Posted on April 16, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

The happiest day

Matador José is an artist from Helsinki. He was selected for Cloudberry 33th Mini-CD, and since then is providing good electro-tunes with a retro and easy recognisable taste own of Roque’s productions. Vintage Keybords, electro bossa beats, guitar arpeggio, half tuned confidential indie voice, Axel Ekström – the man behind the project – got what it takes to enjoy a day off. Here’s our little chat.

Mark Zonda: Axel Ekström, why Madador Josè? Tell us about your musical project and when you did wrote your first song.

Alex: Why Matador José? It was in September 2005, when I had decided to try to record one song at home. I didn’t really have any ambitions, it was more about figuring out how to use Cool Edit (a software for recording and mixing music that I was using back then). Although It was all really amateurish and lo-fi, there was still something about the song that I liked, so I decided to create a myspace band profile. But Then I would need a name. There is a Lee Hazlewood Song called José. It’s about a matador from a small village in Mexico. I have no understanding whatsoever for bullfighting, in my opinion it’s an unacceptably cruel form of entertanment. But apart from the fact that the song is about a matador, it’s quite a nice story. Very Hazlewoodish! May he rest in peace. So, that’s the story about the name. The song received quite good feedback on myspace, so I got motivated to make more music. Since then I have composing and recording my songs at home, at a very slow pace though. Three of them was released as a 3″ single by Cloudberry Records. I haven’t really written any new material for one year, but I wouldn’t say Matador José is over. There has been talk about gathering some people for a live-group, and when that takes place, I’m sure things will start happening again. But really, I don’t see any hurry.

Mark Zonda: Matador is also the name of a famous indie label. Cat Power and Pizzicato 5 recorded for it. How did you came to Cloudberry Records?

Alex: Well, the story is quite simple; Roque from Plastinina Records contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in releasing a 3″ cd on a label which he was about to start. And off course I was interested!! I’m totally amazed how much that guy is getting done with cloudberry records, and how he manages to find all the bands. I mean, most of them are actually good!!

Mark Zonda: Who are your number one heroes? Are you inspired by other artists from the electronic scene or synths-oriented-music are only a media to give shape to your melodies? Is there any artist outthere you would like to cover one  of your songs?

Alex: One great influence of mine is the songwriting of Bobby Wratten, The Field Mice, Northern Picture Library and Trembling blue Stars are all simply fantastic. And the many great bands released by Sarah Records. These are the more obvious influences of Matador José. Then of course there are many others that can be seen as indirect influences. I’m not really sure if I would feel comfortable about having another band doing a cover of one of my songs. I don’t really know, it’s hard to explain. It would feel strange somehow.

Mark Zonda: “I Sure Will Miss You” is an istant classic for sure and I can feel many influences on it. New Order, Depeche Mode or none of the previous?

Alex: If those are the alternatives, then I would say New Order. And if I could mention  another one, that would perhaps be Pet Shop Boys. I’ve never really listened that much to Depeche Mode.

Mark Zonda: Vesa Lautamäkis. What exactly is?

Alex: Vesa Lautamäki is a Finnish guy whi is doing a really great job with keeping us up to date with what’s going on in the Finnish indie scene. He runs a website called One Chord to Another (http://onechord.net), and it’s totally worth checking out.

The update are perhaps not as frequent today as they were a couple of years ago, which is understandable.

I can imagine the amount of time and work he’s put in to that website, we’re talking a full time without getting paid. He’s got great taste and he’s contribution to the Finnish indie scene shouldn’t go unnoticed, although he seems like a very humble person.

Mark Zonda: Which are your favourite Finnish Bands?

Alex: Well, the greatest of them all is undoubtedly Cats on Fire. Very promising new acts are Burning Hearts and Joensuu 1685, worth checking out. And at this point i take the opportunity to mention my two other bands, Le Futur Pompiste, and the slightly rockier The Nancy Wha. But Finland still has a quite underdeveloped music scene, unless you’re into metal. This is, for example, well shown by the fact that a band such as Cats on Fire are doing relly well in Sweden, Germany, Britain, USA etc, but in Finland nobody seems to get their eyes open for them.

Mark Zonda: I heard that you got payed by Svenska Kulturfonden 1000 Euri to make a record. Dosen’t sound incredible in a world when you’re supposed to pay 1000 euros to labels to make a record?

Alex: Well, actually it was 800 €, but still I’m very thankful. I’m very pleased that we have such a fund here in Finland.  It almost makes me feel guilt that they are so generous, but on the other hand it would be nothing but stupid not to take advantage of such an opportunity. But 800 € is still a very low budget for a recording if you want to go to a studio, so I chose to spend it on equipment and recording the single myself.  Hmm, nowadays, when managers, producers and other entreprenours in the music industry can’t really rely on record sales in order to make money, some people are luring unsigned bands to pay money in order to appear on compilations that then will be sent to radio stations, record labels, the music press, club dj’s etc. I’ve received many such mails myself. But I find it quite hard to believe that a band could easily reach success in that way, and I hope not so many unsigned bands fall into that trap.

Matador José – “Within a Dream”

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