Koop is the Swedish electronic jazz duo of Magnus Zingmark and Oscar Simons… Read Full Bio ↴Koop is the Swedish electronic jazz duo of Magnus Zingmark and Oscar Simonsson from Uppsala, Sweden, formed in 1995. Though the music may sound as if it is played by a tight jazz group, it is actually sample-based. Thousands of small clips of drums, strings, horns, and choirs are taken from old records and puzzled together into new songs. This time consuming production process is one of the reasons Koop's albums are released 4-5 years apart.

The group's 3 albums all feature guest vocalists. On their latest, "Koop Islands", the singers are Yukimi Nagano, Ane Brun, Hilde Louise Asbjornsen, Rob Gallagher and Mikael Sundin. Also contributing to the percussion, solos, and bass are Mattias Ståhl, Magnus Lindgren, Karl Frid, Nils Berg, Martin Höper, Ola Bothzén, Dan Berglund and Mats Lindfors.

Live, Koop transforms into a 7-9 piece swing orchestra including 1-3 singers. The lineup varies from time to time.

Koop prefers to label their music "romantic swingtronica".

Once Britten
Koop Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Can I ease my pain
Hurting real time
Can I ease my pain
Behaves like a constant

Pionneers my veins
Without permissions
Pionneers my veins

Under your command

I'm dreaming
You're bleeding

Brand new chest chase
Strong becomes weak or even less
Fading grace
Going, going, gone

Can I ignore myself, no
I need remedy
Make my world go sane
And reappear

I'm dreaming
You're bleeding

Overall Meaning

The song "Once Britten" by Koop is a contemplative piece that seems to explore the themes of pain, loss, and desperation. The repeated question "Can I ease my pain" suggests the longing for an escape from the hurt and the desperation to find a remedy. The lines "Behaves like a constant/Under your command" also emphasize the overwhelming nature of this pain, as if it is an all-consuming force that is out of the singer's control.

The second verse introduces the image of "pioneers my veins," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the pain spreading and infecting the rest of the body. The line "Under your command" could also suggest that this pain is caused by someone else or is being inflicted by an external force. The following lines "I'm dreaming/You're bleeding" create a dream-like and surreal atmosphere, perhaps suggesting that the pain is so intense that it feels like a nightmare.

The final verse introduces the idea of a "remedy" for the pain, which could imply that the singer is willing to try anything to make it go away. The line "Make my world go sane/And reappear" could suggest that the pain has distorted the singer's sense of reality and they are searching for a way to regain some sense of normalcy. The closing lines "I'm dreaming/You're bleeding" are repeated, possibly suggesting that even in their dreams, the singer cannot escape the pain.

Line by Line Meaning

Can I ease my pain
Wondering if it's possible to alleviate the agony

Hurting real time
The pain is currently being felt

Behaves like a constant
The pain is always present and consistent

Pionneers my veins
Feels like something is penetrating the veins

Without permissions
It's happening involuntarily

Under your command
Someone is responsible for causing the pain

I'm dreaming
Referring to a momentary escape from reality

You're bleeding
The cause of one's pain is also suffering

Brand new chest chase
Pursuing a new heart or passion

Strong becomes weak or even less
The pursuit is causing depletion of strength and endurance

Fading grace
Losing the elegance and composure