Studio

Studio mastered a singular dubbed-out synthesis of Krautrock, Afrobeat, post-punk, cosmic disco, and indie dance. The Swedish duo's hypnotic and prolonged grooves, exultant and full of attitude, became favorites of Balearic-minded DJs connecting the dots between groups such as Can, New Order, the Cure, and Happy Mondays. Launched in the early 2000s with a trio of low-profile 7" singles, Studio gained wider recognition later in the decade with West Coast (2006), its alternate configuration as Yearbook 1 (2007), and a collection of remixes for the likes of A Mountain of One and Kylie Minogue, Yearbook 2 (2008). Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and producer Dan Lissvik, previously of a Malmö-based band named Alé, conceived Studio after he relocated to Gothenburg to study at the Valand Academy. Over the course of 2001 and 2002, Studio released three singles on Service, a label Lissvik co-founded. The debut, "The End of Fame," featured contributions by a couple Alé members and guitar from Rasmus Hägg, with whom Lissvik turned his endeavor into a partnership. The sound for which the two became known started to coalesce with the B-side of the second single, "Shake You Down by the River." Three years passed without a new release, but Lissvik and Hägg were writing, recording, and refining the material that developed into the 12" No Comply single and the West Coast LP, issued on the duo's INF label (aka Information) in 2006. In 2007, Studio offered Yearbook 1, a CD-only gathering of original and alternate versions, and a subsequent 12" featured remixes of album highlight "Life's a Beach" from Todd Terje and Prins Thomas. Studio themselves fielded numerous offers to reshape tracks by other artists, and the work they accepted for Love Is All, Brennan Green, Kylie Minogue, A Mountain of One, Rubies, Shout Out Louds, and Williams -- a motley lot -- was compiled for 2008 release as Yearbook 2. Lissvik and Hägg ceased operations as Studio, but the musicians continued with myriad projects over the years, starting in 2008 with the solo debut of the former. Lissvik also recorded as one-half of the Crêpes and as one-third of Under Allt, and released an album and additional works as Atelje between the two bands. Moreover, he produced and remixed dozens of acts, while Hägg produced with El Perro del Mar and Jonas Lundqvist, among others. In 2025, Studio's West Coast was remastered and reissued by Ghostly International.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo