"Four Space Souls"
 

Interview with the keyboardist Ola Eriksson

 

By Sergio Vilar

Before anything, thank you to grant something of your time for this interview. Count us a little on the beginnings of Blandbladen...
Well... it all started somewhere around the Autumn of 2000 when me and Sebastian moved to Malmö. We allready had a friend living here who was playing the guitar. Soon after we found Dave (the bass player) and Erik (drums) with help by notes that we applied all over the city during a music festival. Erik wasn’t in the band for so long though and we lost the guitar player as well. Soon Anders joined us on drums and it was from here Blandbladen’s music structures got shaped and developed to the sounds you can hear today.

Why Blandbladen? How did you decide the name of the group?
The name popped up on a party. We were just sitting and playing around with words. Someone came up with the word Blandbladen and we thought it sounded nice. It’s Swedish and the closest translation would be “among the leaves”. We thought it would suite the music.

To those who recognize as your more direct musical influences?
Gong, Ozric Tentacles, Bo Hansson, Pink Floyd and lots of more.    

How and why were they attracted by the Psychedelic Space Rock?
Me and Sebastian got very impressed after had been on a gig in Copenhagen 2001 with Ozric Tentacles. They gave us some fuel and energy boost to our minds to create. That was a real trigger =)  

Well, do let us speak a little about “I Grevens tid”. Did you compose the tracks with some idea it specifies in mind, or did you simply let them to leave natural form?
The tracks were born basically on jams. Someone came up with fragments and then the tracks evolved through jamming. Lots of jamming and breaks for discussions on how to continue a track, and what kind of motion it should have at a specific time... It usually took us several months to complete a track. And even when a track had been recorded or played live it was never really finished. We always had something to change later on.

Then, how much is there of written material and all of improvisation in what we can listen in the CD?
The sounds on the CD are from the beginning based on jams and improvisation. After lots of jamming we usually decide to keep different parts, for example melodies and specific chords and continue working from there. All the tracks have many settled parts but we still tried to keep room for some improvisation here and there.

Would you say that it exists some idea or recurrent concept in the inspiration of your compositions?
I’m not sure. It’s hard not to get influences from others these days. There’s so much that already has been done. We wanted it to be instrumental. We wanted the music to speak for itself and to let the listener create an image and a story of his/her own. Everyone in the band got their own influences from jazz, punk, trance, blues, prog rock etc. But we all agreed on that the sound should be psychedelic and powerful. We wanted to create tales and journeys inspired by nature and all of its surroundings...     

You published “I Grevens tid” in independent form. Do you plan to continue presenting your music in the same way in the future? Which are the advantages and disadvantages?
The independent form is quite nice. You can do what ever you want and you have full control. It’s not that hard to spread your music these days. We just wanted to record some nice tunes for the beings on this planet. The hardest part is always the money I guess. With a bit more money you can always get a better recording sound. And with a label behind you I guess you’ll get a bit more attention. But we do this for fun and just want to deliver you all some nice music... so for now we’re happy as it is.  

What projects or do expectations have in the immediate thing after the edition of the album?
No expectations really!
We were hoping that someone out there would like it besides ourselves =)

Are you composing material for the next album?
I guess this question has a clear answer...
Sebastian has moved 500km away to a house out in the forest. An awesome place I must say!!! So we decided to split up! We will continue having projects together though. Some months a year we hook up with our Danish friends in Copenhagen for some free form space-jamming under the name Oresund Space Collective. Me and Sebastian will also try produce something with some help of internet. But for now Blandbladen is closed!   

How would you say that your musical development will continue in the future?
I would say that even though Blandbladen won’t be there we will still be making music in some way or another.

What activities outside of the music they do develop each one of you?
We’ve all had or still have different activities going on outside Blandbladen. Like I’ve mentioned we’re all involved in Oresund Space Collective, Dave keeps his bass fingers warm in other bands as well and I have my trance project named Derango with a friend.   

That is everything friends. Would you like to add something to finish the interview?
We would like to say thanks to everyone that has supported us through these years. It ment a lot!
We hope we can inspire others to explore the world of instrumental, psychedelic music. The world needs more!!!

www.blandbladen.tk
www.oresundspacecollective.com
www.derango.tk

Nucleus interview: 31/08/05