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YOHIO: Sweden’s best bet to win Eurovision.

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

Yes, it is the final of Melodifestivalen 2013 coming up! The question – who to vote for? The one who really stands out is newcomer YOHIO. He has a great song, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, and an awesome stage act. YOHIO is up against intense competition. Here are some reasons why you should give him your considered vote.

In an ideal world, Eurovision Song Contest should be that. A contest for a song. If it were the case, then ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ would win hands down anyway. The song has been written by a strong writing team, including YOHIO himself. Any song that has the ‘tongue-in-cheek’ audacity to share a title with another song, the one made famous by Elvis Presley, had better be good. And it is. In fact it is great.

‘Heartbreak Hotel’ is no safe predictable bubble-gum. It is a challenging but catchy number. A wailing vocal wall of non-verbal angst rips open the sound barrier onto a bluesy rock ballad of loss. The breathy narrative is relayed by YOHIO through the use of inter-weaving minor chords. This builds up to a thundering chorus line that will have you pushing back the furniture and leaping around.

The story-line is not, incidentally, about a desert motel but it’s about a Japanese ‘love hotel’. So the song builds a thematic bridge between YOHIO’s love for Japanese style with a very fashionable spooky mysteriousness. That will give it immense popular appeal throughout ‘Nordic Noir’- obsessed Europe. This is an intelligent song with good pop sensibilities. It has Eurovision winner potential.

The song alone though, is no guarantee of success. It’s about the stage presence of the performer. YOHIO packs a punch. The ’Heartbreak Hotel’ stage-act is a total entertainment package. Thus the impact of the dazzling costumes, glam stage make-up and wild hairstyles, the stunning choreography, and eye-popping pyro-technic effects all serve to enhance the music. The ‘visual kei‘
Japanese style that underpins YOHIO’s stage performance is tailor-made for being a WINNER for Eurovision 2013.

YOHIO has mastery of social networking media that reflects his huge international appeal. On Facebook alone there are over 70 sites from around the world, dedicated to YOHIO and his band Seremedy. Many of these are from countries participating in Eurovision where, post-Melodifestivalen, the real votes will count. YOHIO’s appeal cuts across age, gender, and genre loyalties. This popularity is reflected in his commanding lead in the betting odds, on-line support, and in the Mello votes to date.

All the Mello acts deserve respect. They have worked very hard to entertain us. I believe YOHIO deserves to win on merit, but there are other factors. Sweden has made a reputation for popular music on the World stage. Sweden is one of the greatest producers of recorded music in the World. Sweden won last year, and is the host for Eurovision. Even if you are still undecided by the merits of YOHIO and ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, then think beyond Mello to the bigger picture. YOHIO is the one to win Eurovision. A vote for YOHIO is a vote for Sweden!

K.M.

Background

‘Sweden Scores in Japan’

‘Welcome to Our MADNESS’

‘A guy wearing a dress is not a sexual thing’

YOHIO – Heartbreak Hotel (Official Video)

YOHIO – Heartbreak Hotel (Performance at Karlskrona, SVT Melodifestivalen)

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I’ve bought a Swedish Police car!

Monday, September 3rd, 2012

This is a TRUE detective story. Yes! I’ve purchased a vintage model, and I’ve cracked a mystery at the same time. It may seem strange that it’s a Ford, when we are more used to seeing Volvos etc. In fact, the Swedish Police have used a whole variety of cars since wayback. It is a Ford Zephyr 6 Mk III. I believe only a small number were purchased, brought in part-built and assembled at the SAAB plant in Trollhättan. The Mk III only had a short run from 1962 – 1966, with only 105,256 made.

O.K. I’ll come clean. When I say it’s a model, it really is that. A model on 1:43 scale. But it is in mint condition and authentic to the period. Very wisely, the previous owner has kept this away from kids’ hands. So mine has the original wing mirrors intact (missing, you will observe in this photograph). I got it cheap off a stall on the market, for 5 English pounds sterling. It’s worth more, but the stallholder was impressed that I knew about its provenance, on what he believed to be a German police car. If it had been in it’s original box, it would have been worth nearer 30 to 40 GBP.

For 5 quid it’s provided me with a lot of fun researching the background. Of particular interest is the livery. The black and white markings are correct for the period. In fact these original police cars were painted with a white top. They were re-sprayed black, after complaints from police forces in Northern Sweden that they could potentially ‘disappear’ in a snowdrift, and not be visible to police helicopters etc.

You see correct examples of the B&W cars in the film of ‘Let The Right One In’ set in 1981. The police livery was changed to white and blue from 1985. Then from 2005 the familiar blue and flourescent yellow ‘Battenburg’ livery was adopted. You see examples of both of the latter as they are phased in, as seen in the Swedish (Henriksson) ‘Wallander’ TV series. The ‘Battenburg’ pattern was actually NOT designed to reflect the colours of the Swedish national flag. An attempt to solve an old problem. The odd geometric configuration was actually ‘designed-in’ by research psychologists, to maximise visibility. In an odd ‘twist-of-fate’ the configuration has been re-imported to many of the U.K. police forces.

So, what became of this Swedish police car? The Zephyr was judged a bit ‘lightweight’ for Swedish requirements and wasn’t re-ordered. It may have been hardy enough for English Pennine police forces, but not reliable enough for Swedish winter weather conditions. It was in use around Stockholm and Göteborg in the south of Sweden, but was consigned to routine traffic duties. Far from the heady ‘cop-chase’ action thrills as seen on the 1960’s BBC groundbreaking gritty police drama of ‘Z-cars’ where the Ford Zephyrs of the title, were as much characters, as the actors.

At this point, the last part of my mystery puzzle started to fall in place. Why such an unrepresentative version of a Swedish police car? The toy I have is one of a limited edition of 2,300 produced for the ‘Police Cars of The World Series’ by Vanguard/ Corgi. The answer to why Valiant chose this model, is that they already had the die-castings as they also produced a West Yorkshire police version, so they just needed to make a few adjustments (note it is left hand drive) and change the livery.

So a slightly ignoble ending to a story of valiance. But, for 5 quid, this toy model has provided me with much joy, and more of a ‘do-it-yourself’ detective story than many a ‘Nordic Noir’ paperback!

K.M.

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‘Welcome to Our MADNESS’

Wednesday, August 8th, 2012

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Today, 8th August, marks a new milestone in the upward progress of ‘Seremedy’, a Swedish rock band rapidly coming to world attention. Their first full album ‘Welcome to Our MADNESS’ is released in Sweden. You can get it on iTunes and also in various CD stores such as Rocks, CDON, Bengans, Megastore etc. It follows on from a very well-received release gig at Klubben Fryshuset, Stockholm, on 4th August, with followers flying in from as far away as Japan. The album was first released in Japan on 25th July, and that was preceded with a promotional video and single called ‘NO ESCAPE’.

It is not surprising that Japan should be the focus of interest. Seremedy specialise in a form of rock music known as ‘visual kei’ or ‘VK style’ which is popular in Japan, as well as having adherents world-wide. The ‘VK’ look places emphasis on challenging on-stage persona: hairstyles, clothing, make-up, often in androgynous fashion, to complement rich tapestries of music drawing on wide influences from neo-classical to heavy metal.

The interest in Japanese popular culture is certainly not feigned. The Swedish ‘wonderkid’ lead guitarist called YOHIO, just turned 17 years-old, has studied and learned to speak and write Japanese from the age of 11. He has been interviewed on Japanese TV fluently holding forth in the language. An interest in anime, manga, and J-rock fuelled his driving ambition. He became a highly respected prodigy in performing guitar speed-licks, and breathtaking improvisational sweeps, posting on Youtube from the age of 12. A third-generation rock guitarist, his father and grandfather have both been guitarists on the international scene. ‘Seremedy’ provided the project vehicle for advancing his career in the company of older ‘brothers’.

Sundsvall-based ‘Seremedy’ came about through the founding members, guitarist RAY and bass-player JENZiih, building on their earlier roots in a band called ‘DESERT’. The aim in 2010 was to have a band that could musically bridge the VK genre divide between the ‘light and darkness’ of popular music sensibilities and heavier rock tastes. Something of a creative schizophrenia they termed; ‘The Madness of Beauty and the Beauty of Madness’, hence the title of their first album. They recruited drummer, LINDER, the 14-year-old YOHIO, and then added Stockholm-based vocalist SEIKE.

Rapid success followed. The reputation of the band preceded them. As well as local gigging, the band was soon on a rollercoaster of admiration. Playing to appreciative audences at Japanese-cultural conventions in Uppsala in 2010 and 2011, and a gig in Russia, it was not long before Japan beckoned. Highly successful tours were arranged there in those years. Interviews with influential magazines and inclusion on a compilation album followed.

In March 2011 a single was released, soon followed by their first EP ‘Seasons will change’. By 2012, YOHIO released his seminal, solo debut, mini-album; ‘Reach The Sky’ and promo-video, which has seen viral-growth on Youtube.

During the past year, Seremedy has seen exponential growth through the use of social media. ‘street teams’, Facebook pages, blogs, Youtube activity etc. They have broken through the old, ‘glass ceiling’ of ‘Can white men sing the blues?’ Japanese interest is voracious. But also, Seremedy support groups now span the globe, from Finland to Italy, from Germany to Latin America.

The acid test is in the music. Without a shadow of doubt, Seremedy has shown a willingness to take risks. Theirs is certainly not a pastiche of J-rock. Within ‘Welcome to Our MADNESS’ a listener will tap into a rich vein of musical talent from guys who dedicate themselves to bringing you the best. Visual ‘kei’ other-worldliness that rocks you to the foundations of who you believe you are.

A World tour of influences from Bach to Beelzebub. A ‘time-travellers’ album as well. Vocal harmonies of SEIKE and YOHIO redolent of the Beatles, sitting alongside industrial metal. A Tardis outing to musical realms you never dreamed were possible.

‘Welcome to Our MADNESS’ WILL disturb your mind! That is the whole point.

Seremedy IS World Music. Sweden IS the epi-centre of this revolution.

Take a taste now. Put down a marker. YOU were there!

K.M.

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ADAGIO IN G MINOR: A Euro-Musical Mystery story

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

Illustration by Victoria Frances

This is a real life ’cold’ case. Perhaps you can help to resolve it? Your input is valued. This is taken from my own libretto developed from the work. Arrangements vary slightly. This is my own setting to ‘Adagio per flauto; Archi ed organo’ Gunilla Von Bahr & Stockholms Kammerenensemble.

Albinoni’s ‘Adagio in G minor’ is a well-loved but doomy, piece of music. The natural assumption being that it was written by the Venetian composer Tomaso Albinoni. Those who search further may be aware that it is often credited as composed by Remo Giazotto, a 20th century musicologist. Sometimes it is represented as ‘arranged by Giazotto’.

The confusion arises over Giazotto’s claim that the composition is founded on his own detective work in making sense of a fragment of manuscript. This, it was claimed was recovered from the State Library in Dresden, shortly after the cessation of hostilities in World War II. This rather conflicted with findings that though the building had been destroyed by Allied bombing, the armed forces had managed to salvage most of its collection.

Key dates circulate around the year ’8’. Attention being focussed on the year 1948, and the questioning of some of the assumptions set out by Giazotto. Purportedly written by Albinoni in 1708. Giazotto copyrights the work and it is published in in 1958. He dies in 1998, never having produced his claimed evidence.

Since then, research has concluded that this piece never existed in the Saxon State Library. Questions, but few answers. Why not stand by, and claim the original as his own? Why the subterfuge? Perhaps an eclectic combination of forensic science, human psychology, artistic reconstruction, and musical intuition, can resolve this unsolved mystery?

What do you think?

ADAGIO

(Organ/ Bass intro)

And when I feel the darkness
Rest heavy on my shoulder
There is nothing to compare
But only to stand and stare
In my own eyes revealed
Even, so ..

So what is, what is, what is love?
Love?
And what is warmth?
Without a soul?
I do not know
I do not know
I do not know

(Organ/ Bass passage)

Even the coldest snow-winds
They will not chill my heartstrings
There is only love in my heart
And nothing can turn me blue
And all this, it must be true
It, is true.

For even in the darkest night
I, still sense your light
Am drawn to it
What am I to do
What am I to do
What am I to do?

(Flute lead over string chord sequences)
(Orchestral section/ organ passage)
(Organ/ Bass intro reprise)

Oh what is love without you?
Without the light I’m blinded
Without your own light to guide me?
I sink into the pit of gloom

Oh
Give me the keys
Unlock your very own soul
Let me in and warm my heart

(Flute/ organ/ orchestral interlude)

So turn away!
Turn away, turn away

I am alone, I am alone!
I am alone
I am alone
I am alone

Go turn away, go turn away
Turn away, turn away
Turn away,
Turn me away

Alone!
Damned!
Go home!
Gone in darkness
Light, surpasses

All ….
All, is one now!
All, is gone now!
All, is gone
Truthfully
Truthfully
Truthfully
I am gone

(Flute section/ finale)

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TRIBUTE TO A MOONBEAM

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

Imagine if you were the following character from a book or film: Born to radical-lifestyle leaning parents, with your mother just turned eighteen. Frequent moves in your early life from town to town, with your parents separating a year after your birth. Your acting career commences aged nine in a TV series. You continue balancing schoolwork and theatre acting. You set up home for yourself aged fifteen, in your country’s capital city. By this time another two film roles behind you, one of which is the lead. At sixteen you quit school to co-star in a feature film for which you a jointly awarded Best Actor by your country’s national film academy.

In the next four years you write for magazines, make personal appearances and you star in another six films and/or TV series. This includes your first role in an internationally acclaimed film. You then suddenly stop acting as a career, return to high school in adult education classes. You pass examinations with flying colours, master computer programming among other skills, and enrol at university. You achieve your new ambition and qualify as a medical doctor, specialising in pediatrics. In between times you are still active in feminist and radical political circles. During this time you have become married, and given birth to your own three children.

And all of this before the age of thirty! Would you find it believable? Well this is no fictional story, it is the true life of Rebecka Månstråle (Moonbeam) Liljeberg, born May 13th 1981. [sometimes credited as Rebecca Liljeberg].

I therefore take this opportunity to wish her a happy thirtieth birthday on May 13th 2011!

If you live outside Sweden, it is possible you might ask ‘who is Rebecka Liljeberg?’’ but within Sweden, she is considered a national treasure. These notes are a tribute to Rebecka.

I guess all of us hope to lead happy and fulfilling lives. Likewise, I believe most of us at some time feel our achievements fall short on our ambitions. Rebecka is a fine example of just what can be attained when we put our minds to it. Without the benefit of family contacts in the industry, the determination she learned at her mother’s knee paid dividends. Natural talent amplified by sheer will-power. Not all of us get the same opportunities to prove ourselves in life. It is also inspiringly typical of Rebecka that she acknowledges her good fortune. Her life is now personally dedicated to her own family, and professionally to the most vulnerable in society: helping heal sick children.

She has never ruled out a return to acting at some point in the future, but it is probably unlikely if ever. It is perhaps a tribute to her enduring popularity that she was ranked fourth among Swedish actors to place the role of Lisbeth Salander in a poll in a Swedish national newspaper. All this, given her unavailability for the part! It would be sad, but understandable, if we did not see her talents applied again to the world of entertainment. The story of child actors and burnout is all too commonplace. Rebecka chose to make a completely tangential move while her artistic career had reached a high-point. In her all-too-brief meteoric career in acting, she has left us with a lasting legacy of acutely observed performance. Her moonbeam continues to glow down on us.

Rebecca Liljeberg, actor, now more commonly recognised as Dr Rebecka Liljeberg.

Happy Birthday, and many happy returns!

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Half Mad, Half Biscuit: The Fika Blues

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

FIKA!

To anyone from Sweden, washed up in the U.K. you know that you have to fight for your right to … fika! Although most ordinary workers enjoy tea-breaks, for many in office employment it is regarded as most disloyal to leave your desk for a break. Much better, it is considered, to precariously balance a plastic coffee machine cup near your paperwork, and risk getting crumbs and flakes of food lodged in your keyboard.

Using subterfuge to leave the office, ‘delivering post’, ‘checking our rivals shopfront windows ’etc is a necessary skill-set for being able to break out for fika. Sadly, too often that means sitting in an overpriced ‘Italian-style’ chain café with a bitter cup of coffee, and for company? How about a ‘Linzer’ biscuit?

I’m not a great fan of the Linzer biscuit. Essentially two discs of sawdust compacted together with jam. Far too unwieldy for dunking in your coffee, as well. This however is not the main point of this rant. To really ruin your fika consider the odd-pricing policy, then choke on your coffee.

The annoying thing is that ‘Linzers’ are for purposes of Value Added Tax (VAT) classified by the Eurocracy as ‘cakes’ rather than ‘biscuits.’ They are therefore taxed as a luxury if consumed on café premises, rather than take-away. Hello Brussels, yes you, wake up at the back there. The clue is in the word Linzer BISCUIT. Got it yet? a rehab B-I-S-C-U-I-T? No, no, no!

Far too simple for the European Union bureaucrats. They probably had to have an all-expenses paid committee of enquiry. Munching away and determining the correct breed classification of the Linzer Biscuit. As Marie Antonette their heroine didn’t say: “Let them eat biscuits”. Look guys, it really is this simple. It’s a BISCUIT. Got that? Not to be confused with the far more upmarket ‘Linzertorte’. Now THAT is a cake. Word association time. Brussels – Brussel sprouts – flatulence – Brussels, HQ of the European Union bureaucracy. Neat.

So, if you really want to risk breaking E.U. Law? You can purchase a coffee AND a Linzer biscuit. But pay for the biscuit as ‘take-away’ and avoid the VAT penalty. If you nibble the biscuit on the premises then you are breaking the law. You can have a last swig of coffee and as you go out, shove the whole biscuit in your mouth. Providing you don’t swallow before you get out of the door, you are street legal. In the U.K. having fika is really a subversive activity.

The Linzer is named after it’s city of origin, Linz in Austria. So what else is Linz famous for? It’s the old stomping ground of Adolf Hitler. They keep rather quiet about this association. It’s a nice enough city, I’ve been there. I didn’t expect a statue but was disappointed that I couldn’t find a monumental plaque, not even a signposted historic route, nor Blue Badge guides offering an ‘Adolf Hitler Town Trail’. I guess the temptation to yell ‘Walk this way!’ would be too much. Goosestepping aside, Hitler may have been defeated, but his spirit is alive and well and living inside the E.U. bureaucracy. Celebrate the fact at your UK fika with a Linzer biscuit, ooops sorry ‘biscuit (cake)’

‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master – that’s all.’

[Maybe first in a series of articles on Swedish adaptation to living in the U.K.?]

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