Tillbaka till samtiden (Swedish for Back to the Present) is the seventh studio album by Swedish alternative rock band Kent. It was released on 17 October 2007 in Scandinavia through RCA Records and Sony BMG. The album is produced with Danish producer Joshua. The title means "Back to the Present", a pun on the Swedish translated title of Back to the Future (Tillbaka till framtiden).
| Tillbaka till samtiden | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 17 October 2007 | |||
| Recorded | October 2006 – April 2007 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, synthpop | |||
| Length | 53:21 | |||
| Label | RCA, Sony BMG | |||
| Producer | Kent, Joshua | |||
| Kent chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Tillbaka till samtiden | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Aftonbladet |   [1] |
| Dagens Skiva |  [2] |
| Expressen | [3] |
| Svenska Dagbladet | [4] |
Background
The band began recording Tillbaka till samtiden in November 2006 in Allaire Studios in New York City.[5] In October 2006, just one month prior to the recording sessions rhythm guitarist Harri Mänty left the band which meant it was "more vulnerable when being one man less, but it has also glued us more together", according to guitarist Sami Sirviö.[5][6]
Musically, the band were influenced by electronic music artists such as Plastikman, Aphex Twin, and Anthony Rother. Sami Sirviö has said he was "tired of guitars" after recording the previous album, Du & jag döden (2005).[5]
Critical reception
Anders Nunstedt of Expressen wrote: "That the songs are more electronic is only part of the explanation. Jocke Berg and Martin Sköld have remixed Kent's songwriting from scratch, without losing the thread or pushing aside the melodies. [...] But it's opening 'Elefanter' that sets the tone, an epic synth fiction in several parts where the melody is constantly building before it finally explodes into a vocoder-enhanced chorus and a rampant laptop beat."[7]
Markus Larsson of Aftonbladet wrote: "On the seventh studio album Tillbaka till samtiden the band's love for dark synthpop is clearer than ever. The sound is very much inspired by Berlin – one of the songs is even named after the German capital – and is dominated by cold synths, bass lines and electronic rhythms. The electric and acoustic guitars keep a low profile. And the song material is, as usual, strikingly strong. Several of the tracks have such obvious melodies and choruses that should be impossible to write in 2007."[8]
Commercial performance
The album peaked at number one in Sweden, number two in Norway, number three in Finland and number five in Denmark. It has been certified double platinum in Sweden.[9]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Joakim Berg
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Elefanter" (Elephants) | Joakim Berg | 5:21 |
| 2. | "Berlin" | Berg, Martin Sköld | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Ingenting" (Nothing) | Berg | 4:17 |
| 4. | "Vid din sida" (By Your Side) | Berg, Sköld | 4:55 |
| 5. | "Columbus" | Berg, Sköld | 4:26 |
| 6. | "Sömnen" (The Sleep) | Berg, Sköld | 4:08 |
| 7. | "Vy från ett luftslott" (View from a Castle in the Air) | Berg, Sköld | 4:23 |
| 8. | "Våga vara rädd" (Dare to Be Afraid) | Berg | 3:59 |
| 9. | "LSD, någon?" (LSD, Anyone?) | Berg | 4:20 |
| 10. | "Generation Ex" | Berg, Sköld | 4:30 |
| 11. | "Ensammast i Sverige" (Loneliest in Sweden) | Berg | 8:20 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Tillbaka till samtiden.
Kent
- Joakim Berg – music, lyrics, vocals, guitar
- Martin Sköld – music on track 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, bass, keyboards
- Sami Sirviö – guitar, keyboards
- Markus Mustonen – drums, backing vocals, keyboards, piano
Additional musicians
Technical
- Kent – producer
- Joshua – production, recording, mixing
- Martin Brengesjö – instrument technician
- Stephanie DuFresne – recording assistant
- Chris Athens – mastering
Artwork
- Jonas Linell – photography
- Helen Svensson – design, photography
- Thomas Ökvist – design, photography
Charts and certifications
Year-end charts
| Chart (2007) | Position |
|---|---|
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[14] | 1 |
| Chart (2008) | Position |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[15] | 55 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Sweden[9] | 2× Platinum |