[i:Vibes] A Trip Through Scandinavia [3/4]

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A Trip Through Scandinavia [3/4] - Stonebridge

13:14 - May 24, 2005

by Spherix

© ... After some short visits in Denmark and Finland it was now Sweden's turn to be invaded! The one to represent Sweden on the journey through scandinavia was the one and only Sten "Stonebridge" Hallström! Drop in to check out what he had to say!

i:Vibes: Hi Sten "Stonebridge" Hallström, please give a short introduction of yourself for the people who don't know you and haven't heard about you!

A: I'm a DJ/Producer from Stockholm that recently released my artist album 'Can't Get Enough' and have had a couple of hits from it so far (Put 'Em High and Take Me Away).
I've been producing and remixing for the last 15 years solid and DJ'd for about 20 years. My best known remix is Robin S 'Show Me Love' (and this is not the Swedish singer Robyn).

i:Vibes: What does a typical day for you hold?

A: A couple of espressos and checking e-mails in the morning. Going through records I get sent and then studio until pretty late. DJ-ing on weekends, mainly UK & Holland, but other European countries as well and sometimes Australia and the US.

i:Vibes: How did your musical career start and what made you end up in the electronic music scene?

A: I started as a DJ just before house music was around and got into it from the go. After a few years of DJ-ing I did re-edits and new versions of tracks on a remix service called 'Remixed Records' through a company we started called SweMix. I fiddled about with guitar and piano in my early days so the natural progression was to do my own music and then play it out.

i:Vibes: You have been around DJing/producing since the 1980s, how has the electronic dance music scene changed for you during your years in the scene? Do you think its changed for better or worse?

A: It's much better in many ways. There is a scene now which is more than you can say about the beginning when it was a small movement, totally underground. I sometimes miss the innosense in those days, but generally I never look back. It's great now.

i:Vibes: One of our previous participants in this series described Sweden as being well ahead of the other scandinavian countries when it comes to the electronic dance music scene, do you agree? How would you describe the Swedish eletronic dance music scene?

A: First of all I don't like the term electronic dance music since all dance music is electronic and secondly, there's no real competition going on between countries. This music is global now and people from all over the place are doing it. Still, I have to say that Norway probably bet us to some of the cool stuff a few years back with Royksopp etc. And Iceland with Bjork (not necessarily dance, but definately eletronic at times). Sweden is bigger and that gives us an edge possibly and we have had a healthy techno scene for years as well as house, especially the past two years when we are more or less taking over ;-)

i:Vibes: How do you think that our scene in the north stands against the rest of the world?

A: The club scene is shit, but the music is very good and there's a total Sweden Hype going on. Sweden has always had high quality productions and one theory is that we are great at getting inspired and merge bits from various sounds to create our own.

i:Vibes: You are a very experienced DJ who has been spinning sets all over the world, what do you think signifies a good DJ?

A: Selection and mixing, both are very important even though track selection is the more important. Mixing skills are essential to build the set properly and drop less obvious sounds.

i:Vibes: If you could do a top 5 chart of your favorite DJs what would it look like?

A:
1. Roger Sanchez
2. Erick Morillo
3. Alex Neri
4. CJ Macintosh
5. Deep Dish

i:Vibes: Your new single 'Freak on', taken from the album 'Can't Get Enough', is on the way. What can you tell us about it?

A: It's a collaboration with Ultra Naté with loads of really good mixes from some people I respect like Live Element, Ferry Corsten and Mischa Daniels + more. It's going really well and the UK release is May 16.

i:Vibes: Aside from the single, what more can we expect from you in the future?

A: A new mix album in August + massive touring during the summer and next year. Then another artist album.

Now simply choose Good or Bad for the following statements:

i:Vibes: MP3

A: Bad

i:Vibes: Sports

A: Bad

i:Vibes: The eurovision song contest

A: Bad

i:Vibes: Swedish meatballs

A: Good

i:Vibes: IKEA