Written

Sarah Moon - The Red Thread
Written by Michaela Widergren
Sarah Moon's current exhibition at the Swedish museum of photography, Fotografiska, in Stockholm is an adaptation of the french folklore story and book called The Blue Beard, it's about la mainmise, she says in french, the power of love that allows a man to kill.
We grab two chairs and take a seat in the middle of the exhibition, tonight is the opening but nothing's ready yet. There are men drilling holes into the walls, the windows have been covered up making the room dark with just a few spots lighting up the art pieces. The walls are painted in a Cardinal red color, fitting the name of the exhibition, The Red Thread or as the original title in french Le Fil Rouge.
SM: This is the fifth story I've done like this, mixing photos and video, the mediums is very reduced. I only shoot for three or four days and then I retell the story with what I've been able to capture during that time.
MM: So everything we can see here is put together during those three of four days?
SM: Oh, no. The editing takes a long time, but the filming, everything filmed has been done during three or four days, it's all a home production.
MM: And the photography?
SM: I do some of the photography during the filming days and then I have a few older pieces that I fill in with, for example the image of the seagull. That's why the story is very important to know, so I write underneath all of the photos, you know, that is the red thread. I've re-done all of the texts to fit my version of the story, the words are my own interpretations of The Blue Beard.
There are mostly photographs in the exhibiting room, all with one or two sentences written underneath them which makes walking through the exhibition like reading a short novel, it's very captivating and allures you to read them all very carefully not to miss anything. There is also a film being prepared to be shown and in the end of the expo there are a few female portraits with large sculptural frames around them, almost like altars or obituaries.
MM: Can you tell me about the obituaries?
SM: I call them le tombe. The main character in the story, the girl, she goes into the forbidden room, and the tombs are a reconstitute part of that happening. So there's one tomb for each previous wife and the one that's empty is for the one who's telling the story, the heroine, the other four are already dead…
The Read Thread is a part of Fotografiska's unique collection and will be shown under a limited time until the 7th of June, so escape the sunlight and go experience the storytelling of a true icon, Sarah Moon.
Image courtesy of Sarah Moon & Fotografiska.
- CREDITS
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photography by SANDRA MYHRBERG
stylist MEGHAN SCOTT
hair & make up MICHAELA MYHRBERG
thank you to ÅRSTA SLOTT
post production LOTTA GUSTAVSSON
dress DAGMAR
cuffs & earring POGGI

An interview with Luna Green
Written by Jenny Lacis by Jenny Lacis
Luna Green appears in the crowd in Södermalm, the southside of Stockholm. It’s the first time we meet, but she is easy to recognize thanks to her height, flowing hair and unique face. Besides making music Luna works as a model, which is how Odalisque discovered her from the beginning. She is releasing her second album now and it’s told to be something different from the debut.
JL: You will release a new album in a couple of days, what can we expect?
LG: My new album is much more multi-faceted, compared to the first one which was much more coherent. This time I’ve been trying different ways of expressing myself and my new themes in each song. I felt like I wanted my first album to be uniform, to make it easier for folks to understand my music. Now I can experiment a little more.
JL: How would you describe your music?
LG: I would say that it’s dreamy, a bit confused and a little rough. I write all of my songs and I’m trying to put it together with dark and massive sounds to prompt emotions.
JL: You’ve been working together with Niclas Frisk, who is an eminent song writer and producer, how has that been?
LG: It’s been awesome! Niclas is incredibly talented and skilled. He helped me a lot and was very inspiring, and he is an extremely good guitarist.
JL: Can you tell us briefly about your life, where you were born and so on?
LG: It’s a little difficult to narrate. I’ve been moving around my whole life, and I’ve also travelled very much. I was born 22 years ago in the Swedish town Borås, but haven’t lived there since then. When I was 14 I started to work as a model and partly because of that, I travelled around the world.
JL: How do you think all that travelling has affected your music and songs?
LG:I guess all travelling and moving around is reasons for the need of music in my life. The music has been supporting and curative, keeping me together. Sometimes it has also been like an escape route.
I’ve always been listening intensively for sounds everywhere, in every city and place I’ve been to. I’m fascinated by how things and sounds are transforming. Almost every city has inspired me to write music.
JL: Can you tell any examples of cities and inspiration you’ve found?
LG: There is one song called Crystal Hall, which engendered from the city of Kyoto in Japan. It had been a long day in the city, when I went back to my hotel and decided to check out their spa; It was beautiful, with four great pools, perfect acoustics and kind of a crystalline feeling, and I was the only one there. I loved it. Two hours later, midnight had passed, and I realized I was locked up. I didn’t get scared or upset, instead it felt quite nice to have the whole place alone. That night I wrote Crystal Hall, which is mostly inspired by Japanese songs about geishas. I like how their songs are full of metaphors for things that most of todays artist would say in a grimy way. That’s something I try to adapt from Japanese music.
JL: What about Stockholm, has it inspired you?
LG: Absolutely. Gamla Stan, Stockholms Old Town, with it’s small alleyways and mystic air, it’s one of my favorite places and has inspired me a lot. Though, I’ve lived here for quite a long time I haven’t had time to get that inspired yet. I’ve been working a lot.
JL: What do you think you’ll be doing five years from now?
LG: Oh, I actually don’t want to speculate too much in to that, because always when I decide beforehand what to do I end up doing the opposite. Hopefully I will be doing something that includes music.

top BY MALENE BIRGER
skirt & belt BEYOND RETRO
shoes LOUIS VUITTON
top JENNY GRETTVE
skirt BY MALENE BIRGER

dress BY MALENE BIRGER
top NOOID
shawl BEYOND RETRO
necklace EFVA ATTLING
body suit WHYRED
skirt BEA SZENFELD
necklace STYLIST’S OWN

dress DIANA ORVING
bracelets STYLIST’S OWN
top RODEBJER
skirt BY MALENE BIRGER
belt JOHANNA PIHL
necklace THOMAS SABO
- CREDITS
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photography by ANNA GRANBERG

An interview with Carl Johan Lundgren
Written by Michaela Widergren
I've been listening to Vit Päls for a couple of years now. There is just something about the lyrics; they're like small youth novels, full of visual descriptions and beautifully constructed sentences with a playful undertone. I first contacted Carl Johan Lundgren, the front man and original founder, about six months ago and asked for an interview, since Carl and most of the band members live in Malmö we never got to it. I got my hopes up when I heard they were playing at the legendary club Debaser in Stockholm, I sent an e-mail to Calle and the interview was back on.
I meet up with Calle before their sound check at Debaser, we sit down in the bar area while people are running around, instruments are playing, is that a clarinet? Perhaps. The band consists of seven members, each one having their own instrument and part to play.
MM: I know you're not only a musician, you're also a Swedish teacher, is it hard to combine?
CJL: For a while I only worked with music, but then I didn't know when to get up or when to go to sleep so I actually feel better having a time schedule to follow, which you certainly have and need to follow working as a teacher. I also like the social contexts. For example, around Christmas when the janitor puts up starts in the windows or when there's a set table with yellow cloths around Easter in the teachers' lounge. It's nice.
MM: How old are the students you work with at the moment?
CJL: They're in high school.
MM: Do they listen to your music?
CJL: Not really, the kids that I'm working with now, live in Rosengård. Of course they figured out through YouTube that I'm someone in music, they think it's fun, but most of them listen to music from other cultures, like Arabic music.
MM: I actually have a friend of a friend that had you as a sub teacher here in Stockholm, his name is Sixten.
CJL: Oh, I think this was at Kulturama? He had really crappy grades that we took care of. You have to say hello to him from me.
MM: Most definitely. Do you ever get nervous before a gig?
CJL: Maybe not nervous, but I do get resolute. I've noticed that before I go up on stage, when people talk to me I don't really listen, I just say yeah, yeah to everything. When that happens, you can tell I'm focused. Before we start I always think about whether I have anything sensible or important to say, most of the times I forget to say it anyway, but it feels good to know you actually have something to convey if you would want to.
MM: Do you talk a lot during the acts?
CJL: I do. We used to switch instruments with each other in the middle of the gigs but nowadays I do more in-between talks instead.
Calle tells me about the absurd feeling of being on stage. He says it can feel really weird knowing there's a full crowd of people there to listen and see himself and his band mates play, but after playing a few beats, it all comes naturally, the doubts go away and he remembers why they're doing it.
MM: Do you get a lot of fan mail and what does it say?
CJL: It happens. A lot of people that like Vit Päls are really into the lyrics, so most of the letters are about that. It's from people whom themselves are or are trying to be in the music business and got inspired by our music. I blush every time.
MM: I've been thinking about the name, Vit Päls (White Fur) what's it about?
CJL: Hmm, it's been such a long time now, so I'm not sure I remember correctly… But I don't think it's on any deeper level than the fact that I had a friend with a cat that was white. There's also a Suicide song called Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne that I like, maybe it had something to do with that. I actually think I just said it and I remember that people thought it was a pretty bad name, but it just stuck in my head for some reason. I get that question a lot and I'm sure I've told a dozen different stories about it.
Calle is a true music nerd, he listens to everything and has a good sense of what's going on in the music sphere. Before he became a full time musician he went to art school and wasn't quite sure what kind of creative endeavor would fit him best. He decided on pop music and everything's just been rolling ever since. He says one of the best things about the music is working on the lyrics, it's like pottering, getting all of the perfect words and sentences together to mold something new and unexpected, but at the same time familiar to the listener.
MM: Do you ever think about your visual image, I mean how you dress and so?
CJL: Not really. We're all so different in the band. In the beginning when we started out we talked about dressing as a group, but it didn't work out. It's better if we all keep our personal styles. It's very rare that we talk about fashion or style, but of course we try to dress up and look proper and nice on the stage, maybe get a new shirt or something.
MM: Anything in specific that you'd like to tell the readers?
CJL: Well, just that they should come and see us play, it's usually a really good time.
- CREDITS
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