 Stina Nordenstam frälser världen
By Niklas Wahllöf
Published: DN October 6th 2004
Translation by: hegude
Hela Stina Nordenstams karriär har präglats av oviljan att kommunicera
på annat sätt än via skivor. Nu vill hon bättra på
sin självbild.
Stina Nordenstam is never playing live. She's almost never accept being
interviewed. But nevertheless, there are more than 500 articles about her
in the electronic press archives.
Stina Nordenstam's music - located half-way between, and at the same time
so far away from what we call jazz, pop, rock or whatever - has in an unusual
way moved a lot of people deeply.
In a week her new album will be released, "The world is saved",
and this time Stina has decided to break with her not-meet-the press-policy.
- It gives you a bad self-image to always say no, says Stina Nordenstam
and looks like she partly regrets her decision.
She's eating fruits, drinking mineral water and taking snuff. Her eyes are
large and recording. The star tattooed on her left arm would probably disappear
in a doorkeeper's fold of the skin. But on Stina Nordenstam it seems enormous.
Yes, she is short and tiny. And yes, she's still singing like she whispered
the words in your ear, But the word "fragility" that is commonly
used when describing her, feels totally misleading. Stina Nordenstam is
not a peaceful fairy, as a matter of fact she shows a consciousness that
is rare for most of her colleagues. If Los Angeles seemed to be a good choice
for a recording session, then Stina has travelled there, with musicians,
producers and everything. If New York seems to be the perfect place for
taking photos, her pictures has been taken there and nowhere else. If she
has wanted to sing with Brett Anderson on her album, he has featured. Stina
Nordenstam always does what she wants, and gets what she wants.
- But I don't have any plans when I start making the music, she says. I
can recognize the main theme for each album afterwards, and there is a characteristic
feeling even for "The world is saved". But I haven't had time
to entirely rid myself of it yet, to be able to tell what that should be.
Maybe it’s the winter. Because I’ve always had the feeling that
Stina Nordenstam has made music for that particular dark season. Because
the cover picture to “The world is saved” is taken a winter
night, with sparkling snow surrounding her. And because she’s delivering
lyrics like "On cold days/It is easy to behave/And easy to believe
in it/On cold days/It is easy to see clear/And easy to believe in it".
She doesn’t fully agree, but doesn’t protest either.
- The starting point for my songs is usually a question. Like I only vaguely
remember something. It could be a text phrase that’s developing into
a melody.
Stina Nordenstam’s latest album, “This is Stina Nordenstam”
from 2001, contained more of straight rhythms and intelligible melodies,
and was said by the critics to be a giant step towards pandering to the
general public. Stina herself thinks that it was because at that time she
worked with producers (Michell Froom and Tchad Blake) that in every detail
demanded her to clarify her intentions. This time, Stina has been responsible
for the production herself, which has resulted in a return to minimalism.
- I’ve noticed that the subconscious is controlling me very much.
Recently, I was going to backup a digital tape recorder, and then I discovered
that I had recorded a lot of material there that I wasn’t aware of.
Stina Nordenstam thinks that her albums (There are six of them, including
the forthcoming “The world is saved”) are precise descriptions
of her life, as it appeared just at the moment when she was recording them.
She has been involved in both theatre- and film productions. But she never
put herself under stress to deliver something.
- No, I can’t make movies yet. In some way I work really short-sighted,
and I’m too focused on details, It’s much too hard for me to
dissociate myself from what I’m doing. My intellect is always far
behind.
She’s talking in the same way she’s singing. Thoughtfully and
quietly.
In interviews many reporters have mentioned that I can become silent in
the middle of a sentence. But that is because I’m simultaneously testing
what I’m saying and maybe I’m finding a better way to express
myself.
She couldn’t find a better way to describe her music in.
Niklas Wahllöf
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