds early.

The big finale, Ner, signifying "The Inside Underground," closes things off with five tracks. This section's first track, “Ner,” is brimming with unidentifiable sounds. It ends up becoming one of the more heavily electronic tracks on the album. “Tretusen Violer” is just under a minute; an easy one to overlook. Next, “Viskra” slowly builds up from nothing, in time turning into a collective jam. Just noise: fuzz/static/confusion/glitches makes this one of the most surprisingly enjoyable tracks. Throw in a little banjo; I'm in heaven. Posted in blogs everywhere, “Locked in the Basement” brought hope with its similarities to the debut's heights, virtually surpassing them. Lastly and lengthiest, “Omberg” comes in at just over six minutes. Fredrik's vocals blend so coherently with the horns that it's honestly difficult to decipher which is which, or if there are vocals at all; a fitting end to Trilogi. These tracks embody things we do, things we don't, and things we'd rather not understand.

Bands like Fredrik showcase the fact that occasionally, you can't steal everything from the Internet. Go out and actually purchase the album, not only because you're supporting the group, but also because there are goodies inside!

Track List:
1. Vinterbarn (4:17)
2. Milo (5:01)
3. Den Sista Fabriken (3:18)
4. Holm ( 4:06)
5. Vanmyren (3:48)
6. Ava (4:23)
7. Flax (3:31)
8. Under Vattenverket (2:53)
9. Ner (5:04)
10. Tretusen Violer (0:42)
11. Viskra (3:12)
12. Locked in the Basement (6:03)
13. Omberg (3:43)