Sleeve Notes is a new series where we pick an artist and get them to make a themed mix.Makthaverskan is a Swedish death pop band that was nominated to the P3 Gold Awards (Sweden’s public service music awards) last year. After four years of silence, their sought-after album Makthaverskan II was finally released last year, too. Their young, we-don’t-give-a-fuck-and we're-bored image has given them a cult following ready to make a revolution in the name of death pop, which is perhaps why they chose to make their mixtape on the same theme.I caught up with Makthaverskan's lead singer Maja Milner over Skype, as she currently resides in Berlin.
Noisey: Could you explain how you guys came up with the genre, death pop?
Maja Milner: When we first started playing together, we both listened to indie pop, and harder music – maybe not death metal per se – but harder music, you know. It just came in to our heads and it felt like it was a good expression of what we wanted to do with our own music. Are you aware of the fact that there are actually plenty of death metal fans who like you?
I do know that, because pop in Sweden has generally been cute, and we're not – we're sleazy and dark. Are you still lazy? I mean, will it be another four years until you release another album?
It's not laziness! But yeah, maybe. I don't know. We never set deadlines. That just gets weird. Things are ready when it feels natural. I haven't lived in Gothenburg [for the past four years] where the rest of the band live, so I must admit that it has been a bit difficult to get stuff together. Yeah. You moved to Berlin, Maja. How do you guys make things happen when you go Yoko Ono and split the band like that?
Well, the others [in the band] have done a really good job keeping the band together. I have been [in Berlin]. When we play live I rehearse a bit and listen to the songs at home before the gig. But they rehearse continually – it's thanks to them that we still exist! That's something that I’m really grateful for. So it works fine?
Yeah. They're really nice people. We talked a bit before this interview. You said that you have plenty of gigs booked in the near future.
Yes. We're going on our first long tour in Europe in November, which is going to be so much fucking fun! Alright. So is it true that the song "Josef" is about Josef Fritzl?
Both yes and no. It was the first song Irma and I wrote together. We were 16 and wanted to make an insane song. Our humour is pretty special between us friends and it was the most fucked up thing we could think of at the time. But it's just a joke – it's not like we have sympathy for him; he's the nastiest man in the world. Is Irma as difficult as she looks?
She's really cool, a real babe. She was my first friend in Gothenburg. I've known her since secondary school and she's got my back since then! There’s been a lot of talk about you guys being the pop sensation of the decade in Sweden. Almost like Broder Daniel in the 90s and Florian in the 00s. What do you think of that?
I don't know. It's just really hard to see yourself as someone big. No one of us really gets what’s happening. We just take the days as they come, being as normal as we are. We're just really thankful for the support. You have a pretty dedicated fan base, which is a bit like a sect. Have you ever thought of organising a mass-suicide? How would you do that?
[Laughs] No, never! We love our fans! But if we did, we would do it with a political statement. It's actually quite fun that we have such a following, because we started the band as a joke. Our closest friends were like the only ones who went to our gigs, and they just went bananas. That caught on over time. That's still the core force of our fans. So finally with this years general elections in Sweden, where do you stand politically?
We don't stand behind a particular political party, but we're left-wing feminists.So what you mean is that you want equal rights for everybody?
Yes. Okay. So do I. Thanks, Maja.
2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “Sad Waters”
3. Stockholm Monsters - “National Pastime”
4. 1999 - “Midnight People”
5. Rubella Ballet - “Slant and Slide”
6. Cortex - “5 Seconds”
7. My Favorite - “Working Class Jacket”Catch Makthaverskan on tour throughout November and in the beginning of December:1/11 - Pustervik, Göteborg, Sweden
2/11 - Fängelset, Göteborg, Sweden
3/11 - VEGA, Copenhagen, Denmark
5/11 - Oslo, Maksitaksi, Norway
6/11 - ÖSTRE, Bergen, Norway
7/11 - Studentsamfundet, Trondheim, Norway
8/11 - Göta källare, Stockholm, Sweden
13/11 - Hafen 2, Offenbach, Germany
14/11 - MS Hedi, Hamburg, Germany
28/11 - Kulturföreningen Markan, Hässleholm, Sweden
29/11 - Total Refreshments Studios, London, UK
4/12 - Babel, Malmö, Sweden
5/12 - Secret, TBA.
6/12 - Lorient, Linköping, Sweden
Annons
Maja Milner: When we first started playing together, we both listened to indie pop, and harder music – maybe not death metal per se – but harder music, you know. It just came in to our heads and it felt like it was a good expression of what we wanted to do with our own music. Are you aware of the fact that there are actually plenty of death metal fans who like you?
I do know that, because pop in Sweden has generally been cute, and we're not – we're sleazy and dark. Are you still lazy? I mean, will it be another four years until you release another album?
It's not laziness! But yeah, maybe. I don't know. We never set deadlines. That just gets weird. Things are ready when it feels natural. I haven't lived in Gothenburg [for the past four years] where the rest of the band live, so I must admit that it has been a bit difficult to get stuff together. Yeah. You moved to Berlin, Maja. How do you guys make things happen when you go Yoko Ono and split the band like that?
Well, the others [in the band] have done a really good job keeping the band together. I have been [in Berlin]. When we play live I rehearse a bit and listen to the songs at home before the gig. But they rehearse continually – it's thanks to them that we still exist! That's something that I’m really grateful for. So it works fine?
Yeah. They're really nice people. We talked a bit before this interview. You said that you have plenty of gigs booked in the near future.
Yes. We're going on our first long tour in Europe in November, which is going to be so much fucking fun! Alright. So is it true that the song "Josef" is about Josef Fritzl?
Both yes and no. It was the first song Irma and I wrote together. We were 16 and wanted to make an insane song. Our humour is pretty special between us friends and it was the most fucked up thing we could think of at the time. But it's just a joke – it's not like we have sympathy for him; he's the nastiest man in the world. Is Irma as difficult as she looks?
She's really cool, a real babe. She was my first friend in Gothenburg. I've known her since secondary school and she's got my back since then! There’s been a lot of talk about you guys being the pop sensation of the decade in Sweden. Almost like Broder Daniel in the 90s and Florian in the 00s. What do you think of that?
I don't know. It's just really hard to see yourself as someone big. No one of us really gets what’s happening. We just take the days as they come, being as normal as we are. We're just really thankful for the support. You have a pretty dedicated fan base, which is a bit like a sect. Have you ever thought of organising a mass-suicide? How would you do that?
[Laughs] No, never! We love our fans! But if we did, we would do it with a political statement. It's actually quite fun that we have such a following, because we started the band as a joke. Our closest friends were like the only ones who went to our gigs, and they just went bananas. That caught on over time. That's still the core force of our fans. So finally with this years general elections in Sweden, where do you stand politically?
We don't stand behind a particular political party, but we're left-wing feminists.
Annons
Yes. Okay. So do I. Thanks, Maja.
1. This Mortal Coil - “Song to the Siren”
2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “Sad Waters”
3. Stockholm Monsters - “National Pastime”
4. 1999 - “Midnight People”
5. Rubella Ballet - “Slant and Slide”
6. Cortex - “5 Seconds”
7. My Favorite - “Working Class Jacket”Catch Makthaverskan on tour throughout November and in the beginning of December:1/11 - Pustervik, Göteborg, Sweden
2/11 - Fängelset, Göteborg, Sweden
3/11 - VEGA, Copenhagen, Denmark
5/11 - Oslo, Maksitaksi, Norway
6/11 - ÖSTRE, Bergen, Norway
7/11 - Studentsamfundet, Trondheim, Norway
8/11 - Göta källare, Stockholm, Sweden
13/11 - Hafen 2, Offenbach, Germany
14/11 - MS Hedi, Hamburg, Germany
28/11 - Kulturföreningen Markan, Hässleholm, Sweden
29/11 - Total Refreshments Studios, London, UK
4/12 - Babel, Malmö, Sweden
5/12 - Secret, TBA.
6/12 - Lorient, Linköping, Sweden