Adding to what seems like an infinity of sub electronica genres comes Skweee, a type of music derived from Sweden and Finland that unites R&B and electro. It combines simple synth leads and basslines with funk or soul like rhythms and churns out a very sparse low tempo electro funk sound. Currently the Skweee sound is mainly instrumental but as the scene grows Skweee acts such as VC have begun to add vocal elements to their tracks.

As with new music genres there is always one label that leads the charge shaping both the sound and mood of the music. In the case of Skweee its major outlets are via Swedish record label “Flogsta Danshall” and Finnish based label “Harmönia”. To date most of the Skweee tracks released have been on 7” vinyl although a CD entitled “Museum of Future Sound” has also been released.

Pavan(pictured), a Sweden native, heads up the “Flogsta Danshall” label and had this to say about Skweee. "It comes out of the electronic music scene in Finland and Sweden and it’s a mixture between R&B and electro. That’s a way to explain how it started. It’s basically R&B made by the electronica crowd".

On whether or not the Skweee phenomenon will catch on in other parts of Europe, Pavan states, "I think if you browse the MySpace profiles of what people are doing now, you can find people working in the same area. Some British artists like Rustie are not so far away, they are mixing in other influences not so different to what we’re doing here. There’s a scene in Spain, but mainly it’s Scandinavia, the UK and a few German producers."

As Skweee is currently confined mainly to our Nordic neighbours it is hard to know whether or not it will take off anywhere else in Europe. With more music sub genres than Jodie Marsh’s STDs, it may be a struggle for Skweee to find its place amongst the pack. However even though it has an electro based feel, it is still relatively fresh sounding.

To make up your own mind check out www.nationofskweee.com

Words : Dave Byrne