Mixtune for Cully – got tunes, need mix

In the 80’s Aarhus City (Denmark) was known – at least in Denmark – for its many musicians. Especially bands like ‘Gnags‘ sort of revolutionized the national music industry by opening their own studio and record label and thereby breaking with the tradition that popular music had to be produced and recorded from Copenhagen. A lot of music came out of Aarhus in that decade. But in the early/mid 90’s the loudspeakers turned awfully silent.

Around the millenium the silence was suddenly broken. More and more bands appeared on stage from the more rural parts of Denmark. In Aarhus bands like Carpark North and singer Tina Dico splintered the silence and became instant hits, igniting a whole new era in Aarhus’ music history.

The next big shot from Aarhus City could likely be ‘Mixtune for Cully‘. With a mix of indie, americana and somewhat folk flavours, leadsinger Aage Hedensted writes and sings from heart to heart. Accompanied by cello player Jonas May he has created a sound so advanced yet clear and pure, it almost hurts to the bone from start to encore. I had a very hard time finding anything sounding just a little like Cully. The closest thing I could come up with is the Norwegian superband ‘The September When…‘. And then again, not at all.

Friday 29th of January 2010 Aage & Co. threw a teaser concert in the famous Aarhus City venue Musikcafeen – introducing to their increasing crowd of fans some new material. And to be ultrashort, it bodes really well for nascent stardom. A few “old” hit songs from the band’s debutalbum ‘We Know Where the Aircrafts Hide‘ in a perfect mix made a really nice evening more than excellent.

The well sorted set list included these pieces:

1. Open Your Arms
2. The Aircrafts
3. The Traveler
4. Feel The Great Heights
5. Daggers And Knives
6. We Are So Beautiful
7. Silent Part
8. For Emma
9. Strike Slow
—————-
10. Fire from A Known Patrol

It’s hard to point out a peak in friday night’s gig. But no doubt the heartaching ‘Strike Slow‘ blew the walls of the small venue to cosmic dust.

Songwriter and lead singer Aage Hedensted is polishing details on tunes for the next album, which will be anticipated with great expectations not only by their dedicated fans. The producer’s chair seems to be vacant still, which can be taken as a sign the band doesn’t want to put their material in the hands of just anybody.

If that in fact is the point, I fully support Mixtune for Cully. The significant profundity and impact their music may come to have in a not so distant future deserves the right people around it. We can wait while Cully makes it right!

Mixtune for Cully’s “Daggers and Knives”, recorded on the street Vestergade in Aarhus – on the exact same spot the video for the 1983 Gnags hit “Slingrer ned af Vestergade” was recorded.