Slaraffenland
Slaraffenland Say it. Sluh-raf'-in-luhnd. It means "the land of milk and honey" in Denmark. Conceived in 2002, Slaraffenland is the work and art of Christian Taagehøj, Mike Taagehøj, Bjørn Heebøll, Niklas Antonson, and Jeppe Skjold. These five members (a few of them childhood friends, and Mike and Christian are near-identical twins) were united by both a love of music and a scholastic interest in its techniques. Among them are three fathers, teachers, and players knit into the music scene in sonically-vibrant Denmark. Slaraffenland singlehandedly curated and hosted an event at SXSW 2009 called "Danish Dynamite," an outdoor party featuring the likes of Efterklang, Murder, and Choir of Young Believers. They returned home to hammers and saws, breaking ground on their own rehab project of turning an old factory building into a studio. The racket was recently interrupted by the news that the Danish Arts Council awarded five Danish bands generous grants to continue their work. Among them: Slaraffenland.