Mikael Stavöstrand

Though perhaps a bit unrecognized to the global music community, Stockholm's Mikael Stavöstand played a major role in Scandinavia's experimental electronic music scene during the late '90s and early 2000s as not only a prolific artist but also as an event organizer, sound installation artist, and label manager. After having recorded for labels such as 12k, Firework, and Staalplaat, Stavöstand brought Mitek to life, a boutique label he personally oversaw. After debuting Mitek with Lite, a full-length album of minimal glitch that was celebrated for its intelligent application of computer-assembled sounds, the Swedish artist joined forces with Germany's mammoth Force Inc label in early 2001. On this world-recognized, innovative experimental techno label, Stavöstrand released another full-length, Reduce, which saw him applying his meticulous glitch aesthetic to an ambient dub-techno template. Undeniably his most accessible and widely praised release to date, Reduce introduced Stavöstrand to a global audience as one of the leading ambient glitch artists working within the quickly evolving style. ~ Jason Birchmeier