Jag är inte rädd för mörkret (Swedish for I Am Not Afraid of the Dark) is the tenth studio album by Swedish alternative rock band Kent. It was released on 25 April 2012 by Sonet Records (Universal Music) and it was the band's debut release with the label since their departure from Sony Music in June 2011.
Contents
Background and recording
In November 2011, Kent began recording Jag är inte rädd för mörkret in Studios la Fabrique in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The album was recorded in France over 17 days.
"The electronics are there, but we’re a bit more audible in the mix. After three albums following that approach, we felt the most fun thing to do was simply sit in a room and play again," the band said about the album.
Promotion
On 28 March 2012, the lead single "999" was released. On March 30, the band released a bonus track titled "Ett år utan sommar" on SoundCloud. It was later released as a B-side on "Tänd på".
On 20 April 2012, the band posted four codes on their Twitter account that could be used to find four songs ("Tänd på", "Isis & Bast", "Jag ser dig" and "Petroleum") from the upcoming album on Spotify.
The day before the album was released, Kent held a large press conference in Stockholm.
Critical reception
Anders Nunstedt of Expressen wrote: "There are no style changes here like Du och jag döden or Röd. The production is straight and uncomplicated, and the arrangements have a less electronic touch than that heard on the band's last three albums. [...] Kent has written some of their finest melodies, yet the great attraction lies in the lyrics. [...] The new songs often find a masterful harmony between heart and pain."
Markus Larsson of Aftonbladet wrote: "But Kent has definitely made records with a more urgent character and clearer identity. For the first time in a long time, I miss more things than I get. Like the brilliant friction between the safe radio hits and the anxiety on Vapen & ammunition. Like the magnificent darkness on Du & jag döden, an album that the band members today call "a giant hangover". Like the evocative anger on Röd or a fantastic song like 'Columbus'. It was music from a band with a lot of passion. While Jag är inte rädd för mörkret is an album that a band perhaps mostly releases because they can."
Commercial performance
Jag är inte rädd för mörkret debuted at number one in Sweden, becoming Kent's ninth consecutive number-one album. In Denmark, the album debuted at number two. It is their highest-charting album there since Du & jag döden, which debuted at number two in 2005. The album debuted at number five in Finland, becoming the band's lowest-charting album since Hagnesta Hill, which peaked at number six in 2000. In Norway, Jag är inte rädd för mörkret debuted at number one, becoming Kent's first number-one album there since 2005's Du & jag döden.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Jag är inte rädd för mörkret.
Kent
Kent – music on track 1, 10
Joakim Berg – music, lyrics, vocals, guitar
Martin Sköld – music on track 2, 5, 6, 9, bass, keyboards
Sami Sirviö – guitar, keyboards
Markus Mustonen – drums, backing vocals, keyboards, piano
Additional musicians
Petra Marklund – backing vocals on track 3
Technical
Kent – producer, recording
Stefan Boman – producer, recording, mixing on track 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Niklas Flyckt – mixing on track 1, 3, 4, 5
Anders Pantzer – mixing assistant
Martin Brengesjö – instrument technician
Damien Arlot – recording assistant
Thomas Lefebvre – recording assistant
Stephen Marcussen – mastering
Artwork
Thomas Ökvist – design
Helen Svensson – design