tillmanns

tillmanns interview

i've been talking to a lot of bands that i admire... really in an interview mood, interested in getting to know the processes, the inspirations and most importantly, the people making delightful tunes to cheer our lives.
today we talked with anders, member of the swedish band tillmanns. this is not their first appearance here on chaotisch und charmant. for a few years they've been a favorite in my musical life, so it feels awesome to share their thoughts with you .
also, anders was extremely kind for sharing a new song called 'nothing to do' where we can hear awesome beats and killer guitar riffs. as he mentions on the interview, the foggy atmosphere gives space to warm sunlights.

01. could you tell us how the band started and where the name came from?
anders: me and björn met through a friend whom i played drums with. each time we met at parties we talked about making music. we had the same preferences in music like stone roses and new order.
at first the name was a joke. it’s too complicated.

02.do you get to live of music or have a real job?
a: music is our real job but we have also got fake jobs that brings food to our table.

03. i'm very interested in creative process, so i'd like to know how do you create your songs... how's the process of turning melodic ideas into tunes?
a: my ideas comes late at night and i make a lo-fi recording at home. and then we meet up in the studio and put it all together.

04. your music has this 'analogic-uplifting-decay' mood. i mean, songs like 'twist' and 'hypnosis' make me think about bright days, but there's something dark that seems to be ready to come out any moment. on the other hand there's 'cold hands' that takes me straight to a walk at 6pm in a grey and rainy city somewhere in russia. that because that's how i 'picture' or 'visualize' your music... what can we find in your universe?
a: yes that’s interesting. we’ve been through a period of fog and mist, but soon the sun will shine again, and that influences our new songs.

picture taken from their myspace

05. your references (not only musical)...
a: lot of creation and factory bands. some german kraut and italo disco. movies and books.

06. 'a careless lifestyle' was released in 2007, almost three years now... what have you been doing during this time?
a: making new songs in a very slow tempo. i’ve been working with my solo project ”the harmony”.

07. is there something you could say about the release of new songs or albums?
a: new songs are on it’s way.

08. any song you'd like to cover?
a: maybe a song from e.s.g., i love them. i don’t know…

09. recommend something you've been listening lately...
a: windsurf, durutti column, the pastels and subway.

download: nothing to do

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music to see. 03

the videos here are taken from a few concerts in hamburg, germany. there's this nice project called hit the north that promotes and features live shows from bands coming from the north... i had the pleasure to work with them in march when i made a video for the hari and aino concert.
sometimes the party happens in a club, inside a theater and sometimes on a boat, at the hamburg port.

tillmanns, covering 'desert island' from the magnetic fields


the pains of being pure at heart singing 'stay alive'


and boat club singing 'nowhere'

run

tillmanns ~ run ep (fraction discs, 2006)

i've already posted the first full lenght of tillmanns, the duo from sweden making icy new wavish songs with metallic guitar riffs and hooks.
this ep is their debut and it was the first release from label/mail order fraction discs.
here you'll find 4 uplifting lo-fi tracks, including a version of 'twist', one of the best songs of the album. this version contains some noises that seems to be a racing car accelerating, creating a new layer that brings - at first - a weird feeling, but then you realise that those sounds actually make you feel the song in your chest and helpless, all you can do is dance.
'background' is also featured in the album, but here the pace goes slower and the mood is a bit darker.
there's also 'run' and 'my london love', two songs with swirling guitars, drum machines and layers of keyboards.
you can hear echoes of the field mice, my bloody valentine, stockholm monsters and new order.
the addictive guitars, emotional keyboards and wistful lyrics that populate a careless lifestyle can already be found here.
(run ep was named single of the year by norman records).




01. run
02. my london love
03. twist (spaced out)
04. background

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a careless lifestyle

tillmanns ~ a careless lifestyle (fraction discs, 2007)

tillmanns comes from the prolific music scene of gothenburg and is formed by andreas and björn (well, it seems that now the duo had become a trio with the addition of a bass player).
they make music with undeniable new wave influences. and their sound also makes me think about bands like the cure, joy division and french dark wave act asylum party.
actually the combination is quite odd but works pretty well: on one side you have a darker new wave on keyboards and anders' hollow voice, and on the other pulsating life affirming melodies and winding guitar hooks.
speaking of guitar hooks there are incredible (contagious and vicious) moments like 'hypnosis' and 'twist' that'll most likely have you dancing.
the album has the atmosphere of an old vinyl from the early 80's that was found in the basement.



01. heavy rotation
02. background
03. hypnosis
04. cold hands
05. instrumental
06. opening
07. new place
08. sketching
09. twist (radio edit)
10. time

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