With lyrics by beat poet Bengt O Björklund – named Sweden Beat Poet Laureate by the American National Beat Poetry Foundation Inc. – the Swedish band Beat Poet Society creates evocative soundscapes with hypnotic beats. Today, the band’s album Ricochet of a Virus is released both digitally and in an exclusive limited edition with gold-colored vinyl and a colorful gatefold cover.

With a mix of evocative soundscapes, hypnotic beats, and insightful poetry, the Beat Poet Society creates a unique atmosphere where words and music merge. The album Ricochet of a Virus reflects our time – an echoing soundtrack to a world in constant change and a journey through urban chaos, the silent rooms, and the muffled echoes of a global crisis. The lyrics oscillate between the deeply personal and the socially critical, where each track reflects the present. Musically, the album has certain associations with Fleetwood Mac, where the songs, atmosphere, and emotions bear a kinship in expression.

“This album is a mirror of the turbulence of recent years, a reflection of isolation, resistance, and reconstruction. We wanted to capture the feeling of the words and rhythms being thrown back and forth, just as we have done throughout this era,” explains the band’s singer Anna-Bella Munter.

Beat Poet Society was born from a creative spark between poetry and music.
In 2015, poet Bengt O Björklund participated in a festival arranged by Anna-Bella Munter in Stockholm. Guitarist Mats Wennberg was also there, and the idea was born to create music based on Bengt’s lyrics. The band was formed at the time of the pandemic outbreak in 2020, and the following year the music recordings for the album began.

Members

  • Anna-Bella Munter – Pop, rock, and blues singer who grew up in Stockholm. In the sixties, she was part of the London-based duo Bella and Me who released the single Whatever Happened to the 7 day week in 1967. In 1968, she appeared in the Swedish version of the musical Hair.
  • Bengt O Björklund – Poet, artist and djembe drummer. The character Erich in the cult movie Midnight Express is based on him. He was awarded the Sweden Beat Poet Laureate for life in 2018 by the National Beat Poetry Foundation inc. in the USA, and has published seven collections of his poems in English in the USA.
  • Mats Wennberg – Artist and guitarist, multi-instrumentalist with a penchant for composing. He has played with the Swedish bands Hår-ensemble, Velvet Cowboys, a.o..
  • Olof Andersson – Keyboardist, guitarist, composer, music teacher, and choir director.
  • Mattias Bidner – Bassist who has played with the Hår ensemble and Bella and Me.
  • Lage Bergström – Original drummer in the legendary Swedish band Eldkvarn. Has also played with the Swedish artist Staffan Hellstrand in recent years.
  • Guest musicians on the album: Bill Öhrström (harmonica), Kjell Gustavsson (drums), and Björn Lundqvist (bass).

SOURCE: Official Bio

LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/beatpoetsociety
https://www.instagram.com/annabella_munter/