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Interview
by SashaS
11-10-2004
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| Husky Rescue: pop music to dream by... |
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Pretty in white
Husky Rescue: exporting Finnish pop-ideal
Raindrops breaking into thousands of slo-mo droplets, tranquil valleys flooded with emo-calamity, silence of solitude, chocolate dripping over a naked female form, exploding thoughts and dancing deities… Music that alternatively shines like Californian sun and gets dark as a Scandinavian night and then the twilight of souls the Pink Floyd style, before a pop explosion that is going to be Husky Rescue's next single…
Those were some of the impressions a blonde girl fronting five-piece outfit evoked in the reporter at a live show; the album these songs come from honours various influences: Goth-proggish/Floydesque ['Gasoline Girl'], Far Eastern-cum-jazzy ['Rainbow Flows'], soundtrack-y ['Mean Street' is John Barry/007 nod] or the French 60s echoing throughout, as well as some of the finest slide guitar you‘ll hear this side of Rio Grande.
Dreamy, dancy, ethereal, these songs are like re-irrigation of an emotive desert, it is the first light after a polar winter, a cocktail-elegant, mellow and meshing Latino rhythm with an old-skool organ… It gets trippy in a cosmic way, pop music that’s like a wide US highway ferrying loads of intel… Hawaiian guitar washes against the soulful coral reefs… And wait for the unnamed bonus cuts that are like tripping a Venusian canyon.
Marko Nyberg is the founder-songwriter-keyboardist with the band that offer us their excellent debut album, ‘Country Falls’. It is full of glorious little ditties, flowing and flowering, elegantly floating, melodiously gliding; a cynic termed it ‘bourgeois music’ but this is in no way related to Dido, Norah Jones or, God forbid, Minnie Driver… This is higher, this is deeper, and wider.
Let’s get to know you; short biog, please: who, when, where, why and how?
“I live in Helsinki, Finland. Husky Rescue was born 2.5 years ago. I was involved in engineering the latest Pepe DeluxÈ album. Catskills Records in Brighton became interested in my demos. I was satisfied because they are great guys. I started producing the album and there are over 20 musicians performing on the songs. I cut the bits&pieces together. First EP was released in September 2003. Husky Rescue started playing live in the spring 2004. Most of the gigs has been in England.”
An exquisite bouquet
The album is eclectic sounding: is it a protest against today’s market or simply an expression of your idealistic view what pop should be?
“‘Country Falls’ is my concept what a modern pop album should be. The dominating sound today is rude and nasty. It mostly offends ears and is based on too many clichés. This is simply music I would like to hear on the radio. Airy and shimmering soundscapes. That‘s what I‘m in to. I think it should be the motive when creating own music, let your creativity guide you. I haven‘t been thinking whether people would like this or not. There‘s no point producing music whilst thinking how it would sell. Fortunately my taste isn‘t that far away from the mainstream either.”
Would you be happy to establish a sonic image [in mass-mind] with ‘Summertime Cowboy’, in case it became your breakthrough hit?
“My musical influence is all warm sounding. A shimmer in arrangement but sound and production don‘t always have to be clean. ‘Summertime Cowboy’ isn‘t that far away from the other material of ‘Country Falls’. Of course I would be very happy if ‘Summertime Cowboy’ is noticed. It‘s a celebration of the summer! It‘s a naive musical moment but in a really honest way. In the North the darkness during winter makes you think strange thoughts, appreciate beauty of small things around you and long for something else... Or, it is also possible to develop serious depression. But, I‘ve been aiming at more positive targtes.”
Members image - apart from guitarist and bassist - is lo-maintenance, not to detract from music, one reckons; would you consider a sex-up for a global success?
“I wouldn‘t be that concerned about the future if the average look is still more charming than a bunch of basketball players in Pumas joggling on the stage. In the future Husky Rescue will become more gentle and visual experience when performing on stage. I‘d be more concerned and focused to the inner beauty of the team and how to let it grow when we spend more time together touring. Sounds banal but that‘s not easy.”
‘Country Falls’ songs provide quality and respite but is it enough to overcome the voyeuristic nature [i.e. cleavage-power] of contemporary pop?
“People need respite moments. And an inspiring soundtrack to the life. I really can‘t watch pop videos lately because they mostly are not creative at all.”
Beyond the valley of sonic dolls
Our feeling is that your music should be classified as ‘narcomantic’ - a mixture of hypnotic and romantic; would you argue with the description?
“Perhaps there is no argument to it… that much. Songs on the album are like a small cinematic stories. It‘s exciting what power films and music have! At its best it can be a possibility to escape reality for a few moments. Create audio or visual trips. That’s how I‘ve felt about music all my life. It‘s my world.”
Your site is very minimal: for particular reasons [anti-celeb stand] or it’s to be developed?
“I like simple, straight-forward things. The graphics are based on the album artwork. Personally I don‘t want to get lost on the ‘Net for hours.”
Although humour is not evident in songwriting, there is a mischief about the bands moniker?
“If I ever have a problems in my relationship with women I‘ll get a pair of huskies. That‘s one of the most efficient ways of getting ladies’ attention. Warm grey eyes and the looks of a wolf. That‘s a good contrast.”
[Not so sure about it working on the mean streets of London - Canine Ed.]
What do you hope people to appreciate in your music?
“I hope they like it that much that it will provide me with continued opportunity to make more music.”
If God created men in his own image, why are women so much better looking?
"Because men need inspiration. If women are not the highest source, then what?"
SashaS
11-10-2004
Husky Rescue’s album ‘Country Falls’ is released 11 October 2004 by Catskills
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