Club Highlight:
Lina Öhman
During the day, Lina Öhman works with conflict resolution and communication at Karolinska Institutet, which some would say is a perfect foil for her night-time escapades as a music impresario and artist.
Aside from managing soul veteran Kaah, she is also the star of two bands of her own, Oracle North and Blänk.
Oracle North is a four piece set-up exploring forms of wave, punk, experimental and ambient music. It revolves around themes of alienation and estrangement, and the dark obsessive disunion of the human condition as a supposition for rebirth.
Blänk is a hip-hop outfit dealing with trivial pursuits just as much as abstract existentialism. Lina sings and plays guitar as fellow front man Simon raps. Think: Everything But the Girl meets hip-hop beats. The band released their new album on March 9 to international acclaim.
What are your plans for this year?
With Blänk we just released our album Only Built For Northern Lights, as well our two singles Tears Run Dry and Grip It. We’re also hoping to share the album with people personally through lots of gigging in the summer and the fall, and we’ll continue working on our next album in the meantime.
With Oracle North, by summer, we’re going to premiere two singles and we will be doing some gigs around Europe. Our new songs will be first heard at the upcoming By:larm festival in Oslo, and .in April, our debut single Communion will be released by new Stockholm based label, Fake Meat Sounds. The music video was shot both in Stockholm and London by director Oscar Gränse. It’s gonna be great. Wait for it.
And besides work?
My plan is to have fun being alive while working on being a good citizen of the world. That’s ongoing work!
What can we usually expect from your gigs?
With Oracle North – a somewhat cult-like, atmospheric, ecstatic and raw experience. With Blänk – infectious energy and raw emotion.
What’s your favourite night spot?
Mariaberget.
Fave restaurants?
After yoga I like to go to Amidas. For both weekdays and weekends I prefer Häktet at Bysistorg. On weekends I also like to go to Sjögräs at Södermalm. I like Barbro at Hornstull a lot, they have both tremendous food, a nice bar and a cinema.
Among other places I like are Farang, Brillo and Trädgården now that they started with only vegetarian food. I wish more fine dining only had vegetarian and vegan foods.
Bars?
Rost, a kind of hidden bar at Wollmar Yxkullsgatan at Söder. They don’t do any marketing, just word of mouth. Such a nice mix of people in various ages, and dogs! They work with good organic supplies, and now they have gluten-free pizza too!
Walk us through a typical Saturday night:
We start at the studio, where I spend most of my weekends. Then continue to Rost for some food. Then to nearby Häktet to listen to some good tunes and hang out. Then to Musikaliska to dance. And then maybe to Under Bron for late nights/morning dancing. And then end up at Mariaberget or if it’s summer, a late-night swim at Årstaviken.
What do you think we will see more of in the music scene in 2015?
Strong artists like Zhala and Ńoonie Bao. More cosmic pop coming up. I also believe in a revival of Britpop, but a female version.
What is your favourite things about Stockholm?
All the water, the view from Mariaberget, and a long walk in Skogskyrkogården. Such a beautiful forest. Another really great walk is from Mälarhöjden, walk next to the water towards Vinterviken. Beautiful every part of the year. And of course Stockholm’s archipelago in general.
