Samla Mammas Manna -

Samla Mammas Manna was a Swedish avant-garde/trad band that released five albums between 1971 and 1980 on Silence Records. In 1976, they collaborated with U.S.-born Scandinavian composer Gregory Allan Fitzpatrick on his four-part Snorungarnas Symfoni suite for the MNW label.

The instrumental folk of their 1972–74 albums Måltid and Klossa Knapitatet gave way to an intricate sui generis style, which endured them to the Rock In Opposition (RIO) collective assembled by Henry Cow. They modified their name to Zamla Mammaz Manna for their 1978–80 albums För äldre Nybegynnare (For Older Beginners) and Familjesprickor (Family Cracks).

Zamla backed Fred Frith on his 1980 solo album Gravity. Select members continued as Von Zamla with members of Albert Marcœur‘s backing band. Accordionist/bandleader Lars Hollmer and guitarist Coste Apetrea both launched prolific solo careers. Zamla regrouped for the 1999 studio disc Kaka.

Members: Lars Hollmer (keyboards), Lars Krantz (bass, 1969-80, 1990-2008), Hasse Bruniusson (drums, 1969-80, 1990-99), Henrik “Bebben” Öberg (percussion, 1969-71), Coste Apetrea (guitar, 1972-76, 1990-2008), Eino Haapala (guitar, 1977-80), Vilgot Hansson (drums, 1980), 吉田達也 [Tatsuya Yoshida] (drums, 2002-08)

Background

Samla Mammas Manna was formed in 1970 by keyboardist Lars Hollmer, drummer Hans Bruniusson, bassist Lars Krantz, and percussionist Bebben Öberg. Bruniusson hailed from The Objections, an Uppsala beat quintet that cut two 1967 singles on Hep House.

The name Samla Mammas Manna translates as Collecting Mom’s Manna — the word “manna” is a biblical term interpreted as an expression for “what is it?” They recorded their first album with engineer Anders Lind (Bo Hansson, Harvester, Handgjort, Mecki Mark Men).

Samla Mammas Manna

Samla Mammas Manna released their self-titled debut album in May 1971 on Silence.

The album introduces the group’s signature blend of avant-rock, jazz, and absurdist humor, filtered through a circus-like theatricality that would come to define the Swedish RIO aesthetic. Recorded in rustic conditions, the sound captures the band’s early freewheeling spirit and rhythmic interplay between organ, piano, percussion, and bass.

Lasse Hollmer, who plays piano and organ, largely composed the material, group-credited with drummer Hasse Bruniusson, bassist Lasse Krantz, and percussionist Henrik “Bebben” Öberg. Together, they weave through shifting tempos and sudden turns that alternate between frenetic whimsy and tight ensemble precision.

“Circus Apparatha” sets the tone with surreal vocals and a tumbling, kinetic rhythm that evokes a chaotic sideshow. The remainder of the album is mostly instrumental, balancing brisk, percussive vignettes (“Pausus,” “Fittravisan”) with extended, jazz-inflected structures (“Vidgat Läge,” “Manna Jamma,” “At-One-Ment”). Playful moments like “Uvertyr Till Snäll Häst” and “Släde Till Satori” showcase Hollmer’s contoured keyboard figures and the group’s feel for spontaneous ensemble interaction.

A1. “Circus Apparatha” (6:02) — humorous vocal piece depicting oddball circus workers through manic rhythms and organ-driven sequences.
A2. “Pausus” (0:18) — brief piano interlude.
A3. “Vidgat Läge” [Widened Situation] (3:15) — rhythmic jazz-rock number with swirling organ lines.
A4a. “Släde Till Satori I” [Sleigh to Satori I] (3:24) — percussive, evolving piano pattern with cyclical momentum.
A4b. “Släde Till Satori II” (0:52) — short reprise in darker tone.
A4c. “Schekina” (2:51) — builds from soft piano to full ensemble crescendo.
A5a. “Uvertyr Till Snäll Häst I” [Overture to Kind Horse I] (2:00) — brisk organ section with clapping accompaniment.
A5b. “Uvertyr Till Snäll Häst II” (0:49) — compact coda with syncopated rhythm.

B1. “Flickan I Skogen” [The Girl in the Forest] (2:20) — piano-led miniature with folkish cadence.
B2. “Manna Jamma” (5:53) — alternating comedic voices and jazz-rock interplay.
B3. “At-One-Ment” (4:20) — fluid instrumental passage with shifting dynamics.
B4. “Skrik Från Embassy – Live” [Scream from Embassy] (2:29) — live jam emphasizing percussion and bass textures.
B5. “Fittravisan” (0:59) — brief percussion–piano sketch.
B6. “E’ Pop Tai” (4:09) — serene closer with gentle piano phrasing and conga rhythm.

Sessions took place from October 7, 1970, at Silence Studios in Koppom with producer Anders Lind, who also engineered the album with assistance from the band.

The cover art by Lasse Wikfeld presents a surreal, hand-drawn tableau reflecting the album’s eccentric spirit.

Though issued without singles, Samla Mammas Manna became a cornerstone of Sweden’s early progressive movement and laid the groundwork for the band’s later experiments on Måltid and Klossa Knapitatet.

Måltid

Samla Mammas Manna released their second album, Måltid, in November 1973 on Silence.

The album expands the group’s humorous, high-energy mix of jazz-rock, folk, and absurdist chamber interplay into a more technically accomplished form. With the arrival of guitarist Coste Apetrea, the music gained sharper contours and a broader harmonic range. Pianist Lars Hollmer drives most of the material with percussive electric piano figures and shifting tempos, while drummer Hasse Bruniusson and bassist Lasse Krantz build a nimble rhythmic framework full of tempo detours and sudden accents.

All four members contributed to the compositions, with Hollmer as principal writer. The band composed the entire program, sung in Swedish with playful nonsense syllables and comic falsetto lines.

The record opens with the eleven-minute “Dundrets Fröjder,” a constantly morphing piece that fuses jazz interplay, folk cadences, and abrupt rhythmic shifts in a spirit of festive anarchy. “Oförutsedd Förlossning” moves between spoken absurdities and quick-cut ensemble bursts, while “Den Återupplivade Låten” unfolds through symphonic piano passages and dynamic shifts in mood. The brief “Folkvisa i Morse” adapts a rustic tune into staccato rhythmic code, and “Syster System” pairs manic group vocals with syncopated piano. “Tärningen” and “Svackorpoängen” each showcase the band’s blend of classical phrasing and carnival-like rhythm, and “Minareten” closes Side B with eastern-tinged motifs and complex percussion before the tranquil epilogue “Værelseds Tilbud.”

A1. “Dundrets Fröjder” [The Joys of Thunder] (10:43)
A2. “Oförutsedd Förlossning” [Unforeseen Delivery] (3:10)
A3. “Den Återupplivade Låten” [The Revived Song] (5:53)

B1. “Folkvisa i Morse” [Folk Tune in Morse Code] (2:07)
B2. “Syster System” [Sister System] (2:27)
B3. “Tärningen” [The Dice] (3:33)
B4. “Svackorpoängen” [The Dip Point] (3:11)
B5. “Minareten” [The Minaret] (8:21)
B6. “Værelseds Tilbud” [Room Offer] (2:26)

Sessions occurred at Decibel Studios in Stockholm during autumn 1973 with Anders Lind producing and engineering.

Måltid features cover art by painter Tage Åsén, whose surreal picnic tableau mirrors the album’s mixture of whimsy and disorder.

The album’s intricate ensemble work and balance of humor and precision later made it a cornerstone of the emerging Rock in Opposition movement.

Klossa Knapitatet

Samla Mammas Manna released their third album, Klossa Knapitatet, in December 1974 on Silence.

The album expands the Swedish quartet’s irreverent fusion of jazz-rock, Scandinavian folk, and absurdist theater with a heightened sense of interplay and rhythmical invention. Pianist–accordionist Lasse Hollmer leads with a fleet, percussive touch, while guitarist Coste Apetrea alternates between angular lines and lyrical phrases. Bassist Lars Krantz and drummer Hans Bruniusson sustain mercurial time shifts that move between festive dance rhythms, open improvisation, and abrupt bursts of dissonance.

Hollmer wrote most of the material, assisted on select pieces by Apetrea. Guest accordionist Brünn Settels performs the title track.

Several pieces unfold as extended, multipart instrumental narratives. “Liten Dialektik” runs through ten minutes of shifting meters and contrapuntal exchanges that evoke mid-’70s jazz fusion in a chamber context. “Musmjölkningsmaskinen” builds from brisk piano–drum interplay to a rock-tempo climax, while “Influenser” juxtaposes freeform abstraction and rhythmic drive. Shorter tracks like “Ingenting,” “Kom Lite Närmare,” and “Sucken” serve as comic or atmospheric bridges, contrasting with the folk–polka pulse of “Långt Ner i Ett Kaninhål” and the serene, reflective coda “Ramlösa Kvällar.”

A1. “Ingenting” [Nothing] (2:09)
A2. “Liten Dialektik” [Small Dialectics] (10:10)
A3. “Sucken” [The Sigh] (1:14)
A4. “Långt Ner i Ett Kaninhål (Liten Tuva Stjälper Ofta Stort Lass)” [Way Down a Rabbit Hole (A Little Mound Often Overturns a Heavy Load)] (4:13)

B1. “Kom Lite Närmare” [Come a Little Closer] (1:30)
B2. “Musmjölkningsmaskinen” [The Mousemilkingmachine] (6:36)
B3. “Influenser” [Influences] (6:58)
B4. “Klossa Knapitatet” (1:23) — performed by Brünn Settels on accordion
B5. “Ramlösa Kvällar” [Ramlösa Evenings] (5:30)

Sessions took place November 6–8, 1974, at Decibel Studios in Stockholm with producer–engineer Anders Lind.

The sleeve painting, titled Kollektivolja, is credited to Anders Lidén, Pelle Engmán, and Tage Åsén.

Klossa Knapitatet stands as one of Samla Mammas Manna’s most fluid and intricate works, balancing whimsy with a precise, ensemble-driven intensity that foreshadowed their later RIO-era explorations.

Snorungarnas Symfoni

In September 1976, the MNW label issued Snorungarnas Symfoni, an album of compositions by Gregory Allan Fitzpatrick performed by Samla Mammas Manna.

The album presents a single four-part suite that merges Fitzpatrick’s symphonic conception with Samla Mammas Manna’s intricate, jazz-inflected interplay. The music retains the band’s hallmark whimsy but channels it into a more disciplined, orchestral framework marked by refined tempo shifts, contrapuntal passages, and recurring melodic motifs. Unlike their prior releases, the album omits vocals entirely, focusing on ensemble precision and tonal color.

Fitzpatrick composed and conducted the entire work, his only collaboration with the group. The lineup features keyboardist Lasse Hollmer, guitarist–balalaika player Coste Apetrea, bassist Lasse Krantz, and drummer–percussionist Hasse Bruniusson, augmented by trumpeter Kalle Eriksson and saxophonist Ärtan Wallander.

Each of the four movements functions as a self-contained section within the larger symphonic arc. “Första Satsen” unfolds with expansive piano themes and brisk rhythmic interplay that alternates between chamber-like poise and folk-derived exuberance. “Andra Satsen” opens in a bright, carnival mood before slipping into a series of tempo shifts that echo the group’s theatrical tendencies. “Tredje Satsen” leans toward a jazz orientation with extended improvisational exchanges, while “Fjärde Satsen” serves as a stately finale that reprises earlier motifs in a slow-building, emotional resolution.

A1. “Första Satsen” [First Movement] (11:46)
A2. “Andra Satsen” [Second Movement] (5:39)

B1. “Tredje Satsen” [Third Movement] (7:46)
B2. “Fjärde Satsen” [Fourth Movement] (8:43)

Sessions occurred during summer 1976 at Metronome Studio in Stockholm with producer Gregory Allan Fitzpatrick and engineer Janne Hansson.

The cover illustration by Maria Persson depicts a surreal childlike tableau that complements the album’s title, which translates to Symphony of the Brats.

Snorungarnas Symfoni marked Samla Mammas Manna’s final release under that name before their transformation into Zamla Mammaz Manna. It stands as one of their most disciplined and symphonic statements, balancing compositional structure with the band’s trademark inventiveness.

För äldre Nybegynnare / Schlagerns Mystik

Zamla Mammaz Manna released their fifth album, the two-record För äldre Nybegynnare / Schlagerns Mystik, in April 1978 on Silence.

The set juxtaposes two contrasting works: Schlagerns Mystik (“The Mystery of Schlager”), a studio suite of parodic miniatures, and För äldre Nybegynnare (“For Older Beginners”), a collection of live improvisations. Together they embody the group’s irreverent humor, compositional elasticity, and collective rapport. The music veers from cabaret pastiche and mock-folk to expansive, jazz-inflected instrumental interplay, extending the band’s transition from structured symphonic projects to spontaneous, performance-based invention.

Keyboardist Lars Hollmer, guitarist Eino Haapala, bassist Lars Krantz, and drummer Hasse Bruniusson wrote and performed the album as a self-contained quartet, handling all instruments and arrangements. Hollmer and Haapala supply the bulk of the compositions and lyrics on Schlagerns Mystik, while För äldre Nybegynnare captures the entire lineup in freeform interplay recorded across multiple Swedish venues.

Schlagerns Mystik opens with “At Ragunda,” an accordion-led overture that introduces the record’s playful tone. “Seasonsong,” “Buttonless,” and “Not Margareta” riff on traditional Swedish folk idioms, filtered through the band’s absurdist theater style. “Profession Is the Amateur’s Glue” fuses percussive xylophone runs with mock-choral refrains, while “Little Karin” stages a surreal nursery ballad that collapses into rhythmic clutter. The side-closing epic “The Fate” abandons parody for a 17-minute instrumental of shifting tempos and recurring themes, akin to Frank Zappa’s extended jazz-rock excursions.

För äldre Nybegynnare assembles spontaneous performances that range from concise rhythmic studies (“Watchmaker 1,” “Watchmaker 2”) to extended ensemble pieces (“Harness in Memoriam,” “Do You Think Like Me?”). The material moves through abstract textures, fractured dance rhythms, and improvised exchanges between organ, vibraphone, and trumpet, emphasizing interplay over composition.

Schlagerns Mystik
A1. “At Ragunda” (1:39)
A2. “Seasonsong” (3:46)
A3. “Profession Is the Amateur’s Glue” (2:20)
A4. “Buttonless” (2:19)
A5. “Not Margareta” (3:49)
A6. “Little Karin” (4:18)
A7. “Asphaltsong” (1:54)
B1. “Joosan Lost” (0:32)
B2. “The Fate” (16:55)

För äldre Nybegynnare
C1. “Watchmaker 1” (3:42)
C2. “Watchmaker 2” (2:31)
C3. “The Funktrap” (2:50)
C4. “Short Inheritance” (1:56)
C5. “The Modern” (6:19)
C6. “Temporal You Are” (2:37)
D1. “Harness in Memoriam” (12:30)
D2. “To the Oval Meter” (3:47)
D3. “Do You Think Like Me?” (5:14)

Sessions for Schlagerns Mystik took place at Studio Decibel in Stockholm, recorded by the band on a TEAC 4-track machine with engineer Anders Lind. För äldre Nybegynnare was recorded live at multiple 1976–77 Swedish concerts, including Sprängkullen (Göteborg), Jarlateatern (Stockholm), Moderna Museum (Stockholm), Röbo Tegelbruk (Uppsala), and Flamman (Linköping).

Schlagerns Mystik features cover artwork by painter Tage Åsén, depicting a surreal domestic scene, while För äldre Nybegynnare displays an abstract painting by Eino Haapala.

The album captures Zamla Mammaz Manna at their most eclectic and unrestrained, merging satire, improvisation, and avant-theatricality into a single statement that bridges the Swedish “progg” movement with the emerging Rock in Opposition ethos.

“Lejonet av ljuga” / “Ryssland Island”

In 1979, Zamla Mammaz Manna issued a non-album single: “Lejonet av ljuga,” a reggaefied RIO tune backed with “Ryssland Island,” a lively folk dance.

A. “Lejonet av ljuga” (3:29)

B. “Ryssland Island varför är väl inge å va rädd för” (2:27)

Familjesprickor

Zamla Mammaz Manna released their sixth album, Familjesprickor, in December 1980 on Silence.

The album presents the group’s most intricate and intense statement, balancing the whimsical avant-rock of Klossa Knapitatet with sharper dynamics and darker hues. Guitarist Eino Haapala, who replaced Coste Apetrea, infuses a heavier, more psychedelic edge into the band’s sound, while keyboardist and accordionist Lars Hollmer steers the arrangements through angular time shifts, bursts of humor, and passages of high technical precision.

The core lineup features drummer Hasse Bruniusson (marimba), who departed midway through the sessions and was replaced by Vilgot Hansson (drums, percussion), bassist Lars Krantz, guitarist and vocalist Eino Haapala, and keyboardist–accordionist Lars Hollmer (vocals). Together, they recorded new material at the group’s Cocky Chickenhouse studio in Uppsala between March and June 1980, with live tapes from Strasbourg, Charleville, and Sülfeld incorporated into the final sequence.

All music and lyrics are credited to Zamla Mammaz Manna. Hollmer and Haapala share vocal duties on “Pappa (With Right of Veto)” and “Drängen.” The album marks the band’s final release under the Zamla name before evolving into Von Zamla.

Across the eight pieces, the band alternates between rapid-fire polka-jazz (“Fem Holmgångar”), quirky instrumental rock (“Ventilationskalkyl”), and circus-like avant pieces (“Smedjan,” “Den Flämtande Novellen”). “Trälen” explores abstract sound textures with improvised percussion and vocal noises, while “Pappa (With Right of Veto)” applies their absurdist humor to a lurching reggae rhythm. “Drängen” lightens the mood with buoyant piano and accordion figures, and “Kärna I Kort Och Lång Rockad” closes on a brisk, contrapuntal exchange between guitar, drums, and keyboards.

A1. “Fem Holmgångar” [Five Single Combats] (6:00) — brisk polka-jazz fusion with piano, marimba, and shifting percussion.
A2. “Ventilationskalkyl” [Ventilation Calculation] (5:10) — guitar-driven piece with crisp interplay and brief piano coda.
A3. “Smedjan” [The Forge] (5:15) — uptempo collage featuring accordion motifs and metallic percussion accents.
A4. “Trälen” [The Thrall] (5:10) — live in France; freeform vocalizations over sparse percussion and ambient drones.
B1. “Den Flämtande Novellen” [The Panting Short Story] (4:05) — taut ensemble work built on jagged guitar and piano exchanges.
B2. “Pappa (With Right of Veto)” (4:30) — live in Germany; reggae-tempo tune with comic lyrics about an absent father.
B3. “Drängen” [The Farmhand] (7:45) — extended ensemble piece blending folk dance and jazz-rock elements.
B4. “Kärna I Kort Och Lång Rockad” [Kernel in Short and Long Castling] (5:50) — shifting time figures and driving finale with intricate instrumental layering.

Sessions occurred at the Cocky Chickenhouse in Uppsala, with mixing handled by Anders Lind and Zamla Mammaz Manna at Silence Studios, Värmland, in July 1980.

The cover, photographed by Hollmer and designed by guitarist Haapala, depicts a torn family portrait in a boat, reflecting the title’s theme of domestic and internal fracture (“family cracks”).

Familjesprickor stands as Zamla Mammaz Manna’s most focused and demanding work, uniting playful energy with compositional rigor and signaling the transition to Hollmer’s later project, Von Zamla.

Discography: