The Reference Group existed for a short period in the years 2007-2008. The group was formed by Ralf Nygård and Michael Maksymenko with the aim of playing their own original compositions partly from previous musical activities - but also new material. The idea was to perform only instrumental music, and the group were completed when guitarists Jimmy Ågren and Mathias Danielsson joined.
TRG was a follow-up to an earlier collaborative project between Ralf and Michael with their group Dynamo Remont which existed for a short period in 1989, and which completed an acclaimed tour of Europe.
TRG only managed to play live in front of an audience once. However, during the short time the group existed, they managed to record 8 songs, seven of which were recorded under normal studio conditions and one only recorded with a digital hand-held recording machine on 2 channels (Orange Envelope). All of them can be found on this digital album.
TRG ceased due to the logistical problems involved for the geographically far-flung members to rehearse.
Jimmy Ågren: Electric slide guitar
Permanent member of Mats & Morgan Band 1996-2005. Founder of Jimmy Ågren band 1989 - present - six solo albums. He has played with Freddie Wadling, Eric Bibb, Denny Walley and Henry Kaiser. He wrote film music for the short film Situation Frank. He appears on the tribute album "The Music of Captain Beefheart". He is currently working on three new albums that he hopes to release in 2025: The Ågren Brothers - Jimmy and Morgan with guests, Jimmy Ågren BeastMachine and one with the Jimmy Ågren Band.
Mathias Danielsson: Electric guitar
Mathias Danielsson hails from the western suburbs of Stockholm where he began channeling his spirits through the guitar in 1984. He is a graduate of Gösta Berlings Saga, Makajodama, My Brother The Wind, Oresund Space Collective, Roy Handcuff and Archimedes Badkar. As guitarist and pedal steel guitar player he can be heard on 40+ albums. Always exploring and scavenging for inspiration. But he is not a seeker mind you, he is a finder. A musical shaman, truly a force to be reckoned with.
Ralf Nygård: Digital bass with a Zanzithophone or Casio Digital Horn (made in Japan in the mid eighties when MIDI first was implemented, for school kids to make them comfortable with computers. It uses recorder fingerings because the kids already played recorder in school).
Wind instrumentalist, founder of, and main composer in Boojwah Kids 1974-present. Solo album ”In the Year of the Välklädd Torsk” 1986. He also played woodwinds, harmonica and synthesizer with the Swedish cult band Dom Dummaste 1979-1990.
Michael Maksymenko: Drums and drum arrangements on all tracks. Voice on track 6, as well as delivery of (inaudible) lyrics via semaphore flagging on the same track (unfortunately the text has been lost).
Founder of, drummer and composer in the Swedish band Kräldjursanstalten who released a mini-LP, "Som ett fyllo i ett minfält/Nu är det allvar" (1980) and an LP, "Voodooobogie" (1981). Solo album ”Nu kan det sägas” (1984). 1986-89 member of Crazy Backwards Alphabet, with Henry Kaiser, Andy West and John "Drumbo" French which resulted in 2 albums, "Crazy Backwards Alphabet" and "Crazy Backwards Alphabet II", as well as a single with a famous cover of ZZ Top´ s “La Grange” – in Russian, “Sarayushka”. The retrospective album, "Businesscide", was released in 2008 on Recommended Records, UK. He also appears on Henry Kaiser's albums "Five Heavenly Truths" and "Those Who Knows History are Doomned To Repeat It". He has also frequently performed as a guest-drummer with the legendary Swedish improvising group Lokomotiv Konkret. He is also very proud over the fact that he is drumming on the re-started swedish cult-band Mögel´s two songs “Mitt orange kuvert” and “Hypokondri”.
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