Taken By Trees
East of Eden

A Norman Records recommendation (4th September 2009)

This record left our Business Lady feeling happy.

Victoria Bergsman will be familiar to you if you've heard either The Concretes or Peter Bjorn and John's 'Young Folks' single but now she has assumed the pseudonym of Taken by Trees and has recorded an album of Pakistani influenced music in the form of 'East of Eden'. Victoria has shunned the sterile environment of the traditional recording studio and it's collection of musicians and instruments in favour of the eclectic sounds and rhythms of the east. This record still sounds like a regular studio recording in terns of polish and professionalism but the it's the instrumentation that sets it apart from anything she has been involved with since. 'East of Eden' presents a real taste of Pakistan with its use of trance-like Sufi instrumentation, regional field recording and the use of local vocalist for backing duties. Taken by Trees attempt to merge these flavours with more traditional western songwriting arrangements. Some of the arrangements are a little pedestrian but the better tracks on the album, like 'Watch the Waves', 'Day By Day' and 'Tidans Gang' sees this strange group of musicians create great and original compositions.. The obvious thing worth mentioning is the cover of Animal Collective's 'My Girls' (re-titled 'My Boys') which is pretty well executed. An obvious choice of song for a re-working Victoria does a decent job of monkeying with the arrangement and bringing something new to the table. An interesting listen for sure.

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Sound clips for East of Eden

To Lose Someone Play

Anna Play

Watch The Waves Play

Greyest love of all Play

Tidens Gång Play

Wapas Karna Play

My Boys Play

Day by Day Play

Bekännelse Play

To Lose Someone Play

Anna Play

Watch The Waves Play

Greyest Play

Tidens Gång Play

Wapas Karna Play

My Boys Play

Day by Day Play

Bekännelse Play

What their label says...

Victoria Bergsman wanted to travel to record in a mysterious, relatively
uncharted area, avoiding the usual clinical studio experience which she has
always  disliked  and  found  to  be  an  uncreative  environment.  She  chose
Pakistan.  The  rhythm,  drums  and  flutes  of  Pakistani  music  had  long
captivated  Victoria  and  this,  coupled with  a  deep  admiration  for  singers
Abida Parveen and  the  legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, helped her
choose Pakistan as the place to record her new album. Another attractive
factor  was  her  interest  in  Sufi  musicians  who  play  in  order  to  enter  a
trance like state, using music to transport themselves to another time and
place.

Victoria is one of very few Western women, if not the only one, to record
in this region, and the bureaucracy, cultural differences and prejudices she
had  to  overcome  to  see  this  project  through  almost  beggar  belief.  It’s
therefore little short of a miracle that this album turned out the way it did.
Victoria,  previously  best  known  for  her  work  with  The  Concretes  and
Peter Bjorn &  John’s worldwide  smash  hit  single  ‘Young  Folks’,  now
works  under  the  nom  de  plume  Taken  By  Trees.  This  new  offering
follows  in  the  footsteps  of  Taken  By  Tree’s  debut  album  ‘Open  Field’
(2007).

The album also includes a cover of Animal Collective’s ‘My Girls’, which
Victoria has re-interpreted as ‘My Boys’. She has been a long standing fan
of band member Noah Lennox’ voice and upon hearing their new album
‘Merriweather  Post  Pavilion’  was  so  struck  by  the  song  she  felt
compelled to record a version for her album. Consequently, Noah was also
invited to sing vocals on another track on the album, ‘Anna’.

Tracklisting:

To Lose Someone * Anna * Watch The Waves * Greyest
Love Of All * Tidens Gång * Wapas Karna * My Boys * Day
By Day * Bekännelse

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