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Jan 30, 2017 By Mark Redfern Photography by Katri Heinämäki Issue # 59 - 15th Anniversary

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For Under the Radar‘s 14th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2016. We asked them about their favorite albums of the year and their thoughts on various notable 2016 news stories involving either the music industry or world events, as well as some quirkier personal questions. Here are some answers from Sweden’s Johan Angergård. Angergård is in multiple bands, including Club 8, Djustin, The Legends, Acid House Kings, Eternal Death, and Pallers, as well as running Labrador Records. Club 8’s most recent album is 2015’s Pleasure. The Legends’ It’s Love also came out in 2015. Djustin’s Tryst EP came out in 2016.

For our annual Artist Surveys we emailed the same set of questions to musicians about Trump and the election, 2016’s deaths, self-driving cars, Stranger Things, first kisses, scary movies they shouldn’t have seen as a child, which Friends character they are most like, and much more.

Pick up or download Under the Radar’s Best of 2016 / 15th Anniversary Issue for Artist Survey interviews with Amber Arcades, Austra, Faris Badwan of Cat’s Eyes and The Horrors, Boxed In, Caveman, The Charlatans, Cursive, Lucy Dacus, The Dears, C Duncan, Sadie Dupuis of Sad13 and Speedy Ortiz, Dutch Uncles, Ezra Furman, Robyn Hitchcock, The Invisible, Justin Lockey of Editors and Minor Victories, Lost Under Heaven (LUH), Lush, Midlake, Phantogram, The Range, Springtime Carnivore, Sunflower Bean, Surfer Blood, TEEN, The Thermals, Nick Valensi of CRX and The Strokes, Jenn Wasner of Flock of Dimes and Wye Oak, and Yuck.

A shorter version of Johan Angergård’s survey appeared in the digital version of Under the Radar’s Best of 2016 / 15th Anniversary Issue, this is the full unedited version.

Top 10 Albums of 2016

1. Idris Ackamoor: We Be All Africans—Ridiculously groovy mix of afro-pop and jazz.
2. Maria Usbeck: Amparo—One of the most emotional and special albums I’ve heard in a long time even if I understand about three words on the album. I decided not to include any Labrador releases, but as this one is on Cascine in the U.S. I figured it’s okay.
3. Michael Nau: Mowing—It reminds me of so many things I like, and still sounds special.
4. Factory Floor: 25 25—Cleansing the mind.
5. Yumi Zouma: Yoncalla—The three voices chorus of “Text From Sweden” is the most addictive piece of music I’ve heard all year.
6. Jenny Hval: Blood Bitch—She has a way of writing melodies at times that I find pretty irresistible.
7. Blood Orange: Freetown Sound—Joy.
8. S U R V I V E: RR7349—They’re easy to like if you’re interested in analogue synthesizers and stripped down production.
9. Junior Boys: Big Black Coat—All that talk about Detroit techno made me discover a whole bunch of Old-Goldies.
10. Crystal Castles: Amnesty (I)—I can rarely listen to more than two songs in a row by Crystal Castles, but it’s still a band I can’t live without.

What are your thoughts on how the U.S. presidential election played out?

I know it’s completely wrong, but I do feel a certain amount of anger toward the entire country. How could you let this happen?

Let’s discuss Donald Trump. What does the rise of Trump tell you about America in 2016? What concerns you most about a Trump presidency? How do you think his presidency might personally change your life? What message do you have for those who voted for Trump? What actions will you take over the course of the next four years to either protest a Trump presidency or support it?

He’s a lying sexist, a racist, and an enemy of all environmental work going on in the entire world. It’s just beyond understanding how so many people can vote for him. And unfortunately your voting will not only affect you in the U.S., but it will affect everyone else as well.

If you were president, what would you try to accomplish in your first 100 days in office?

I’m sure it sounds like a utterly stupid hippie thought, but I would like to start a political party who’s main objective is to maximize people’s happiness. Left or right or middle it’s all about money nowadays. And yes, that does play a part in becoming happy to a certain extent, but it’s not everything. I want to change focus. Investigate what makes people happy and then use politics to work in these directions.

What are your thoughts on Brexit and the future of the European Union? To what extent do you think the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump were motivated by the same factors?

EU is more important than ever so Brexit wasn’t good. We definitely need a strong counterweight to Trump, Putin, and Jinping.

We lost three highly influential music icons in 2016. What are your thoughts on the passing of David Bowie, Prince, and Leonard Cohen? And what are your favorite albums by each artist?

Leonard Cohen was great. I love Songs of Leonard Cohen. I’ve never cared about the music of Bowie or Prince though.

What song would you like to be performed at your funeral and who would you like to sing it?

“Asleep” by The Smiths and I would kind of like Morrissey to sing it.

www.club-8.org

www.djustin.com

www.labrador.se