P, C & C wanna be Ramones' boyfriends (III): A new album in Swedish?

According to Aftonbladet and The Daily Roxette, Per Gessle is currently writing songs for a forthcoming Roxette album. So far, five or six songs are ready and more are coming. During Christmas, Per going to record demos in Halmstad and in the spring Marie will join him to record the final versions. Per talks about it.

But it is not his only project. Per could record soon a new Swedish album with his partners of Gyllene Tider (MP Persson, Anders Herrlin, Göran Fritzon and Micke Syd Andersson) or maybe with his new band (Clarence Öfwerman, Chris Lundquist and Jens Jansson). His friend Mats MP Persson, could be there anyway.

By the way, one of our favourite films this year in LJdM has got many international prizes in the last months.

Music for One Apartment
and Six Drummers
(2001; 9 min 31 s)

• Produced by: Kostr Film, SVT and Film i Skäne
• Directors: Ola Simonsson, Johannes Stjärne Nilsson
• Music: Ola Simonsson
• Music productor: Magnus Börjeson

PRIZES

• Capalbio Film Festival 2001: Best Film
• Napa Valley Film Festival 2001: Grand Prize
• Göteborg Film Festival 2001: Audience Award, Honorable Mention
• MECAL Film Festival Barcelona 2001: Audience Award
• Copenhagen Film Festival 2001: Honorable Mention
• Odense Film Festival 2001: Jury Special Prize
• Vila Do Conde Film Festival 2001: Audience Award
  

LJdM

After the recording of the demos, we’ll see. But I hope we would be able to release a new Roxette's album during the next year. A tour could continue in 2002. There are places we didn’t visit this year: Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Asia… it’s a big world.

I have so much Swedish material lying around. I haven’t recorded much of it, but there are a lot of songs. There will be a day when we choose to take a break from Roxette again. And I miss communicating in Swedish. So, there will certainly be an album.

My favourite songs ever? Difficult question. I like e.g. 'Love Grows' by Edison Lighthouse, 'Jeepster' by T-Rex and 'Stand By Me' by Ben E King.

Per Gessle

P, C & C wanna be Ramones' boyfriends (II): Goodbye, George

George Harrison (Liverpool, 1943), Beatles member, died on 29 November 2001. He was 58 years old and had a lung cancer.

One Harrison's song opened my blog in 1997. My sweet lord was the first song that Per Gessle oficially played with Brainpool. My sweet lord and George Harrison are also a symbol here.

Per Gessle was one of his fans. He has written an article in Aftonbladet about him. You can read the translation here.

LJdM

George Harrison played a big part in the fact that I became obsessed with pop music as a seven-year-old. And to be honest, it wasn’t because of the way he played guitar, or even the Beatle’s music. It was the cover picture on the jacket of “Rubber Soul.”

The tough suède leather jackets. The attitudes. The hairstyles. And for me there was no doubt about it, George was the coolest.

Since then, I’ve always liked George. His songs stood out on the Beatles albums. He ended up having to stand behind the giants Paul and John the whole time – which was unfortunate. You can hear [his talent] on ”All Things Must Pass” where several of the songs he wrote during the Beatles period, but were never included on albums, are collected. In my opinion, it’s his strongest solo album.

George was also the man who took the Beatles on their musical journey to India, and introduced them to world music. He was I think the man behind John – sort of the glue that held the Beatles together.

After the split up, he and John worked together. They were a little like a pair, a team. But I have the feeling that George never really took his own music as seriously as it deserved.

Maybe he preferred the role of being in the background.

There are probably not a lot of people who know that he was behind several of the comedy gang Monty Python’s biggest films… “Life of Brian” among others. He financed them. George – there also – but the whole time a step behind John Cleese and the others.

I never met George, but I have stood outside his gigantic villa in Henley-on-Thames together with Japanese tourists.

As a fan. P.G.

Per Gessle

P, C & C order room service (IX): Roxette's Room Service (European) Tour

Since last spring, the promotion of the new Roxette's album, Room Service, has continued. They have released two new singles, one in June (the power-pop song Real Sugar) and another one in September (the ballad Milk and Toast and Honey, including some mixes).

This autumn, Roxette has been in a big Tour (the first time since the Crash! Boom! Bang! Tour 1994-1995).

Room service Tour began in September and finished last week.

• 19/09/2001 Globen Stockholm Sweden
• 28/09/2001 Olympiahalle Munich Germany 9.592 spectators.
• 29/09/2001 Preussag Arena Hannover Germany 6.633 spectators.
• 01/10/2001 Schleyerhalle Stuttgart Germany 6.529 spectators.
• 02/10/2001 Arena Oberhausen Germany 4.975 spectators.
• 03/10/2001 Sport/Kongresshalle Schwerin Germany 4.022 spectators.
• 05/10/2001 Ostseehalle Kiel Germany 3.895 spectators.
• 06/10/2001 Messehalle Leipzig Germany 8.367 spectators.
• 07/10/2001 Arena Berlin Germany 3.914 spectators.
• 09/10/2001 Paegas Arena Prague Czech Republic 6.252 spectators.
• 21/10/2001 Stadthalle Freiburg Germany 3.999 spectators.
• 22/10/2001 Forest National Brussels Belgium 8.503 spectators.
• 24/10/2001 Palau San Jordi Barcelona Spain 7.262 spectators.
• 25/10/2001 La Riviera Club Madrid Spain 2.870 spectators.
• 28/10/2001 Westfalenhalle Dortmund Germany 5.646 spectators.
• 30/10/2001 Festhalle Frankfurt Germany 6.296 spectators.
• 31/10/2001 Hallenstadion Zürich Switzerland 11.239 spectators.
• 01/11/2001 Olympiahalle Innsbruck Austria 2.170 spectators.
• 02/11/2001 Stadthalle Vienna Austria 4.728 spectators.
• 07/11/2001 Olimpiiski Moscow Russia 12.900 spectators.
• 09/11/2001 New Arena St. Petersburg Russia 10.607 spectators.
• 10/11/2001 Saku Hall Talinn Estonia 7.682 spectators.
• 12/11/2001 Hartwall Arena Helsinki Finland 8.499 spectators.
• 14/11/2001 Löfbergs Lilla Arena Karlstad Sweden 6.539 spectators.
• 16/11/2001 Globen Stockholm Sweden 14.289 spectators.
• 17/11/2001 Scandinavium Gothenburg Sweden 10.690 spectators.

Band: Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson, Per Pelle Alsing (drums), Jonas Isacsson (electric guitars), Christoffer Lundquist (bass) and Clarence Öfwerman (keyboards).

Supporting acts: The Rasmus (Estonia, Finland and Sweden), Alyssa AustriaBell, book and Candle (Germany), Bondage (Barcelona, Spain), Krystof (Czech Republic), Martin Schenkel (Switzerland), Peter Vanlaet (Belgium).

The band is again a mix of the classic Roxette band (1986-1995) (with Clarence Öfwerman, Jonas Isacsson and Pele Alsing) and the new times since 1996 (Christoffer Lundquist). Have they ordered "room service" in every country?

We have more news from Sweden. Do you remember what happens when six drummers invade a small apartment while the owners are out walking the dog? Four amazing jazz cuts with found objects, that's what! A tight, beautifully done, little piece.

Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers
(2001; 9 min 31 s)

• Produced by: Kostr Film, SVT and Film i Skäne
• Directors and editors: Ola Simonsson, Johannes Stjärne Nilsson
• Cinematography and photography: Robert Blom, Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, Charlotta Tengroth
• Production designers: Madeleine Schwanz, Cecilia Sterner
• Music: Ola Simonsson
• Music productor: Magnus Börjeson

Six drummers:
* Magnus Börjeson
* Marcus Haraldson
* Frederik Myhr
* Sanna Persson
* Anders Vestergärd
* Johannes Björk

Couple:
* Zerby Thor
* Barbro Gustafson Löfgren

The TV-man:
* Anders Jansson

The dog:
* Salsa

IMDd: A gang in a Volvo have staked out a flat; when its occupants leave to walk their dog, the six break into the place. One keeps his eyes on a stopwatch: they have only ten minutes before the couple returns. Instead of stealing things, the gang goes from room to room making fascinating percussive music with found objects: first in the kitchen, then the bedroom, the bathroom, and the salon. Cabinet doors, pot lids, light switches, a pill dispenser, a lamp, books, and a vacuum cleaner hose all add to the suite in four movements. The drummers keep the first three rooms tidy, but what will the flat's occupants make of the hurricane that hits the living room?

Timeout Film Guide: Deadpan absurdist concert documentary, observing six resourceful guerilla drummers as they break into an old couple's apartment and unleash the latent rhythms buried in various items of household furniture. Listen and learn.

Martin Smith (mediaphen): Tradition has it that a short film proceeds the main features at film festivals, and Gothenburg Film Festival is no exception. I've seen shorts at this festival for ages, and they rank between annoyingly useless and downright masterpieces (such as "The wrong trousers"). "Six drummers..." is a story of six drummers who break into an apartment and make music on whatever they find inside (such as toasters, medicine packs, slippers and books). It's playful, innovative and a fresh breeze. The idea is superb, and the perfect timing of the actors/drummers is amazing. I sincerely hope that this film gets all the attention and appreciation it deserves and wins all awards available. Short films are often underrated and seldom shown. Perhaps this small masterpiece can convince theatre owners to add shorts before their feature showings. It can well be as effective for the whole cinema-going experience as an entre/appetizer can be for the whole dinner. "Six drummers..." puts you in the perfect mood for a complete movie experience. Plus, the music is amazing.

LJdM

Sandy Mouche, born on a Greek beach, grown in Skåne (I): Swedish friends in Crete

After the end of Plastic Soul project, the good friends Helena Josefsson (vocals) and Per Blomgren (drums) have been on holidays in Crete (Greece) this fall with their sweethearts, Martin Nilsson and Hanna. On the sandy beach of Georgioupouli, Martinique, former singer in the band Scarlet, showed them a song (A year) recorded by himself and now Helena, Per and Martinique are thinking about starting a new band together.

Meanwhile, Sing, the substitute of Plastic Soul project, has also died. Johan Duncanson is now the leader of another project, The Radio Dept., with Per Blomgren as drummer.

The Radio Dept was conceived in 1995 by schoolmates Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson, who named the group after a gas-stat ion-turned-radio-repair-shop called "Radioavdelningen" (The Radio Department in Swedish). However, Almered and Duncanson soon stopped playing music together, putting the band on hiatus. The group was reborn three years later, in 1998, when Duncanson started making music with Martin Larsson. This year 2001, Larsson's girlfriend Lisa Carlberg has joined the group on bass, followed by Per Blomgren on drums and Daniel Tjader on keyboards. They have been rehearsing in the way bands so often do, and have recorded some songs that could be published by the magazine Sonic very soon (The Radio Dept. has received a positive review by this magazine).

LJdM

P, C & C order room service (VIII): Imagine no September 11, 2001

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Song: Imagine; Lyrics: John Lennon
Image: Someone leaping from a window,
World Trade Center
Feelings, thoughts, ...: ??????

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: Today it is not important at all, but it is something different to think about. The Roxette Room Service Tour begins next week. It was supposed to be a World Tour, but the concerts out of Europe (for example, in South Africa) have been cancelled after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Per and Marie write on their Official Website:

“The prospect of going long flights with families under the current circumstances does not feel comfortable and the decision had to be made now”

PS2: It is a good day to remember other songs. Now I remember that Per said 'The Only Living Boy In New York', by Simon and Garfunkel, is always in his car. Loneliness ...

Tom, get your plane right on time.
I know your part'll go fine.
Fly down to Mexico.
Da-n-da-da-n-da-n-da-da and here I am,
The only living boy in New York.
I get the news I need on the weather report.
I can gather all the news I need on the weather report.
Hey, Ive got nothing to do today but smile.
Da-n-da-da-n-da-da-n-da-da here I am
The only living boy in New York.

Half of the time were gone but we dont know where,
And we dont know here.

Tom, get your plane right on time.
I know youve been eager to fly now.
Hey let your honesty shine, shine, shine
Da-n-da-da-n-da-da-n-da-da
Like it shines on me
The only living boy in New York.
The only living boy in New York.

LJdM

P, C & C wanna be Ramones' boyfriends (I): Goodbye, Joey

Per Gessle, Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lunquist have been recording a Ramones song for an upcoming Swedish tribute album to Joey Ramone who died last spring of cancer. Per will sing the ballad “I wanna be your boyfriend”, one of the songs from the punk band’s debut album.

Joey Ramone (1951-2001), born as Jeffry Ross Hyman, was a vocalist and songwriter best known for his work in the punk rock group the Ramones. He and bandmate Johnny Ramone (né John Cummongs) were the only two original members who stayed with the band until their retirement in 1996. Hyman stood at 6 ft. 6 in (1.98 metres) tall as a consequence of Marfan syndrome. He had a long shock of black hair that almost completely obscured his face. Few photographs exist of him without his well-known attributes. He suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Joey Ramone died of lymphoma at New York Presbyterian Hospital on april 15, 2001. Countless memorials, both by fans and the rockers he influenced, followed. He was listening to the song In a Little While by U2 when he died. This was during U2's Elevation Tour, and from that point on during shows Bono introduces the song as a tune that was originally about a lovestruck hangover but that Joey turned it into a gospel song.

Per Gessle is a real fan of The Ramones. His first band, Grape Rock (1976), played many covers of this band. I wanna be your boyfriend was released by The Ramones in 1976.

To record this cover song, Per Gessle has been at Polar Studios, Stockholm, this July 2001, with his P,C&C team (Per, Clarence Öfwerman, Chris Lundquist) and with Brainpool's drummer Jens Jansson. It seems the band that joined in some songs of The World According to Gessle Album in 1997 is together again for years later.

• Producers: Per Gessle and Clarence Öfwerman.
• Mixer: Ronny Lahti.
• Vocals: Per Gessle.
• Backing vocals: Christoffer Lundquist.
• Acoustic guitar: Per Gessle and Mats MP Persson.
• Bass guitar: Christoffer Lundquist.
• Drums, tambourine and maracas: Jens Jansson.
• E-bow: Per Gessle.
• Electric guitar: Per Gessle and Mats MP Persson.
• Glockenspiel: Clarence Öfwerman.

We have also good news from the USA. Magnus Börjeson has been working with Brainpool's members since the last years but he did not expect that Internet would revive his old band, Beagle.

In 1991, Magnus Börjeson, Calle Håkansson, Anders Mildner, Benjamin Peetre, Jakob Peetre and Daniel Sandström, from Lund, Sweden, formed the indie pop band BEAGLE. They signed a record contract with Polar in Stockholm and released 2 albums in all Europe and Japan.

• Beagle's SOUND ON SOUND (1992) - Singles: A different Sunday (1991), The things that we say (1992), Turn your head around (1992), This time (1992)
• Beagle's WITHIN (1993) - Singles: Nine out of ten (1993), When I speak your name (1993), One layer down (1993).
  

In 1992, Beagle was nominated for best new popband in Swedish Grammies and The things that we say became a hit in Sweden. They have many gigs in 1992 and 1993.

In 1994, Beagle transformed into Favorita (Magnus Börjeson and Benajmin Peetre from Beagle, plus Fredrik Blank and Conny Stade) and starts recording. Although they signed a contract, recorded an album and toured with the band Pulp, Favorita disappeared in 1997 after their only single, Seven Comforts. Many problems and no future.

But Internet revived the old band, Beagle, last month. Many fans wanted to listen to the lost band in the United States. According to Magnus:

There is a powerpop-crowd in LA. For a couple of years I've been getting emails from different people who would like me to come and play in the USA. I guess they got tired of waiting, because suddenly they called and said they wanted me at a popfestival, The International Pop Overthrow in LA.

Beagle played last July in The Trobadour, Los Angeles, and Magnus is now thinking about recording a new Beagle's album with Christoffer Lundquist at the Aerosol Grey Machine Studio. But it seems more a solo project than a real revival of Beagle. Magnus could make good use of the fame of the lost band Beagle.

Actually, the Beagle band this time has been quite different. Magnus has played in L.A. with Olof Wallberg (guitarist in Fight Family, another band from Lund) and Brian Kassan (keyboards, from Chewy Marble), between others.

LJdM

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (XVI): The Good Mornings - Live

The Good Mornings, the Swedish band leaded by Dan Bornemark and Helena Josefsson, have had some gigs this year after releasing their first album in late 2000.

Video by Mauricio Picasso

They played in the Stockholm Live Day 2001, on 13th May. The band included:

• Helena Josefsson: lead vocals
• Dan Bornemark - keyboards, vocals, music
• Jens Ståhlstierna - gitarr, vocals
• Rasmus Kihlberg - drums
• Mauricio Picasso - bass

Other former members of "The Good Mornings" include:

• Figge von Wachenfeldt - keyboards, vocals
• Bosse Håkansson - percussion
• Björn Gustavsson - bass
  

LJdM

P, C & C order room service (VII): Chris Lundquist with Roxette in Finland

Per and Marie have been in Helsinki, Finland, today to promote their new album, Room Service.

Marie and Per have been backed by Clarence Öfwerman on keyboards, Pelle Alsing on drums and Christoffer Lundquist on the bass. Per has played the guitar. They also have had a Finnish string section of four people. They played “The Centre Of The Heart” (twice), “Milk And Toast And Honey”, “Wish I Could Fly” and “Real Sugar”.

Maybe the forthcoming Room Service Tour band could include:

Per Pelle Alsing (drums). Jonas Isacsson (electric guitars). Christoffer Lundquist (bass). Clarence Öfwerman (keyboards).

Christoffer Lundquist has been interviewed by The Daily Roxette and also aswered some quick questions to the Swedish band The April Tears. The April Tears will release a new album in January 2002, produced by Christoffer Lundquist.

Chris is an all-around musician on Roxette’s two latest albums and in the band Brainpool (“discovered” by Per’s company Jimmy Fun Music). He speaks about Roxette and Brainpool. Brainpool's last album, “You Are Here” (1999), was their first without Janne Kask, who left the band’s lead singer position in 1997. The album was a flop, but Brainpool are working in a new project.

LJdM

I have enjoyed working with Per and Marie. They are really nice people. It doesn’t bother me that Per and Marie grab all the attention of fans. I have been able to walk out from the studios without being surrounded by autograph hunters. That’s the way it is. The decision to mount another major Tour has already been reached. Per and Marie want to have a proper tour, and I’m in the band.

And Brainpool is working on a new album. It’s a rock opera and it will sound something like our previous album. Kask back in the band? We don't want to work with him anymore.

• Born: January 16, 1970
• Lives: In the countryside in southern Sweden.
• Favourite April Tears songs: All Good Things, Hong Kong and Model, Actress, Whatever.
• Favourite Songs: Beach Boys - Surf's Up, Scott Walker - No Regrets, The Who - Getting In Tune, Yes - Awaken, Van Der Graaf Generator - Man-Erg (including Cog), The Beatles - Rain, Genesis - In The Cage, George Harrison - I'd Have You Anytime
• Favourite cities: None. I don't like cities.
• Favourite Drink: Guinness
• Favourite Food: At the moment pancakes with strawberry jam.
• Christoffer's favourite link: http://brianwilson.cjb.net

Christoffer Lundquist
- Junk Musik

P, C & C order room service (VI): RS is out and it's time for promo

These weeks, the new album of Roxette, Room Service, is being released nearly worldwide (excluding the USA). The album has 13 songs and was recorded last year at Atlantis Studio and at Polar Studios, both in Stockholm.

The production, recording and mixing were made by Per, Marie, Clarence Öfwerman (keyboards) and Ronny Lahti. Christoffer Lundquist, backing vocals, also played the bass, Per, MP Persson, Micke Syd Andersson and Jonas Isaacson the guitars, Christer Jansson the percussion and Mats Holmquist the string arrangements. The "newbies" in the team are the programmer Jimmy Monell (aka Shooting Star, from The April Tears) and the guitarist David Birde (from Brainpool). We can see the presence of two members of Brainpool (Lunquist and Birde) with Per and Clarence in a new challenge for this "team".



Per Gessle speaks about the album below. Since February, Roxette has performed in Promo Gigs around Europe:

• Sweden: Malmö (Feb.23), Stockholm (Mar.22 and 23, April 1)
• Germany: Cologne (Mar.26)
• Spain: Barcelona (Mar.27) - A marvelous live show in Sala Bikini.

This time, many of the gigs have been performed live and it seems the band is ready for the Room Service Tour (next automn).

LJdM

Well, when you start out as a young musician, everything is very romantic, y'Know, the whole industry, going into a studio, whatever., of course, things change after a while and there'S... nothing that... romantic left (laughs) in the music industry for us and so, of course, it turns out to be a professional thing in the end. But still it's important to maintain the love affair you have with music, I mean you have to be interested in music. You have to be interested in what you do. In that sense I don't want to be a professional, I still want to be a fan. and that approach is crucial, actually, to having success in the end. I mean you can always go to the 'How to Write a Hit Song' book and have a hit, but at the end of the day, it won't last. To have a career that goes on for a couple of decades, I mean, you have to be true to yourself. So... We just sat down and wanted to make something that was... classic Roxette, what we're really good at, doing pop. A pop record. It's disco but still fresh... The album has got 12 songs, all of them quite short... There are some really fab songs which I consider to be some of our best... Marie is in top shape and myself... I even managed to sing a ballad this time.

'It feel fucking great that both the single and the album have been received so well. Each time you release a record it's waiting on how it will be received. and I really think that this one is the best and greatest album we've done. Abroad we've received fantastic review, so the bad reviews in Sweden are a truly local phenomenon.

Per Gessle

All the bad records I’ve heard, or those which didn’t turn out that great, are the ones where someone had a real fix plan. “This is like it’s going to sound like”. This prevents creative things from happening. So for me my only idea about producing is just being open to whatever might happen. If something feels good, that’s it. Be it a synth or a drum kit or retro sounds, more modern. What feels right at that moment, that’s what you must do, go for. That’s the only way to make good music.

We had a bit more a restrained idea in “Have a nice day” and “Room Service”. For me, when I listen to those records now, they aren’t as good as they could have been. There are some really nice songs, but the records could have been better. “Beautiful Things” is one of the simplest songs on the album, without many things going on in it. I wasn’t much involved with “Room Service”, except for playing bass, some guitar and backing vocals with Marie. But I might guess the reason is it wasn’t as much fun as it used to be. I guess that’s what you hear. I think that’s more important than which instruments you are using. You should have fun when recording an album, then it’s surely going to be good.

Christoffer Lundquist

Helena Josefsson, backing singer at Tambourine Studios and Gula Studion (II): The Ark - Joy Surrender

The Ark, the Swedish glam rock band from Malmö, has unleashed a new single from their first album, "We are The Ark" (2000), "Joy Surrender".

Recorded by Marco Manieri at Gula Studion in Malmö, Helena Josefsson (Plastic Soul) and Sara Svensson feature as background singers in two songs of the single: Joy Surrender and Topsy Kaiser.

LJdM

P, C & C order room service (V): The centre of Roxette's heart

EMI releases today the first single of the new Roxette's album, Room Sevice. The first single is The centre of the heart (is a suburb to the brain) and includes some mixes.

According to Sven Lindström:

"TCOTH was considered as a single but ultimately left off the Have a Nice Day album (1999); it was revived during the Room Service sessions in the autumn of 2000. Completely re-recorded in a speeded-up tempo, adding the bizarre synth sounds of a new team member Jimmy Monell (aka Shooting Star) from Swedish band The April Tears. Marie's original vocal track was digitally pitched to fit the new tempo."

Gessle talks in Room Service about this song and about the new album, that will be released next month. Then we could listen to the last work of Per and Marie with Clarence Öfwerman, Christoffer Lundquist and the full team.

Today we want to remember old times. It's 2001 and 20 years ago, in 1981, the Swedish symphonic rock group Overture released its first - and last - album: Ansikten. Overture was founded by pianist Clarence Öfwerman in late 70's and included Mats Ström (vocals), Mats Reiniusson (bass and guitar), Bengt Lundberg (guitar and vocals) and Hans Alsing (drums).

Btw, what happens when six drummers invade a small apartment while the owners are out walking the dog? Four amazing jazz cuts with found objects. Ola Simonsson, Johannes Stjärne Nilsson and Magnus Börjeson have recorded a short film (10 minutes) about it. It will be shown in many festivals and we could show it in our blog in September.

Music for One Apartment
and Six Drummers
(2001; 9 min 31 s)

• Produced by: Kostr Film, SVT and Film i Skäne
• Directors: Ola Simonsson, Johannes Stjärne Nilsson
• Music: Ola Simonsson
• Music productor: Magnus Börjeson (Beagle / Favorita)
  

LJdM

TCOTH was written five years ago. The first version was recorded in Spain for the album Have a Nice Day. It was a totally different version, much slower. We made a disco song out of it. A little bit like Frankie goes to Hollywood meets G. Moroder. It's fun.

The forthcoming album will be a classic pop record, shorter than the previous one. That one was almost an hour. Not even I myself was able to listen to it until the end. This album is much like Joyride sunshine, twelve songs and 42 minutes playing time. If the album sells well, it would also be nice to go on tour.

Per Gessle

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (XV): Plastic Soul becomes Sing ... and Helena is not invited

Plastic Soul, the band from Lund with Helena Josefsson - singer -, Johan Duncanson - guitar-, Fredrick Whitling - leadgitar and keyboards -, Olof Martinsson - bass - and Per Blomgren - drums-, has stood down.

The band began in 1996 (firstly as Jive with Clive and as Plastic Soul since 1997), when they were eighteen years old, and after two E.P.s (First harvest, 1997; Uneasy, 1999) and one unreleased album, some members are now involved in known projects.

According to Sydsvenskan.se, (2001-Feb-05), Helena Josefsson decided to leave the band in the summer of 1999, before a gig in Kalas-tour in Malmö. The gig was so successful that the band got an invitation to be a local band in Malmö's Popstad Festival in February 2000; they had even a contract with the label Stockhouse to release their first album. They know that Popstad Festival was their last gig together.

Since February 2000, the four members of "Plastic Soul" thought about looking for a new singer. Johan Duncansson and Fredrick Whitling have also been guests in a famous band of Lund, The June Platoon, centered around singer/songwriter Johan Järvung and producer Henrik Orrling.

The June Platoon

Finally, Johan Duncanson - vocals, songwriter and guitar-, Fredrick Whitling - backing vocals, songwriter, leadguitar and keyboards -, Olof Martinsson - bass - and Per Blomgren - drums- decided to sing themselves, continue together and recorded a new EP with four new songs, with the help of Danyal Taylan, vocalist of The Blimp, in the studio. They decided to change their name to "Sing" and debuted live at Cafe Element yesterday February 10th 2001. They insisted: without Helena, Sing is a new pop band, with more synths, but with the same "easy-listenings" melodies.

The guys from Sing were interviewed before his debut gig. According to John Duncansson: "Helena is extremely charismatic on stage. Not us. On the other hand, we are not looking for show, either. I like "shoegazerbands", musicians who stares at the floor while they play. The new songs are not so commercial but they are closer to the music I listen to". Fredrick Whistling says: "In Plastic Soul's final gig, I never felt any panic. On the contrary, I was excited, laughing at everything and began to see the new opportunities. We got the chance to do what we really wanted and found again the "old playfulness" we had when we started playing together".

LJdM