Joakim Thåström
Encyclopedia
Sven Joachim Eriksson Thåström (born on March 20, 1957), as an artist known as Thåström, is one of Sweden
's best known rock music
ians, he is mostly known for the bands Ebba Grön
and Imperiet
. He has moved between a number of genres, from punk to rock, electronic music and autobiographical singer-songwriter music.
and Rågsved
, working class suburbs south of Stockholm
, where he from 1977 to 1982 was the singer of punk band
Ebba Grön
. When Ebba Grön went in hiatus in 1981 due to bassist Lennart "Fjodor" Eriksson having to serve time in jail for refusing military service, the three remaining members (Thåström, drummer Gunnar "Gurra" Ljungstedt
and keyboardist Anders "Stry Terrarie" Sjöblom
) formed side-project Rymdimperiet (Galactic Empire
).
When Ebba Grön officially disbanded in 1983, Rymdimperiet was renamed Imperiet
(The Empire). With a then-modern sound firmly set in the 80s and a more focused leftist political stance combined with easily accessible songs, Imperiet became one of the biggest Swedish bands of the 1980s.
In an attempt to cross over to international audiences, Imperiet also recorded an album with some of their songs translated to English.
with progg
influences. He began his solo career with the release of two solo albums, the selftitled 'Thåström' in 1989 and then "Xplodera mig 2000" (Xplode Me 2000) in 1991. The later was extremely computer-based and led to the development of the band Peace Love & Pitbulls
.
In 1992, he started the heavy industrial rock
band Peace Love & Pitbulls
, with lyrics in English
. The band existed until 1997 and released three studio albums.
In 2002 Thåström released the album "Mannen som blev en gris" (The Man Who Became a Pig) which was a dark and 'filthy' album with a lot of dusty sounds.
In late 2005 Thåström released the album "Skebokvarnsv. 209" (Skebokvarn Street 209). The title refers to Thåström's childhood home address. The album is the most biographical album Thåström has ever released. It contains several songs with extremely personal lyrics and the music is mostly based on acoustic guitars.
. The band had been kept a secret since 2003 and was revealed together with their selftitled debut album
. Sällskapet is commonly seen upon as a one time thing and in 2008 Thåström announced that he's working on a new solo album and that he is going to share two shows with the Swedish band Kent, play at the Peace & Love-festival in Borlänge and also play at the Beatday-festival in Copenhagen in the beginning of August.
The 13th March 2009 he released a new album called Kärlek är för dom (Love is for them).
Thåström has not performed live since May 2010 and will be making just one appearance in 2011, at the Way Out West Festival
in Gothenburg.
Former members
Rymdimperiet
Imperiet
Peace, Love and Pitbulls
As a solo artist
Sällskapet
Other work
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
's best known rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
ians, he is mostly known for the bands Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön was a Swedish punk band formed in Stockholm in 1977. Ebba Grön consisted of Joakim Thåström , Gunnar Ljungstedt and Lennart Eriksson . After the release of their second album in 1981, they were joined by a fourth member, Anders Sjöholm, also known as Stry Terrarie, on keyboard...
and Imperiet
Imperiet
' were a Swedish 1980s rock band from Stockholm, that existed from 1983 to 1988. They were arguably the most influential band in Sweden of the period, but definitely dominated the new wave scene, which at the time was seen as the same as the punk rock scene....
. He has moved between a number of genres, from punk to rock, electronic music and autobiographical singer-songwriter music.
1977-1989: Ebba Grön and Imperiet
Thåström grew up in HögdalenHögdalen
Högdalen is a working class suburban district in South Stockholm, Sweden, built around the metro station with this name on line 19. It was connected to Stockholm City Centre in 1952, a year before the town planning was approved....
and Rågsved
Rågsved
Rågsved is a working-class suburb in the south of Stockholm, Sweden. It was built in the 1950–1970s and has had big problems with unemployment, criminality and drug abuse...
, working class suburbs south of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where he from 1977 to 1982 was the singer of punk band
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön was a Swedish punk band formed in Stockholm in 1977. Ebba Grön consisted of Joakim Thåström , Gunnar Ljungstedt and Lennart Eriksson . After the release of their second album in 1981, they were joined by a fourth member, Anders Sjöholm, also known as Stry Terrarie, on keyboard...
. When Ebba Grön went in hiatus in 1981 due to bassist Lennart "Fjodor" Eriksson having to serve time in jail for refusing military service, the three remaining members (Thåström, drummer Gunnar "Gurra" Ljungstedt
Gunnar Ljungstedt
Gunnar Ljungstedt, was the drummer in the Swedish punk rock band Ebba Grön and later in Imperiet. He was approx. 5 years older than the other members of the band, and a friend of Thåström’s big brother.- References :...
and keyboardist Anders "Stry Terrarie" Sjöblom
Anders Sjöholm
Anders Sjöholm , with the stage nameStry Terrarie, Stry Kanarie or simply Stry,is a Swedish musician from Skåne. He has been a member of many bands , usually as the lead singer.Stry was born in Ängelholm and grew up in southern Sweden...
) formed side-project Rymdimperiet (Galactic Empire
Galactic Empire (Star Wars)
The Galactic Empire is one of the main factions in the fictional universe of Star Wars. It is a galaxy-spanning regime established by the series' lead villain, Palpatine, to replace the Galactic Republic in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Empire is introduced in Star Wars...
).
When Ebba Grön officially disbanded in 1983, Rymdimperiet was renamed Imperiet
Imperiet
' were a Swedish 1980s rock band from Stockholm, that existed from 1983 to 1988. They were arguably the most influential band in Sweden of the period, but definitely dominated the new wave scene, which at the time was seen as the same as the punk rock scene....
(The Empire). With a then-modern sound firmly set in the 80s and a more focused leftist political stance combined with easily accessible songs, Imperiet became one of the biggest Swedish bands of the 1980s.
In an attempt to cross over to international audiences, Imperiet also recorded an album with some of their songs translated to English.
1989-1997: First solo releases and Peace Love & Pitbulls
In 1989 Thåström started a solo career as a rock singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
with progg
Progg
Progg, a contraction of the Swedish word for "progressive music" was a left-wing and anti-commercial musical movement in Sweden that had its roots in the late 1960s, and its golden age in the 1970s. It should not be confused with the English expression progressive music or progressive rock. Progg...
influences. He began his solo career with the release of two solo albums, the selftitled 'Thåström' in 1989 and then "Xplodera mig 2000" (Xplode Me 2000) in 1991. The later was extremely computer-based and led to the development of the band Peace Love & Pitbulls
Peace Love & Pitbulls
Peace, Love & Pitbulls was a Swedish/Dutch industrial rock band headed by Joakim Thåström.Thåström, who became famous in the 1970s and 1980s with his bands Ebba Grön and Imperiet, took a break from Sweden and moved to Amsterdam where he worked on the PLP project...
.
In 1992, he started the heavy industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
band Peace Love & Pitbulls
Peace Love & Pitbulls
Peace, Love & Pitbulls was a Swedish/Dutch industrial rock band headed by Joakim Thåström.Thåström, who became famous in the 1970s and 1980s with his bands Ebba Grön and Imperiet, took a break from Sweden and moved to Amsterdam where he worked on the PLP project...
, with lyrics in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The band existed until 1997 and released three studio albums.
1999–2005: Focus on solo career
The Swedish audience longed for a new rock album so when Thåström in 1999 released the album Det är ni som e dom konstiga, det är jag som e normal (You're the Strange Ones, I am the One Who's Normal) it became a very big success. Once again with Swedish lyrics and less computerized music Thåström had gone back to his original rock'n'roll-roots.In 2002 Thåström released the album "Mannen som blev en gris" (The Man Who Became a Pig) which was a dark and 'filthy' album with a lot of dusty sounds.
In late 2005 Thåström released the album "Skebokvarnsv. 209" (Skebokvarn Street 209). The title refers to Thåström's childhood home address. The album is the most biographical album Thåström has ever released. It contains several songs with extremely personal lyrics and the music is mostly based on acoustic guitars.
2007-2011: Sällskapet and recent work
In 2007, Thåström presented a new band called SällskapetSällskapet
Sällskapet is a Swedish rock band formed by Pelle Ossler, Joakim Thåström and Niklas Hellberg.-History:Sällskapet is a Swedish electronic post-industrial rock band that appeared in 2007 and is headed by the rock legend Thåström. Other band members include Pelle Ossler and Niklas Hellberg...
. The band had been kept a secret since 2003 and was revealed together with their selftitled debut album
Sällskapet (album)
Sällskapet is the self-titled debut album by Swedish electronic post-industrial rock band Sällskapet. The band existed as a secret hobby band for three years before the album was released in 2007. The album contained ten songs and a bonus DVD with music videos for five songs and the bonus track...
. Sällskapet is commonly seen upon as a one time thing and in 2008 Thåström announced that he's working on a new solo album and that he is going to share two shows with the Swedish band Kent, play at the Peace & Love-festival in Borlänge and also play at the Beatday-festival in Copenhagen in the beginning of August.
The 13th March 2009 he released a new album called Kärlek är för dom (Love is for them).
Thåström has not performed live since May 2010 and will be making just one appearance in 2011, at the Way Out West Festival
Way Out West Festival
Way Out West is a three-day music festival held in Gothenburg, Sweden, during August that plays host to a variety of popular music artists mainly from the rock, electronic and hip-hop genres...
in Gothenburg.
Back-up band
Current members- Pelle OsslerPelle OsslerPelle Ossler is a Swedish rock musician and singer, most known for his collaboration with Joakim Thåström, both on Thåström's solo releases and their industrial project Sällskapet.- Recording career :...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals - Niklas HellbergNiklas HellbergNiklas Hellberg is a Swedish musician and producer, most known for his collaborations with punk rocker Thåström.-Biography:Hellberg was during the late 1980s a member of the post-punk band All That Jazz until its breakup in 1990...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with... - Ulf Rockis Ivarsson - bass guitar
- Mikael Nilzen - keyboards
- Nikolas Janco - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Former members
- Tomas Hallonsten - keyboards
- Anders Hernestam - drums
- Conny NimmersjöConny NimmersjöConny Nimmersjö, Swedish musician most known for playing guitar with bob hund and Bergman Rock.-Biography:Nimmersjö was born in Ängelholm and raised in Södertälje. in 1991 Nimmersjö along with Thomas Öberg, Johnny Essing, Mats Hellquist, Jonas Jonasson and Mats Andersson formed bob hund in Stockholm...
- guitar - Chips KiesbyeChips KiesbyeChips Kiesbye is the guitarist and vocalist for the Swedish rock band Sator formed in the late 1980s in Borlänge. Kiesbye is also successful music producer and have worked with several of Swedens most successful rock bands and artists such as The Hellacopters, Millencolin, Thåström, Sahara...
- guitar, backing vocals - Jörgen Wall - drums
- Heikki Kiviaho - bass
- Per Hägglund - keyboards
Discography
Ebba Grön- We're Only In It For The DrugsWe're Only In It For The DrugsWe're Only In It For The Drugs is the title of the Swedish punk band Ebba Grön's debut album, first released in 1979.The title is a play on the 1968 Frank Zappa album We're Only in It for the Money.-Track listing:#We’re Only In It for the Drugs No...
(1979) - Kärlek & UpprorKärlek & UpprorKärlek & uppror is the second album by Swedish punk band Ebba Grön, first released in 1981. Aftonbladet rewarded this album with Rockbjörnen 1980.-Track listing:All song written by Ebba Grön except where noted# 800°C...
(1981) - Ebba GrönEbba Grön (album)Ebba Grön is the title of the Swedish punkband Ebba Grön's third and last album, first released 1982. The album includes the popular song Die Mauer, which is about two lovers separated by the Berlin Wall.-Track listing:All song written by Ebba Grön...
(1982)
Rymdimperiet
- Alltid Attack (1981)
- Vad Pojkar Vill Ha (1981)
- Felrättsnettheltfelrättsnett (1982)
Imperiet
- Rasera (1983)
- Blå himlen bluesBlå himlen bluesis an album by Imperiet, released in 1985.-Track listing:#"CC Cowboys" – 4:05#"" – 5:22#"" – 3:47#"" – 4:39#"" – 3:10#"" – 6:23...
(1985) - 2:a Augusti`85 (1985)
- SyndSynd-Track listing:#"" – 4:34#"" – 4:11#"" – 3:43#"" – 5:39#"" – 1:22#"" – 4:16#"" – 7:48#"" – 4:53#"" – 3:45...
(1986) - Imperiet (1988)
- Tiggarens talTiggarens tal-Track listing:#"" – 4:47#"" – 4:00#"" – 5:06#"" – 2:21#"" – 5:09#"" – 4:09#"" – 2:44#"" – 4:28#"" – 3:34#"" – 3:25#"" – 3:12#"" – 3:51...
(1988) - Live/StudioLive/Studio-Disc one: :#""#""#""#""#""#""#""#""#""#""#""-Disc two: :#"" – 3:14#"" – 4:26#"" – 3:11#"" – 3:38#"" – 3:40#"" – 4:17#"" – 3:51#"" – 4:19#"" – 1:20#"" – 4:12#"" – 2:29#"" – 4:57#"" – 4:01#"" – 4:37...
(1988) - KickarKickaris a compilation album by Swedish rock band , released in 1990. It is a collection of singles from 1981 to 1987 and was released on CD, LP and cassette.-Track listing:#"" – 4:49#"" – 3:09#"" – 2:58#"" – 3:15#"" – 4:15#"" – 5:00#"" – 3:44#"" – 3:41...
(1990) - Greatest hits (1995)
- Klassiker (2007)
Peace, Love and Pitbulls
- Peace, Love and PitbullsPeace Love & Pitbulls (album)Peace Love and Pitbulls is the first, self-titled, album by Swedish rocker Joakim Thåströms industrial music project. It was released in 1992.-Tracklisting:#" Radio King Kong" - 4:41...
(1992) - Red sonic underwearRed sonic underwearRed Sonic Underwear is the second album from the Swedish industrial rock band Peace Love & Pitbulls . It is notable for its extremely heavy songs with lots of guitars, drum machines and industrial sounds.-Tracklisting:#"Itch" - 0:26...
(1994) - 33 (Peace Love and Pitbulls album)3 is the third and last album from the Swedish industrial rock band Peace Love & Pitbulls and was released 1997. This album is less focused on heavy sounds, the industrial atmosphere of the previous albums has been very toned down for this album. Here the focus lies on sound scapes built up with...
(1997) - War in my livingroom 92-97 (2007)
As a solo artist
- Thåström (1989)
- Xplodera mig 2000 (1991)
- Singoalla (1998)
- Det är ni som e dom konstiga, det är jag som e normal (1999)
- Mannen som blev en grisMannen som blev en grisMannen som blev en gris was released in 2002 and is Joakim Thåström's fourth solo album...
(2002) - På Röda sten (2003)
- Skebokvarnsv. 209 (2005)
- Solo Vol 1 (2006)
- Kärlek är for dom (2009)
- Be-bop-a-lula hela jävla dan (2009)
Sällskapet
- SällskapetSällskapet (album)Sällskapet is the self-titled debut album by Swedish electronic post-industrial rock band Sällskapet. The band existed as a secret hobby band for three years before the album was released in 2007. The album contained ten songs and a bonus DVD with music videos for five songs and the bonus track...
(2007)
Other work
- Fiendens musik - Mer eller mindre (1979)
- Micke Hagström & Cosmic Cowboys - Price you pay (1981)
- Micke Hagström & Cosmic Cowboys - Gangster (1982)
- Pink Champagne - Vakra Pojke (1982)
- Zetterberg & Co - Zetterberg & Co (1982)
- Tant Strul - Amazon (1983)
- Stig Vig & Dom 40 röjarna - Presenterar Kapten Sörensen (1984)
- Per Cussion Everybodys Talking (1986)
- Lolita Pop - Bang your Head (1987)
- Eldkvarn - Karusellkvällar (1989)
- Fleshquartett - Flow (1993)
- Just D - Sug på den/Tre amigos (1996)
- Pugh Rogefeldt - Vår kommunala man/Marathon (1999)
- Superia - Permission (2000)
- Ossler - Dålig mage, öronsus och törst (2001)
- Magnus Carlson - Va med mej, Nu skiner solen/Allt är bara du, du , du (2001)
- Bob Hansson - Mobile world, Europa/ Kör solen kör (2005)
- Kajsa Grytt - Bara vi står ut/ Brott och straff (2006)
- Regina Lund - Förlåt! Nej, jag menar aj. (2006)
- Fleshquartet - T.K.K/Voices of eden (2007)
- Ossler - Ett Brus (2008)