Inge from Totalt Jävla Mörker plays also in International Noise Conspiracy and Knugen Faller. But in this interview I put the focus in his group Totalt Jävla Mörker and there he sings. He answered after one day on my questions and when was this then? Yeah, the days between 23-24 of February 2005. 

 

 

A little short history?

-Totalt Jävla Mörker (after this TJM in this interview) was formed in 1996 in Skellefteå. In a town which was not in  tact with our contemporary period  some young, frustrated guys who have difficulties to come into the hockey mentality in the city, wanted to get out their feelings and they wanted to be with similar persons. The cities social scrapings often comes to each other and it was like that TJM was formed. People which none wanted and we had only ourselves to be with. We weren’t so interested in music actually and we wasn’t  so good at our instruments. But we were left alone in our rehearsal room anyway. 1998 we released our first EP after many abouts and after that it have rolled on.  

 

Which are the members today, please tell me a little about every member, age, family, work, interests and something bad about every one? 

-TJM have Tomas (guitar, computergenious and misanthrope(Family unknown), Fredrik (deathmetalshouting. Recreation leader,. Player), Anders (The machine voice. Recreation leader and a farmer. Engaged), Victor (longhaired bassist. Student and he works on a library, Like girls with dreads), Krille (Drummer, student, family in Kåge, Wife and me Inge (embryopositionvocals. Fulltimemusican, single, but I’m open for suggestions

 

You plays in INC and Knugen Faller also, tell me a little about those bands?

-Yeah, I play in The (international) Noise Conspiracy. There I am the bassist. We have been going on for 6 years, release three fullengthrecords and lot of EP.s and toured the whole world round. Knugen Faller is a new band which soon is releasing their second EP. Fredrik from TJM is also in the group. We plays Swedish punk influenced by bands like Grisen Skriker, Usch, Skabb and so on. In that band the rule is that everyone must play an instrument that they´re useless to play, so there I play guitar .

 

Does the other ones plays in another bands?

-In TJM it´s called to be unfaithful to play in another band. Fredrik Knugen Faller, Royal Downfall and a band which is called Why can’t you dies. Krille plays with some jazzfusionproject which he don’t talks about. Tompa rehearse with some heavymetals sometimes but the others are faithful to TJM. 

 

Bands before?

-TJM was formed when a band which was called Bitter End stopped playing in 1996. Tompa, Anders and Fredrik was in Bitter End. Before TJM; I had only one band which was called Stand Still and it was between 1991 and 1993. Victor in TJM have played in a deathmetalband which I actually don’t remember what it was called. Krille was into a band which was called  Tango Violencia.

 

You was nominated to Grammis and won P3 Guld also, how does it feel, isn´t it against the punkideal with prizes and so on? 

-No! Ebba Grön got a culturescholarship in their time. But your question isn´t really right. TJM was Manifestnominated(Manifest is an alternative ”Grammis” for independent labels and band and so on) and we got the prize for the best punk/heavy metal 2002. Then we were nominated to P3 guld but we didn’t won anything there. This year we are nominated to Manifest again, and we will see how it goes.

 

What does punk mean to you, is it only a word, or is it a lifestyle?

-For me is punk a threechordrubbish from England which have corrupt my life since I was 14 years but I think that everyone have an individual way to see on punk. We have very few common denominators there. But the thing we have in common is that we all started to play music because of the same reason.- boredom, social incomptense and the culture repression in Skellefteå. Punk can be to be 17 years and say no to everything but even if we in TJM is 30 soon we care about trivial things as music. Or to do Skrutt after all these years. 

 

How would you describe your music in three words?

-Politics, nose and the devilsmessage.

 

You sell a lot outside Sweden too even if you sing in English, why do you think that Swedish music sells good outside Sweden even if the bands sing in swedish?

-Yeah, we sell some outside Sweden, but not so much. I think that hardcore is popular much because of that many HC bands have good status outside Sweden. Many Swedish HC-bands translate their lyrics , or do as TJM, writes English explanations to the lyrics. I have many mates in USA who likes Anti Cimex, Mob 47, Totalitär, Strebers and so on and it´s fun to listen to them when they sing along..

 

In which country is it most fun to play in?

-With TJM have I only been in Norway and in Sweden and its really fun in both countries.

 

You have really short lyrics, what shall you think about when you do short lyrics like that, and so you can get in as much as possible in the lyrics?

-Do as the do with our northern woods- chop down, drive away, bulldoze over. 

 

Your music can be called political but is it a natural thing that music and politics goes hand in hand? 

-Absolutely. Music have always reflected the society. In the 50´s came all these troubadours like Woodie Guthrie and Phil Ochs,  which sang about now then. In the 60´s the hippies came, flower power and and the antiwarmovement which also was composed in music. In the 70´+s the black power funk and punk came. In the 80´s hiphop came as a voice for black bigcityyouth. In the 90´s it wasn´t so much. I think that grunge and shoegazer/slacker-rock destroyed a lot. Then it was OK to have a leatherjacket a guitar a cool rock pose. But in the other way we started TJM in the 90´s, so it was something which was happened when I think after. Music and politics goes hand in hand and to us it´s really important to say what we think about things and describe our reality to our listeners. ..

.

 

THE PICTURES ARE TAKEN FROM  MÖRKERS WEBSITE and thanks to Emma on rockfoto.nu for the loan of pictures. 

 

Could you imagine to play a simple ”love song”?

-”Om Mao var här” is a lovesong if anyone is.

 

Do you do any covers?

-We played ”Ace of Spades” once upon a time as an extrasong, and that was popular. So popular that some punks took me down from the stage on debaser and jumped on my head with their Dr Martens.

 

Is there any good bands in Sweden right now?

-Yeah. Tristess is best right now. But I like  Randy, Regulations, Tor Lundmark & Songes, The Lost Patrol band, Vectors, Martyrdöd, Håkan Hellström, Hives, Sahara Hotnights, Total Egon and some more.

 

Outside Sweden?

-More bad than good. I´m very bad at keeping me updated with new music, both swedish and foreign music. And especially new band I have really bad check on.. Foreign bands which is on my stereo is among others Gorilla Angreb, Rancid, Chumbawamba, Nick Cave & The bad Seeds, Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards, Einstürzende Neubauten, Young Wasteners (I don´t know if they´re still active), everything Jello Biafra do, Leftover Crack, The Cure, PJ Harvey, Motörhead… It´s many and may of them have been playing for a while. Now it must be enough with things to count up. Discharge of course, but take back Cal!

 

How does your audience look like?

-They´re too young for W.A.S.P and too old for Marilyn Manson.

 

Is it any difference between the audience if you compare your different groups? 

-Yeah, a little. T(I)NC have the broadest audience in the world. It’s always a mix of people on our concerts. We always see two 40 year old rock guys which likes us, there are always 10 crustpunks, some old hc-kids, some with emoglasses, the young hip ones which likes White Stripes, a lot of sweet girls, one Mohawk and a sour rightwing in the back with cool hair and a little bit too tight shirt. TJM have a little younger audience which feels a lot like the way I did when I was in their age and I’m really happy that I have found a way to communicate with people who don´t want or cannot be like everybody else. TJM have disgusting punks, people who likes metal otherwise but who wants some more extreme, Goths and some journalist which feels that it’s trendy to write about us. Knugen Faller have only played in Umeå so it have been mostly mates who have seen us.

 

How much does a group like TJM sell?

-It´s hard to say. Keep in touch with Bodenmalm!

 

Are you satisfied with your label? Is there any bigger labels which wants you?

-I´m really satisfied with Distortion actually. They do their things good and the things they do bad they do bad if you understand what I mean. But it´s only Distortion which have been good for us, because we have distribution by the label Border and that the promotioncompany Skiva helps us come out in media and so on. Everyone is cogs in the machinery. No bigger labels have been in touch with us. I think that our name automatically reduces the commercial possibilities with the band. 

 

Please rank your five favourite records, five favourite concerts and five most important things in life?

-Favourite records it’s changing from week to week I think. But if I MUST choose it´s (no special order)

Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit for rotting vegetables

Ebba Grön – Kärlek & Uppror

Chumbawamba – Anarchy

Discharge – Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing

The Cure – Disintegration

 

Favoruiteconcerts(I think you mean concerts I have been to and not the ones I have played) 

The Cure, On Qrocfestival outside autumn 2003

Chumbawamba, Stockholm 1997

Kraftwerk, Rosklide 1998

Ministry, Hultsfred 1996

Strebers, Röda Skolan Skellefteå 1991

 

Fivemost important things in life

Good food

Jogging

Music

Coffeine

Some mates

 

The first, the last and the most expensive record ever bought?

-The first one was Twisted Sisters ”Stay Hungry” which I bought when it came out 1984. The latest was  Håkan Hellströms new record. The most expensive must be  Kriminella Gitarrers ”Vårdad Klädsel”.

 

The most embarrassing record in your collection?

-Honestly I must say that I am not ashamed for any record in my collection,. Every record have their place in their time in my life. But of course those Helloween-records don´t feel so fresh today. 

 

I found a list on the net with your records, do you buy much records?

-yeah, I became a member in skivsamling.com much depending on that my mates have became members. It´s a good way to know which record you have. I don’t buy so much records nowadays. I buy a few records and exclusive records instead. I have in the latest years specialized on Swedish punk from 78-82. It’s the only things I buy, almost.  

 

What do you think about living in Sweden?

-I have been on tours in 20 countries and I must say thati thik that it is Sweden which have the highest living standard and most leveled out of all the countries I have seen. I think taht Sweden is godd in many ways and I feel at home here. I´m absolutley not a patriot or nationalist, I must say that, but there is things in Sweden which is really close to the ehart as common mediacal care, the high class on our schools, the the working class history, the social landmarks the high living standard and son. But all this it´s on it´s way to disappear much because of the fact that Sweden have gone in to the european union and that the socialistparty once again have let their voters be disappointed. But there´s a lot of good things in Sweden and many things which is worth to fight for and to get better. But we have a lucky that we´re not born in England or any other developing country.

 

How did our government did their job when the tsunamicatastrophy was? 

-We will see that because it´s going on yet. It´s typical Sweden to find a scapegoat to everything. When it was clear that the Swedish government not was updated or engaged in the question in the beginning so started the rightwing to shout “Resign Persson” and they blame everything on the socialists, as a pass to people how much better a rightwing government have handle this. And then have Laila Freivalds almost personally being seen as the responsible for the things which have been. It´s a little bit odd I think. But it´s surely right as many criticans says that the government didn´t act as fast as they should in this question.

 

You haven´t had any thought of doing a charitygig to the victims or something similar or shall not bands take opinion in different questions? 

-It´s nothing wrong with charity any way, because the ones that is starving or which is homeless needs food and a place to live. Charity doesn’t solve any real social problems. It´s good if artists and other cultural actives try to do the things they can but often it feels like if they do it only to win something their selves. Unfortunately.  Let them know it’s Christmas.

 

Is it many interviews, is it boring?

-With TJM it´s a tempo which we can manage to have, but it was hell how many questions have you send? 

 

Which is the question you never get but you want to have?

-Pass

 

Futureplans for the band/bands?

-TJM will tour Germany this spring and we will hopefully do a new record soon. Knugen Faller release a new ep and we will go out on tour with Regulations in Sweden in the end of march.  The (international) Noise Conspiracy waits on that our new record will be released in USA and we go there in may on a tour..

 

For yourself?

-I have a bio-date this weekend.

 

Wisdomword?

-When life is too bad I have some things I try to remember 

·         It´s only to bite together

·         It´s only to laugh at the shit

·         You must have something to do so you don´t feel how you feel. 

·         IT`S NEVER LATE TO GIVE UP!

 

Something to add?

-Take care

 

Thank you and goodbye!