Lustans Lakejer
Encyclopedia
Lustans Lakejer is a Swedish New Wave
group formed in 1978, subsequently led by singer-songwriter Johan Kinde who has been the only permanent member throughout their career. They were successful in the early 1980s, but by the mid-1980s, their popularity began to decline, and the members split up.
They were initially influenced by 1970's artrock and postpunk acts like David Bowie
, Joy Division
, Magazine
and Ultravox
but adopted a more sophisticated synthpop
and new romantic
style on their most successful albums Uppdrag i Gèneve and En plats i solen. The latter album was produced by Richard Barbieri
from the British group Japan
and featured saxophone playing on three tracks by Mick Karn
. The following year an English language version of that album, A Place in the Sun, was released under the group name Vanity Fair, but with no commercial success.
Lustans Lakejer reformed in the 1990s and released the critically acclaimed album Åkersberga in 1999. In 2007 they reunited again to perform the song "Allt vi en gång trodde på" in Melodifestivalen
's second semifinal for the opportunity to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
in Helsinki
, Finland
. The band failed to make the top five and was voted off the contest on 10 February before final voting.
In 2011 a new album, Elixir, was released.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group formed in 1978, subsequently led by singer-songwriter Johan Kinde who has been the only permanent member throughout their career. They were successful in the early 1980s, but by the mid-1980s, their popularity began to decline, and the members split up.
They were initially influenced by 1970's artrock and postpunk acts like David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, Magazine
Magazine (band)
Magazine are an English post-punk group active from 1977 to 1981, then reformed in 2009. Their debut single, "Shot by Both Sides", is now acknowledged as a classic and their debut album, Real Life, is still widely admired as one of the greatest albums of all time...
and Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
but adopted a more sophisticated synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and new romantic
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
style on their most successful albums Uppdrag i Gèneve and En plats i solen. The latter album was produced by Richard Barbieri
Richard Barbieri
Richard Barbieri, is an English synthesiser player, keyboardist and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London...
from the British group Japan
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
and featured saxophone playing on three tracks by Mick Karn
Mick Karn
Andonis Michaelides , better known as Mick Karn, was an English multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, who came to fame as the bassist for the art rock band Japan, from 1974 to 1982....
. The following year an English language version of that album, A Place in the Sun, was released under the group name Vanity Fair, but with no commercial success.
Lustans Lakejer reformed in the 1990s and released the critically acclaimed album Åkersberga in 1999. In 2007 they reunited again to perform the song "Allt vi en gång trodde på" in Melodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen is an annual music competition organised by Swedish public broadcasters Sveriges Television and Sveriges Radio . It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged almost every year since 1959...
's second semifinal for the opportunity to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The band failed to make the top five and was voted off the contest on 10 February before final voting.
In 2011 a new album, Elixir, was released.
Albums
- 1981 – Lustans Lakejer
- 1981 – Uppdrag i Genève
- 1982 – En plats i solen
- 1983 – A Place in the Sun (as "Vanity Fair")
- 1984 – Lustavision
- 1985 – Sinnenas rike
- 1999 – Åkersberga
- 2007 – Samlade Synder 1981-2007
- 2011 – Elixir