Amsterdam Jam

Under Byen, pronounced “Oh’nah-Boon”, hail from Denmark and their name means “Below the City”. True to their name they have managed to avoid the mainstream despite being on the go now for thirteen years. Their sound is a lush atmospheric soundscape with elements of trip-hop, jazz, pop and rock. If I had to give the names of bands with which to compare them I would pick out elements of Bjork, Portishead and early Goldfrap; in fact some of their music sounds like it could have been made by Bjork if she happened to come out of the Bristol scene.

However such comparisons are of course limiting because Under Byen are much more than that. They have created a unique and beautiful sound that is richly textured and layered with a lusting and haunting female vocal, as one would expect from a vocalist that cites traffic as one of her sources of inspiration.

I originally came across this band when I was sent on a link to this beautiful Shockwave animation.

It takes a lot to drag me out of my well worn paths here in Amsterdam, especially since most of the music venues are only a few minutes walking distance from my apartment. However I am especially fond of Ekko in Utrecht that just happens to be where this band is playing. The venue uses an e-ticket service therefore getting your hands on one is very easy and good value as it avoids the excessive service costs that are charged by services like Ticketmaster.

Thanks to my friend, and DJ partner from back in the day, Andrew from Cologne for pointing out this gig. I look forward to seeing you at the gig.

If you are in the Europe you can get their albums by clicking on the album title in the box below.

If you are in the US you can get their albums by clicking on the album title in the box below.



Concert details are here.

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