A star is born! Sweden does it again – and what a remix
Interview : Dan Prince
Tobias welcome to DMCWORLD young man, where in the world are you right now?
“At the moment I’m enjoying a cup of coffee in my hometown Uppsala. It’s the fourth biggest city in Sweden, even though it feels like a small town where everyone knows each other. It’s kind of funny how a lot of fans still believe I’m French!”
An incredible remix of yours that has totally blown us all away, your rework of Ken Doh’s ‘Nakasaki’. Talk us through what went through your mind when you first sat down and thought on how you were going to create your take on this superb track…
“I’m glad you guys enjoyed it! Well it was actually the first track that I did under guidance of my managers. They wanted me to reach beyond my comfort zone and explore undiscovered land! I tried to do my own thing yet justifying the original, which wasn’t the easiest task. I learned a lot in the process in terms of genres, especially since it’s structured in a more classical way than my usual work! French Touch and Nu-Disco isn’t famous for being the most DJ-friendly type of electronic music, and because it was supposed to be for the clubs I had to think in new ways.”
Great quote from you…”I’m like the opposite to Lady Gaga. She’s a public face but she’s maybe not the brain behind the whole act. In my case, I’m the brain but have no face.” Discuss…
“Haha, haven’t heard that one in a while Dan! Well my point was that a lot of DJs and producers aren’t exactly people you instantly recognize in the streets, even though they might be on top of the music charts! I’m quite sure most of my followers and fans have no idea how I really look like, and I kind of like the fact that I let my music tell who I am. A lot of our generation’s superstars are only a face, like a model that showcases someone’s work. If you dig deeper you will notice that there are a smaller group of producers and songwriters that are behind most of today’s music. In the last two years times have changed drastically though, and DJs has become our times superstars. It’s getting more common with “model DJs” that has ghost-producers making their tracks, so I guess this kind of plague is spreading to all forms of music.”
When I told the guys in The Buzz Chart office I was interviewing you today, they were like…”woah! This guy could be the next Avicii or The Beatles, it’s impossible to categorize his music, he could turn out to be anything he wants!” Thoughts on that dude?
“Haha well that’s most certainly a great compliment! I have worked with all kind of music since my childhood days, so naturally I take influence from all that music has to offer! I easily get bored of having the same kind of sound, but want to do whatever I’m into at the moment, which I think can be heard in my music throughout my career. I guess my biggest advantage is my age, even if I feel kind of old already.”
As you mentioned earlier, you hail from Uppsala in Sweden – a city famed as the birthplace as famed film director Ingmar Bergman. What film could you watch over and over?
“I always get a smile on my face when I see that Back to the Future or Waterworld is on TV, although my most recent obsession is cheap High School movies. Unfortunately I have no explanation how this happened, and it’s nothing I’m particularly proud of hehe…”
Let’s rewind to the early days of Tobias Giorgio Karlsson and your father’s collection of disco music. Who were the artists you can remember from those halcyon days?
“I’ve been a big MJ fan for as long as I can remember, even before I started school! Although my first real connection with pure disco was in teenage years. At the time I was into mostly hard rock and metal. I found a burned CD with some of my father’s favorite tracks from back in the days, and on it I found the timeless hit “Chic – Everybody Dance”. It’s probably still my favorite disco-anthem to date.”
I saw them in Ibiza last week, good choice! You first caught the production bug at school with some very basic disco samples, how did you progress from there? When did you start to buy software and equipment for instance…
“Well it was all just for fun at the beginning. I never though in a hundred years that it would escalate into this! I got very interesting in the art of sampling since I was already into a lot of old-school disco, so naturally French-House caught my interest. After a while the interest for electronic music in general got bigger and I wanted to find new ways to express myself through music. I’ve used Propellerhead’s Reason from the start, and have never actually bought it myself. I got very fortunate that the guys from Propellerhead found out I used their software, and since they apparently enjoyed my music they sponsored me with the latest version, and has ever since! I bought DJ equipment when the interest for a Tobtok Live show got bigger, which was like 2 years ago I think. Other than that I have a few “real” instruments like a drum-set and guitars, and they can come in handy from time to time.”
What did your father think of your choice of career?
“Well he wants me to be a doctor…Nah, my whole family is very supportive! Most of all, music has always been my biggest passion in life since a very early age so I think they had this coming.”
What was your first break into the music industry?
“I think that the first track I did that really got me a push into the music-scene was my bootleg of Bingo Player’s “Cry”, which got crazy blog-support! After that I’ve had a steady following which I’m workin’ on expanding. I still like to see myself as quite an underground artist, so when I break through that is yet to be discovered!”
What does a Tobtok live show consist of in 2013?
“Well, I haven’t really had the opportunity to perform a lot this year due to my illness, and I’m currently focusing a lot on productions. In time I see myself travelling all over the world to spread the best music that the world has to offer through DJing. Naturally it’s going to be a lot of Disco, but also focusing on bringin’ in more pumpin’ house to my shows!”
Another great quote from you, I’m always looking for new ways to go beyond the boundaries of music-making. I want to explore the possibilities of sound and noise. That is what’s keeps the fire alive and makes me want to create as much as possible.” When you look around the dance charts today, do you think there are enough producers like yourself who have the same drive and passion as yourself? Lot of big tunes today all sound the same out there…
“People are following the same structures and thoughts to create a Beatport Top 10 hit (Epic Mashleg by my Swedish friends Daleri is a good example), and with that way of thinkin’ you naturally have to give up personal creativity. Music is getting more functional and less expressing. Isn’t it quite robotic to have a track counting in from 10 in a breakdown, to drop into a simple monotone drop? That makes it so easy for people who’ve never heard the track to dance and sing along to it. I can see the point with it but the art of music as a tool of expressing yourself gets lost. One big factor in this matter is also money, and this constant talk about “selling out”. If you get driven by money and fame you’ll also loose what in my opinion gives music its value. Creativity is getting rarer these days for sure, but when you encounter creativity and pure expression, people usually appreciate it more than the same old thing you hear everywhere.”
Do you have daily activities that balance with your love of music / spur inspiration?
“Well, naturally my everyday life and activities does affect my music-output. The music you make is a part of yourself. It’s kind of a classic as a musician to write a track about a heartbreak etc. Music itself is a language that all humans can understand, and can describe feelings like words cant! This year I had a period of more than 3 months when I couldn’t work with music at all, since my illness made my hearing very bad. After that I have appreciated music in general so much more and have gotten to the conclusion that I couldn’t live without it! In a way you could say that my love for music is the driving force to my daily life.”
What is your critique process like, and how do you know when it’s done? Do you like to bounce bits and pieces off of people at labels, or refine it yourself and share a finished product?
“I have a lot of musical people that I’m in contact with (especially other producers in the same scene etc.) that I usually get feedback from. It has become a big part of the process of making music, not only for me but for all musicians thanks to internet and social-media. I always know when a track is fairly done, it’s like an indescribable feeling you get when listen to something that is simply flawless, like there is nothing more to add to it or adjust! Friends usually hear unfinished material from me because I trust their judgment, but labels should always hear a justified version, with that I mean a finished and mastered product.”
Are you a producer who can produce whilst touring, I interviewed George FitzGerald earlier today and he said he can work in a taxi!
“I’m mostly comfortable workin’ with on my productions at home, because I can get one with the music-making, without distractions from the environment! I usually get “wired in” and work for several hours straight like the real life didn’t exist! I kind of love that feeling. Although sometimes I work in various locations because it’s more convenient. An example of that is that I did most of the drums for my Ken Doh remix on the plane to London!”
What is coming out next from you studio wise…?
“Next up is some original tracks and a few remixes. Most important of all is that I’m in the process of adapting my music to a bit more club-oriented, in terms of structure. I want bring the fire and drive of disco and mix them with other genres to create some kind of hybrid magic!”
Who from history would you most like to have a beer with and why?
“I’d say with myself like 3 years ago. Why? To tell myself to man up and enjoy life more! If I am supposed to be a bit more realistic I’d say Thomas Bangalter, because he is chill and mysterious.”
Really good answer! What is the greatest compliment you have ever received about your music?
“As the matter of fact I got a pretty nice compliment a couple of days ago! I did a remix to band where the front man enjoyed my take on their song so much that he wanted to make it the original version, and talked about revamping the sound of the band to something like my remix! Of course he wasn’t dead serious but still those thoughts made me believe in myself and most of all gave me a big smile on my lips!”
Okay everyone has one! A guilty pleasure song, a tune you shouldn’t love but do…
“Well, I kind of love “Swedish House Mafia – Don’t You Worry Child”…I 100% blame that it’s because I’m Swedish myself. It’s the anthem of our people! Too be honest I listen to what a lot of people would consider to be uncool music, but let’s not talk too much about that.”
And finally, to the thousands of aspiring producers reading this interview, what advice can you give them to follow in your footsteps?
“My best advice is to believe in your own creativity and most of all to be patient! If you believe in yourself and get through hard times (that for sure will come) you will become who you want to be in the end!”
http://www.soundcloud.com/tobtok
