Seeing us through to the end of the year we’ve reached out to a number of our favourite artists and cultural creatives to join us in celebrating good things. A bunch of five things that make their world go around, inspire them or just need celebrating for what they are. There’s no theme here. It’s no kind of "best of year" round-up. These are just five things of the many things identified as making the world a better place to be. We’re all about positivity. Almost all of the time. We promise…
Badlands is Swedish producer, composer & sound designer Catharina Jaunviksna. Badlands' inspirations range from post punk to warehouse techno-like ambiences, lush and alluring tracks rooted in vintage synths and drum machines, gritty pedal work, club beats and organic orchestration. While we love all that old analogue stuff, where Badlands ends up is way more amazing, always way more than the sum of the parts. Here comes the Catharina Five...
1. ITALO DISCO
Italo disco has always accompanied me throughout my life, both in my work with music and when chasing fun. Think it started in my late teens when discovering oldies like N.O.I.A - “Stranger in a strange land”, Robotnik's “Problems d’Amour” and similar tracks, and then I was hooked. The basslines still inspire me alot, and the 303 rhythms. I like to use my Juno 106 & Korg Polysix to mix such lines into tracks where they’re not expected. Think that’s what makes the Badlands sound; the genre fusion with italo, trap, new wave and electroacoustics in gritty soundscapes. My sound will always keep changing, but I think there will always be a sprinkle of italo in it, deep in there somewhere.
2. HI-END CHICK-LIT
My secret obsession is literature about everyday life for women living in Sweden during the 17th & 18th century, royalties and the poor alike. All that stuff that’s erased/was never written in the history books. What was childbirth like, period pain, peeing in church, having to see your children die like flies, all the hard work, the falling in love, the fighting for and giving up on your passions and rights, the parties, the smells. Everything. Unfortunately I don’t have a good example in English, but I’m sure there must be plenty. I hope so at least.
3. THE CASTLE
“The Castle” is an Australian movie from 1997, one of my all time favorites. It’s the perfect pick- me-up, comfort and perspective changer. And it has a quote for every occasion. “How’s the serenity?” is one that we use alot in my family.
4. MOUNTAINS & CLIMBING (an Outsideleft first!)
I’ve always had periods of bouldering & climbing throughout my life, and I trek in the Arctics too. The climbing sport is really relaxing and meditative, it’s fun problem solving and you get to know your body through very distinct personal development. I also collect mountain expedition books, “The Climb” by Anatoli Boukreev is one of my faves.
5. ALBUMS & EP's
I love the album & EP format, just want to state that. Think it’s so sad, because of nothing but selfish reasons, when I see how incredibly talented and inspiring people waste their skills and ideas on nothing but making content for social media instead of gathering the stuff in an actual album, EP or whatever format that I can listen to in a focused way.
Essential Info
Badlands' LP, Call to Love, is available now, find it here⇒
A BUNCH OF FIVE: Throughout December 2022 we asked a number of our favourite artists and cultural creatives to join us in celebrating good things. A Bunch of Five things that make their world go around, inspire them or just need celebrating for what they are. See what they came up with, below.
- jan5.
