Thomas Sjöland's Music

latest update 2007-11-03

Incomplete "Opus list" including public performances (some pieces on-line)

A number of electronic tape pieces were produced at home during 1971-1974

• Skisser från Spegelvärlden, 1973, degree work at Österängsskolan, Kristianstad. (Moog and tape).

I played electric bass in various experimental electric jazz groups during 1970-1975. Kursverksamheten vid Lunds Universitet had an annex in my home town Kristianstad and the people there as well as the teachers and headmaster at my various schools were most helpful.

Recorded performances with Pernilla Wallin (epi), Hans-Åke Ohlsson (gi), Jörgen Nilhamn (gi), Mats Rabe (dr), Thomas Sjöland (b) and Stefan Wistrand (sax) at

• Musikhuset in Lund (oct 1974)
• King&Queen discoteque Kristianstad (Jan 1975)
• Konserthuset, Kristianstad (Feb 1975)
• Söderportsskolan (part 1), (part 2), and Österängsskolan, Kristianstad (March 1975)

I moved to Stockholm in 1975.

• Improvised concert 1976, with the quartet Casablanca Dansorkester: Magnus Frenning (dr), Björn Wallgren (gi), Leif Ahlberg (s) and Thomas Sjöland (b). At a club in "Sibirien", Vasastan, Stockholm. No recording remains.
  
• Improvised concert 1976, With the first iteration of Lokomotiv Konkret.  No recording remains.

• Improvised concert 1976 Trio Continental: Edward Derkert (g), Björn Wallgren (g) and Thomas Sjöland(b) at Moderna Muséet, Reviewed at kultursidan, Dagens Nyheter (the reviewer didn't think it was the right kind of "free music". Too electric for this jazz figure  I guess.)
  
• 23 DAT tapes. The jazz/rock/experimental improvisation group MUTANT of which I made a number of recordings in 1977-78. Members were Matz Borgström (b+synt), Mats Rabe (dr), Hans-Åke Ohlsson (g), Claes Jansson (g), Joakim Carlsson (perc) and Thomas Sjöland (b+synt). Occasionally other musicians appeared, notably Stefan Wistrand (s), on a recording by Peter Englesson used for a student TV/film-project at the Dramatiska Institutet, Stockholm, Peter Wartin (gi), and Michael Bergenheim (epi).
  
•  like this one appr nov 1977 6:54 (full recording is about 20 minutes) (mpeg3-22K, 2,76 Mb).
• An unimitable solo by CJ appr 1.30 min, 2,61 Mb
• Boogie by the first version: TS, MR, MB, CJ appr 5.16 min, 9,66 Mb

A number of electronic tape pieces (analog and with computer control) 1975-1980 at EMS, for instance:

• Stadsbilder 10:36, 1975, EMS analog studio, based on a poem written and read by author Stefan Foconi (mpeg3-22K, 4,24 Mb)
• Spegelbild2 (Mirror Image 2) 1:44, 1976, EMS computer studio , BASIC program at Nord-10 generating EMS-1 program score transferred on paper tape! (mpeg3-22K, 0,71 Mb)
• Doppler 1978, the computer studio at EMS (w. Matz Borgström mix), Stockholm.3:04 (mpeg3 22K 56kbit/s, 1,22 Mb). Made for Fylkingen but not performed (as far as I can recall).
• Music of no significance 1978-11-24, the computer studio at EMS (w. Matz Borgström mix) performed at FYLKINGEN, Stockholm. 12:37 (mpeg3 22K 64kbit/s, 5,77 Mb)
• A Jazzy One 1978 computer piece. National radio broadcast Swedish Radio P2. Producers: Lars-Gunnar Bodin, Bengt-Emil Johnsson.
• Soft, 1978 computer piece. National radio broadcast Swedish Radio P2. Producers: Göran Rydberg, Bernt Berntsson. 10:54 (mpeg3 196kbit/s, 14,99 Mb)
• The Prime Question 1&2 5:20 (full piece 14:31) the computer studio at EMS 1978, (RealAudio G2 20K)
• The Prime Question 3 13:04 (full piece 22:55) the computer studio at EMS 1978, (mpeg3 22K, 3,73 Mb)
• Earth 4:15 the computer studio at EMS 1978, (mpeg3 22K, 1,7 Mb)
• FMT1 5:48 improvisation with Erik U. Nyberg, the computer studio at EMS 1978-04-08 5:48 (mpeg3 22K, 2,32 Mb)
• Computer Sound Sculpture III, 4:08, 1979-06-24, an algorithmic piece, coded in FORTRAN, (mpeg3-22K, 1,6 Mb)
• Beating, 8:06, 1979, Buchla analog synthesizer, EMS 8:06 (mpeg3-22K, 96kbit/s, 5,57 Mb)
• Steppin I, and Steppin II.  1979,  Buchla analog synthesizer, EMS.
• Circus Mood, 1979 (with the Mutant group + Per Gärdin (s)) , national radio broadcast in the program Rockgift SR P3. Producer: Anders Klintevall.
• Digital Disco, 1979. EMS, Buchla analog synthesizer, vocals TS (!).
  
• Infinite Variations 1980, computer piece realized at the EMS computer studio, performed at the International Festival of Electronic Music, Circus, Stockholm.
• Mind Echoes 1980, computer piece realized at the EMS computer studio (commissioned by Swedish Radio P2, "beställningsverk") . National radio broadcast.
• Impressions, 1980, Buchla analog synthesizer, EMS, 6:31 (mpeg3-44K 56kbit/s, 3 Mb)
• Mourning of the Sirens, 1980-11-01, Buchla analog synthesizer, EMS, 9:17 (mpeg3-44K 56kbit/s, 4 Mb)
• Cathy Berberian at Studio 54, 1980, Buchla analog synthesizer, EMS, 3:11 (mpeg3-44K 56kbit/s, 1 Mb)
• Winter Ships, 1980, Buchla analog synthesizer, saxophone+flute Per Gärdin, EMS, 29:45 (mpeg3-44K 56kbit/s, 20,9 Mb)
• Rondo, 1980-12-28, mix 1981-01-10, Buchla analog synthesizer sequencer, EMS studio 1, 8:31 (mpeg3-44K 96kbit/s, 5,95 Mb)
• S1, 1980, EMS computer studio, FORTRAN + own software 2:25 (mpeg3-44K 96kbit/s mono, 1,7 Mb)
• S2, 1980, EMS computer studio, FORTRAN + own software 7:12 (mpeg3-44K 56kbit/s, 5 Mb)

I then turned to setting up my own home studio with computers controlling simple MIDI synthesizers and drum machines (ABC80 and later Mac+, currently a 450 Mhz PC with a multichannel soundcard and some MIDI modules). 1980-now at my home (Out of Time Studios), resulting in for instance the following works:

• Continuous Bassoon Piece for Knut Sønstevold, 1982 bassonist of the Swedish Radio Orchestra, a piece for computer generated tape and Bassoon , performed at Nationalmuseum. Reviewed in Expressen.
• Rock Cage 1984, performed at Sergels Torg outside Kulturhuset, Stockholm. A part of the event "Gränslöst" arranged by Hans-Åke Ohlsson. I sampled the voice of John Cage from an interview where he talked about his ideas on some rock-inspired younger composers. The voice occured on top of a minimalistic drum machine and electric base track. I would probably get into copyright trouble if I published it here. Ironic, isn't it?
• I Rummet (In the Room) 1990, (remix 94 05 14, Out of Time studios, 1:55 ( full piece ca 10:00) (remix 940514, au 0,9 Mb), performed at the Royal Musical Academy as a part of the experimental concert with 12 loudspeakers titled From an undetermined place in the room. Arr. L. Fahlén and J. Söderberg.
• Your Informal Acts of Willpower 1991, at (the original) "Smart Art", Växtverket, Bromma. Arr. L. Fahlén and J. Söderberg.
• Fossiler 1991, with glass artist Matz Borgström; for a series of exhibitions of his art glass at Gallery NKM, Nordiska Kristallmagasinet, Stockholm but also later at a year-long exhibit at Smålands Museum.
• From the film with the same name 1992, (standard MIDI-file), at (the original) "Smart Art II", Växtverket, Bromma. Arr. L. Fahlén and J. Söderberg.
• Final Miles 1992, with glass artist and fellowe muscian Matz Borgström; for his exhibition of art glass at the Stockholm Art Fair.
• Soundtrack 1993, with glass artist Matz Borgström; for his exhibition of art glass at gallery GlasEtt.
• Klang 1993 a six hour steady state piece or acoustic installation exhibited as an integrated part of an exhibition of furniture by Matz Borgström and Jhoan Kamitz at Nybropaviljongen, .
• Infinite Variations, reimplemented in 1994 as an interactive Mac-program controlling MIDI equipment and is available as a part of the CD-rom on "Information Technology and Music" from the IT-festival of the Engineering Academy (IVA), on order from Torbjörn Nordlindh (Torbjorn@eworld.com).
• I can go anywhere without leaving 1995, with glass artist Matz Borgström; for his exhibition of art glass at Stockholm Art Fair.
• Applied Collective Conciousness 1996 together with glass artist Matz Borgström; for an exhibition of his art glass at Stockholm Art Fair.
• Dub, 1997 with glass artist Matz Borgström; for an exhibition of his art glass at Gallery NKM, Nordiska Kristallmagasinet, Stockholm.
• Dub II 1998 with glass artist Matz Borgström; for an exhibition of his art glass in Norway.
• Looptechno - (a completely normal song), 5:08, 1999, Out of time studios, (mpeg3 22K, 2,05 Mb)
• In June 2004 I performed a six hour selection of my pieces as invited DJ for the SICS ICE-lab Daphne project monter at the SITI day in Grünewaldsalen, Konserthuset, Stockholm.

midi-files (playalong, modify, reinstrument etc. send me pointers to your edits!)