HEADLINES

THE ROCKING PROFESSOR TOMMY’S MUSIC IS SITUATED IN THE GUITAR-CENTRED TRADITION OF EARLY HARD ROCK

–Yes, I admit that being a professor in business and administration sounds a bit non-rock-‘n’- roll but I think I am an exception, says Tommy Jensen. Tommy’s music is situated in the guitar-centred tradition of early hard rock, but especially, if one artist is to be singled out, he is inspired by Neil Young. But guitar centred hard rock is but one part of Tommy’s interest and catalogue. More often than not, he plays acoustic guitar-centred music, not really possible to label. If a label should be constructed it would be ballads in minor with a touch of Nick Cave, P.J. Harvey and Bob Dylan. Tommy’s academic profession shines through in the lyrics. No broken hearts, unhappy love, and rarely biographical content. The texts stems from his professional analysis of the social, economical and the environmental condition of our time. – My thinking and analysis put through music is really something else than my academic production. More to the point, more energy, and more room for interpretation. It is more freedom, and, I think, many times more accurate.
The latest album (Poetry before revolution) came 2019 and is the second album that contain the lyrics from the poet Monika Kostera (in English). The two records that Tommy has made using Monika’s poetry sound radically different from his other albums. –Something happens when I read her. I don’t know what, but the creative process really kicks in. It is as her tone and colour directs the music. Tommy has released three more albums (off which two are in Swedish) and they are more coherent in style – sluggish, guitar-centred, with bass, percussion and drums. Tommy writes and perform everything himself (guitars, bass, keyboard, vocals, harmonica), except for percussion and drums. A professional producer has been used for the first four albums, but the last he produced himself. –For me it is important to be able to produce, I am an independent artist. It’s not about control, it is more about freedom. Tommy record everything in his bedroom. –I sit on my bed, computer and sound card on the bed-table. A microphone-stand on the floor and a keyboard on the window-shelf. The guitars hang on the bedroom wall. That is what is needed, and a really tolerant wife, Tommy adds.

Together with his academic colleague Johan Sandström he has the band Organizing Rocks, a musical spin-off from their joint scientific project with the same name. The research project is about mining, power and society. Organizing Rocks was Tommy’s return to music. –It was in 2015 and I was presenting a video about the mining town Kiruna (located above the polar circle in Sweden). Everything went well but the music to the video was crap. I called Johan and asked about the music. He answered that he had downloaded it for free. I replied that I could do better music than that. I started to do short, instrumental stuff to use for the short videos, then Johan sent me an email with five texts and a message: Put music to my words. Organizing Rocks has so far released three albums, all in the year 2016.

Tommy provides an explanation to the rather hasty creative process. –When I was young, I dreamt of becoming a rock star and spent ten years rehearsing and playing live. With his band he recorded some songs (the studio used Pink Floyds old mixer table from the seventies) but then they broke-up due to musical differences. –My band mates were 20 years ahead of me, wanting to play a kind of music which is not that far from what I am doing today. At the same time, he meat his wife and music were put on a hold. –but I strummed on my acoustic guitar and composed bits and pieces. When we started doing  music for Organizing Rocks, I remembered almost everything. So, I guess it all came back to me and created a flood of songs. Johan also came up with musical ideas and together they wrote vividly. –Because we were so inspired by the mine and the people in this northern community.
Speed seems to characterize Tommy’s life as musician. –Contrary to my academic life and life in general I am quite fast. I am not the kind of guy who seeks perfection. I create and record songs quickly to avoid them turning into complex, stiff, creatures. Tommy also seem to be impatient as a live performer. –I have played over 50 of my own songs live in the last year. I am not Bob Dylan or Pearl Jam, so I have to use lyric sheets on stage, and keep re- learn guitar parts. But, for me it is exciting. His current project is different – Imagine that Nick Cave meets Peace, Love and Pitbulls meets dystopian literature. It is a collaboration with his friend, Stefan. –He is into the hard synth tradition and will provide dystopian soundscapes. I love it, you get the idea on his band Fatal Casualties.

Though he was featured in recently released Lifoti's January/February 2020 issue 11, you can check it from below link's for your country:

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