Anekdoten are considered one of the leading bands in contemporary progressive rock. Their intensive, dark, dynamic and for each subsequent release more original music have also made an appeal among metal-, goth- and post-rock fans all over the world.
Anekdoten was formed in 1991 by Anna Sofi Dahlberg, Nicklas Barker, Peter Nordins and Jan Erik Liljeström and the line up has remained intact since the beginning.
Anekdoten has released 6 studio albums on their own Virta-label and 3 live albums in Japan. The Anekdoten album sales have exceeded 100 000 copies. Their debut album ‘Vemod’ was released in 1993 and caused a considerable stir within the prog community. The success of the debut album opened up for both a first European- and American tour in 1994. The follow up ‘Nucleus’, released late 1995, was an uncompromized, grungy and distorted affair. Some found it too heavy and diabolic, others found ‘Nucleus’ to be a leap forward for the band. ‘Nucleus’ confirmed the band’s status within the prog community and is considered a cult album by many of the fans. Anekdotens third studio album ‘From Within’ was released in 1999. On ‘From Within’ the band moved slightly away from the 70’s influenced progressive rock of its predecessors and towards a more contemporary sound. Their fourth album ‘Gravity’ is perhaps their most accessible. It was released in 2003 and divided the fan base into two camps – those who thought that Anekdoten had become too mellow and those who found that they were getting better and better. The 5th Anekdoten studio album ‘A Time Of Day’ saw the light of day in April 2007. The hands-on, D.I.Y-approach they’ve adapted since the beginning made them release also this album (CD/LP) on their own label. The band’s latest album “Until All the Ghosts are Gone” was released in April 2015. It has been Anekdoten’s most succesful album to date and is considered a classic in the heavy prog genre.Anekdoten’s reputation as a great live act was already established after their performance at Progfest 94 in Los Angeles.
They have been touring in Europe numerous times, played in the USA three times and Japan twice. They have also performed in Canada, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. The Japanese Arcángelo label have released 3 live albums by Anekdoten: – a 4 track mini-CD called ‘Live EP’ (1997) – the 2-CD ‘Official Bootleg, Live In Japan’ (1998) -the CD ‘Waking The Dead, Live In Japan 2005’ (also released as a 2 LP by the band).
