Final steps of EP, pics from Kristiania gig & address to Antje Øklesund

Here are some pics from my gig at Kristiania two weeks ago, Mimmis camera. Thanks to all the people who showed up! Yesterday I finished my EP, put the sleeve together and discovered a way to make the discs look good. Now all that's left is the printing of the sleeve, something that I will do my best to finish this weekend. So on monday the Monuments EP will be available for anyone who's interested in buying.

The weekend I'll also use for preparing myself for the Antje Øklesund gig, experimenting some with my possibilities to interact with my computer while playing live and rearranging the songs in a more subtle mood. I hope the time is enough and all... Also playing is 

http://www.myspace.com/royalchordroyalchord . It will be fun to play again and I hope to see you there!

The address is:

ANTJE ØKLESUND

c/o Stadtraumnutzung e. V.

Rigaer Straße 71 – 73

10247 Berlin

Gig at Antje Øklesund in November

Hi everybody!

Landwehr Shoot

It seems that I might play at experimental bar/concert place Antje Øklesund on the 4th of november! This feels fun, as it is the first thing I do outside the safe realms of Kristiania and Gaudy. Like the first step out into the real world. I have no idea what the guys there expect, but I have in mind doing minimalist versions of my songs so that I will get bigger possibilities to alter one set from the other, thus making it more fun to play and listen to.

So make a note in your calendars, Nov 4th things will boil again.

Have begun cooperation again with Josef & Fredrik of Cloud Study, this time on some kind of droney yet melodic synths-meet-drum machine-meets-big guitars-meet-frail voices-thing. It seems like we're on to something interesting. Maybe we'll get enough material to do a live set. Well, that's a question for the future. I like it though, we might find the way back to our Broken Mixer Sessions sound. But more mature, of course.

I also added my newest song to my last.fm artist page. Soon to follow are the Soundcloud & Myspace pages. And next week, I'll start the last step of those CD:s! Don't give up!

Cherish this weekend!

Myspace plays & first pictures...

It's fun to see that my plays at Myspace have increased dramatically since my gig. I guess that's a sign how easy it can be to make people want to find out more about your music. Soon the page will be updated though, and what I do now will also be possible to explore. Or I will start using Soundcloud more busily. Thanks to all of you who have been visiting my pages recently!

Jan sent me two pictures. Here they are...

In search for my musical identity, even this pose is crucial

This wall is pretty nice. Good contrast between the nature shots and the suburban sci-fi shots.

Oh, shoot!

Today we made that photo shoot, Jan and me. We found some nice spots down here in Neukölln (by the Landwehr canal and at some sci-fi wall) and with Jans steady hand we got some pretty neat pictures. Some of this material will be posted here and on Facebook, the best parts I'll use for the demo sleeve.

Then we had a long discussion about finding out how you should present yourself as an artist. About feeling natural in the role. Which, I have to admit, I do not, at least not yet.

I struggle with my musical method of expression, as well as with my security as a public figure. I don't know what feels right. But I hope to find out through experience, experimentation. Finding inner peace. If you pardon my clichés. Because that's a big part of what I'm doing right now.

Me and Darren discussing the wonders of Factory records

This blog might be of future importance for me, who knows? What's for certain, is that my future listeners experience should not be disturbed by me seeming insecure or indifferent. I want to reach out to people. I want to take them on a journey. I don't mind admitting that I am a normal human being, as many artists do. But I don't wish for my human doubts and fears to destroy what is the artist Frans Swahn.

I am very grateful for the feedback I've received recently, the discussions I have with kind and interesting people of every trade, about what it's like to create things. The encouragement, the aspects of myself that I am not fully aware of. Even though I feel like a complete egomaniac just discussing these things with people (I hope you all get something out of this as well! ), I think it's very important for me as a person. I have always considered myself somewhat humble, but that kind of attitude might be harmful in the long run.

I will continue, and I have no idea if or when I will end. Maybe one day, I will get tired of it all, realize that I really wasn't made for all this. Or maybe these last few years have only been the first stumbling steps into a life-lasting musical voyage. We'll see.

Thank you for your interest. 

Getting somewhere

I'm tired of not getting anywhere. That's what this is all about.

Looking for café spaces in Neukölln

Welcome to this blog, where I'm going to report on the progress I have with my music. Since spring 2009 I have been working on tons of tracks. As of now, around seven of them represent a sound that I consider relevant. Since I moved to Berlin I've had two gigs, during which I've gotten the opportunity to examine what value my songs may have to other people, how big an impact they do. 

I've begun to realize that what I'm doing is only moving forwards with my music on a personal level. I haven't tried to get my stuff out in a long time, nor have I talked to people about their experiences of my music. Right now I feel I have a script, a model for which angle I'm going to attack my music from these last months of 2010. I'm going to focus on "getting it all out there". 

I'm continuing to look for gigs, while adding the last few details to five or six songs that are going to end up on a demo CD. Two of the tunes will also make it to a single, that will be released on my own future label. CD:s will be available for sale at gigs and can be ordered via internet. The main reason for the finishing of this demo CD is that I'm going to send a copy to every label out there releasing the kind of stuff I'm into.

Yesterday Jan Korgaard (http://www.poeticpeaceproductions.com/) asked me to draw him some pictures for the pre-production of his movie. In return he offered his services as a photographer, suggesting we could do a shoot, the pictures ending up on the sleeves of my records and as promotionals. 

Today I also had a long chat with Flo (http://www.zackboom.com/de/startseite) about how commercials have milked us humans dry of emotions, turning us more and more into violent monsters, and about the free web page production software he's working with. He insisted on me setting up a proper web page, using his services. In return I'd translate their page into swedish. Yet again a pretty good deal, if you ask me. His theories concerning the nasty web commercialism and having your own page as a center (where all your music, photos and videos, updates about shows etc. can be collected in a completely individual manner) pretty much convinced me that this is the way to go. If things go as planned, this blog will be a pretty short-lived one.

Things like this feel good, like a step in the right direction. As if good friends with good ideas is what you really need to move forwards.  I feel optimistic. Things are gathering around me. What I need do now is to play live and get those songs ready, then all will be all-right!