Midnight Puzzle

Stars In Coma Returns With Midnight Puzzle Their Fifth Collection of Shimmering Bedroom Pop André Brorsson, the singer, songwriter, and producer behind Stars in Coma, says that his home in Malmo, Sweden has had a big influence on his music. “The cold forces us stay indoors and continuously play music,” he says, only half joking. He’s been making albums for friends since he was in high school, hidden away in his bedroom playing all the instruments himself. He draws inspiration from folk, rock, dance music and pop. Since he started making albums, the music has moved through periods of guitar dominated rock, disco and swooning romanticism, all of which come together in a perfect creative storm on Midnight Puzzle. A dulcimer riff, a thumping drumbeat and ebullient strings introduce the anthem-like “And So”. Brorsson’s yearning vocal is set off by bright piano triplets before the tune slips into an instrumental interlude marked by ghostly female vocals and a propulsive rhythm section. “Keller Club” suggests a lost girl group classic with its sighing vocals; stuttering organ, piano, and guitar accents intensify the track’s airy R&B feel. The flamenco pop of the Gypsy Kings might have inspired “Dismantle Your Heart”, a bittersweet farewell to an old flame. Syncopated percussion suggests clapping hands and stomping feet, while Brorsson’s dreamy new wave vocal drifts through the mix. There’s a hint of Latin and Afro-beat on “Paint My Picture on the Thick Shell,” a romantic late night lament with trip hop bass, smoky vocals, swooning strings and skewed marimba fills. The intimate Stars in Coma sound remains in place, but Brorsson’s expansive arrangements here create a unique sonic space for every track. “Midnight Puzzle refers to all the weird thoughts you have when you’re lying in bed at night. Trying to sort out those thoughts is like a puzzle to me. The songs suggested chord structures that were more sophisticated than anything I’ve done before. I almost went crazy making this album, but I’m proud of the production and the songwriting. It’s a big step forward for me.” Brorsson wanted to make records ever since he can remember. “When I was four years old, my father had one of those huge tape decks,” he recalls. “I was very impressed with it. I remember listening to a lot of Gyllene Tider, a huge Swedish pop band in the 80's, and playing along on an orange toy guitar, singing into a wooden microphone so I could ‘perform’ in the house.” Inspired by his dad’s tape deck, Brorsson started producing his own albums. “I came up with the name Stars in Coma in 2000, but the music I made back then was primitive. I didn’t put out an album until 2005, when I made the Gizmo Goes to War EP.” Gizmo got rave reviews and Brorsson followed it up with several unofficial albums and three CDs including You’re Still Frozen in Time in 2008. In 2010, he made the Prototype Paradise EP, which he gave away free on his Bandcamp page. “I released it for free because I’m not keen on marketing plans. I like to put out stuff fast, without thinking too much about it. I think that fits in well with the new music climate, but I decided to give Midnight Puzzle a proper release.” Live, Brorsson fleshes out the songs with the help of his girlfriend Nicole Eklund on flute and keys, bass player Mattias Lidehäll and drummer Håkan Carlsson. “Everyone contributes ideas to the live show, so the songs don’t sound exactly like the album. We put our heart and soul into the live performance. We like to make people dance, loosen up, and be a part of the live show. If the atmosphere is right, I also give awkward speeches between songs.”