Enhänta Bödlar (photo: Magnus Nilsson)

Enhänta Bödlar

Enhänta Bödlar is a Swedish industrial music group formed in Ljungby in 1982.

The history of Enhänta Bödlar

Enhänta Bödlar (“One-handed executioners”) is one of the first Swedish music groups devoted purely to industrial music. During the 1980s, the group was influential in the country’s DIY culture, where a plethora of self-produced cassette albums were distributed via classified ads in music magazines such as Schlager. The band was also frequently featured on the radio programme Ny våg. The real debut was with the LP “Ogreish Guttural Wounds” in 1984. Musically and aesthetically, the group is influenced by Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV and Whitehouse.

In various constellations, the group has centred around founder and frontman Uddah-Buddah (actually Valiant Dunkeldäld), with Little Roger (actually Roger Karmanik) being the only formal member of the band. Guest members include bob hund and KC BABY guitarist Conny Nimmersjö, who appears on the 1984 cassette album “Lychgate Threnody”. Uddah-Buddah also played for a time in the group Yttersta tagghudingen.

Enhänta Bödlar in our days

Enhänta Bödlar were at their most active in the 1980s. A new interest in the group has emerged in the 2000s, with a new generation of enthusiasts in industrial music highlighting the genre’s Swedish pioneers. Several albums with the group have been released and Uddah-Buddah is performing again under the name Enhänta Bödlar.

In 2022, Fanfar! celebrated Enhänta Bödlar’s 40th anniversary by organising a gig together with Rönells antiquarian bookshop in Stockholm.

On 19 July 2024, the cassette album mentioned above, “Lychgate Threnody”, was released again. The date of the digital release coincides with the fact that it was then exactly 40 years since the recording took place, in the home of Conny Nimmersjö. Later, an LP will also be released, with the recording re-mastered, in a very limited edition.

Discography (selection)

Editions with Enhänta Bödlar, unless otherwise stated:

  • Experimentell avrättning (Selbstmord Organización), cassette album, 1982
  • Sista smörjelsen (‎Selbstmord Organización), cassette album, 1983
  • Lychgate Threnody (Selbstmord Organización), cassette album, 1984
  • Ogreish Guttural Wounds (Selbstmord Organización), LP, 1984
  • En 1/2 Kokt Bödel: Enhänta Bödlar Plays En Halvkokt i Folie (Selbstmord Organización), cassette album, 1986
  • En Hand i Folie: En Halvkokt i Folie Plays Enhänta Bödlar (Selbstmord Organización), cassette album, 1986
  • Yttersta tagghudingen: Nailed To Thee Barndoor (Tagghudingen), 12″ EP, 1986
  • Akustisk Böldpest (UFO Mongo), LP, 2007
  • Narkotisk nattvard, CD, 2007
  • Tomma Tonhuvud (Börft Records), cassette album, 2009
  • Enhänta Bödlar / Härsken: Eine Kleine Schlachtmusik (Cranium Crush), cassette album, 2010‎
  • Satans saltsyra (Hosianna Records), cassette album, 2010
  • Tot Ist Tot (UFO Mongo), 7″, 2011
  • X at Lychgate… (Fanfar!), LP, 2024 (remaster of the cassette album Lychgate Threnody from 1984)

Photo

The photo of Enhänta Bödlar’s Uddah-Buddah was taken in Vasaparken in Stockholm by Magnus Nilsson.

Sources

(magazine): Det grymma svärdet, issue 3, 2008.