Directed by Johan Tholsson
“I dag är det min födelsedag…” (“Today it’s my birthday…”) Per Gessle sang on “Mazarin” and while the song wasn’t written in January, it’s his birthday 46th today. Per also has promised The Daily Roxette a new project in 2005, so we await that eagerly. Is it going to be a new solo album? We’ll see! He has been working in the studio again with Christoffer Lundquist and Clarence Öfwerman.
Red light on! Studio? What studio? Rather than recording more of their brilliant material, Metro Jets spent last year playing comedy shows and rock opera. I´m not kidding you. This is a strange world (yeah, as if you didn´t know that already). Anyway. We have put an end to that now. We had to. Metro Jets are being driven to the studio as you read this. The studio is not even located in the city, so there is no way that they can get out without me picking them up. Car? What car? No car for you. Metro Jets next release will be out this spring.
1. | ||||
2. | clark kent 05:05 | |||
3. | polysix 04:52 | |||
4. | verge 05:20 | |||
5. | spreading myself thin 07:42 | |||
6. | fruitcake 03:22 | |||
7. | why are you so happy? 04:48 | |||
8. | knuckle 05:39 | |||
9. | snow 07:21 |
"01. In 'Don't point your paw at me', the voice sample is from an authentic radio show (or was it a tv show?) from the 50’s. I have a bunch of these samples. They were meant to be educational and cover topics such as how babies are made and girl’s menstruation. My idea was to create something that had the same punch as a Prodigy track, but I don’t think I quite pulled it off.
02. 'Clark Kent' marks the introduction of the music software program Ableton Live. I had been using Cubase/Reason until then. This track would not have been made if not for Ableton. The vocals are by Helena Josefsson.
02. 'Last laugh' has a kinship with other track, ”Last Report”. I came up with the idea while working on ”Last Report” and it features a lot of the same sounds. The laughter is my sister-in-law’s son, two years old, or something, at the time. He’s seven now…
03. 'Polysix' is another favourite track. I came up with the main theme on my only piece of hardware, a Korg Polysix (hence the title). The breathing is Kerim, the singer in the former band, stockfinster. I nicked it from one of his vocal takes, just as he is beginning to sing.
04. In 'Verge', I wanted to try out an effect in Cubase and programmed a random a drum beat that actually became the main drum loop. The working title was ”If you come any closer, I’ll jump” which I thought was brilliant at the time. When Helena Josefsson came in to do some vocals we were out of ideas, something that normally never happens. She then suggested she’d sing something in French which, to be honest, I was not too sure about. I did not have any lyrics prepared, so I asked Helena to just sing the working title – in French. I am not sure if she actually got it grammatically correct. The voice sample is from the movie ”Killing Zoë” and I thought the French accent was befitting.
05. 'Spreading myself thin' was finished so fast, I don’t even remember making it.
06. 'Fruitcake' is one of my favourite tracks. I don’t think I have produced something quite like it before. The voice sample is from the movie ”Helter Skelter”. My favourite part is the sound that comes in at 2:17 and lasts until 2:29. Listen closely to be able to hear it. It is Helena Josefsson singing, but the vocals are re-used from another track (I don’t remember which).
07. In 'Why are you so happy?', a friend of mine had come up with a piano part and I suggested that he used the same kind of drum beat as in the Nine Inch Nails’ track ”La Mer”. Eventually I ended up using the idea myself. Ola Strandh is playing the drums. I kind of wanted this track to trot along like a track by Ulrich Schnauss but I don’t think I nailed it.
08. In 'Knuckle', I really like the fact that there is a drum loop right from the beginning. I always find it difficult starting a track with drums. The drum loop is typical of Ableton Live’s sound. The voice sample is from the same educational films as in ”Don’t Point Your Paw At Me” – only this time it is a girl speaking. I actually played a real melodica on this track. I then discovered that a soft synth sounds a lot like the real deal. Helena Josefsson is singing – yet again.
09. 'Snow' was used for the end credits in the film ”Last Day”, for which I composed the music. It is the only track that was not written especially for the film.
During the last months, a new records company has been created in Sweden. The members of the project are well-known by LJdM: Christoffer Lundquist, David Birde, Jens Jansson (Brainpool), Magnus Börjeson and Anders Mildner (Beagle). They are trying to release digital music. We will have more news very soon. They could have their own website in Spring 2005. The first album by this record company was Brainpool's rock opera Junk, premiered in August.
Sandy Mouche is a breath of fresh air from the Swedish music scene. They've put out a few demos, a number of singles, an ep and an album called "White lucky dragon" which was one of my favourite albums of 2004. Sandy Mouche sing in both English and French, sometimes even in the same song. I asked them 20 questions that will hopefully explain what makes Sandy Mouche tick... we'll see if they consider themselves more "pop" than "rock", why they sing in French and what inspires them.
a little side note: vocalist Helena has also worked on Per Gessle's (Roxette) new project.
01. Where does Sandy Mouche come from? name? concept? meaning if any?
The name was born on a Greek island when Martinique, Helena and Per were there on vacation. They decided to start a band. Per played with the sand and came up with Sandy and Helena saw that all three of them had Mouches (brown Madonna dots in the face). The result was the band's name Sandy Mouche. We have realised that it's not just a name but a person as well. A person who lives in every member of Sandy Mouche and who helps them when time seems pointless and grey. We're all together on a journey to make the world a better place. (See website for fairytale version).
02. Do you prefer to be described as pop or a rock band and why?
Pop. Our music is a bit softer than standard rock and it's not all based on loud guitars.
03. What Swedish bands have most influenced you?
None. Only Fairytale music for films of the Swedeish writer Astrid Lingren.
04. What band (outside of Sweden) would you all agree is a big influence on the band?
The French singer Joe Dassin, France Gall, Cindy Lauper, The Twin Peaks music, Beatles, Michael Jackson, Type o Negative.
05. Besides music, what influenced the band to start making music? movies? books? media? sex???
Some movie music is just great. We have all grown up with fairytales and music to the fairytale movies and that is very powerful. Besides that it's the fact that we just love to create music and play together. We have always had a dream about music being our daily job.
06. What movie would best describe Sandy Mouche if you had to pick one?
Astrid Lindgren's "Bröderna Lejonhjärta"
07. Why did you choose to sing in French and English? Is it popular in Sweden to sing in your native tongue nowadays? why not sing in Swedish? Did you make a conscious decision to sing this way?
We like both the English language and the French language so we do a combination of the two. French is beautiful. Martinique has relatives in France and he went there every summer when he was a little boy. So he has great memories and inspiration from that time. We want our music to fly over the borders of Sweden and reach the whole world so therefore we don't sing in Swedish. But if you want to break in Sweden, Swedish is probably the best way.
08. How has technology influenced the band?
We can do simple demos at home very easily thanks to computers, so that is great.
09. Do you prefer analog or digital? for recording, gear and aesthetics?
"White lucky dragon" was recorded in an analog studio. We liked it. But it's not a must for us. I think you can create magic digitally as well. When were playing live it's a mix of vintage and digital stuff.
10. How does Sandy Mouche fit into the Swedish music scene? Are you considered underground or outsiders?
Hmmm... We think we fit in perfectly but we need more money (for promotion) to break through the fog of all mainstream radio hits that torture the Swedes every day. At the moment we are somewere between underground and overground we think.
11. What are the other cool bands in Sweden these days?
Logh.
12. Describe an average Sandy Mouche fan. What kind of person would dig Sandy Mouche?
Maybe a person who needs a little more love in life? Maybe a really macho guy with bad self-confidence. Or maybe the average person with a 9-5 workday that enjoys life. Hmmm, I think all kinds of people actually =)
14. How does art affect your daily lives if at all?
As in paintings it doesn't affect but maybe plays at the theatre or ballets. Everything that makes us react.
15. If you would describe the band in only 3 words (no more no less) what three words would they be?
White lucky dragon (It has nothing to do with rasism I assure u =)
16. In your opinion, who is the most famous swedish person? (alive or dead, musical or non musical)
Abba or Alfred Nobel maybe?
17. What is the coolest places in Sweden that most Swedes don't know about?
An island called Valö with orange cliffs and a big bird.
18. What does the future hold for Sandy Mouche? (keep in mind these questions where answered in December 2004...)
We have just finished the video for the song "Papillon" and it will be out in Sweden in the beginning of January. In February we return to the studio to do our second album. We will try to get a deal with a major company here in Sweden so that they can help us reach other countries.
19. Since I'm from Canada... what do you think of when you think of Canada?
We think of a calm beautiful place where you can speak french and where there is snow. Calm in the sense of more calm then USA where it seems that everyone must own a gun to feel safe and so on. Maybe a place more down to earth. Icehockey! We like Canada =)
20. Since I'm French I have one last little question: What would be your favorite French word or phrase? (each member please list at least one)
Helena: Tarte au pomme
Martinique: Planche a voile
Per: Révolution
Ola: Amour
