festival fun

October 4, 2009

ARTIST OF THE MONTH: MALARKY

People don’t usually get famous over night, but Adiam Dymott did after her first live performance at the P3 Guld awards earlier this year. Don’t know her name already? Well then, prepare yourself and don’t let the tattoos scare you.
Adiam Dymott was born 1982, in Uppsala Sweden with an Eritrean background. Dymott already has two successful singles “Miss you and “Pizza” in the baggage, and a third on the way off her self-titled album.  This summer you’ll be able to see her at two of Sweden’s biggest music festivals; Hultsfred and Arvika.  Her next step is a tour ‘cross Sweden.  Expect a strong stage presence and to see someone who is totally in love with what she does.
Unlike most artists you have no professional training, how do you think this makes you different from the rest of the pack?
Hopefully I’m more focused on my task since I already lived my life doing other things before making this album, meaning I know who I am and I know where I’m from. On a musical level I’ve seen all the behind the scene work, so I don’t have any illusions of a sugar coated profession, I know what it means to be a hard working artist. I think by working in the studio before starting making music made me more interested in the actual work that goes on to compile an album and the use of instruments rather than me wanting to be a celebrity.
Ever since your first live performance at the P3 Guld awards, people have been going bananas over you, how do you handle this immediate spotlight on you?
All you can do is ignore it and keep doing what I’ve always been doing. That’s the only way to keep your sanity.
What are your music influences?
My main influences come from my dad’s record stack. Folk music from Eritrea and R&B from the 90′s, I don’t really get inspired by new music these days.
Where do you get your inspiration?
My friends and family. My mistakes and victories. And of course other types of music.
www.myspace.com/adiamdymott

                                        
Grammy Award winner Andreas Tilliander belongs to the inner circle of the Swedish “electrosphere.” He has produced dynamic and vibrant techno, dub and pop tunes for the past decade.
Tilliander has known all his life that he wanted to get involved with electronic music, Andreas had his major breakthrough in 2004 with dance friendly record World Industries that received brilliant reviews.  On the side, he’s recorded music under several aliases such as Lowfour and Mokira and has been touring with major Swedish and international acts and founded his own record label Repeatle. Andreas also hosts the influential Swedish radio show Strom, keeping the audience informed about the world of electronic music.
When Andreas isn’t working on any of his gazillion projects he dreams about traveling to Japan, obsesses over old drum machines or listens to DAFs Gold Und Liebe, the one record he can never get enough of.
This month he’s back with the elegant and melodious album Show and is touring! If you have the chance try to catch him as he goes on tour, make sure you bring your dancing shoes!
www.myspace.com/andreastilliander

Karin Dreijer Andersson is one half of the sibling duo The Knife that has conquered the world of electro pop.  On March 24, of 2009 she launched her solo project, Fever Ray.
Listening to this hypnotic masterpiece you’re most likely to wind up in a trance of  happiness as you travel into an energetic musical landscape framed with surreal and dreamlike elements.
Sounds mystifying? Well, Fever Ray is like nothing else.
Despite certain similarities with The Knife and its electronic musical underpinning, this record works better listening on you iPod than on the dance floor—less upbeat and more personal. Karin herself likes for the music to remain a bit of a mystery and she invites the listener to paint their own images as they listen to it. “You don’t want to be too literal,” she says. Her lyrics combine the real with the imaginary and deal with a number of themes like motherhood and insomnia. Descriptive Fever Ray syntax:“we talk about dishwater tablets/and we dream about heaven.”
Fever Ray is without any doubt one of the most exhilarating acts in Sweden today. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out her self-titled debut album.
http://feverray.com/

Swedish pop singer and songwriter Tityo’s style is sincere, sensual and soulful.  She has been on the Swedish music scene for two decades and has released 7 albums during that time. She is the sister of artists Neneh Cherry (two-time Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter and rapper) and Eagle Eye Cherry (Swedish-American pop singer).  She was dubbed The Queen of Swedish Soul in the early 90s, but escaped this title at an early stage in her career when her sound became more experimental. Her latest album Hidden was released in November 2008. The album contains collaborations from artists such as Moto Boy, jazz artists Goran Kajfes and Oddjob plus electro dance producer Kleerup. Collaborating Kleerup brought this Swedish soul star to a new level in the musical world and their single “Longing For Lullabies” was a top hit. This summer Titiyo is performing her soul-jazz-rock-electronica repertoire at Stockholm Jazz Festival July 15-19 in Stockholm.
www.titiyo.com

During the past years, Malcolm Fallenius has been taking pictures of people in his apartment.  People like Shout Out Louds, Robyn, The Dears and Lykke Li, among many others. His photos capture his sitters just the way they are, creating sincerity that is often sensual and occasionally comical. The Swede Beat’s Ebba Akerman is, April 20th 2009 ,  sitting on the sunny steps of the Royal Library in Stockholm,  with Malcolm that generously let us glimpse at the man behind the camera.
What does Malarky mean?
It means bullshit in English and is some kind of game in Swedish.
What interests and inspires you about photographing music shows?
I like shooting live shows because of the light. It easier being creative with that kind of light and it is so different compared to everything else you shot. The best light shows I’ve seen, and for me to shoot, was The Dears at the US tour in June 2005.
What festivals have you’ve been taking pictures at?
SXSW, Siesta, Popaganda and Peace and Love in Borlänge.
What is your fondest festival memory?
I really liked Bonde Do Role at Popaganda last year. It was like a party in an apartment.
Dream band or artist to go on tour with?
Metallica in the early 80’s and Gang Starr in the late 80’s, that way I get both sides of the story.
Of all your singing friends who do you prefer to listen to in the springtime?
On a sunny day I’d say Very Loud by Shout Out Louds. On a cloudy day something of Johnossi.
malarky.se

Published by: The Swede Beat