Yttling Jazz—the project of Swedish multi-artist Björn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John, Abstract Crimewave, Liv with Lykke Li, Jeff Bhasker, Miike Snow)—released a new album, Illegal Hit, via YEAR0001 late last month, and today they’re back with a remake of “City in Darkness” from El Perro del Mar. “I’ve been a fan of El Perro del Mar ever since her debut album. It had such a beautiful sound, and she sang in such a cool way,” Yttling notes. Coincidentally, it was the same year Yttling Jazz’s first album came out, and now, a long time after, they finally got the chance to collaborate. “I sent Sarah my instrumental song ‘City in Darkness’ for an El Perro del Mar remake, and she came up with a lovely lyric over a very sparse piano. Really something quite different than the trumpet-heavy original, but still fitted perfectly with my inspiration for the track (which was an Eyvind Johnson book with the same name). We’ve had the pleasure of playing this live with Sarah a couple of times too, and it’s definitely a favorite of mine.”

El Perro del Mar adds:

“The last CD I ever bought was Oh Lord Why Can’t I Keep My Big Mouth Shut by Yttling Jazz. It was 2005. I remember I wrote to Björn on Myspace to thank him since I loved the album so much. Believe me when I say that I’ve longed for a sequel. To do a remake of an instrumental track was very interesting! I wanted to keep as true to Björn’s unmistakable sense of melody, so I wrote my version of ‘City in Darkness’ from that and let my kind of melancholy trickle down.”

Two decades after the release of his 2005 debut Oh Lord Why Can’t I Keep My Big Mouth Shut?, Yttling is back with a new group of Swedish jazz artists, drawing influence from Brian Eno, Jean-Michel Jarre, Nino Rota, Charles Mingus, and Thelonious Monk—a vibrant love letter to the sultry jazz that shaped his early musical life. Bjorn reflecting on the album notes “When I listen back to this album I hear a sound that I would be very interested in if I heard it play and didn’t know what it was. Would probably be a little upset and jealous that I didn’t make the record myself. ’Illegal Hit’ to me has a rare mix of a very organic free improvised feel and at the same time really cool arrangements with a tight gang vibe. Big egos with big ears playing some big tunes. But that’s just my opinion, haha. I was so lucky that I happen to know a lot of Sweden’s finest jazz players. And also getting them in the studio .I think we achieved something unique, cool and beautiful at the same time.” You can see the group perform in two different settings in a series of live performances they just released: “Yttling Jazz #2 Fox St” live at Dalhalla as well as “Illegal Hit” live in the Ingrid Studio in Stockholm.

Raised on jazz, Yttling attended one of the EU’s top conservatories and spent his formative years taking weekly train rides to Stockholm for private lessons with the late legendary Esbjörn Svensson. Illegal Hit marks a return to those roots along with his upbringing in rural north Sweden.

Order Illegal Hit by Yttling  HERE