Little Dragon
Encyclopedia
Little Dragon are a Swedish electronic
band, formed in Gothenburg
in 1996. It consists of Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano
(vocals, percussion) and her close high school friends Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Källgren Wallin (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards).
Little Dragon's first release was the double A-side 7" single "Twice"/"Test", released on the Off the Wall label in 2006. The following year, the band signed with the larger British indie label Peacefrog Records
and released their self-titled debut album Little Dragon
on 27 August 2007. Their second album, Machine Dreams
, was released on 17 August 2009, followed by their third album, Ritual Union
, released on 25 July 2011.
s" she used to throw while recording in the studio. "It's a little exaggerated but there is some truth in it", Nagano said. "But we've grown up a bit and I realised you can't have a fit every day because otherwise you won't be able to stand each other."
Little Dragon have toured throughout Europe and have also made music videos for the songs "Test", "Twice", "Constant Surprises", "After the Rain" and "Fortune". The double A-side single "Fortune"/"Blinking Pigs" was released in the UK on 26 January 2009. Their song "Twice" was featured in an episode of the fifth season
of ABC
's Grey's Anatomy
. In late 2009, the group was chosen as one of Beyond Race Magazines "50 Emerging Artists", resulting in a spot in the publication's eleventh issue as well as an exclusive online Q&A on the magazine's site.
In September 2011, former keyboardist Arild Werling rejoined the group on support keys during live performances.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band, formed in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
in 1996. It consists of Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano
Yukimi Nagano
Yukimi Nagano is a Swedish singer-songwriter. Nagano was born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden to a Japanese father and Swedish-American mother; she grew up listening to American folk because of her mother, but always had an affinity for R&B.She is the vocalist of Gothenburg-based electronic band...
(vocals, percussion) and her close high school friends Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Källgren Wallin (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards).
Little Dragon's first release was the double A-side 7" single "Twice"/"Test", released on the Off the Wall label in 2006. The following year, the band signed with the larger British indie label Peacefrog Records
Peacefrog Records
Peacefrog Records are an independent record label based in London, United Kingdom. The label produces releases in many different styles of electronic music as well as branching out into folk and indie artists such as José González and Nouvelle Vague. Started by Pete Hutchison and Paul Ballard in...
and released their self-titled debut album Little Dragon
Little Dragon (album)
Little Dragon is the self-titled debut album by Swedish electronic band Little Dragon. It was released on September 3, 2007 on Peacefrog Records...
on 27 August 2007. Their second album, Machine Dreams
Machine Dreams
Machine Dreams is the second studio album by Swedish electronic band Little Dragon. It was released on 17 August 2009 by Peacefrog Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Little Dragon – production, mixing* Guy Davie – mastering...
, was released on 17 August 2009, followed by their third album, Ritual Union
Ritual Union
Ritual Union is the third studio album by Swedish electronic band Little Dragon. It was released on 25 July 2011 by Peacefrog Records. The album debuted at number twenty-two on the UK Albums Chart and number seventy-eight on the US Billboard 200, their highest-charting album to date. The album's...
, released on 25 July 2011.
History
The band's name was inspired by the "Little Dragon" nickname Nagano earned due to the "fuming tantrumTantrum
A tantrum is an emotional outburst, usually associated with children or those in emotional distress, that is typically characterized by stubbornness, crying, screaming, yelling, shrieking, defiance, angry ranting, a resistance to attempts at pacification and, in some cases, violence...
s" she used to throw while recording in the studio. "It's a little exaggerated but there is some truth in it", Nagano said. "But we've grown up a bit and I realised you can't have a fit every day because otherwise you won't be able to stand each other."
Little Dragon have toured throughout Europe and have also made music videos for the songs "Test", "Twice", "Constant Surprises", "After the Rain" and "Fortune". The double A-side single "Fortune"/"Blinking Pigs" was released in the UK on 26 January 2009. Their song "Twice" was featured in an episode of the fifth season
Grey's Anatomy (season 5)
Season five of Grey's Anatomy, an American medical drama television series developed by Shonda Rhimes, began airing on September 25, 2008 on ABC. The season concluded on May 14, 2009 after 24 episodes had aired.- Cast :- Main cast :...
of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. In late 2009, the group was chosen as one of Beyond Race Magazines "50 Emerging Artists", resulting in a spot in the publication's eleventh issue as well as an exclusive online Q&A on the magazine's site.
In September 2011, former keyboardist Arild Werling rejoined the group on support keys during live performances.
Collaborations
The band members have collaborated with several other artists:- Swedish nu jazzNu jazzNu jazz is an umbrella term coined in the late 1990s to refer to music that blends jazz elements with other musical styles, such as funk, soul, electronic dance music, and free improvisation...
duo KoopKoop (band)Koop is an electronic jazz duo from Sweden, consisting of Magnus Zingmark and Oscar Simonsson.Koop won a Swedish Grammy Award in 2003 for the album "Waltz for Koop", and received a Gold certification for sales of their most recent album, Koop Islands...
's albums Waltz for KoopWaltz for KoopWaltz for Koop is the second album by the Swedish electronic music duo Koop. It was their first album to hit a U.S. Billboard chart, peaking at number seventeen on Top Electronic Albums...
(2002) and Koop IslandsKoop IslandsKoop Islands is the third studio album by the Stockholm-based electronic music duo Koop. Compared to their last success Waltz for Koop, Koop Islands combines inspiration by 1930's swing with an exotic Caribbean touch.-Track listing:...
(2006) feature Nagano's vocals on several tracks. - Drummer Erik Bodin is also the percussionist for Swedish indie folkIndie folkIndie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s from singer/songwriters in the indie rock community showing heavy influences from folk music scenes of the 50s, 60s and early 70s, country music, and indie rock. A few early artists included Lou Barlow, Beck, Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith...
singer José GonzálezJosé GonzálezJosé González is a Swedish-Argentine indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Gothenburg, Sweden.González is also a member of Swedish band Junip, along with Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn.- Biography :...
and Nagano sings harmony vocals on González's second album In Our NatureIn Our NatureIn Our Nature is the second album by Swedish singer-songwriter José González. It was released September 24, 2007 on Peacefrog Records in the UK and Imperial Recordings in Sweden. It was released September 25, 2007 by Mute Records in the United States....
(2007). - Nagano also collaborated with Swedish loungeLounge musicLounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
musician Hird, as well as Swell Session, the project fronted by Swedish DJ and producer Andreas Saag. - Nagano, Källgren Wallin and Wirenstrand are featured on GorillazGorillazGorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
's 2010 album Plastic BeachPlastic BeachPlastic Beach is the third studio album by British virtual band and alternative hip hop supergroup Gorillaz, released 3 March 2010 on Parlophone and Virgin Records. Conceived from an unfinished Gorillaz project called Carousel, the album was recorded during June 2008 to November 2009 and produced...
, on the tracks "Empire Ants" and "To Binge". Little Dragon are also the supporting act in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong for Gorillaz on their Escape to Plastic Beach World TourEscape to Plastic Beach World TourThe Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour is a concert tour by the British virtual band Gorillaz. The tour is in support of their third studio album Plastic Beach. It is notably the band's first world tour in its decade-spanning history...
. - Little Dragon collaborated with Dave Sitek, producer and member of TV on the RadioTV on the RadioTV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music....
, and his 2010 solo project Maximum BalloonMaximum Balloon (album)Maximum Balloon is the solo album debut of record producer and musician David Sitek of TV on the Radio. This album was number 24 on Rolling Stones list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.-Track listing:#Groove Me - 3:44...
on the track "If You Return". - "Wildfire", a collaboration track between Little Dragon and SBTRKTSBTRKTSBTRKT is a musician/producer from London, United Kingdom. SBTRKT began his career as a DJ in the east London club "Plastic People". SBTRKT has remixed songs by artists such as MIA, Radiohead, Modeselektor, Basement Jaxx, Mark Ronson and Underworld, and has released singles, EPs, and a self-titled...
that features vocals by Nagano, appears on SBTRKT's eponymous 2011 album. - Nagano provided vocals for a song titled "Scale It Back" on DJ ShadowDJ ShadowJoshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
's 2011 album The Less You Know, the BetterThe Less You Know, the BetterThe Less You Know, the Better is the fourth studio album by American music producer DJ Shadow. It was released on September 27, 2011 by Verve Records. The album is his first of original material since The Outsider . Like Shadow's previous efforts, the album relies heavily on sampling; the samples...
.
Studio albums
- Little DragonLittle Dragon (album)Little Dragon is the self-titled debut album by Swedish electronic band Little Dragon. It was released on September 3, 2007 on Peacefrog Records...
(2007) - Machine DreamsMachine DreamsMachine Dreams is the second studio album by Swedish electronic band Little Dragon. It was released on 17 August 2009 by Peacefrog Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Little Dragon – production, mixing* Guy Davie – mastering...
(2009) - Ritual UnionRitual UnionRitual Union is the third studio album by Swedish electronic band Little Dragon. It was released on 25 July 2011 by Peacefrog Records. The album debuted at number twenty-two on the UK Albums Chart and number seventy-eight on the US Billboard 200, their highest-charting album to date. The album's...
(2011)
Singles
- "Twice/Test" (7" vinyl) – 2007
- "Constant Surprises" (7" vinyl) – 2008
- "Recommendation" (iTunes) – 2008
- "Infinite Love" (track produced exclusively for a CartierCartier SACartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder...
ad campaign) – 2008 - "Fortune"/"Blinking Pigs" – 2009
- "Feather"/"Stranger" (iTunes) – 2009
- "NightLight" (iTunes) – 2011
- "Ritual Union" (7" vinyl) – 2011