The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Second Life Reunion: The long awaited return of the Swedish legends, Way Out West Festival, Gothenburg - Photos by Daniel Eriksson

It feels pretty surreal to find myself here at the Way Out West Festival in the middle of the huge Slottsskogen Park in Gothenburg, eagerly awaiting the return of The Soundtrack of Our Lives, some eleven long years since they bowed out with a six-night stand at Stockholm’s prestigious Södra Teatern. By coincidence, twenty years ago I was in this very same park visiting the Natural History Museum for some TSOOL related sightseeing with friends that I’d met through the band. We were hunting down the ‘pickled’ babies and stuffed lion that featured on the cover of their debut album “Welcome To The Infant Freebase” – yes, I’d already been lured into that kind of obsession by this unpredictable, non-conformist Swedish Psychedelic Rock outfit comprising six individual yet equally vital characters who, it’s no understatement to say, would put my life on an unexpected course. It’s understandable to be obsessed by a band when you’re a teenager - but as an adult, well that's not what I was expecting. As a kid I was heavily inspired by The Clash and Joe Strummer’s positive message, The Jam and Paul Weller’s socially aware lyrics, The Beat, The Specials and 2-Tone Records multi-cultural outlook, The Undertones and Buzzcocks for their unashamed melodic Pop Punk classics and The Stranglers - or most importantly, JJ Burnel’s snarling bass sound - that made me pick up a bass and start my very first band.

 

Then you go on a voyage of discovery – delving into the past and the music that inspired your heroes, in my case it was checking out The Stooges, The Doors, Love, Sixties Garage Rock nuggets and much more. Over the years, there were of course contemporary bands that I was blown away by, the best were often those that I saw by chance – Pixies supporting Throwing Muses, Discharge at the 100 Club, Black Flag with The Damned at The Lyceum, not forgetting bands such as The Prisoners and The Playn Jayn at the much-missed Clarendon. But none would have quite the same impact that my first experience of The Soundtrack of Our Lives had on me. I was an adult about to become as obsessed by a band again as if I was a teenager. After all, seeing The Soundtrack of Our Lives play for the first time they absolutely blew my mind as they seemed to channel all of the best parts of all of my favourite bands into their own explosive live show and sound. I don’t seem to be alone in this, as guitarist Andy Ruff had a similar story as he shares here along with his impressions of the Way Out West reunion show…

“I feel like a fan and not a fellow musician around TSOOL, ever since I first saw them at the original Concorde in Brighton in early ’97 when they were one of the support bands, that was my ‘Eureka’ moment. I was hooked. I must admit the song that did it that night was “Firmament Vacation” and when they played it at Way Out West, it was quite emotional. Helen dragged me to the front (which I never usually do) and when they played it, I immediately thought ‘I’ve made it’ as at one time, health wise I didn’t think I would be there. It was a great set but not long enough, and as Ebbot said, the guys should have headlined the show on one of the days. What a trip, it was great meeting up with the band (well 50%) again after all this time, I had an emotional meet up with Mattias, Ian and Ebbot. Although I keep in touch on and off with them via messages, it really meant so much seeing them all again, the band has been a big part of my life for 26 years, from the early days when I saw them support Kula Shaker, Gene and a few others before they started to get their own shows. We are all getting older, but the love is still there. Amazing band and people, even seeing people like Chicago, who I recognised, not forgetting all the Soundtrack followers in the VIP bar, what a great bunch of people” - Andy Ruff (Andy’s band Psychobabble supported TSOOL during their 2005 UK tour)

The Soundtrack of Our Lives appearance at Way Out West was the second of three highly anticipated official reunion shows, sandwiched between Spain’s Azkena Festival and the Øyafestivalen in Oslo. They did play a couple of warm-up shows – a ‘secret’ friends and family show at Pustervik in Gothenburg and then a low-key appearance at the arts venue Garageprojektet Hammenhög, in Skåne, Southern Sweden. Both of these were ecstatically received, and the set-lists were out of this world. Albert Lorenz, who played with Ebbot in The Indigo Children was at The Pustervik show and he compares this with the Way Out West appearance here…

“About TSOOL, I honestly have no idea! I think they were probably great, but this gig was so unique in the way I personally experienced it. The (secret warm-up) show at Pustervik in June I enjoyed for myself, and greatly so. It was mega, a hell of a show, and it felt like everything had finally come together in the most perfect way, an "I can die happy now" feeling. But this time at Way Out West, I was just so happy for them to get such a homecoming, and also for all the fans to have the opportunity again. A friend from Barcelona came to see them just like you, other friends I'd got into the band tagged along, many acquaintances were looking forward to it... I was just hoping everything went well and everyone, band and audience, would thoroughly enjoy it. Which I'd like to think is what happened. Musically, yeah of course I can't not be biased, and I was ecstatic, but nothing compared to seeing Ebbot put his arm around Ian as I had my arm around friends in the crowd. The experience overshadowed the music, in my case” – Albert Lorenz

So, I’m at the Way Out West festival but it’s so difficult to concentrate, it’s like I’m having an out of body experience looking down on myself as I wonder what the hell it will be like to see the band again after all these years. It’s difficult not to be distracted even though I’m meeting people who I’ve known for over twenty years – some of whom have become very close friends, people who I’ve shared many TSOOL related adventures with. There are acquaintances I’ve met at Soundtrack of Our Lives or other related shows and there are people I’m meeting for the first time that I only know through the website. Of course, it’s great to be with my fellow TSOOL Admins, Daniel and Hasse – it’s so much like old times that the surreal feeling gets even stronger as the time approaches for the band to take the stage and I see myself talking to Adam Wladis and Henrik Rylander from Union Carbide Productions, singer songwriter Martin McFaul and Wallander actor and theatre director Lars Melin. There are brief hellos to photographer, former member of Psychotic Youth and curator of the excellent Kållereds Ramones museum, Roine Lundström, who’s with Troublemakers singer Christer Blomgren and there’s Elias Jungqvist, once in Ebbot’s Indigo Children, now in the brilliant Viagra Boys. It reminds me when Soundtrack played in London at their peak and their shows were always well attended by other admiring musicians from bands such as Oasis, Doves, Primal Scream and Razorlight among others. There are also fans from Stockholm and other parts of Sweden, not forgetting those that travelled from America, the U.K. and Italy such as Gianluca Torelli…

“So, let’s start, this was my third time in Gothenburg after 10 years, after the COVID restrictions and so on and this was my second TSOOL concert in total, the first time was in Bern in 2011. Then I had a couple of meetings with Ebbot in Gothenburg, thanks to Marcel Tuores and then a couple of Ebbot solo gigs with Indigo Children, first at Liseberg and then in a small and (sadly) almost empty club in Frankfurt. And in between, there was a Free Fall gig also at Liseberg during my first Swedish trip. I’ve never been to Way Out West before, this was my first time ever, and I experienced a good mood in general, a huge space and a really good festival. The band seemed in very good shape, especially Mattias, and he rocked like no other, just like in the good old days, he even threw a guitar in mid-air like a real rocker. It was such an emotional journey to listen to them live and be there in the front row, to hear songs like “Instant Repeater ‘99” and I got tears in my eyes and became emotional during “Second Life Replay”, a song that really means something to me. Hoping this was not the only gig after this unexpected and surprising reunion” - Gianluca Torelli, Abruzzo region of Italy

I feel a palpable sense of excitement fizz through the crowd as the band take the stage to the exotic strains of “Mantra Slider” and charismatic frontman Ebbot Lundberg appears, resplendent in a black and gold kaftan emblazoned with the mystical OEOC “as above, so below” symbol. The first thing that hits me is that the band all look great, and with the song’s snaking Arabic atmosphere it’s like a magic carpet ride back in time as it’s soon clear they’ve lost none of their trademark onstage energy. Guitarists Ian Person and Mattias Bärjed leap and pirouette, spitting out those familiar killer riffs to a psyched-out “Galaxy Gramophone” and a blistering “Big Time”. Martin Hederos plays his keyboards like a lead guitarist, long fringe swiping across his keys as he gets totally lost in the music. Not to be outdone, the brilliant Fredrik Sandsten twirls his drumsticks and on “Grand Canaria” in particular, proves why he is one of the best contemporary drummers around while bassist Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm anchors it all together with consummate coolness. What we get is a perfect festival greatest hits set concentrating on their debut “Welcome To The Infant Freebase” and breakthrough third album “Behind The Music” including of course, the timeless “Sister Surround”. But of course, us diehard fans always want more as Andreas Åhs and Andreas Hedberg both admit…

“It was good to finally see TSOOL again after all these years of abstinence. They had great energy and sounded really good throughout a greatest hits set that didn’t leave anyone disappointed. As a huge fan since the ‘90’s I would have loved to have heard one or two unexpected gems, but I guess a large festival as Way out West isn’t the time and place for that. Hopefully, they’ll return soon to bring that sweat soaked, guitar throwing Rock ’n’ Roll goodness to smaller venues!” - Andreas Åhs

“Seeing the band take the stage again after eleven years was magical, suddenly I was going back in time. Just witnessing “Mantra Slider” and the characteristic intro as these unique band members entered the stage was worth the ticket. It's very crowded, seagulls hover in the air, expectations vibrate, it feels like a very special evening. Ebbot opens his arms to welcome us to the special atmosphere that this genius band can create. I thought the setlist was great but too short of course although I could watch them for hours. I missed ”Dow Jones Syndrome”, “Black Star” and “Jehovah Sunrise” but which songs would they substitute? I loved that they played “Broken Imaginary Time” and jumped my legs off to “Confrontation Camp”. It was a top concert in my opinion, the first time I saw them was on ZTV live from Hultsfred in early 2000, it was really cool, so I bought the “Behind the Music” record and I was sold. My first live experience with the band was in Lund at Mejeriet in 2002/03 something. I remember watching them perform “Sister Surround” on Letterman on YouTube and Mattias was dressed in the Union Jack jacket, doing cool moves with the guitar. “Ebbot the Movie” recorded live at Slussens Pensionat really got me, I loved it, I had it on VHS tape and saw it many times. I’m so glad I took the train to Gothenburg to watch my favourite band of all time, it was a fantastic evening. Ebbot says thanks to the audience for existing in Way Out West but thank you TSOOL for existing, you’ll always be my safe point to return to!” - Andreas Hedberg

There’s an undeniable chemistry back in the band, “Nevermore” and “Broken Imaginary Time” sounding as fresh as ever and there are smiles all round from band and audience alike, the frustrations and issues that led to them splitting up in December 2012 seem to have been buried. I think the first signs a reunion could be on the cards actually came from the terribly sad news of Bruce Emms passing in 2022. Bruce was the hugely popular and likeable owner of Musik Utan Gränser (MUG) music store in Gothenburg, a loss that was felt not just by all in the City’s music community but I’m sure from all touring musicians and visitors to the shop too. There was a tribute show arranged at Pustervik which featured Soundtrack of Our Lives (Ebbot, Ian, Kalle and Fredrik) making their very first live appearance since the split and at the end Ebbot and Ian hugged, which many saw as a kind of public reconciliation. I’d like to think it could have been this moment that paved the way for the reunion. I interviewed Bruce for Retrosonic Podcast some time ago, like me he was also British, a bass player and was hugely enthusiastic about the Gothenburg scene, in particular praising one of my favourite singer songwriters Mattias Hellberg like only a true fan could. I once popped into MUG to say hello after TSOOL split up and he lamented the fact that the band had called it a day and it’s very sad he couldn’t be around to see the band’s triumphant return in the city he called his home. Musik Utan Gränser means ‘music without borders’ – a sentiment that I certainly promote with Retro Man Blog, and it can be applied to the far reaching international appeal of The Soundtrack of Our Lives too – as can be seen from the U.K. based Helen Ruff’s experiences…

“I’d waited so long to see the guys back again… and on their home turf was spectacular. The Soundtrack of Our Lives were the first band I was ever ‘into’ as an adult… the lyrics and the melodies resonate so deeply it gives me goosebumps whenever I hear them. Seeing them live after such a long hiatus was amazing. They don’t sound like they have aged at all! Ebbot’s voice was on point! And Ian’s guitar work was sublime. I just hope they will tour…. Their sound, their lyrics, their vibe needs to be heard. I hope the band will give us more. Meeting TSOOL stalwart fans was epic! The band need to know that their faithful are with them. Always” – Helen Ruff

During Sweden’s alternative national anthem, “Instant Repeater ‘99”, the crowd are going wild all around me, arms aloft and this fervour only increases with the incendiary Glam Rock stomp of “Confrontation Camp”. The set draws to a close sadly all too quickly with the emotional singalong “The Passover” and feel a lump in my throat as I look around and see the crowd joining in – there are all ages too, families, couples, friends all caught in the moment. Liselott Selander also felt the same…

“They delivered exactly as I expected, and it was fun to see that many who were probably not even born when the band were at their peak knew the lyrics" - Liselott Selander

Long-time fan Per Kristiansson, who I first encountered at one of Soundtrack’s now legendary shows at the stunning Slussens Pensionat waterside venue on the beautiful island of Orust, explains just what the Way Out West reunion show meant to him.

“The first time I saw TSOOL live was, I believe, in 1997, about a year after I’d been listening to their knockout debut album over and over again. Since then, I must have enjoyed around 30-40 gigs, perhaps ten were at Slussens Pensionat and others at various venues. Most of the time, the band were amazing and beyond, so with this history and a true love for the band, I had quite mixed emotions as I walked through the entrance to Way Out West. How would it be to see them back together once again? Do they still have the mojo...? Well, T-minus 30 minutes, standing in the front row and just watching them do the soundcheck, I knew this was going to be an unforgettable and awesome evening. And so, they went on stage… Fredrik started the drumstick intro of "Mantra Slider," and I just screamed out loud! They opened with one of my absolute favourites and totally nailed it, just like back in the day! Next up was "Firmament Vacation", followed by "Galaxy Gramophone" and I felt like I had been sent back in time. The rest is history. The lucky souls who attended got to witness the best band in the world back on stage! Looking forward to the next 30-40 gigs!” - Per Kristiansson

I can only hope that the heartfelt reaction and huge smiles on the band’s faces as they take a well-deserved curtain call, paves the way for more of their stunning live shows in the future and of course, being greedy now, the hope of new material too. Now that really would be something special. Well, I guess it’s fitting that I leave the final words to Daniel Eriksson, after all, Daniel ran the original Soundtrack of Our Lives web-site, forum and Mega Society fan-club and was the catalyst for introducing me to many other TSOOL fans around the world from not only the U.K. and Sweden but as far afield as Peru, Italy, Scotland, Norway, Finland, America and more… Daniel had the vision of taking the band’s music out into the International stratosphere, truly a case of music without borders.  

“A present from the past… Everyone was there... The whole of Soundtrack of course, but also families, friends, stage workers and hang-arounds from the past. The fans that were there from the beginning, but also a whole new generation... It was like they’re bigger than they’ve ever been before?! The desire for this Rock and Roll machine is a fact. They sound at least as good as they always did. 11 years have passed, but it’s as if time has stood still. Everyone just got a little bit older. With all dignity intact, they delivered eleven explosions, a ballad and finished with a sing-along. In hindsight it feels a bit surreal, did all this happen? They came, they won... But what happens now? Everyone wonders, not least themselves. At least one thing is certain, if there is more, there is a great embrace of love from the outside world that wants to embrace the magic that these six gentlemen can create together. We hope for more because this is Second Life Replay ‘Yeah, I feel alive. Cause I came back stronger than I’ve ever been before…’ " – Daniel Eriksson

Daniel Eriksson is also the official Way Out West photographer so I have him to thank for contributing the superb photos you can see in this feature. With sincere thanks to Hasse and Liselott, Mattias Bärjed, Georgios at Livenation and of course all the fans who kindly contributed their experiences and words to this feature. The offcial TSOOL Facebook page is here. For news on all the band member’s solo music, collaborations, other bands and side projects, TV and soundtrack scores, upcoming gigs and record releases please follow, like, subscribe to Retro Man Blog here or at Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast for free at Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes/Apple Podcasts as we have lots of interview specials with various TSOOL band members and other Swedish bands and musicians that may be of interest, all still available in the archives. We also have a YouTube channel with loads of related live videos. You can also join the TSOOL fan’s Facebook group here to communicate with other fans around the world, to share your own memories, experiences, photos and videos and to be kept up to date with all that is happening with the various band members music. Plus, you never know, one day there might well be news of more Soundtrack of Our Lives activities… we can but hope!

All photos copyright Daniel Eriksson at Rock My Lens.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives "Second Life Replay Reunion" - Sweden's Premier Psych Rockers Return!

Photo by Albin Händig

The Soundtrack of Our Lives, one of Sweden’s most legendary Rock bands, will be getting back for a Second Life Replay Reunion this summer for three festival dates: Azkena Rock Festival in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) on June 16th, Way Out West in Gothenburg (Sweden) on August 11th and Øyafestivalen in Oslo (Norway) on August 12th. This will be the first time the band has played together since they split up in December 2012 and singer Ebbot Lundberg explains, "We all probably felt it was time to try and see what happens if we play together again, and the energy was still there, because the DNA was intact despite some hardships." The Soundtrack of Our Lives were formed in Gothenburg in the mid ’90s as a supergroup of sorts with members from Union Carbide Productions, Nymphet Noodlers, Whipped Cream and Mindjive. The single "Instant Repeater ’99" became a smash hit in Sweden as did their debut album "Welcome to the Infant Freebase" which won a Swedish Grammis for "Newcomer of the Year". The Soundtrack of Our Lives' majestic Psychedelic Rock soon grew beyond the country's borders, a fact that hardly escaped the Gallagher brothers in Oasis who invited the Swedes to tour with them. "Behind the Music", the third album from 2001, led to a breakthrough in the States and earned them a Grammy nomination. Last year, the band – Ebbot Lundberg (vocals), Ian Person (guitar), Mattias Bärjed (guitar), Martin Hederos (keyboards), Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm (bass) and Fredrik Sandsten (drums) – were inducted into the Swedish Music Hall of Fame.

Stockholm Dec 2012 - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Thanks to Ebba at Ebba Lindqvist PR - B&W Photo by Albin Händig. You can join the TSOOL fan community Facebook group here, for up to date news on the reunion, all the band members other projects, along with fan's memorabilia, videos, photos and more... We'll be reporting on news of the reunion as well as digging up some fantastic material from the Retro Man Blog archives in the build-up to the festival dates. So please subscribe, follow, like to make sure you don't miss out!

Retrosonic Podcast Lockdown Lowdown Episode 6 with Ian Person of The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Union Carbide Productions & Pablo Matisse

Photo courtesy Ian Person

In Episode 6 of our special Lockdown Lowdown series we welcome Ian Person into the virtual Retrosonic Podcast studio. We take an entertaining and in-depth journey through Ian's musical life - not only as a guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer but as an enthusiastic music fan. We go back to Ian's earliest musical memories - from the very first record he bought, the first gig he went to and the first band he formed. He discusses his favourite albums, 7" singles and the influences on his guitar playing. There's also some of his own memorable shows and tales of touring with Robert Plant and Oasis and working with Denise Johnson, who we found out had sadly passed away just a few days before we did the interview. Along the way there's some great music from The Who, Black Flag, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Damned, Minor Threat, The Stranglers, Oasis, Ebba Grön and Led Zeppelin to illustrate Ian's stories and choices. We also take a comprehensive look at Ian's own music from being a part of two of Sweden's most influential and important bands - the wild, untamed Union Carbide Productions and Psych Rock legends The Soundtrack of Our Lives. We take in his time with P-Funk innovators Stonefunkers and on collaborations with his ex-TSOOL colleagues Fredrik Sandsten and Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm on such projects as legendary Swedish singer Jerry Williams comeback album to his movie and TV soundtrack work such as Box 21 and The Eternal Road. Then there's new music from his current band Pablo Matisse and we also feature a pick of his own solo music including the superb score to the documentary on his favourite football team IFK Göteborg and his Diamonds In The Rough album. Finally we end the episode with an exclusive unreleased song from his forthcoming solo album, a duet with Swedish singer Alice B.

Full Tracklisting

The Stranglers "The Raven"

Ebba Grön "Hang Gud"

Black Flag "Rise Above"

The Who "Baba O'Riley"

Union Carbide Productions "Golden Age"

Union Carbide Productions "Coda"

Stonefunkers "Mardi Gras Stomp"

The Soundtrack of Our Lives "Instant Repeater '99"

Ian Person "Valencia Theme"

Ian Person & Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm "Theme from The Eternal Road"

Ian Person "Box 21"

Ian Person "Diamonds In The Rough"

Pablo Matisse "Is There Anybody Out There?"

Jerry Williams "Ghostrider"
Oasis "Champagne Supernova"

Led Zeppelin "Good Times Bad Times"

The Soundtrack of Our Lives "Mind The Gap"

Creedence Clearwater Revival "Fortunate Son"

The Damned "Love Song"

Minor Threat "Betray"

Ian Person & Alice B "Forever and a Day

Ian Person photographed by Paul Slattery

Useful Links - Please click on the highlighted link below to explore further

Ian Person - Official Facebook page

Ian Person - Bandcamp site

Pablo Matisse - Official Facebook page

Pablo Matisse - Bandcamp site

Svenska Grammofon Studion - Official web-site

The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Official Facebook page

The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Facebook Group

(for all things TSOOL related including Fan's Forum, Archive & news on all ex-Bandmembers)
Retrosonic Podcast - Special Episode with Ian Person
Retrosonic Podcast - Special Episode with Ian Person & Fredrik Sandsten 
Retrosonic Podcast - Special Episode on IFK Gothenburg movie "Football's Last Proletarians" 
(with ex-IFK & Liverpool legend Glenn Hysén, Directors Martin Jönsson & Carl Pontus Hjorthén)

This episode can be streamed/downloaded directly below or you can check out our Retrosonic Podcast site at Soundcloud or subscribe for free at iTunes or Apple Podcasts.

Retrosonic Podcast · Lockdown Lowdown Episode 6: Ian Person of The Soundtrack of Our Lives & Union Carbide Productions

Retrosonic Podcast has a valid PRS certificate. Podcover photo courtesy of Ian Person. Check out our previous Lockdown Lowdown episodes with Duncan Reid of The Boys, Leigh Heggarty of Ruts DC, Raymond Gorman of That Petrol Emotion/The Everlasting Yeah, Buddy Ascott of The Chords/The Fallen Leaves and Mike & Elsa from The Jack Cades. Retrosonic intro music by Adam Donovan.

Ebbot Lundberg & The Indigo Children at Slussens Pensionat and a Reflection on the Importance of the Stunning Venue

Ebbot Lundberg & The Indigo Children at Slussens Pensionat

When Sweden's Psych-Rock legends The Soundtrack of Our Lives sadly called it a day in December 2012 there were many things I was dreading losing out on. It goes without saying that I would miss the music and their incendiary live shows but there was also the travel, the social life with the great friends and acquaintances that I had made along the way since I first saw the band. It’s not overstating things to say that TSOOL pretty much changed my life, or at the very least, set it on a different course. After all, they re-energised my passion for music and inspired me to recreate my old-school 1980’s cut and paste fanzine "Out of Step" which I renamed "Retro Man" after my favourite TSOOL song. However, it was the thought that there would no longer be any more gigs at the beautiful Slussens Pensionat that most filled me with regret. TSOOL first started playing at the stunning waterside location run by the lovely couple Vibs and Robert Sohlberg on the island of Orust in 2001 and word quickly spread that these were gigs and a music venue like no other. 

Slussens Pensionat by Paul Slattery

Ebbot at Slussens Pensionat with The Soundtrack of Our Lives by Paul Slattery

The band used these shows at Slussens Pensionat as a kind of summer break for themselves; you could sense they were a release from what was possibly a very stressful time. Their profile was getting higher internationally due to the breakthrough album “Behind The Music” and they had to deal with all the pressures that success can bring - major record labels, PR, management and such like. The Slussens Pensionat shows stripped away all the corporate bullshit and just allowed the band to relax and enjoy themselves. I was to get my first taste back in August 2003 and was immediately hooked, travelling over as many times as I could after that initial mind-blowing experience. It was a fan's dream. The band played sprawling sets that could last over three hours stretching into the early hours of the morning. They would play obscure album tracks, B-sides, cover versions and try out brand new, often unfinished songs alongside their more familiar numbers. Sometimes, they played whole LPs in their entirety, such as the Winter Lucia show in December 2008 promoting the release of “Communion” where we were treated to each song in sequence. 

Ebbot at Slussens Pensionat with The Soundtrack of Our Lives by Paul Slattery

Slussens Pensionat by Paul Slattery

The Slussens shows usually started rather sedately, with the audience enjoying dinner while the band sat on stools playing acoustic guitars. However, the nights would inevitably end in drunken chaos with tables moved out of the way and the crowd getting up to dance. Vocalist Ebbot Lundberg would climb over tables, sending drinks, bottles, glasses (and sometimes people!) flying all over the place. Microphone leads would often get wrapped around people’s legs and necks and mic stands went crashing all over the place. It was always great fun. One year I was there, they were filming the fantasy/documentary “Ebbot the Movie” and I make a fleeting appearance in it. It’s a great film that really captures the true essence of the Slussens Pensionat experience, as well as highlighting some rather suspect acting from the band members themselves. Another year, Ebbot invited my Retro Man Blog colleague photographer Paul Slattery along and he documented the proceedings with some superb photos, which you can see in the archive here. I met other TSOOL fans from all over the world, not just from Sweden or England but also from Norway, America, Scotland and as far away as Peru. I even met the actor Lars Melin, who appeared in one of my favourite Swedish TV shows, “Wallander” and he seemed a bit surprised that his fame had spread over to the U.K. There are many other great memories, for example, I saw Ebbot duetting with the fantastic singer songwriter Martin McFaul and on separate occasions interviewed both Ebbot and Ian Person for Retrosonic Podcast on the terrace overlooking the beautiful Orust scenery. 

TSOOL with Robert from Slussens Pensionat by Paul Slattery

The last photo of TSOOL together at Slussens Pensionat by Paul Slattery

Yes, indeed, when TSOOL split up you can probably now understand why I was so sad at the thought that I might never get the opportunity to return. However, the good news is that Ebbot has continued the tradition and has since returned to play at Slussens Pensionat for his own TV show “Ebbot’s Ark” as well as with his current band The Indigo Children. Therefore, in August I found myself once again returning to what had almost become my spiritual home and the weather was thankfully perfect, it was so great to be back. Since TSOOL split up, Ebbot has become a bit of a TV celebrity in Sweden, appearing in the popular music show “Så Mycket Bättre” and his own show “Ebbot’s Ark”, as well as various daytime programmes and cooking/travel shows and the audience demographic on the night probably reflected this somewhat. Ebbot appears and is in a cheerful and suitably summery mood, wearing a brightly striped nightshirt, shorts, crocs and a Hawaiian flower garland around his neck. 

Albert, Billy & Ebbot of The Indigo Children by Retro Man Blog

Anton of The Indigo Children by Retro Man Blog

There has been a slight change in The Indigo Children line-up again, following last year’s shift from the members of Side Effects to members of fellow Stockholm based band, EKEN. There are some familiar faces from my Retro Man Blog night for Ebbot & The Indigo Children in London last October - Oskar Nylén and Billy Cervin on guitars, Alfred Holmgren on bass and the powerhouse drummer Anton Fernandez. Then, there is the latest recruit, newcomer Albert Lorenz on keyboards. We have already featured the incredible story of Billy Cervin, who was barely in his teens when he started taking guitar lessons off a neighbour who just happened to be TSOOL’s Mattias Bärjed. Under Mattias’ tutelage, Billy quickly graduated to forming his own band, Side Effects (named like this Blog, after a TSOOL song) and this led to him standing in for Mattias at some TSOOL live shows to eventually teaming up with Ebbot in the Indigo Children. Billy was also recruited into the Union Carbide Productions line-up for their amazing reunion gigs last year and has proven himself to be the perfect foil and ally to Ebbot and his musical adventures. 

Ebbot, Billy Cervin (guitar) & Albert Lorenz (keyboards) by Retro Man Blog

Albert Lorenz of The Indigo Children by Retro Man Blog

But back to the new keyboard player Albert, who has a similar fairy-tale story to Billy. A few years ago, I met up for a beer with him at Pustervik in Gothenburg; he was a big TSOOL fan from Spain who had just landed a dream job at ex-TSOOL bassist Kalle’s Svenska Grammofonstudion, now Sweden’s most sought after recording studio. We also went along to see Ebbot at Slussens Pensionat and one of my lasting impressions was of Albert, a few beers down, enthusiastically joining in on backing vocals after an impromptu ‘stage’ invasion! This could have been an early audition and I think Albert was as surprised as me to find out he would end up as an official member of The Indigo Children. Albert admitted to me that he was a bit concerned about following in the footsteps of previous keyboard player Elias, but he did just fine. He brought an energetic stage presence, encouraging people to join in and clap their hands, wading into the audience with his tambourine. 

Alfred & Oskar of The Indigo Children by Retro Man Blog

EKEN by Retro Man Blog

Although I was nervous when I found out that the Indigo Children line-up had changed literally days before my show with the band in London last year – the new recruits did a superb job at such short notice. Thanks in main to Billy’s organisation, they did not let me, Ebbot or the London crowd down and I was really looking forward to seeing them again. However, let’s get back to the Ebbot’s Slussens Pensionat gig, and what followed was a mammoth set crammed full of The Soundtrack of Our Lives songs, yes, this was definitely a night for all TSOOL fans. Ebbot always throws in a few TSOOL numbers into in his solo sets but I don’t think he has ever played so many of their songs at one gig and I am transported back to all those great TSOOL Slussens shows over the years. For example, there’s the classic “Galaxy Gramophone” from the “Homo Habilis Blues” EP along with “Rest In Piece” and “Century Child” and songs cherry picked from every TSOOL LP.

Billy & Ebbot of The Indigo Children by Retro Man Blog

Anton & Alfred of The Indigo Children by Retro Man Blog

Tonight though, there is just the one new unreleased song “Comfort Zone” from the forthcoming Indigo Children LP, it’s pretty much the good old familiar favourites all the way. There is a break half way through and Eken come on and play two excellent songs, I love this band and played a track in an early Retrosonic Podcast episode about my favourite Swedish music at the time. After this nice unexpected bonus, Ebbot then appears on his own with an acoustic guitar and runs through a long story, humorous apparently to those that can understand Swedish! He plays his first solo single “Wishing Well” and we all join in on the Burt Bacharach style-backing vocals. There’s Union Carbide Productions “Can’t Slow Down” and great versions of The Beatles’ “Day In The Life” and Bowie’s “Five Years”. The band come back and run through another set packed full of great songs from all aspects of Ebbot’s career that include the cover versions “Don’t Blow Your Mind” and “Calling From Heaven” which the band have made their own. Of course, there’s the stunning singles “To Be Continued” and “Backdrop People” that all feature on the excellent debut Indigo Children LP “For The Ages To Come”. The set draws to a close with raucous attacks on “Bigtime” and “Mantra Slider” and despite the clock approaching 2am, they still come back for more. The encores are a blur, Ebbot climbs over me to stand on the table, I do remember “Sister Surround”, “Firmament Vacation” and what must surely be Sweden’s unofficial national anthem, “Instant Repeater ‘99”. The show finally draws to a close with an emotional and moving singalong of “The Passover” and it proved to be a truly memorable night that lived up to all those old classic Soundtrack of Our Lives shows at Slussens Pensionat. If you ever get chance to visit this magical venue then please don’t hesitate, you might end up like me, hooked for life.
 

Ebbot Lundberg & The Indigo Children by Retro Man Blog

Ebbot has been busy provided vocals once again for the ‘super-group’ 5 Billion In Diamonds who will be releasing their second alum early next year. The band is masterminded by Garbage drummer and Nirvana producer Butch Vig, James Grillo and Andy Jenks and features Damian O’Neill from The Undertones, David Schelzel, Damon Reece and Helen White among other special guests. Ebbot also spearheaded the Union Carbide Productions reunion last year with Billy joining original band members Patrick Caganis, Per Helm, Adam Wladis and Henrik Rylander and we were lucky enough to see a stunning show in Gothenburg which you can read about in the Blog archive here. There’s also good news that a documentary on the band is currently in production. The other members of TSOOL have been equally as busy. Following one superb album of classic Rock with the band Free Fall, Mattias Bärjed has become a critically acclaimed movie and TV soundtrack composer and has combined this with touring with Refused. Along with Martin Hederos, he got Nymphet Noodlers back with original members Mattias Hellberg, Jesper Karlsson and Jan Martens, who has also recently released his own debut solo LP “Voices”. Martin Hederos has also just simultaneously released two brand new albums, one of piano music “Era Spår” under his own name and another “Master of Fog” with Tonbruket. Ian Person is currently in the excellent Punk Rock band Pablo Matisse with Per from Division of Laura Lee and has also been working on a TV soundtrack with Kalle. Ian also produced and played on the “Ghostrider” album by Swedish Rock ‘n’ Roll legend Jerry Williams along with TSOOL’s drummer Fredrik Sandsten.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives at Slussens Pensionat by Paul Slattery

So, there is plenty of great new music from all the ex-TSOOL members to fill that void left since the band finished. With sincere thanks to Hasse & Liselott, Vibs & Robert and best regards to Ebbot, Albert, Billy, Anton, Alfred and Oskar. You can check out the Retro Man Blog Facebook page for more photos of the show and there are also videos up on our YouTube channel here. Check the Blog archive for loads of Soundtrack of Our Lives related features including the band’s last ever London and Slussens shows. There’s features on the Nymphet Noodlers and Union Carbide Productions reunions and don’t forget our Retrosonic Podcast special editions featuring interviews with Ebbot, Ian Person, Fredrik Sandsten, Mattias Barjed and Mattias Hellberg and much more. Thank you to Paul Slattery for his photos, copyright Paul Slattery or Retro Man Blog where stated.

Jan Martens "Voices - Part 1" New Solo LP from the Nymphet Noodlers & Free Fall Bassist

Jan Martens with Nymphet Noodlers, Uppsala 2017 - Photo Retro Man Blog

Jan Martens originally made his name as the bassist with the Karlstad based Nymphet Noodlers who, according to our in-depth Retro Man Blog retrospective, would go on to become one of the most underrated yet influential bands in Sweden. After all, Jan and his band-mates, vocalist Mattias Hellberg, guitarist Mattias Bärjed, keyboard player Martin Hederos and drummer Jesper Karlsson certainly had a lasting impact on the Swedish music scene. The Hellacopters, Nicolai Dunger, A Camp, The Solution, Stefan Sundström, Dundertåget, Henrik Berggren, Diamond Dogs, Refused, Tonbruket, Sofia Karlsson, Anna Ternheim, Nationalteatern, Håkan Hellström and of course The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Free Fall…the list of bands, artists and projects that each has been involved with in some way or another over the years could be longer than a telephone directory!

Jan, whose inventive and thunderous bass playing has seen him compared to John Entwhistle, has just released a brand new solo LP entitled "Voices – Part 1". The seven track album starts off with the stomping fuzzed up robotic sound of "Big Muff Strikes Again" and then takes us on an eclectic journey that encompasses the catchy guitar driven Pop of "Reaching Out" to the free-form jazz of "U&I" and the atmospheric Pink Floyd influenced dreamy Psychedelia of "Coming Down/Below". So, let us speak to Jan and get a bit more background information on his journey from Nymphet Noodlers right up to the present day and the release of this intriguing new album.

Jan & Martin Hederos, Nymphet Noodlers, Uppsala 2017 - Photo Retro Man Blog

Q: Jan, Nymphet Noodlers called it a day rather unexpectedly after releasing just the one full length LP "Going Abroad", what did you do after the split?

JM: Well, I joined up with ex-Noodlers’ guitarist Mattias Bärjed in the band Mindjive for about six months. We toured Sweden and Germany (with Refused). Then I moved to Stockholm and got into Rocket 99 with Jesper, another ex-Nymphet Noodler and Andreas Byhlin from Singer. We made one album in 1999 but then that ended so I formed The Jan Martens Frustration, also with Jesper. At the same time I toured with Text, a very loose, improvisational band/project started by, among others, David Sandström from Refused. I was also a member of David’s backing band when he toured his first solo album after Refused. I’d recommend “Om det inte händer något innan imorgon, så kommer jag”. An entire album about his grandfather, a farmer in northern Sweden. It’s a fantastic record, really unique.



Q: I love The Jan Martens Frustration album, especially the track "Pole Position" which has such a superb bass line. It was a shame that this project was also short-lived. What happened?


JM: The recording of the JMF album was very troubled, mostly due to a conflict regarding the financial deal between the record company and the producer. It led to huge delays in the recording, which was horrible. This was a time when the whole music industry went through major changes and things were very insecure. Also one member, Olof, got very ill in 2002. Jesper started playing with Diamond Dogs and I started thinking of getting an education. I got me one in psychology. JMF grew into my next band, Convolutions.

Q: Did you stop music while you were studying?

JM: For a while I was in Thomas Rusiak’s touring band along with Christian Gabel on drums and Free Fall Producer, Martin "Konie" Ehrencrona on guitar. During this period I also rehearsed and recorded with The Plan although that material was never released. During my university years I rehearsed and recorded with Convolutions, a duo featuring Olof Korlén, Jesper’s younger cousin. He had also played guitar solos on four songs on the JMF album and played live at most of our shows, sometimes with Robert 'Strings' Dahlqvist on second guitar. Unfortunately, they both died within less than four months of each other, not long ago…Olof very sadly killed himself in late 2016. He suffered from a severe mental illness, with psychotic episodes, that first broke out when we were playing in JMF. The song "x7009" on the new album is about him.



Q: Of course we know about Martin Hederos and Mattias Bärjed joining The Soundtrack of Our Lives, but you have also had some association with them too haven’t you?


JM: Yes, I also played on some songs on Mattias Bärjed’s soundtrack to the TV series "Upp Till Kamp" and the movie "Call Girl" and was a member of the fictitious dance band "Marzipan" in the "Gentlemen" movie and TV series. I also stood in for Kalle for some Soundtrack of Our Lives shows in 2011 and 2012. This year, in addition to "Voices – Part 1" I’ve also done some sessions for Daniel Haeggström’s Haertz Arkestra. He’s not performing himself, he’s producing and he likes to get different people together to see what happens. He has chosen and rearranged several songs from Björn Olsson’s "Shellfish" albums… When we were mixing the NN album in '94 me, Mattias and Mattias stayed in Björn's apartment. He then played us some of his peculiar home recordings that later came to be TSOOL songs. Also, Ebbot produced the NN album.


Jan with Free Fall, Paris 2012 - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Q: You released a critically acclaimed classic Heavy Rock album with Free Fall in 2013 with Mattias Bärjed, vocalist Kim Franson and drummer Ludwig Dahlberg and many people have been waiting for a follow up. When did the idea for a solo album come about? After all, it’s been 14 years since the last album to bear your name (Jan Martens Frustration) was released.


JM: Well, I began working on this album sometime in the summer of 2014 when it had become clear that the motivation was not where it ought to be for every member of Free Fall. I decided that this time round I didn’t want to try to form a new band again as it is very difficult to find the right chemistry. However, I definitely didn’t want to give up playing - not at all - as during the Free Fall years I found myself getting more into music again after studying psychology for half a decade. I wanted to try a bunch of ideas that I found interesting and original but that had either been rejected or met with disinterest or just didn’t work out well in earlier bands. "Voices – Part 1" is much more of a solo project than the Jan Martens Frustration, which was after all, meant to be a band. I’ve never really been interested in being a solo artist, for the most part I simply prefer bands. Always saw myself as a band person. Had to change that, though.

Jan & Ludwig Dahlberg, Free Fall, backstage London 2013 - Photo Retro Man Blog

Q: You’re not only playing bass on the album are you, you’re also playing guitar and singing?

JM: Yes, and piano and percussion and drum programming… I thought I should try to do as much as possible by myself this time which meant that I needed to get better at playing guitar. I mean I really had to learn to play the guitar the way that I wanted it to be played on these songs. I’m very keen on improvisation, I want a loose, spontaneous, jazzy feel. To me that’s the highest art, most of my favourite bands improvised a lot, especially live. And I think in rock music that part of it since has been lost, to a large extent. So, for 3-4 years I’ve been annoying my family with hours and hours of noisy guitar, practicing at home using Marshall and Hiwatt amps.. Listening to someone practicing controlling guitar feedback can’t be too rewarding…



Q: Were you nervous about singing?

JM: Yes. I needed to improve my singing. In fact, I ended up singing more than I first intended as originally I was thinking of asking people to sing guest vocals quite a bit. But as time went by I came to decide that it would probably be necessary to also try to do that myself. There was lots of trial and error with what keys the songs should be played and sung in, as my vocal range is quite limited.



Jan Martens, Free Fall, London 2013 - Photo Retro Man Blog

Q: You said you had a clear idea of how you wanted the album to sound, how did you go about making it happen?

JM: Quite clear at least. One more thing that I needed to do was get the right gear to be able to record and produce the music at home, to make it sound the way I wanted it to. I have never been satisfied with the production on anything I’ve played on before, especially not with the bass guitar sounds. So I began searching and trying out guitars, microphones, guitar and bass speakers and even different strings that actually can make huge differences in sounds and playability. I also tried and learned to control various fuzz pedals and other stomp boxes and different methods of recording too. I love fuzz boxes, they’re like instruments in themselves. Extremely dynamic and sensitive to touch and guitar volume and tone controls. I ended up with a basic set-up of one small guitar speaker, one small bass speaker and three not so small amp heads - I must use an attenuator to avoid me and my family getting evicted! I recorded everything in a room in our house using three different microphones, always just one at a time, and all the editing and mixing was done on my laptop.



Q: There’s a 'real' drum sound on the LP; did you play and record the drums at home yourself? 

JM: At first I thought I might record everything with MIDI drums or drum loops but it didn’t take long until I felt the need of a real drummer on several songs. So I asked a childhood friend that I thought could fit well. For this we needed to record in a real studio so I booked Studio Cobra, where Free Fall recorded everything we did. It went well and he has since come to Stockholm from Karlstad once more, playing on nine songs so far. He played along to the tracks that were already recorded with drum loops, which were then deleted afterwards. That’s not too easy to do, but he did well and was really quick. I also asked another friend to play trumpet on one song and synthesizer on two, and asked my wife, stepdaughter and Kim Franson from Free Fall to sing backing vocals.

Jan & Kim Franson, Free Fall, London 2013 - Photo Retro Man Blog

Q: Lyrically, what sort of subjects do you tackle on "Voices – Part 1" and do you enjoy this part of song writing?

JM: Lyrics are always slow, and quite painful, work for me and I tend to write them late in the process. Subjects this time range from pretty nonsensical stuff to my close friend’s mental illness and suicide. Most songs turned out pretty relationship-focused although that wasn’t my plan, that’s just where they ended up…I always let the atmosphere 'decide' where the lyrics may go.



Q: So, are you already thinking of a "Voices – Part 2"?

JM: Yes, I recorded more songs than those that ended up on the album. I chose these seven to get the right length for a vinyl album and so they would work OK together. So Part 2 might not take too long to finish since there’s quite a lot more material that has already been worked on…

Jan & Mattias Hellberg, Nymphet Noodlers, Uppsala 2017 - Photo Retro Man Blog

With many thanks to Jan for his time. For more information on how to order "Voices - Part 1" please check out the official Jan Martens Facebook page. LP cover art by Hans Selander at SelanderArt. For our in-depth feature on the story of the influential Nymphet Noodlers including a feature on their reunion showin December 2017 please check the Blog archive here.