Part of the Valletta 2018 programme, Malta Calls, sees ŻfinMalta coming together with house DJ Per QX to create what is being described as a 360-degree experience of music, dance and visual projections. Ramona Depares interviews the Swedish artist.
How do you describe your music?
The music I composed for Malta is a mixture of ancient sounds, modern soundscapes and contemporary melodies. It is a journey from past to present Malta. It gives a glimpse into the past, but also introduces new technology.
How did your collaboration with ŻfinMalta come about?
I composed music for a number of Mavin Khoos’s previous contemporary dance shows, including Sensing Change, which was performed at London’s Royal Festival Hall. When Mavin contacted me about the Malta Calls project, I jumped at the chance. It sounded like a great challenge, because it was more than simply creating music for a contemporary dance piece – Malta Calls is a full-on total audiovisual experience.
Prickimage has created some wonderful 3D mapping and live interactive projects to go with the show. I’m amazed about what I’ve seen so far and I’m sure it’ll be a real opener for everyone watching.
What are the themes tackled by this work?
The main theme is based around change – the type of change Malta has been going through, particularly in regard to how we connect with one another as individuals. We look back from the Medieval times to today’s new technological society. The latter is awesome in many aspects, but also comes with many new challenges we’ve never experienced before.
Art can influence, disrupt and change the way people think
What were the biggest challenges in bringing the different elements together?
I think the biggest challenge was finding find the right sounds to accurately represent Malta’s history, as well as the sounds of its future. Mixing the show was also quite challenging. Making sure everything fits and frequencies don’t clash – geeky stuff, but it makes all the difference. For the final mixing I had some help from a friend in the form of the amazing Swedish producer Elias Bravo. He’s often my go-to person when it comes to mixing and putting the final touches in place.
What can you tell us about the creative process of having your music set to contemporary choreography? Which element comes first, so to speak?
The way I wrote this was very different to when I usually compose. I met up with ŻfinMalta and saw the dancers perform to Mavin Khoo’s choreography.
I studied the ways that they would interact to different sounds and beats. Based on what I saw, I then composed a few demos I sent over to Mavin, to see if I was on the right track. We then kept building on those tracks.
How has growing up in Stockholm, known for its eclectic scene, influenced your music?
I think Stockholm has great creative artists for sure. Having said that, I spent the majority of my 20s and 30s in London and Berlin. It was in London that I met Mavin. London and Berlin have a much more vibrant art and music scene than Stockholm and most of my inspiration definitely comes from those cities. Nowadays I spend most of the year in Bali which – as you can imagine – has a very different, but equally creative, vibe compared to London, Berlin or Stockholm. It’s an inspiring, spiritual place, which operates at a much slower pace that is great for creating art.
How important is it for you to tackle social issues through your art?
I take a lot of interest in what happens in the world, but most of the time tackling social issues and creating change is not really on my mind when I create music. I have great admiration for artists who make that their driving force, but mine is to make music that makes people feel good and gets their adrenaline pumping – while pushing the genre a little bit further, too.
Do you believe art can influence communities and peoples?
Of course. Art can – and should – influence, disrupt and change the way people think. Good art makes you stop and look at the world in ways you didn’t before whether you think it’s aesthetic of agreeable or not. Over the years, I’ve lived with and/or spent a lot of time with artists whose work changed my life forever. London-based artist Tony Hornecker’s wild installations or A Man To Pet’s off the hook performance art. In Berlin I’ve been really taken in by Ralf Obergfell’s beautiful and obscure queer documentary photography. The list goes on!
Malta Calls will be held on the grounds of St Clare’s College Secondary (ex Sir Adrian Dingli), Pembroke, on July 20 from 8pm onwards. Entrance is free.