press
Lucky
November 2003
by George H
Magnetic
While sitting there waiting for a phone call from Even Johansen, the artist more commonly known as Magnet, it struck me how weird it is to have a conversation with a complete stranger about something as personal as the music they create. Magnet's music in particular is about as deep, introspective and personal as you are likely to head, so was I kidding myself? Was this guy just going to open up to some hack all the way over in Australia about what motivates and informs the music he creates? 'I'm comfortable talking to strangers about music or anything,' Even assures in his peculiar Nordic/Scottish accent when the phone finally rings. 'I don't have a problem,' he continues jokingly. 'I'm a man and I'm sure you're the same; every man likes to talk about himself!
The music we would be talking about in particular, features on Johansen's latest LP 'On Your Side,' an album full of songs that completely blur the line between despair and elation, an album full of music that travels to the listener's ears in such an economic vehicle that it would put most Japanese four cylinder cars to shame. Sparse, yet thoroughly majestic. As Even explains, 'trying to get it to work with as little as possible.' This quest for economy gives Magnet's plaintive and introspective lyrics room to hit you with the full impact of their honesty and intent, as the artist describes, 'everything is there for a reason, the less you have on the more you can hear, it serves its purpose more in a way.'
For 'On Your Side' his second full length album, Johansen chose the solitude offered by the humble surrounds of a converted pigeon farm in the South of Scotland. ;It used to be a big pigeon farm and there was a lot of poop from when it was a pigeon farm. I converted it into a small studio, a very small one.' It was this setting that saw the artist capture the sense of loneliness that permeates throughout the release. So is it more difficult to create music without anyone around to bounce ideas off? Johansen is of the opinion that this is by far a preferable way to achieve the results he was after. 'I do find that I enjoy my own company as such. That's not because I think I'm such a great person (laughs), but I do like to spend time by myself. I think it probably ends up being more true to what I wanted, what I want it to sound like when I'm just working by myself. It's a very distilled me so to speak. There's no compromise, it's a very healthy punk attitude. It doesn't sound like punk, but there's a lot of punk in there.'
It was from this point that we began to discuss the creative well that Johansen chooses to dip into for his lyrical inspiration. Taking a lyric from the song 'Overjoyed,' where Johansen sings, 'and I'm still mining gold from the soul I've sold like a whore,' as an example, I ask Johansen whether the process of revisiting times in life that are highly emotional in order to create is an easy thing to do? 'Yeah it is, it's difficult to sort of wrench, it is like mining blood from a stone I suppose. At the time, when you write something like that I suppose it feels like that (unhealthy), but it's kind of rewarding and satisfying in a way when it's finished. Then at least it's out. It's kind of like a double-edged sword. It's good to get things off your shoulders.'
As the conversation drew to a close, I asked what it is that gives Johansen the greatest amount of satisfaction as an artist? It was his response that seemed to sum up exactly why Magnet's music has resonated so succinctly with critics and fans across the globe. 'I suppose the biggest satisfaction with music is when someone relates to you that the music has spoken to them. I think that's probably the most rewarding thing. If the music has meant something to someone it's a bonafide success!'