Tina Dico
Country of origin:
Denmark
Type of music generally:
Pop/rock
Status:
Most recent release, Fastland (2018)
See also:
Tina Dico's site
Comparisons:
Dido; often compared to Donovan, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell whom she cites as influences
Covers/own material:
Own, some co-written
General comments:
Solidly contemporary pop, but definitely in the ecto vein. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Comments about live performance:
I hung around for four of Tina Dico's songs, but although they sounded not at all bad, they also didn't manage to grab me (I guess I just prefer "chick with keyboard" over "chick with guitar") :)—and thus, with the hour growing late, I headed out again. Not much of a recommendation that, but I still think a lot of people here would like her music. (Sander)
Recommended first album:
In the Red
Recordings:
As Tina Dickow As Tina Dico
- Far EP (2004)
- In the Red (2005)
- Count to Ten (2007/8)
- A Beginning, A Detour, An Open Ending (2008)
- The Road to Gävle (2009)
- Welcome Back Colour(compilation, 2010)
- Live With the Danish National Chamber Orchestra (CD/DVD, 2011)
- Where Do You Go To Disappear? (2012)
- Whispers (2014)
- En Håndfuld Danske (A Handful of Danish) (digital covers EP, 2014/15)
- Fastland (2018)
Fuel
Release info:
2001—Finest Gramophone
Availability:
Unknown
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Comments:
Found a record by one Tina Dickow which was called Fuel. Standard singer-songwriter with electronic production stuff. Seems that she's none other than Tina Dico. The more user-friendly name is for international purposes apparently. the cd didn't blow me away but was worth it if you can find it cheaply.
Notes
Release info:
2003—Finest Gramophone—FGCD03
Availability:
Europe
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Tina Dickow—vocals, guitars, piano and programming
Guest artists:
Dennis Ahlgren—guitars, bass, diamond organ and programming
Martin Sommer—mellotrone, MS-20 and nordlead
Karoline Kler—vocals
Mark Weston—additional vocals
Produced by:
Tina Dickow & Dennis Ahlgren
Comments:
I have nearly worn out my copy of Tina Dico's Notes. It's a beautiful, downstripped collection of late night-confessions much like Emiliana Torrini's Fisherman's Woman, but better in my opinion. (christina_skov@hotmail.com)
Far
Release info:
2004—Defend Music—DFN80001
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Tina Dico—acoustic guitars and piano
Guest artists:
Dennis Ahlgren—guitars and synths
Martin Sommer—synths (5, 6); backing vocals (5)
Bastian Juel—bass
Luke Bullen—drums
Mark Weston—vocals (3)
Karoline Kier—backing vocals (5)
Pete Davis—programming (1, 2)
Produced by:
Ian Grimble & Tina Dico
Comments:
Solid EP of better-than-average singer-songwriter pop fare with some electronic touches. "Warm Sand" is catchy and holds up to repeat listening, but the outstanding track is the stripped down "Boys and Girls." (JoAnn Whetsell)
In the Red
Release info:
2005—Defend Music Inc.—DFN80008
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Tina Dico—vocals, acoustic guitars and additional piano
Guest artists:
Dennis Ahlgren—guitars and additional sonics, synths and percussion
Kristian Kold—bass
Martin Sommer—keys, backing vocals
Janus Nevel—drums and percussion
Steve Sidelnyk—programming
James Banbury—cello (1)
Dave McCracken—additional programming and string arrangement (1)
Geoff Dugmore—drums (8)
Arnulf Lindner—bass (8)
Søren Kybelund—backing vocals (9)
Produced by:
Chris Potter
Comments:
I had never heard of Zero 7, but Tina Dico's publicist sent me her new album In the Red for review and I LOVE it. I think many of you would too. Here's my review. (collectedsounds@gmail.com)Outstanding pop record. Smartly made and smartly written. My favorite track is "Give In;" it's a wonder why this song isn't all over the radio. The 2007 special edition comes with an excellent bonus disc— 11 solo live acoustic tracks (including a cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and a preview of Count to Ten's "Craftsmanship and Poetry") and 2 b-sides (including the stellar and previously unreleased "Lost in Art"). (JoAnn Whetsell)
Count to Ten
Release info:
2007 (2008 U.S.)—Defend Music Inc.—DFN80034
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Tina Dico—vocals, guitars, piano, clavinet, stringer, saxophone, tambourine, additional synths & programming
Guest artists:
Dennis Ahlgren—guitars, organ, clavinet, mellotron, percussion, additional synths & programming, drums & bass on "Cruel to the Sensitive Kind"
Martin Sommer—piano, Rhodes, microkorg, korg ms-20, nordlead, glockenspieil
Karoline Kier—backing vocals
Kristian 'K&L' Kold—bass
Janus Nevel Ringsted—drums & percussion
Paul Terkildsen—drums
Jacob Buchanan—trumpet & flugelhorn on "Cruel to the Sensitive Kind"
Stine Hannibal Vinther—violin
Julie Munkholm Bruun—cello
Produced by:
Tina Dico and Dennis 'Ghettoblast' Ahlgren
Comments:
I'm absolutely loving this album. It's got everything I like about In the Red, but even more—more grit, more power. The title track and the first single "Sacre Coeur" are both standouts. (JoAnn Whetsell)
A Beginning, A Detour, An Open Ending
Release info:
2008—Finest Gramophone
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Tina Dico—vocals, guitars, piano, programming, synth
Guest artists:
Dennis Ahlgren—synth, mellotron, drums, bass, guitars, percussion, harmonium, programming
Martin Sommer—synth and Rhodes (2)
Janus Nevel Ringsted—drums (2)
Kristian Kold—bass (2, 4)
Produced by:
Tina Dico and Dennis 'Ghettoblast' Ahlgren
Comments:
Nice songs, more like her earlier work than like Count to Ten. Also more raw, less produced. Nothing I dislike, but nothing that really stands out either. The biggest problem is that at 20 tracks, it's too long for an album; everything starts to run together. This is because it's not really an 'album,' but a compilation of three EPs (A Beginning, first 6 tracks; A Detour, next 7 tracks; and An Open Ending, last 7 tracks) initially available only at live shows. I find that I get a lot more out of the songs when I listen to them as EPs or as part of mixes with other stuff. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Further info:
Tina Dico released the DVD Live In The Red (2006) and Live With the Danish National Chamber Orchestra (CD/DVD, 2011). She wrote and performed two songs with Zero 7 on their album When It Falls (2004), performed two songs with Euphoria on their album Precious Time (2006), performed a song with Thomas Dybdahl on his self-titled album (2009), and does vocals on Rökkurró's album Innra.Recorded covers include Leonard Cohen's "Halleluja" with Steffen Brandt for the tribute album På Danske Lœber—16 Leonard Cohen Sange (2004), The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as a duet with AM for his album Side By Side—Duets, Vol. 1 (2008), and John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" for Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur (2009).
Remixes of her songs appear on 3 Stella Polaris compilations: "Break of Day" on Stella Polaris (The First Compilation) (2008); "The City" on Stella Polaris (The Second Compilation) (2008); and "Sacre Coeur" on Stella Polaris—A Fourth Spatial Dimension (2009).
She performs on "The Storm That Brought You to Me" on the Clash of the Titans soundtrack (2010). iTunes carries 2 exclusive live albums: Live Session EP (2006) and iTunes Live: Berlin Festival (2008).
Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
