Alrune Rod -

Alrune Rod was a Danish post-psych band that made the 1969–72 Sonet albums Alrune Rod, Hej Du, and Alrune Rock, followed by the 1973/74 Mandragora titles Spredt for Vinden and 4-Vejs.

Members: Leif Roden [Leif Roden Nielsen] (vocals, bass, guitar), Flemming Giese Rasmussen (guitar, 1968-70), Kurt “Pastor” Ziegler Simonsen (organ, piano, vocals, 1968-70, 1972-?), Claus From (drums, 1968-70), Ole Poulsen (guitar, vocals, mandolin, 1970-?), Tom Lundén (piano, organ, accordion, vocals, 1974-?), Karsten Høst (drums, percussion, 1970-?), Mikael Miller (guitar, vocals, 1973-?), Jesper Nehammer (saxophone, 1973-?), Torben Andersen (keyboards, 1974-?)

Background

Alrune Rod formed in Copenhagen in 1968 as Alrunes Rod. Singer-bassist-guitarist Leif Roden stood at the center from the start and became the group’s main musical anchor through its full run. Guitarist Flemming Giese Rasmussen, organist Kurt “Pastor” Ziegler Simonsen, and drummer Claus From completed the first lineup, while lyricist Laus Bengtsson supplied much of the early verbal world. The band took its name from Albert Dam’s short story “Alrune,” and that source fed the symbolic cast of the first songs.

Sonet issued the debut single “Pigen på stranden” backed with “Tæl aldrig imorgen med” in 1968. That first release established the group as one of the early Danish bands to carry its material in Danish.

A. “Pigen på stranden” [The Girl on the Beach] (5:10)
B. “Tæl aldrig imorgen med” [Never Count Tomorrow] (4:15)

Concert work and a fluid circle of players followed, and the band also appeared in the film Skæve dage i Thy. Bengtsson’s lyrics remained central through the first-album phase and helped shape a coherent cycle of songs for the 1969 debut. Sonet then issued Alrune Rod, after which the band dropped the final s from its original name and continued as Alrune Rod.

Alrune Rod (1969)

Alrune Rod released their self-titled debut album in December 1969 on Sonet.

Guitarist Flemming Giese Rasmussen drives the debut through long sections, sudden dynamic turns, and a recurring pull between fuzz attack and quieter acoustic release. Organist Pastor Ziegler answers with swelling chords and piano detail.

“Natskyggevej” takes that approach further, moving from quieter vocal sections into heavier surges, extended guitar statements, organ replies, a near-spoken calm, and a later solo that threads through the final rise. “Hvor Skal Jeg Se Solen Sta Op” strips the set down to strummed acoustic guitar, hand percussion, and restrained vocals.

“Bjergsangen” unfolds in three connected parts, with floating organ passages, searing guitar lines, active bass and drums, and a middle stretch shaped by bird and water sounds. “Rejsen Hjem” opens in a gentler register, builds toward a fuller peak, then eases back again, with the shifting dynamics and more forceful vocal delivery giving the close its strongest dramatic arc.

A1. “Alrune rod” [Alraune Root / Mandrake Root] (10:00) – Bengtsson, Roden
A2. “Natskyggevej” [Nightshade Road] (9:55) – Bengtsson, Roden
A3. “Hvor skal jeg se solen stå op” [Where Shall I See the Sun Rise] (3:12) – Giese, Roden

B1. “Bjergsangen” [The Mountain Song] (11:57)
— a. “Kom og tag min hånd” [Come and Take My Hand] – Giese, Bengtsson, Roden
— b. “Du er så sød” [You Are So Sweet] – Roden
— c. “Når yderst er inderst” [When Outmost Is Innermost] – Giese, Roden
B2. “Rejsen hjem” [The Journey Home] (13:23) – Ziegler, Bengtsson, Roden

Alrune Rod recorded Alrune Rod at Ivar Rosenberg Lydteknik and co-produced the album with Franz Beckerlee. Mozart handled the cover, Poul Bruun supplied the photos and layout, Knud Hansen printed the sleeve, and Sonet issued the record in a gatefold cover with red labels.

The first lineup began to fray after the debut. Claus From left the drum chair, Karsten Høst took over for the second album, and the partnership with Laus Bengtsson loosened as the band moved toward a broader split of lyric and composition work.

Hej Du

Alrune Rod released their second album, Hej Du, in June 1971 on Sonet.

Leif Roden tightens the second album into three long pieces with a steadier pulse and a stronger rhythmic thread than the debut. Guitarist Flemming Giese Rasmussen and organist Pastor Ziegler keep the lead movement in flux.

“Du Taler Og Sir” starts with feedback, drops into a firm beat and vocal interjections, then turns toward a more direct vocal section before easing off near the third minute into organ-led restraint; from there, the tempo keeps shifting as earlier figures return in new shapes.

The title track rides a steadier beat at first, with organ spread across the backdrop and vocals held in check, then opens into stronger contrasts: a more heated vocal-organ passage after four minutes, a guitar break that tears through the center, a quieter middle stretch led by organ, beat, and voice, and a late rise where organ and guitar both press harder.

“Perleseoen” covers the widest ground, moving from floating organ, acoustic guitar, and cymbals into fuller sections with strummed rhythm and vocals, then dropping into darker recesses with sparse flute, whispering, silence, and a haunted low-lit drift before the beat returns, acid-soaked guitar cuts across the surface, and the final passage lifts the piece back into motion.

A1. “Du taler og si’r” [You Talk and Say] (7:40) – Roden
A2. “Hej du” [Hey You] (13:57) – Bengtsson, Roden

B. “Perlesøen” [The Pearl Lake] (21:37) – Roden
— a. “Prelude”
— b. “Nu” [Now]
— c. “Prøv” [Try]
— d. “?”
— e. “Invitation”
— f. “Neden/Under” [Below/Under]
— g. “Ny dag” [New Day]
— h. “Finale”

Alrune Rod recorded Hej Du at Ivar Rosenberg in Vanløse between September 6 and December 22, 1970, arranged the album themselves, and co-produced it with Freddy Hansson. Leif Roden supplied the photography and front illustration.

Internal strain broke the group apart in 1971, but Alrune Rod soon re-formed around Leif Roden.

Alrune Rock (1972)

Alrune Rod released their third album, Alrune Rock, in September 1972 on Sonet, which issued a subsequent English-dubbed version.

The album marks the arrival of singer–guitarist Ole Poulsen, who directs Alrune Rock toward shorter songs and illuminated leads. Frank Lauridsen and Bent Hesselman widen selected passages with piano, organ, sax, and flute. Karsten Høst co-wrote the songs with Leif Roden and Poulsen.

“Om At” sets the tone with a brisk, open attack and a brighter, more direct guitar line than the earlier records. The two-part “Jeg Taenker” begins closer to the group’s older long-form approach, then opens into a more spacious second half where flute and piano soften the center before the piece trails off. “Rock Sister” adds sax to the ensemble and keeps the arrangement in tighter song form, while “Ikke Forstyrre” rides a leaner guitar-led drive, with twanging lines and wah-shaped accents carrying much of the motion.

A1. “Om At” [About] (7:39)
A2. “Kender Du Det ?” [Do You Know It ?] (6:07)
A3. “Jeg Tænker Så Tit På …” [I Often Think About …] (7:08)

B1. “Rock-Søster” [Rock-Sister] (7:32)
B2. “Ikke Forstyrre” [Do Not Disturb] (8:00)
B3. “I Din Nabos Lys” [In Your Neighbor’s Light] (2:00)

Alrune Rod recorded most of Alrune Rock at Rosenberg Studios in March and April 1972 with co-producer Freddy Hansson and technician-mixer Robert Hansen; the first section of A3 drew from live recordings at Gl. Hellerup Gymnasium and Ringsted Statsskole. The band handled the cover and Susanne Mertz supplied the photography.

The group’s dissatisfaction with Sonet pushed manager Jan Degner to launch Mandragora, named after the Latin word for mandrake. Alrune Rod now worked with a looser collective structure. Guitarist Mikael Miller, who appeared on the English-language version of Alrune Rock, entered as a permanent member for Spredt for Vinden in 1973, and saxophonist Jesper Nehammer joined from the broader jazz-rock circle.

Spredt for Vinden

Alrune Rod released their fourth album, Spredt for Vinden, in May 1973 on Mandragora.

Ole Poulsen and Mikael Miller center the fourth album on twin-guitar interplay, while Miller’s violin and the added keyboard-horn colors broaden the frame around tighter songs. Alrune Rod wrote the full set as a group, and Palle Mikkelborg’s horn arrangements extend the palette on the larger ensemble passages.

Spredt for Vinden places guitar at the center and uses piano, violin, and horn parts as color around tighter vocal songs. “Kom Nu” and “Gåseøjne” carry the sharpest pressure, with the band holding a firmer beat and a more concentrated attack than on the earlier records.

The title track and “En Snehvid Fugl” ease into a lighter, more open frame, where the acoustic edge and gentler pacing soften the album’s heavier center. Throughout the set, the arrangements stay compact and controlled, with the band favoring direct movement over extended drift.

A1. “Kom nu” [Come Now] (3:41)
A2. “Her i solen” [Here in the Sun] (4:58)
A3. “En snehvid fugl” [A Snow-White Bird] (4:45)
A4. “Sammensang” [Chorus / Singing Together] (5:15)
A5. “Xn” (0:49)

B1. “Flyv fugl fisk” [Fly Bird Fish] (3:50)
B2. “Spredt for vinden” [Scattered to the Wind] (5:25)
B3. “Gåseøjne” [Goose Eyes / Quotation Marks] (12:39)

Alrune Rod produced and mixed Spredt for Vinden with Freddy Hansson, and Palle Mikkelborg arranged the horn parts. Mandragora Folket handled the cover, Lennart Åkerlund printed the sleeve, and the album came in a fold-out cover with rough stock outside, matte stock inside, and lyrics printed within.

Tom Lundén joined during the late phase and added piano, organ, accordion, and vocals. Jesper Nehammer remained in the fold through 1973 and 1974 as the band moved toward its final lineup. That version recorded 4-Vejs, which reached release at Christmas 1974.

4-Vejs

Alrune Rod released their fifth album, 4-Vejs, in November 1974 on Mandragora.

Ole Poulsen and Mikael Miller keep the fifth album concise and guitar-led, with short songs that leave organ, piano, and sax to brief entries around the vocal center. Organist Torben Andersen and saxophonist Jesper Nehammer widen selected tracks.

“De Vises Sten” draws extra weight from the added keyboard and sax lines, while “Forårsmorgen” opens a broader surface through piano and organ.

“Ringene i Sandet” gives the album its widest instrumental reach, stretching its closing minutes into a longer guitar-led solo passage while the rhythm section keeps a firm pulse underneath. The vocals stay near the center of each arrangement, and the set moves with clear, direct momentum.

A1. “En morgen” [One Morning] (2:41) – Høst, Poulsen
A2. “Den samme mand” [The Same Man] (3:10) – Poulsen
A3. “De vises sten” [The Philosopher’s Stone] (3:32) – Miller
A4. “Ringene i sandet” [The Rings in the Sand] (6:15) – Høst, Poulsen

B1. “Forårsmorgen” [Spring Morning] (4:26) – Miller
B2. “Skinner” [Shines] (3:59) – Miller, Poulsen
B3. “Alt roder” [Everything’s a Mess] (2:52) – Roden
B4. “Et menneske” [A Human / A Person] (6:51) – Roden, Poulsen

Alrune Rod recorded 4-Vejs at Werner Studios with engineers Henrik S. Nielsen and Werner Scherrer and produced the album themselves. Karsten Høst supplied the front and back cover, Robert Högfeld drew the front illustration, Susanne Mertz supplied the photography, and Mandragora issued the record in a single sleeve with a poster-style folded insert.

Postlude

Alrune Rod spent 1974 on its last stretch and closed with a farewell tour that ended on March 29, 1975, at Klub Tatuba in Copenhagen. Excerpts from that run later appeared as Tatuba Tapes.

Leif Roden then formed Kalechen with Ole Poulsen and later became a studio soundman. In 1980 he tried a renewed Alrune-derived sound with the band Roden. Mikael Miller went on to front Bifrost. Ole Poulsen joined the 1976/77 Gnags lineup.

The group reunited briefly at the Langelandsfestival in 1995 and returned for a few later appearances, including a 2002 Christiania show with Torben Andersen on keyboards. Mandragora-era albums returned on CD in 2002.

Discography: