Earlier this spring, in the midst of the recording of their new album V,  Joakim Benon of Stockholm dream pop duo JJ described the material as “endlessly dark and filled with fighting spirit.” With the album now finished he says that he might not describe it in exactly those terms, but that it’s still all true.

So how would he describe it now?

“It’s like a bomb. Yes, a bomb”.

Have you been anxiously waiting for the release date?

Not really, no. We just made the album and gave it the time it needed to be finished. To me, the album was released when it left our hands.

Your music is quite dreamy and suggestive – where do you find inspiration?

I don’t know. The universe, in people, in their hearts, our infinity. Our total brightness, our total and infinite darkness. I am inspired. I am inspiration. Like everyone and everything else, one thing leads to another. It’s been like that for ages. How can you not get inspired by it all?

What’s your opinion of the music scene in Stockholm?

I think a lot of people see themselves belonging to a certain scene, but I don’t really consider my environment in that way. I have no real reason to divide or point out trends.

Compare Stockholm with Gothenburg – there’s a huge difference. Everyone who’s been in both cities knows what I’m talking about, even though it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is.

If I were to talk about a scene, it would be something outside of music. In the spirit, the air, the atmosphere. In Stockholm, there’s a force growing from inside and beneath. Just look at Sad Boys and Gravity Boys; they’re the new generation, where a lot of people have a strong sense of maturity even though their age says otherwise.

There’s this new kind of freedom. Everywhere where unique creatures start creating together – if it’s building a church or making a hit – something happens. Something you can’t touch. You have to be there.

Through the years you’ve collaborated a lot with Lorentz & Sakarias, and you were featured on Lorentz’ solo debut that came out earlier this summer. How did you guys get together?

We did a version of Lorentz & Sakarias’ song *Baby*. It was released on this tiny, Japanese record label on a 12” with four songs on it. Before we released our version of the song, we asked for their permission. After the 12” was released, they contacted us and we’ve collaborated since then on a number of things.

Lorentz solo debut is amazing. It must have been great to be part of that?

Yeah, it’s on a whole other level. I feel like he really is the freedom I was talking about earlier, which is why we feel that we’re doing the same thing. He’s from another planet, which is another thing we have in common. With him, anything can happen.

Do you think there would be any difference if you were on a label other than Sincerely Yours? I get the feeling you have a lot of creative freedom.

Of course there would be a difference, since it would mean a change from what we’re doing now. But we’ve been in contact with this so-called music business through the years, and there are not many people that share our view of this world, which means the amount of people we’re able to cooperate with is kind of limited. These are people with completely different agendas, and whose way of looking at the world is not like we do. Much is based on results and material confirmation. I’m not interested in living like that. I want to be in the zone all the time. Every middleman has to be erased in order to be able to work the way we want. But we’re getting better at handling our environment; it’s getting easier to see through all of that.

I’m not talking about record labels, but it’s about people and how everyone is perceived. Not many are living in terms of eternity anymore, and that makes reality so small. You want something within six month or less, and I can’t relate to that. It’s now and forever. If you think you get away by dying on this earth I think you’re wrong.

The album V is out now through Sincerely Yours and JJ plays Debaser Strand on September 13.