hypersongs

Kaipa

A Swedish progressive rock group founded in 1973 by Hans Lundin, with the young guitarist Roine Stolt, who made a side-long piece, "Skenet bedrar", on Inget nytt under solen (1976).

Ura Kaipa and the Decca years

Kaipa began in 1973 as Ura Kaipa, founded by Hans Lundin, Tomas Eriksson and Thomas Sjöberg; Sjöberg left through illness and was replaced by Ingemar Bergman, and the name was shortened to Kaipa in 1974, with Genesis and Yes among the influences cited. The name was suggested by a friend, Martin Ander, and refers to a Stone Age Swedish chieftain in a text by Verner von Heidenstam. Roine Stolt joined on guitar at 17.

Lundin has told The Progressive Aspect that the owner of a studio played the songs to the head of Decca, who said to let these talented young boys record an album. The debut, Kaipa, came out on Decca around 1975 (Wikipedia's text says 1974 and its discography says 1975), followed by Inget nytt under solen in 1976 and Solo in 1978. Stolt left in 1979 and the band moved toward synth-rock, ending with Nattdjurstid in 1982 and a final show in Stockholm on December 13, 1982.

Revival

Lundin revived Kaipa in February 2000, and albums followed from Notes from the Past (2002) and Keyholder (2003) to Mindrevolutions (2005), after which Stolt left and Per Nilsson took over on guitar. Later records include In the Wake of Evolution (2010), Vittjar (2012), Children of the Sounds (2017), Urskog (2022) and Sommargryningsljus (2024). The 2000s line-up included Patrik Lundström and Aleena Gibson on vocals, Jonas Reingold on bass and Morgan Ågren on drums.

In 2014 Stolt, Eriksson and Bergman reformed as Kaipa DaCapo, with Mikael Stolt and Max Lorentz, to play the early material; Lundin was not part of it. Setlist.fm lists about ten plays of "Skenet bedrar" by DaCapo between 2017 and 2019, with the page reading 18 setlists. Stolt later founded The Flower Kings.

Albums

  • Inget nytt under solen 1976 · Decca

    Their second album, whose title means Nothing New Under the Sun, led by a 21-minute five-part piece.

Songs

  • Skenet bedrar Inget nytt under solen · 1976

    A 21-minute suite in five parts, composed by Hans Lundin, which opens their second album.

Sources

  1. Kaipa, Wikipedia
  2. Kaipa, Swedish Wikipedia
  3. Inget nytt under solen, Wikipedia
  4. Hans Lundin interview, The Progressive Aspect (2022-05-02)