Sweden

History

Sweden has an impressive history in music production, supported by several successful musicians that spanning from pop sensation, ABBA, to indie pop band Miike Snow. Music progressed in Sweden thanks to it’s foundations in instruments. Most early Swedish folk music was recorded with accordions, clarinets, and fiddles, in a very lively fashion that usually involved dancing. It’s easy to see how new artists like Avicii, Elliphant, and Basshunter have built successful careers in the dance music industry.

 

Artists

There have been a number of musicians that have made an impact from Sweden outside of the electronic and dance music scene. One of those musicians would include Max Martin, who has made quite a splash in the United States. He has produced 22 number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 over the past 17 years. His most recently produced number-one hit, “Can’t Feel My Face,” was a pop sensation in the summer of 2015, yet his earliest number-one record dates back to 1998, with Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time.”

Here’s an awesome video of an acoustic version of Spears’ 1998 record:

 

While a Swedish background may not be immediately present in Martin’s pop music, the same certainly cannot be said about music group Peter Bjorn and John. The group personifies the history of Swedish folk and dance music, as their use of percussion and numerous other instruments create high tempo, happy melodies. With pioneers like ABBA and Ace of Base, it is no wonder that Swedish musicians are continuing to have an impact on the global pop music scene.

 

MIYNT is another Swedish artist, but not quite as popular as the other artists mentioned above. The singer-songwriter has her own distinct sound, adding vocals to, once again, instrumentally heavy tracks, influenced mostly by the dance genre. Considering her low fan base online, it’s safe to assume she produces her own music, or has at the very least the final say in what is and isn’t included in her songs. In this light, the artist is a perfect candidate to seek out help from an organization like the Audio Engineering Society. The production value of MIYNT’s music is undeniably noteworthy, however help from an industry professional could take her music to the next level.

 

Several playlists consisting Swedish music can be found here.

 

Societies and Groups

The presence of AES in Sweden is undeniable, especially considering the popularity of Swedish artists. The general quality of production in Sweden is higher than that of the countries in Central Asia, and AES is a huge reason why. Other groups that offer help in music production include the Swedish Sound Engineers Society. The SSES, along with AES combine are two great examples of musical resources in Sweden. The two groups combine to almost 500 members, a rather large tally when considering both organizations are non-profit.

There is no question; the more resources that are made available, the better the production will be. Sweden sets a precedent with their audio engineering community, which is something that could be learned by several other countries.