Interviews: The first interview with Anders Wollbeck based on the fans' questions

Please tell us about yourself

I was born and grew up in Stockholm, Sweden. After studying to be a civil engineer I made a couple of U-turns and ended up working as a copywriter for a business-to-business advertising agency. During this time I started pursuing my great interest in life: music. I came in contact with the music business in the late 80s and worked part time with music throughout the 90s. (I don't remember sleeping during that decade, trying to handle two jobs while raising a family at the same time). A few years ago I decided to concentrate on music and sold my shares in the agency. I have little formal music training of but took some classical guitar lessons.

your interests

Music, reading, films, travelling, hanging out with family and friends, working out, spending time at our summerhouse in the Stockholm archipelago. I also bought a nice boat last summer (hitting the rocks after four days )

the date of your birthday ;-)

February 10.

Tell us about your family.

I am married to Marie (who did most of the AOL album covers). We have two children Maximilian (14) and Filippa (10).

What are your favourite food and drinks?

Favourite food: Asian and Italian
Favourite drinks: A nice Chianti or Chablis wine

Do you have a favourite band/artist?

I change my music taste all the time and I am very easily bored. Hundreds of different artists has at various points been the soundtrack to my life, for example: Steely Dan, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, Air, ELP, Robbie Williams, Stravinsky, Yes, Prodigy, Missy Elliot, Seal, Koop, Japan, Deep Purple, Massive Attack, Aimee Mann, Black Sabbath, Chic, Nicola Conte, Temptations, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Simple Minds, Earth Wind & Fire, Dr Dre I also love great pop singles and one hit wonders.

Who had the greatest influence upon your music and why?

I would say vintage Pet Shop Boys. The melodies and lyrics go right to my heart. For this reason, it was a lot of fun to produce "Love Life", the track Pet Shop Boys wrote for Alcazar.

Did anything impress you from recent albums?

I have listened a lot to Matmos lately. Fascinating stuff. Who could argue with people combining sounds from life-supporting equipment with bowed banjos.

Money and art - are they compatible?  Does it seem to you, that there is some kind of stultifying process going on now and there are many singers who take care just of how to sell themselves better?

To me the only valid point is if you are moved by the music. Personally I have been moved by music made by both cynical bastards as well as idealistic saints. Besides, I like both money and art.

Which is your favourite Alcazar and Army Of Lovers song?

Army Of Lovers: The Day The Gods Help Us All
Alcazar: Nothing But The Video On

When did you and Bard first meet and how did your co-operation begin?  Which was the first song you made together?

We met at a crayfish party at producer StoneBridge's house and discovered that we both liked Chic and we both were strange creatures in the music community. This was at the time when AOLs first album was almost finished. We met a few days later and wrote "Ride The Bullet", "Sexual Revolution" and a track called "Change Of Attitude". The whole process took about two hours.

You were part of all Bard's greatest projects. Will you participate in Bodies Without Organs? If not, why not?

Alex asked me early last summer if Mattias and I had any suitable songs for the project. However, Mattias and I have been devoting our lives writing, recording and producing songs for the Vacuum album. Especially the production has been a very time-consuming process. I wish Alex all the luck with his new project.

What is your first hit?

My first big international hit was "Crucified". I had a few local hits before that.

Could you tell us in more details the process of song writing using the example of song "Crucified". The song is beautiful and I'm very much interested in how it was created.

Alex had the idea of covering an old Secret Service song with AOL. I was never a fan of that band (and hate doing covers) so I was a bit reluctant but agreed to try to create and arrangement.  As we worked for several hours I grew more and more frustrated and finally said. "Fuck this, we can write a better song". Then out of nowhere I banged out the chords, Alex started screaming and the chorus practically wrote itself. It took about five minutes. Eventually, a lot of parts from the Secret Service arrangement were used in "Crucified". Alex collaborated with Jean-Pierre on the lyrics.

When you were working with Alexander Bard and Army of Lovers, and co-wrote the majority of songs with him, did you co-write only the music or the music and the lyrics?

A lot of songs were written at the old Sonet studios where we were working at the time. I would be bored out of my mind waiting for a mix to be finished, retreating to the grand piano in the studio. Whenever I came up with something interesting I would drag Alex from his Economist of horseracing magazines to present the idea to him. He usually came up with a lyrical idea right away revenge, anorexia, carrying heavy stuff to Ukraine, etc Alex wrote virtually all the lyrics together with the band. I was so busy with the arrangements that I never got into writing lyrics then.

How difficult is it to write the songs?

Sometimes songs come very easy. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth. Writing a country song would be a very difficult process for me

What comes first - lyrics or melody?

I like to start with a song title and use fake English while doing the melody. I always start with the chorus melody. Mattias likes to begin with the verse.

When does an idea for song usually come to you?

From the strangest places. I went out jogging one really misty night and heard two guys say "Lets run backwards this time". Then these two guys disappeared in the mist in front of me running backwards. This inspired the song "Running Backwards Over The Hills" on the Julie album.

"Celebrate The Night", which we wrote with Andreas Lundstedt, was inspired by a TV-documentary about people acting out fantasies being vampires.

What is more important during your songwriting: intuition or a certain knowledge how to create music touching the heart?

I always try to forget all the "tricks of the trade" and when writing songs. I also try to be as objective about the song as possible. If the song is touching my heart chances are that the song will touch other hearts as well.

My experience is also that if you are relaxed and have a good time when you are working, this will reflect in the finished production. On the other hand if the atmosphere is tense and you feel a lot of pressure to "produce a hit" the result will be crap.

Which member of Wollbeck/Lindblom duet writes main lyrics; who creates the concept of music etc.? Who is the main ideologist of Vacuum?

We write both the music and lyrics and together. During the production phase I do most of the arranging while Mattias does most of the vocal production. The main ideologist in Vacuum is the stuffed tiger head in our studio. (No, his name is not Alex )

What is your favourite Vacuum song? And why?

I Breathe, (am I being boring now?) and the entire new album.

How often do you argue with each other during the writing of songs and whose opinion usually wins :-)

Sometimes we have different opinions, usually about totally irrelevant minor details. I always win (by giving Mattias the impression he won). No physical violence yet

Being so important person in Vacuum why were you invisible for all the time?

The idea for Vacuum grew out Alex and my ambition to work with a singer that could really perform our songs. We had written "Pride In My Religion" and realised that this type of music required a special voice. We auditioned a bunch of people (among them a crazy flamboyant opera singer) and then Alex met Mattias.

Hearing Mattias demo on the phone I immediately agreed that this is the voice we were looking for. We were discussing the possibility of me being part of the band but at that point I had another day job as well as small children at home so those plans were ditched. Eventually Marina were added to the group and I took the role of playing small cameo roles in videos.

Why is there only Mattias on the Fools Like Me cover picture?

I am not a fool like Mattias (cough, cough I know, bad joke but couldn't resist that one).

Are you planning to appear on the cover of the album?

I might be lurking in the shadows somewhere

You will be on the stage with Mattias now. What are you going to do on
the stage? Dancing or singing? ;-) Or playing music?

No Nobel Prize to those who make the right guess I will be on stage for special occasions like the Pride festival this summer. The dancing will be performed by girls in cages or did I confuse Vacuum with Motley Crue now?

It would be interesting to know what musical instruments you are playing?

Guitar and keyboards. Nowadays, I use a lot of complex soft synths like Absynth and Reaktor. I love creating unique sounds and strange soundscapes. Mattias is a really good drummer and can fake it on just about any instrument.

What can you say about the new Vacuum's album?

Our humble ambition was to write the best album of all times. Maybe we will not quite live up to that ambition but I definitely feel that it contains some of the best songs I have written. It is also the most consistent album I have been involved in. I think Mattias is singing better than ever stretching his range and expression.

What kind of the future do you see for the band?

Mattias and I will continue with Vacuum as long as we think we have something to say.

What do you think about Vacuum-98 and Vacuum-2004?

Lip-gloss: 98
Beard: 04
Weird key signatures: 98
Weird soft synths: 04
Flugelhorn solos: 98
Cello solos: 04
Science of the sacred: 98
Something Evil I Love: 04

What would you answer to those who say that Vacuum today is more pop than it was earlier?

"Pop" is short for "popular" right? I certainly hope that the album will become popular. However, even a song like "Fools Like Me" (which really is not that representative of the album) is a lot more complex than the average pop song with several key changes, dissonant chords and a melody that requires an amazing vocal range. I would say: Listen to the new album before you make up your minds.

How often do you visit Vacuum's sites?

Sometimes every day. Sometimes more infrequently. I really, really appreciate the great work of the people that contribute to the sites.

How important to you are fans' opinions about your songs?

That is an interesting question. As I understand it, there are some fans that want us to continue developing the Vacuum sound and some that think we should make another album like "The Plutonium Cathedral". As a music lover I can relate to those feelings. Sometimes you don't want your favourite bands to change. However, you can't keep on repeating yourself. Bands like Led Zeppelin and Queen never did follow-ups to "Stairway To Heaven" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" despite the fact that those songs are among the most loved songs of all times. Alex and I tried several times to write songs in the mould of "Crucified". We failed miserably every single time.

That said, we definitely care about our fans' opinions about the songs and are positive that all our fans will listen to the new album with an open mind.

What is a video-clip? Is it a sort of advertising only? Does it seem to you that the modern video has turned into struggle of technologies?

I rarely see videos that excite me anymore. Personally, like to invent my own pictures to the music.

Are there any principles in your life you cannot break?

Wow, heavy question. To be loyal. And to stay with the truth.

What are your advantages and characteristic features?

To quote Muhammed Ali "I am the greatest .and humble too".

I really enjoyed answering the questions. This is actually the first time I have done anything like this. Here we go......
The very best regards
Anders