pierrej Also available on Apple Music, iTunes, Juno & Beatport
Minello was created when I put together my two friends that never met before. Michael Jönsson and Nello = Minello. All Nello productions always ended up in a euro-style, and Michael was more into underground house music with a touch of soul. This match was indeed lucky a and they created a sound together, ending up as commercial house. This song also went on the top selling compilation Absolute Dance. All vocals sung by Shirley Clamp.
Also available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Juno & Beatport
Here is the third single Tee-Bee Trax, aimed at Roland’s TB-303 that does the acid-lead-sound throughout the whole title track. The 303 becomes even rawer when the sound is processed thru a Ensoniq DP4-effect. There are another 3 funky trax on this EP as well. It’s the first time every this is available on a digital format.
Another radiostation that got in touch with me was the brand new Power 106, that was a local Urban and Dance radio based in Stockholm. They wanted 2 mixes of 1 hour each with house music, every month on their show ”Power Hot DJ Mixes”. Other known DJs that I shared this show with was Rob’n’Raz, Micke Dodd, Emil Hellman, Jonas Wikström, Jonas Lönnå och Sleepy, all with their special genres. I did 28 shows during one year and here you’ll find some selected shows from 1996.
During the summer of 1996, we started to plan the mixed compilation PJ Mix. It was the first of it’s kind in Sweden, done together with a major label, Virgin Records. They hade prior to this release, released some mixed compilations before, but all on import, and none was yet to hit the charts. The project was done together with Janne Lundqvist who was working at Virgin at the time.
This was also a sad wakeup due to all bureaucracy and competition in between different record companies. I pretty much now what I’m after in regards to songs and overall sound on this record, but I’m told that I might not receive permission to use all the songs I want. I’m putting together a list of 60 songs, to be on the safe side and we start to approach all the record companies. After the process, we are left with 20 songs, that is ok to use, and they seems to have been randomly selected. I’m stuck with a lot of reservs and songs that I myself would never play as a DJ. But with all this policy we had to stick with the stuff we had. Sad, but true.
The policy went so far, that songs that even Virgin themselves was in control of, was denied, to not interfere with their single sales. This compilation launched with both radio and TV-commerials and it ends up selling as expected and I’m here and now the first Swedish DJ, to have a mixed compilation on the sales chart, top 5. Ever!
This is the my first year on Swedish National Radio P3. The program P3 Mix changed into P3 Remix with Pierre J. It gives you a pretty good picture of dance music of 1996. Enjoy 🙂
Also available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Juno & Beatport
Pierre J presents Nello. It’s a long story with a very sad ending, because he past away 2001. We got to know each other 1993 and it developed into a good relationship and also a lot of joint music productions. With this first release, “Shirley” that refers to “Shirley Clamp” who was singing on most of Nellos music, was the first out of many.
We later on in 1999 decided to stop cooperating and Nello wanted to do things his way, unfortunately with drugs involved, and he died in 2001 due to a heart attack. I’m still thinking of Nello from time to time with a lot of love. We shared many good memories and he was a truly unique character and he was so unlike anybody else on this planet. May he rest in peace!
Also available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Juno & Beatport
Tellus was on a roll and this was another top 10 on the Swedish Dance Chart. My younger brother was chosen for the vocals and he shouted “Are You Ready To Have A Party Out There?” and indeed there was some people ready for that!
Also available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Juno & Beatport
The first single with U-Trax was only available on vinyl, but this second single was released on both vinyl and CD. Nello came up with the idea for the track and then we completed different mixes. I also received a fan-video from an unknown producer.
During childhood, ever since I heard Depeche Mode’s first album, Speak & Spell, in 1981, it’s been electronic music that has attracted me the most. A Swedish band that I listened to was Adolphson & Falk. Good written songs with clever lyrics about modern technology, astronomy, human solidarity and cosmos, which was produced with the latest synthesizers that had just been released. Fat analog sounds with drum machines in the background. There have been many listening’s on their first two amazing albums that came in 1982 and 1984.
The record company that released Adolphson & Falk was called “Air” and was operated by “Air Chrysalis Scandinavia”, today “BMG Chrysalis Scandinavia AB.” In the spring of 1996 I had already done some work for Air Chrysalis and knew them quite well, first and foremost Pelle Lidell, today perhaps most publicly known as the former Chairman of the Jury in the TV4 show Idol. Pelle was then the A & R manager and had picked up my mixes and productions. After numerous of conversations held that spring, I told him, among other things, about my music background. As it happens, Adolphson & Falk were about to release a compilation album, but wanted two newly produced singles that would enrich the disc and create a new topicality for Adolphson & Falk. This, of course, I had no idea about, so I was both incredibly happy and surprised when I got the question. A bit of a dream that came true one could say.
Anders Falk and Tomas Adolphson had recorded simple demos of the songs that I got sent to me on cassette tape. I created a background that would be used to record the song. Since both Anders and Tomas worked full time, I had to go to Stockholm to record the song. At my previous vocal recordings I had been using an expensive two-inch reel-to-reel that was standard in larger studios that were able to record up to 24 channels. The tape is large as an LP, and about 3 inches thick. And it is heavy too. With the bag packed with the tape and a simple change of clothes I went to the studio in Stockholm, run by Ronald Bood who would also act as the sound engineer. It was very fun just to meet these guys, whose music I had listened to so much. All of a sudden I would decide how it would sound, how the song was sung and if the guitar would play this or that. I have honestly never thought it would have been fun to record the song, my fun job done at home in the studio, but we must have the song, so it’s just to get going.
We started recording during the early evening hours and would go on all night. My evening fatigue makes itself reminded already around 22:00, so it was a pretty long night. Around 03:30 I change my room for a while and fell asleep while sitting at a table and slept for about an hour, while Ronald continues to record until I wake up again and put the final touches. Sometime in the early morning we finish the job and the song is transferred to DAT tape. Now I long home to the studio and the stuff at home to put the whole production in place.
Adolphson & Falk for me, is all about good synth pop songs with clever lyrics and a production that smacks of analog synthesizers, drum machines and vocoders. I thought my two productions should be done in the same spirit, as they would be included in a collection of old songs. At the same time these two new songs were released as new singles as well. This was complemented by with two dance remixes of old hits, I did those too. The first production of “Ta Den Kärlek Du Kan Få” was done in a heartbeat. It was so obvious in a way. Everything fell into place and it sounded new, yet with a natural flirt with the old.
When “Sången Är Till För Dig” was completed and sent, they were not completely satisfied. They did not certain harmonies had the right look. To bring order to it, Ronald Bood came down to me in Gothenburg to help. I myself was quite pleased with my original production but we did another version in the end. The groove was gone, and the song felt now quieter and smoother, but the harmonies penetrated through better perhaps. After two days of work the new version was recorded in my studio and Roland went home. I sent the tape and it got approved, and above all else Adolphson & Falk was now satisfied with this song too. Here you will hear the original version that has never seen the light of day.
