Buy: erebusodora.net

Arcana

A.k.a "Peter Bjärgö"

4604 plays, 66 songs on radio, from Sweden

In 1993 I accepted the fact that an ordinary band line-up was too narrow for me and I decided to start up a project called Arcana. It was based on the ideas that had been haunting me for a very long time, the ideas of creating medieval inspired music, or perhaps I should say based on the romantic image we all have on the middle ages, and doing that through a very personal point of view...

I did soon realize that I needed a female companion that could bring a lead singing. I contacted Ida Bengtsson to tell her about my ideas and visions, she loved it and Arcana became complete.
I now currently work with Stefan Eriksson and Ann-Marie Thim.

I had, at that time, made a demonstration cassette which I gave to Roger at Cold Meat Industry. Roger liked the music and gave us the chance to take part on a CMI sampler. As a result, we recorded "The Song of Mourning," and the response was great, and thus Roger gave us a deal for two full length albums.

Since then Roger and I have had a great contact. The deal for two cd's has grown, and four fullenghts with Arcana has now been released.

Next year Arcana will be 10 years old. I have alot of ideas of a special release to celebrate this. I am working on new material, looking for old demos and I hope this will be a great album.

This album will probably be released on my own label Erebus Odora, cause in July 2003 I ended my deal with CMI and the thought is to release my own albums in the future.

Peter Bjärgö

Official site: erebusodora.net/arcana

Albums

Most popular songs

  1. Love Eternal 4.1
  2. My Cold Sea 4.1
  3. Wings of Gabriel 4.1
  4. Closure 4.0
  5. March of Loss 3.9

Orgaloth 4 November, 2003 at 10:24

A big bonus for the idea to create "modern" medieval music. Another big bonus for its quality. Great stuff!

Cerberos 3 December, 2003 at 14:05

New medieval music is always a treat. To bad though that with medieval music they also mean medieval tempo.

Neoodin 14 July, 2004 at 11:22

I like a lot, her music is perfect is pure.

Dooglio 22 March, 2005 at 02:50

So...where can you get your albums? Your official site just gives me a tasteful image of a snake...and that's about it. :-)

Jason 19 June, 2005 at 19:00

Good, but not much musical variation.

Elrond 6 July, 2005 at 10:18

Arcana has a wonderful dark feeling about them. I wouldn't call their music medieval, but what it is I don't know. Classifying music in genres is hard and somethimes meaningless. Their theme fits rivendell just fine!

AgraveiN 18 August, 2005 at 18:53

My favourite band!

No comments:) Just lisen!

If You are form Poland and like Arcanas music please e-mail me - agravein@go2.pl

I'm looking for pewople who would start a Polish Arcana Fan Club //

Talonmar 10 November, 2005 at 02:19

Not my type of music at all. This genre all sounds dull to me.

hrankta 16 November, 2005 at 04:06

Excellent sound! I've got to buy some of their music. Very good ambient music for writing.

J_Darnley 4 December, 2005 at 15:52

I can't stand most of their tracks but there are a few decent ones in the piles of crap.

Sir Daniel of Bedford 20 January, 2006 at 19:27

The vocals really kill their music. Muddled and incoherent. They seriously detract from an intriguing musical score. It's a shame. Most of their songs get worse the more you listen to them. They certainly have earned the "Where's The Mute Button" award for the year!

But the common theme to all their songs are horrible vocals and detuned instruments muddled with too much reverb...the true sign of musicians who don't know what they're doing from an engineering and production standpoint.

Tincolindo 9 February, 2006 at 20:29

I enjoy a lot of their music, but a lot of it sounds very....samey. I can always tell if a piece is done by Arcana....in some ways that's good, but in others it's bad....

Swordan 11 March, 2006 at 22:24

I am continually amazed at the ambience Arcana music can emit !

David P 23 March, 2006 at 13:37

Not all is great but many good songs!

Neithan 27 March, 2006 at 15:57

They could have been quite good, if they had just made one song. But they made the same one some dozen of times. Though it's nice to see someon having an own style, it should produce more than just allways the same.

Drogo Bumbleroot 21 April, 2006 at 15:47

repeat themselves all the time

Legolas Greenleaf 24 May, 2006 at 20:00

Overall very good work. At times haunting and at other times profound. Very few 'misses' with this group.

halfsky 22 June, 2006 at 02:55

From the songs I have heard from Arcana, all I can say is that their vocals kill anything they have going for themselves. Semi-good music otherwise.

ek79 8 July, 2006 at 16:43

Another DCD son.

ironenthery 11 August, 2006 at 12:48

repeat

TheRedWrath 1 November, 2006 at 00:50

It is commendable when a musician makes the risk to form a project that strays from traditional norm. However, when the final product happens to be a dull, uninspiring cacophony of yawning vocals and sordid "melody", (used very, very loosely) there is a much greater elegance in pure silence. Abrasive, dreadful, and bluntly...terrible. Sometimes, it is better to keep Radio Rivendell off; lest you fear for the sanctity of your roleplaying immersion - to which our dearest Arcana can ultimately obliterate within twenty seconds of cue. Job well done, Arcana.

tzonarin 9 November, 2006 at 22:56

Arcana's music is dark, mysterious, alluring. They have nice tones and great vocals at times. However, they do get repetitive in a lot of areas, making one wonder if they are going for the more ambient sound or if they are more foreground.

Morpheus, son of Hypnos 29 December, 2006 at 12:45

Looking back at my ratings I find only two fours and five threes, the rest is ones and twos with a large portion of single star ratings.

Apart from the occasional OK song (which would probably start grating on my nerves anyway) the majority of their songs have me lunging for the mute button even before the first bar is over.

I would never ever buy a CD from Arcana even if my life depended on it, or having to think long and hard before accepting them for free (what is the potential of a CD for being a useful target for archery practice?) there can be only one rating: the single star.
Arcana is the second group I brand with the Mark of the Mute Button Legion.

heroic665 30 December, 2006 at 01:25

The very first song I ever heard by Arcana was "March of Loss" on "...The Last Embrace", right here on Radio Rivendell. "Cool," I thoguht. "It's depressing and dark and they use bells!" Little did I know that I had just described nearly every Arcana song ever made. Most of their material is so one-dimensional that it makes me want to cry. I often like depressing, dreary music, and if "March of Loss" was but an example of a banguet of dark music, I'd be happy. Unfortunately, that's all they brought to the table. It's a shame. There's nothing wrong with having a style, but try to expand on it just a LITTLE bit.

Darky 14 May, 2007 at 21:18

this is so bad!

The Rohir 26 August, 2007 at 21:38

Rather underwhelming.

gwahir 30 November, 2007 at 15:31

Really good, just give it a try!

Athaliá 13 January, 2008 at 12:29

Nice music, wonderful!

Chris 13 May, 2011 at 17:08

I am a bit confused by the general rating given in the comments below.


Discovering Radio Rivendell today, I heard the music from Arcana and it really was dashling.

Thank you for composing so great themes, for bringing these universes to life!

For now, I won't comment more, as I will listen to more and more songs, with the deepest pleasure.