Morgan Ågren
Encyclopedia
Morgan Ågren is a Swedish
drummer who plays with the progressive rock
band Kaipa
.
A native of Umeå
, Norrland
, Morgan Ågren was spotted as an outstanding talent at a young age as he began performing publicly at age seven, and eventually joined forces with Mats Öberg
in 1981.
They later formed "Zappsteetoot" together in 1984, a band internationally known for performing Frank Zappa
's music.
In 1988, at the age of 20, Morgan Ågren was, along with Mats Öberg, invited by Frank Zappa to do a guest performance at Zappa's Stockholm concert. Impressed by Ågren's skills, Zappa invited Ågren to the States to partake in several projects, including the 1994 Grammy Award winning CD, Zappa's Universe, with Steve Vai
as well as a sold out New York performance of Zappa's classical program at Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series in Avery Fisher Hall
. Ågren also shares the drummer's seat with Terry Bozzio
on Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa's band Z's album Shampoohorn. In 1996, Ågren has toured throughout Europe as a member of Glen Hughes band, and later to Japan
in 1997. 1996 also saw the formation of Morgan Ågren's own record label, Ultimate Audio Entertainment, dedicated to the release of "new" music.
Ågren has recorded several albums as a member of Fleshquartet
(Swedish
: Fläskkvartetten), amongst them the Grammy Award winning Goodbye Sweden and Flow (Award for Best Album 1993) in addition to his international performances with Zappa’s Universe and with Mats Öberg in Mats/Morgan Band
.
In May 1997, Ågren was featured in a unique project of the Swedish Film Institute
, making his debut in movie theaters and at several international film festivals. Described as a sound experience, the 4-minute 35mm short-film Lullaby for Lost Souls showcases him in "a free-form Stereo Dolby drum explosion".
Ågren is also highly recognized by fans of extreme and heavy music for his studio performance on Fredrik Thordendal
's solo album, Sol Niger Within
, released in 1997.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
drummer who plays with the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Kaipa
Kaipa (band)
- History :The band was originally formed under the name Ura Kaipa by Hans Lundin and Tomas Eriksson . Roine Stolt joined Kaipa as their guitarist when he was 17. In 1974 also, shortly after they had cut the "Ura" from the name of the band, their self-titled debut released. Stolt went on to form...
.
A native of Umeå
Umeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
, Norrland
Norrland
Norrland is one of the three lands of Sweden , the northern part, consisting of nine provinces. The term Norrland is not used for any administrative purpose, but it is common in everyday language, e.g...
, Morgan Ågren was spotted as an outstanding talent at a young age as he began performing publicly at age seven, and eventually joined forces with Mats Öberg
Mats Öberg
Mats Öberg is a Swedish pianist perhaps best known for having played with the musician Frank Zappa as a guest in 1988 and for his part in the "Zappa's Universe" tribute concert series. He is also a member or Mats/Morgan Band, a band with fellow "Zappa's Universe" drummer, Morgan Ågren.-References:...
in 1981.
They later formed "Zappsteetoot" together in 1984, a band internationally known for performing Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's music.
In 1988, at the age of 20, Morgan Ågren was, along with Mats Öberg, invited by Frank Zappa to do a guest performance at Zappa's Stockholm concert. Impressed by Ågren's skills, Zappa invited Ågren to the States to partake in several projects, including the 1994 Grammy Award winning CD, Zappa's Universe, with Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
as well as a sold out New York performance of Zappa's classical program at Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series in Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
. Ågren also shares the drummer's seat with Terry Bozzio
Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...
on Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa's band Z's album Shampoohorn. In 1996, Ågren has toured throughout Europe as a member of Glen Hughes band, and later to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1997. 1996 also saw the formation of Morgan Ågren's own record label, Ultimate Audio Entertainment, dedicated to the release of "new" music.
Ågren has recorded several albums as a member of Fleshquartet
Fleshquartet
Fleshquartet is a Swedish band. Although they have five members, the name comes from the band consisting of an often electrical string quartet plus a percussionist. The name is inspired by classical ensemble Freskkvartetten. They often collaborate with vocalists, and the list of vocalists they...
(Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
: Fläskkvartetten), amongst them the Grammy Award winning Goodbye Sweden and Flow (Award for Best Album 1993) in addition to his international performances with Zappa’s Universe and with Mats Öberg in Mats/Morgan Band
Mats/Morgan Band
Mats/Morgan Band is a band that features Morgan Ågren and Mats Öberg. Morgan is a drummer and composer and Mats is a keyboard player and composer. The band is a showcase for their virtuosic skills on their respective instruments as well as their compositional skills...
.
In May 1997, Ågren was featured in a unique project of the Swedish Film Institute
Swedish Film Institute
The Swedish Film Institute was founded in 1963 to support and develop the Swedish film industry. The institute is housed in the Filmhuset building located in Gärdet, Östermalm in Stockholm...
, making his debut in movie theaters and at several international film festivals. Described as a sound experience, the 4-minute 35mm short-film Lullaby for Lost Souls showcases him in "a free-form Stereo Dolby drum explosion".
Ågren is also highly recognized by fans of extreme and heavy music for his studio performance on Fredrik Thordendal
Fredrik Thordendal
Fredrik Thordendal is the lead guitarist and a founding member of the Swedish experimental metal band Meshuggah.He, along with Meshuggah's rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström were rated #35 by Guitar World in the top 100 greatest heavy metal guitarists of all-time.-Musical career:Under the name...
's solo album, Sol Niger Within
Sol Niger Within
-Credits:*Mats Öberg - church organ, synthesizer *Jonas Knutsson - saxophone *Jerry Ericsson - bass guitar *Kantor Magnus Larsson - church organ *Victor Alneng - yidaki *Morgan Ågren - drums...
, released in 1997.
Mats/Morgan Band
- 1996 - Trends and Other Diseases
- 1997 - The Music or the Money
- 1998 - Radio DaDa
- 1998 - The Teenage Tapes
- 2001 - Live
- 2002 - On Air With Guests
- 2005 - Thanks for Flying With Us
- 2008 - Heat Beats Live (+ Tourbook 1991-2007) (DVD+CD)
With other artists
- 1987 - Chinese Garden - Cabazz
- 1990 - Far Away — Cabazz
- 1990 - Goodbye Sweden — Fläskkvartetten
- 1993 - Open Your Eyes — Agamon
- 1993 - Zappa's Universe — Blandade artister
- 1993 - Flow — Fläskkvartetten
- 1994 - Shampoohorn — DweezilDweezil ZappaDweezil Zappa is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor.-Early life:Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Adelaide Gail Sloatman, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger...
& Ahmet ZappaAhmet ZappaAhmet Emuukha Rodan Zappa is an American musician, actor and novelist.-Early life:Ahmet was born in Los Angeles, California, the third of four children born to businesswoman Adelaide Gail Sloatman and musician Frank Zappa. Ahmet's father was of Sicilian, Greek-Arab and French descent and his... - 1995 - The Zombie Hunter (APMAd Perpetuam MemoriamAd Perpetuam Memoriam was an independent record label based in Borlänge, Sweden.The label releases a mixture of musical styles, in the area of progressive rock and symphonic rock Artists on APM include Death Organ, Höyry-kone, Catweazle.-Discography:...
) — Simon Steensland - 1996 - The Music of Captain Beefheart - Live — Blandade artister
- 1997 - Spare Parts — Denny Walley
- 1997 - Sol Niger WithinSol Niger Within-Credits:*Mats Öberg - church organ, synthesizer *Jonas Knutsson - saxophone *Jerry Ericsson - bass guitar *Kantor Magnus Larsson - church organ *Victor Alneng - yidaki *Morgan Ågren - drums...
— Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects - 1999 - Led Circus — Simon Steensland
- 2000 - Automatic — Dweezil ZappaDweezil ZappaDweezil Zappa is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor.-Early life:Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Adelaide Gail Sloatman, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger...
- 2001 - Glass Finger Ghost — Jimmy Ågren
- 2003 - Close Enough for Jazz — Jimmy Ågren