Gothenburg’s psychedelic folk-rockers ORKAN return this summer with Vakendrömmar, their third full-length and first on their own imprint, Blåsväder Records. After nearly a decade spent carving out a reputation as one of Sweden’s fiercest live acts, the band sounds more imaginative than ever.
The first single, “Vågorna” (“The Waves”), offers a fitting portal: a hypnotic, tide-like groove that swells into a melodic chorus before breaking into a wall of distortion, only to retreat back into silence like a vanishing undertow. It feels like a dream, nightmare, and revelation bleeding together.
Where earlier releases (Orkan, Livsgaranti, and a 7” on Gamlestans Grammofonbolag) established the group’s roots in the ‘70s Swedish progg lineage of November and Nationalteatern, Vakendrömmar pushes their vision further into the liminal. Drawing on the folklore figure of the mare, the spirit said to sit on sleepers’ chests and summon their darkest thoughts, the record lives in that uncanny threshold between protest and hallucination, waking and dreaming.
Songs like “Ytan” thunder with raw urgency, while “Den som sover ska få se” drifts into spectral folk territory. Throughout, the band’s hallmarks remain: wiry guitar lines spiraling into chaos, lyrics that cut straight through social complacency, and a live-ready intensity that few can match. But here, Orkan wrap their politics in something more surreal, even mythical, a resistance soundtrack for unsettled times.
“Ohyra” rumbles forward with a melodic richness, straddling the line between psych-folk reverie and pop-rock urgency. It’s a track that manages to shimmer and surge at once, grounded by hooks that feel instantly familiar. By contrast, “Symfoni” is gentler and shaded with melancholy, though the band’s knack for weaving infectious hooks remains undeniable.
With “Tröst,” the atmosphere shifts into something more spectral and elemental. The volume dips, and what emerges feels like a power ballad whispered at a midnight forest gathering of witches. The title, translating from German and Norwegian as “comfort,” “consolation,” or “solace,” perfectly mirrors the track’s bittersweet, otherworldly pull.
“Flyttar från stan” re-ignites the record with an upbeat swing, even sneaking in a flicker of funk-styled guitar, a surprising flourish that keeps the momentum fresh. Then comes “Sanningen om spöket,” which holds some of the album’s most captivating guitar work, opening with a smoky, blues-tinged line before evolving into a ritualistic waltz. With its soaring female chorus of vocals, it’s both enchanting and unforgettable.
The journey culminates in “Vem bryr sig?,” a six-minute opus that distills the record’s essence into one spellbinding finale. Here, angelic vocals intertwine with fluid, mystical psych-folk instrumentation, and the band seems to tap into an energy that feels ancient and luminous.
While Vakendrömmar is easy enough to file under psych-folk, there’s a grit and hard-edged rock energy here that pushes it beyond neat genre boxes.
The album feels right at home in Sweden’s current wave of boundary-pushing rock, such as MaidaVale, while channeling the timeless fire of late ’60s and ’70s sounds. Vakendrömmar is a storm worth stepping into, and I have little doubt that most Third Eye readers will find plenty to get lost in.
Vakendrömmar is available August 28th on vinyl, digital, and streaming via Blåsväder Records.
Pre-save the record on Spotify here
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