Jocke's, Martin's and Sami's posts translated to English

[.namnlös]

Whichever way you do it, the capturing, unless totally live is a different feeling to playing fully live etc as there are limitations. This also depends on the philosophy of the band. Some will create a piece of work that represents what they think that song should sound like, while others will create something that accurately represents the band playing live. Kent's recordings often have a nice feel to them whatever your thoughts on the song and I think that skeleton recording forms a big part of that. Usually even if you play things correctly, a band having been through a song a handful of times will deliver a much better performance as they are warmed up. You can often see this on Jools Holland (which I don't watch often) when a bands Friday performance is better than the Tuesday one. The Tuesday show is live, and then the bands re-run through their tracks and often pick the second take to go out on the hour long show.

One thing I'd be interested to hear from Jocke is if they put limits on takes. Sometimes if a band or a songwriter is working on something, the initial attempt at a guitar solo or vocal is actually the best because it's a purely instinctive feel and can't really be bettered with the further takes. I was recording only yesterday and ran through a song, and the first version of 3 choruses was spot on, but the other 2 were nowhere near as good. I had no planned melody, it was just purely an exploration to see what happened and the very first take will probably be the chorus now. I suppose some things take 1, some take 21, and really the only thing that is of interest to a musician is if it works or not. If it works right away and really feels good, then most musicians will be happy to trust their instincts.

[stjärnor]

Just a short post from Jocke in the Biography thread in reference to his version of the Weezer cover of The Cars song that Jocke recorded for the Swedish version of the movie Cars 2 (Bilar 2):

Here I want to point that I was NOT involved in any way in writing this song.
I only sing.

(A reply from Henrik, says that he believes that the film translator Robert Cronholt wrote the Swedish lyrics to this song.)

[E.Yavuzalp]

I wanna ask you where could I reach these in original swedish lang?I mention the sub-topic generally,I think I would now understand swedish on my own,but dunno which forum do swedish people hang out,there are a lot of sub-topics?

[stjärnor]

Hi E. Yavuzalp, in every post that I translate, I always link back to the original source, whether this is one of Jocke's posts here on the forum, the news at kent.nu, or an outside source of kent related material. I usually include the link as a text link within the text that I have written which shows up as a different colour of text (currently set at 'gold' on the forum, but it used to be red).

When this is one of Jocke's posts that I have translated, it will be his name that I text link, so if you look at my post above yours, you will see his name is a different colour- click this and it will take you directly to his original post in the topic.

When this is a kent.nu link, I will text link and use bold text as the headline (the headline translated from the kent.nu story) which will link back to the story at kent.nu. When the story also includes an external source, I will usually text link words like 'click here to read/see it'. I've attached some examples below and highlighted in orange the links, hope this helps!

link snip 1.JPG

link snip 2.JPG

When nothing is happening with the band, most of the forum action (in swedish) takes place in the 'övrigt' section here on the forum. There is an everyday chat thread called 'Månadens skräptråd' which begins afresh every month. Here is a link to this months' thread: Novemeber (en mur av våt betong). There are also various other threads in the 'övrigt' section like travel. culture, politics, etc.

[stjärnor]

Various Swedish artists have released their own versions of a song- but no one yet knows who the original song belongs to! There has been much speculation if this was a kent song, Jocke clears things up:

No.
The song has nothing to do with kent or me.


You can read more on the gaffa website (in Swedish) about the song, and hear the versions that others have done.

[stjärnor]

Catching up on a few recent posts from Jocke. My Swedish is a bit rusty today apologies for any errors...

A thread almost a year old has been bumped with the release of the Happiness video & song 'All Apologies'. If you don't know, Happiness is Daniel Ledinsky & Rudie Edwards, and Jocke recently worked in New York with them on their album. The original post in the thread quoted Jocke from a Swedish magazine saying:

"I have a project together with Daniel Ledinsky who I met when I wrote for Petra Marklund (...) What it will become is difficult to say but we tried to put down an epithet and ended up with 'over-produced punk' or 'untidy west coast'. In any case, there are many melodies and singing in english"
A forum member posted a link to the video for Happiness, assuming this was the above ementioned project, Jocke replied:

No.
This is not the result of D's and my 'project'.
The project will resume asap.
We have a number of 'projects' ongoing at the same time.
'All Apologies' is Happiness, who I have been with and written songs for.
Assumption is the mother of all fuckups. (in english)


The forum member who posted the link, said they made the assumption because Daniel was mentioned and he knew that Jocke had been working with him. Jokingly he asked for forgiveness and won't do it again. Jocke replies:

No.
I will NEVER forgive this spectacular violation.
Jokes aside, it is not always correct to assume, and you mentioned in your first post that Happiness 'All Apologies' was definitely the result of our 'over-produced punk' thing.
Which is simply is not.
I understand that people can be tempted to draw this conclusion, but perhaps you could put it as a question next time?
I usually answer such things and didn't like that my post provoked your easy sardonic reply which was in the (un)polite class.
We are very accustomed to both people on the forum and the media drawing hasty but still confident conclusions about our different projects.
These sometimes through time change to 'facts' which you then must explain/defend despite the fact that it wasn't even correct from the start.
A small example which happened just a few months ago: I was 'accused' of having written a song for a Disney film (Cars 2, which usually comes with a sellout tag as soon as the argument against us/me appears in a discussion) in a conversation on Twitter.
This was, of course not true.
But it was treated as the truth by the prosecutor in this case.
Such things I experience as remarkable in a time when it is easier than ever to check such facts wherever, whenever.
In this case it was certainly true that the badly fitting facts suited the prosecutors agenda.
It was better to just shut ones eyes tight and keep hitting.
In you case the crime against etiquette was considerably milder since there were no facts to look up, but there are many places which you can simply ask a question direct to me or kent.
Peace


Regarding the Royal Medal that Jocke was awarded by the Swedish king, someone wondered if Jocke actually recieved it, another forum member posted Jocke's tweet stating that he would indeed recieve it (the day after the tweet). Jocke replies:

Wise or not...
One thing all the awards, grammis, rockbjörns, radio prizes, export prizes, medals, hit of the year, the years' this, etc, etc have the one thing in common , and it is that the recievers of the prize have not been involved themselves in the nomination process.
Therefor, we can say with certainty that the person in question was never asked about getting the prize.
Although in most cases it is flattering and fun.
A little problem which can occur, especially if it contains something so loaded and symbolic as royalty, is that the prizewinner will or will not relate to the prize.
If they say a straight no or don't want to/ can not appear at the ceremony it is interpreted as a standpoint and they must take the eventual tribute/backlash which comes with it.
Questions are asked and answers demanded.
Which they didn't ask for.
Which is then interpreted as a totally different standpoint including the tribute/backlash and they are forced to relate to it.
Questions are asked and answers demanded.
Which they didn't ask for.
Do you understand?
How I have done in this case, so questions were asked and answers demanded.
Which I did not want to have, did not want to answer and above all else, did not have the least obligation to answer.
Which I now sit and waste time on.
TIme which I could have spent doing something much, much better.
I have never asked to be a spokesman for anything ever.
So those you who make strange demands on how a person in my position should act in different situations can leave.
To the rest.
Big love.

[stjärnor]

So, kent tweeted:

You are probably wondering what the album is called.
We take the cover picture on Friday.
Return ASAP.


And a forum member took this to mean that the name and the cover will be released on Friday. Jocke replied:

Really?
Is that really what we said?
We said that the cover picture is being taken on Friday and that info will come asap.
This then means. WHEN IT IS READY.
Don't jump to conclusions.

Later, kent also tweeted this:

Which of course doesn't meant that the cover is printed and will be ready to show on Friday.

[stjärnor]

Two recent post from Jocke, but I'm going to post the most recent first, since it continues the theme of covert art:

A forum member asks if we could at least see the artwork for the new single La Belle Epoque, since its release is only a few days away, Jocke replies:

Oooooh.... no....that's right
We forgot to do a cover.
What luck that we have someone who can always point out where we have gone wrong.

And in the thread for the new single, there's a bit of discussion around what the title of it means/ refers to, so Jocke replies:

Since I would never think to write a song about what happens in the band, so perhaps we can say that the title La Belle Epoque refers to something that the song contains/ is about/ reflects?

[stjärnor]

So, a cover for the single La Belle Epoque has appeared on a few websites (Amazon UK is one example), and there is much speculation if this is the official artwork, and if it is, what it means, and of course, there's varying opinions to whether people like it or not, a short post from Jocke:

Business as usual.
You don't understand how much fun we think this is.


And, if anyone is curious the Amazon link I posted above will take you to the page for the MP3 for the single (not yet released), which has the artwork (correct or not, who knows until it is offically revealed by the band/kent.nu). Also, I've recently been posting links on my twitter feed to any kent news/ forum post translations when I've put them up here and if anyone would like to follow me you'll get the tweets direct with a link to the translations.

[.namnlös]

Just realised the release is on a Wednesday as well. Not that it matters. Kent are so good at keeping stuff under wraps.

[stjärnor]

So, the cover (link) is now official at kent.nu, and there's still a lot of discussion around the cover, and one forum member who wasn't expecting the cover to look like it does, hopes that the music will sound better than the cover suggests, and maybe they will change their perception of the cover once they have hear the music, Jocke replies:

This is really interesting I think.
To make a cover which looks like what was expected must be the opposite of what any creative person in the universe wants to achieve.
The last part is also very interesting. (referring to changing perception of the cover once the song is heard)
Yes, think, perhaps you will.
Perhaps hear the cover picture even with the music.
What?
Can it really be so?
Is it possible that we always put a lot of time into everything we release?
Extremely little through the years has slipped through without minute scrutiny from our side.
We participate in every little decision which comes in the process around a release.
Nothing happens without our approval.
All covers except the first have through the years have been directed by the same three people. Helen, Thomas & myself.
Sometimes it happened that the record company tried to take some liberties, but they have always been put in the corner and posponded indefinitely.
During our career it has always worked like this:
We do EVERYTHING then deliver the finished material to the record company which they later give out.
The record company has not heard, seen or recieved any material before it is finished.
Since Verkligen.

In addition:
Both graphically and musically we must change ourselves for ourselves.
And you, the public are not part of the equation.
Since we can never go by what we think 'you' or 'they' will think.
But in any case, give us the benefit of the doubt.
We know exactly what we are working with.
This time also.
The album, by the way, which the title begins with the letter T, contains the best and most important songs I/we have ever written and recorded.
Almost like a testament.

[.namnlös]

It is true, to judge the book by the cover, before you can attach any kind of sound to it is a bit odd. It's a square of artwork, nothing more nothing less.

[stjärnor]

But people 'do' judge books/movies/ music by the covers. That's why certain things look the way they do (chic-lit books are all pastels and curly fonts, metal music cover art: all dark colours and jaggy fonts, both just silly top of my head examples), but, and here's the BUT: kent are a very artist band. They put effort and time into how things will look and sound- they don't rely on outsider (record company) to dictate how things should look. There's themes for their albums and the artwork tends to mirror that. The cover chosen represents the music contained within it. Surely. Or else, would they not just randomly pick any image for the artwork.

Should the artwork always sit separate from the music? Are they 2 individual entities, or complimentary pieces?

[.namnlös]

Well, once the single is released the artwork will take on a meaning and tangible value for everyone who hears it anyway. It's easy to say that the art represents the music once you have both in your hand, hence that digital look is a bit tantalising. Still, the only thing someone can do now is say; is it a good piece of art on its own, bearing in mind we have an incomplete picture at this stage? The same goes for most visual connections, often if the content is good folks will attach that quality to the package, including the art. Another example of this is when a film is made from a book, the original cover is often binned in favour of the movie artwork; by that point the package is complete. I believe that the two elements (music and art) come as a pair and as such it's impossible to judge one without hearing or seeing the other.

Oddly what Jocke seems to be referring to there is they are deliberately trying to avoid any commonly used artwork styles, or something that is very essentially kent. This allows them to remain fresh and interesting. Often most genres have a way of doing their art as you point out, but it is good when people try new things and buck those trends. I do understand that others will form an opinion early, but for me I feel it better to withold any judgement until the whole picture is known.

Just as an aside, I just thought of something that the artwork reminds me of; the singles artwork for the This is Hardcore album by Pulp

thisishardcore.JPG

[stjärnor]

I do wonder if the singles (and possibly the album) artwork for this album will be different textures/materials/backgrounds (black snakeskin for La belle) with the pink semi-transparent lower banner being a fixed element? It would tie in with the pink colour change on the main website banner and here on the forum.

I dreamt the album name again last night. (my first was tweeted to kent weeks ago, who said I was wrong!), and clearly my brain can't spell . It has a T in it, but doesn't begin with T: Någonstans i tid (Somewhere in time). Would love to know how many words in the title.