The Stool Pigeon

Today, Familjen - known better to his folks as Johan T. Karlsson - is elsewhere. “I actually forgot about the interview,” he nervously admits. “I’m doing a thing for Swedish television this afternoon and it’s my first time on TV. I think I’m singing and playing piano a bit.”

Since releasing his debut album Det Snurrar I Min Skalle in Scandinavia last year (out now in the UK), the Swedish producer turned self-styled indie dance maverick has barely sat down. In between touring and, from all accounts, heavy partying, Karlson’s not had time to consider... well much, really.

“It’s been great, but everything is going so quickly,” says Johan. “I don’t really have the time to sit back and enjoy it. When I’m off, I stay at home. However if there’s a good party going on... Normally I get my fair share while touring, but...”

With the Swedes’ reputation for boozing only rivalled by us Brits, it’s a wonder that Johan’s even able to speak today. He’s tired, because he’s gigged all over Europe for the last eight months, during which time his extrovert performances have earned him comparisons to Bez.

“That keeps following me!” he exclaims. “All my friends, like Andreas Tillander who plays with me live, grew up with the Madchester thing, so at parties it was always that kind of music. And then you want to dance like them too. I try to create my own style, but it’s hard.”

Clearly, growing up listening to the Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses hasn’t done him any harm. His album plays like a stripped down mish-mash of early nineties acid house and Swedish pop, with its lyrics sung by the softly spoken Karlson himself. On the road, it’s more of the same, with Johan joined by childhood pal Tillander, who aside from providing live support is a big name in glitch music too.
Having developed Familjen as a side project to his career as a producer, old habits must die-hard, so will Johan be collaborating with anyone on his next record?

“That’s the thing about Familjen - I get to choose,” he says resolutely. “I’m writing the next record at the moment. We’ve been playing those songs for so long now that I need new material, and I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t wait.”

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