Frequently asked questions: Hakan Lidbo

1. Where do you or your band come from?

I was born in Malmo, an industrial town in the very south of Sweden. Everybody played rock'n'roll and wore black leather jackets there (they still do).

2. How old are you?

20th July 1965 - I'm 33 years old.

3. What kind of musical training?

I played the piano as a kid but got bored and bought myself a synth. I was the first one to buy a sampler in my home town so suddenly everybody asked for me when a record should be recorded - "call HÂkan, he can make some twisted shit". I spend all my money on synths and finally I had myself a studio. My father played the trumpet in a jazz band when he was young (You can actually hear his music on my new album on April records (Denmark) hidden before track one -it's a recording from 1952.

4. How did you get your start? Or when did the band come to be?

I played with a series of crappy rock bands in the 80's, but I never really liked it. I hate working with badly organized people, drummer that always are late, bass players that rather would play jazz - I prefer making everything myself, that's why the studio is my favorite environment.

5. When was the first time you performed in public? First gig? What were your thoughts? Where and when? Any tours since? Have you played outside of Sweden?

I did a Kiss impersonation when I was eight. I joined my first band when I was fifteen and we performed covers at a local festival - terrible! I made my first solo project called Solid State in the late 80's - I made early acid jazz. I sampled Miles Davis and John Coltrane on top of heavy hip hop loops, I performed as support act to Public Enemy when the were in Scandinavian tour 1991. We did tracks like Miles Davis' "Decoy" - hard hip hop loops with a live trumpet player and a saxophone player. Pretty fresh to be 1991 if I may say so myself. Then I pretty much gave up the idea of being an artist, I produced artists in Sweden, Denmark, England etc. Some artists also had a bit of success - I produced a Danish transvestite called Alexis and his tracks became hits on the gay house scene. I produced two albums with the band that later changed name to Anesthesia (Blueroom) together with Andy Hughes from the Orb. I made an interesting, almost industrial production with Martin Smith (exploding plastics) in London with a female vocalist (Billie Holliday meets Autechre). I have released loads of singles and albums all over the world (see discography). Spring 1998 I started my own small label called left < > right recordings and fall 1998 I started another label called Deck Deli, but I didn't release my own material there. Now I've left the record company that held those labels to start my own business - a company called Container that license house and techno to the best labels in USA, England and the rest of the world. After only a few months in the business we have licensed loads of tracks and most of them can actually be found on the charts right now. I will do some festivals this summer so I'm working on improving my live set right now.

6. Musical inspirations? Influences? Who?

Jazz, Latin, electro, funk, hip hop, house, acid, world and folk music, punk, classic, contemporary art music, electroacoustic music. Pretty much everything there is. Names like John Barry, Lalo Schifrin, Bobby Trafalgar, Henry Manchini, Bernard Herman, Carlos Jobim, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Modern Jazz Quartet, Xavier Cugat, Milton Bananas, Spike Jones, Stockhausen, Xenakis, Gi?rgi Ligeti, Philip Glass, Holger Hiller, Blixa Bargeld, Brian Eno, John Cage, Jonas Broberg, Erik Mikael Karlsson, ake Parmerud, Yello, Prefab Sprout, Scritti Politti, Arthur Baker, Norman Whitfield, James Brown, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Shirley Bassey, Bill Laswell, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Lyle Mays, John Garbarek, David Bowie, Cari Lekebusch, Adam Beyer, Jeff Mills, The Advent, Surgeon, Photek, David Holmes, Public Enemy, Hab, Derrick May, Spiritualized, Biosphere, Aphex Twin, Those Norwegians, Diamanda Galas, Devilfish, Laid, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Squarepusher, Coldcut, James Hardway, Autechre, Stereolab, Pan Sonic and Kraftwerk.

7. Any interesting childhood stories which is linked to your musical career or music in general?

Nope.

8. Press opinions?

See following pages!

9. Schooling from High School up? University? What lines did you study or are studying?

Natural science on high school, art history and history on the university.

10. Family background? Your roots in other words?

My mother is from a peasant family that goes back many hundred years in the area in the south of Sweden where I grew up. My father, who died in spring 1999, was adopted - he didn't know anything of his family background and he didn't want to know.

11. Unusual hobbies or collections?

I collect late 60's vintage furniture and hi-fi equipment. And off-course I'm always looking for interesting machines for my studio. I try to get hold of machines that sounds different and sometimes really bad - I think that an interesting atmosphere in music often comes from the bad sounds and lo-fi equipment.

12. How did your record deal come to be?

I send a Cdr. and after a few days I received a phone call.

13. What are your plans for the future?

To take electronic music to new levels. As the method of recording pop/dance music has completely changed when computers got into the studios, it's amazing that it stills sounds pretty much the same. Some producers that call their music experimental are nothing but copy cats, the technology gives us an opportunity to make music in a completely different way so the music should sound completely different.

14. Philosophy on life? Religious beliefs or non-beliefs?

I believe in God but not in religion.

15. What are your viewpoints on Sweden? Explain as if you were talking to a foreigner.

A country of very efficient, hard working people. As everybody knows, the most beautiful women in the world can be found in Sweden. Loads of talented musicians. Stockholm produces probably the best techno and house in the world but there are almost no clubs. So we like to work, not to dance.

16. Blood type? Astrological sign?

Thick blood. Cancer.

17. FAVOURITE THINGS

a. Favorite Food? Sushi.
b. Favorite all-time records? Yello - You gotta say yes to another excess.
c. Favorite all-time song? Do you know the way to San JosÈ by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
d. Favorite all-time movie? Favorite actor or actress? 2001 by Stanley Kubrick.
e. Favorite all-time book? Author? Breakfast for Champions by Kurt Vonnegut.
f. Favorite artist (as in sculpture, painting, etc...)? Marcel Duchamps.
g. Favorite thing to do in spare time? Go to restaurants. buy vintage vinyl. Make love.
h. LEAST Favorite thing to do? Waiting and being bored.
I. Favorite Sports? Fencing.
j. Board game or cards. Hnefertafl (Viking game from 7th century)

18. Describe your personality in one word? Nice.

19. Your advice to a total stranger on the street if you could give it freely?

Don't put things into your ears. In there you can find very delicate nerves and the smallest bone in the human body - if you destroy those bones and nerves you will loose your balance. You will constantly fall and hurt yourself, so don't stick things into your ears.

20. Describe your music in five words or less?

Structured, intelligent, serious and funky.

21. Any deep dark secrets you would like to share?

I have a few but I keep them to myself.

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