Sondre Mortensen is somebody who’s skating we have loved for a long time now. He and his brother Amandus were two of the main people featured in our 2017 Malmö issue.
It was during the making of that issue that Sondre’s musical abilities really came to our attention. At that time, he had just released “Studentveckan” and during the editing process of our Malmö issue video we ended up using a few of his songs for the edit.
Afterwards, we stayed in touch and talked about music in general and thought about doing something on multiple occasions but never really did anything of substance until after our trip to Tunisia a couple of weeks ago.
During that trip, Stefan Marx and Sondre really bonded over their love for music citing several bands and artists but one name kept popping up “John Maus”.
To Sondre, Mr. Maus is a special somebody. He listens to his music quite often, has met the man and got a t-shirt to prove it! So when we approached him with the idea to do a column, John’s tunes were an obvious starting point. If you want to know why? Check out Sondre’s music or read his explanation below and enjoy a little tour through not only John’s Music but the way it has affected a young musician.
Intro by Roland Hoogwater.
Text By Sondre Mortensen.
Photos by Joel Forsberg Fahller.
Ok so, this is really what got me into music. Preston Harper and Ryan Sublette’s parts in Worship Friendship, that was the first time I heard John Maus, I think. It was the first time I saw in the credits that the songs were made by the same guy, and that was it, rest is history (laughs).
I looked his name up and started listening and I was completely hooked. I even bought a midi keyboard immediately after I started listening to all his stuff!
Back in those days I think the earliest ”favorite song” I had was titled ”for Ariel Pink”, that song is something I still don’t really ”get” in a lot of ways, it’s just filled with that magic that you can’t put your finger on. And then he did a cover on ”Bombs Away”! Holy frick, I was too happy! That song has been one of my favorites since the first time I heard it (The original version by Holy Shit, that is.), for me, that completed the circle since JM wasn’t on ”Stranded at two Harbours”! woah, I love it.
Well, if I was to introduce someone to what I like about John Maus it would be something like this ”Placelist”, it really goes a lot of places(laughs)!
The homage to Matt Fishbeck, Ariel Pink, and Molly Nilsson, the twelve-tone on ”Less talk more action”, the bass on ”mental breakdown” the disgust in ”the willies” the time on ”blowing in the mind” and the little instrumentals in the end of the songs, and so on… anyways less talk more action click playyyyy!
Sondre’s Placelist – John Maus Playlist:
- Matter Of Fact.
- Just Wait Till Next Year.
- Less Talk More Action.
- Don’t Be A Body.
- For Ariel Pink.
- Mental Breakdown (2004).
- The Willies.
- Hey Moon.
- No Title (Molly).
- Blowing In The Mind.
- Through The Skies For You.
- Heaven Is Real.
- Bombs Away.
