Hailing from Gothenburg, Teodor Boogh has been making a name for himself by collaborating with many of the biggest artists from Sweden. Working as a producer and musician with people from The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Graveyard, Little Dragon, The Hellacopters, and many others. He recently released his album “Traces Of Light” to much acclaim and buzz. To celebrate this release, Teodor will be embarking on a tour as a support act for Swedish band Graveyard. This tour will serve as a platform for Teodor to showcase his new music and perform for his fans. “Traces Of Light” is the culmination of Teodor’s hard work in the studio for the past year. Writing and recording the album was a meticulous process, and Teodor played the majority of the instruments himself. He also took on the responsibilities of recording and mixing, ensuring that every detail was meticulously crafted.
Teodor let us know what influenced his work, from George Harrison, and Jonathan Wilson, to The War On Drugs. However, it also features elements of space and synths, a wider sonic palette, and a more refined sound than his previous releases. Each song demonstrates Teodor’s meticulous attention to detail and care. Despite handling the majority of the creative process on his own label, Telos Vision values the importance of collaboration. He carefully selects the artists with whom he works, bringing together an exceptional blend of talent and inspiration.
Join us today in an exclusive interview where Teodor shares everything with us. From his life growing up in Sweden, the creative process behind his album, and his experiences collaborating with a diverse plethora of artists and musicians. Keep reading, you might even find out what he has in store for us!
Welcome Teodor! Thank you for sharing a bit of your time today with us. How are you?
I’m good! Right now I’m between two shows on our tour with Graveyard. Still high from playing a sold-out show in Stockholm yesterday. So yeah, great!
Tell us about yourself. Our readers are very interested in getting to know more about you!
I’m a 29-year-old musician from Gothenburg, Sweden. Telos Vision is my solo project and my space for trying out whatever I want. I’m involved in many different projects around here and I also run a studio together with my good friend Truls Mörck. I try to see myself as a musical Swiss army knife, and I love mastering new instruments. Making my own music is for me a lot about the craft and being good at what I do, that drives me more than anything else.
You hail from great Sweden. What can you tell us about your life growing up? Did anyone in your family influence you to start your musical career?
Music was always present in my home growing up. My dad played in bands when he was my age and he listened to lots of great music when I was growing up, but I remember laughing when he put Bob Dylan on and I just didn’t get it. Little did I know Bob would be a hero later on, haha… I don’t think my parents tried to force me into playing guitar but there was a guitar at home and as soon as I picked it up I got into it really fast and they were very supportive. I think it’s easier to access creativity in life if you have someone close to you who shares the same interests. People who are not into music or arts might not understand why you would spend so much time and money on something, considering so few get to make it into a career.
How was your experience working alongside people from The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Graveyard, Little Dragon, and The Hellacopters? Can you recall any special experiences or memories with them?
I’m involved in side projects and have worked with people from these bands. There have been lots of great experiences working with great songwriters and musicians. Now it feels like I’m one among them even when I work with people who have really successful careers. When I was about 18 I had a band and I started calling people I looked up to, asking them if they wanted to play with us at the club where we were the house band. I remember being so scared when calling Robert ”Strings” Dahlqvist from Hellacopters on my way home from school. I had listened a lot to Hellacopters growing up so he was a huge deal to me. But he and all the people we asked to play with us were always positive and I think sometimes impressed by us kids who had studied their songs and really could play. I was pretty nervous at the first rehearsal with Robert, but right after it he texted me and asked if we wanted to join him as his backing band on a show he had coming up. So I remember thinking “Okay we’re doing it right”.
In what ways have other artists influenced your creative process? Can you discuss a specific artist who has had a significant impact on your work?
The artist who has influenced me the most is probably Jonathan Wilson. In my opinion, he is our time’s biggest musical genius. His first record is something I always come back to. Playing all instruments on a record and self-producing is such a special way of working and he just always seems to get it right. It’s also something about how he can do lots of different genres but always stay very organic and confident. His work is so relevant today and even if it does have a retro kind of vibe it never feels dogmatic. That is something I strive to do as well.
Let’s talk about your upcoming album “Traces of Light”! What was the creative process behind it?
When the pandemic hit I got so much time on my hands. It opened up a whole new way of working for me as I wasn’t going out or meeting many people, so I wasn’t distracted by anything. I could be really focused and spend weeks just working on one song. I had a small space where I could record any time I wanted. I had sort of a creative flow that lasted for 6 months or so. When I write a song I usually have really specific production ideas. Then when I record music with a band the ideas turn into something else, which is cool, but this time I wanted to really follow my own ideas all the way through. Like with In Your Arms, I had a drum beat in my head when writing the song. So I started with that and then recorded everything else step by step. That song took quite a bit of time, and I don’t know if I would have been able to stay so focused if the circumstances had been different. But looking back at the process I learned so much, and became a much better instrumentalist, producer, and mixer, just by not giving up on any ideas, no matter how weird or complex they were.
My favorite song is “Last Night”. It is a great banger! Do you have any favorites from the album? What particular song resonates with you and why does it stand out among others on the album?
Thank you!! I had fun making that song. It’s one of my favorites. I experimented with doing a drum loop that I made for the verse because I wanted it to be really static. Then I just layered all the other instruments and worked my way forward. For a while, the song was just sitting, almost finished. Around the same time, I produced an album for and with Truls Mörck and he had bought a flute that he played on one of his songs. So I thought having him play some flute would be a cool way to turn the song into something special, which I think it did!
One song that resonates with me is Let Me In. People often talk about love or a partner as that last piece of the puzzle, as a last touch that has to fit in with everything else in life. And that you should never change for someone else. But I see love as the thing that has to come first, that you build your whole world around. My girlfriend had written some lines from the Leonard Cohen song Moving On on a chalkboard in our home, and that inspired me to write the song. To be able to love someone you have to let them in, give them truth, and put everything else in second place. That is what the song is about.
Can you provide insight into your collaboration with Andrew McGranahan for the creation of your album art? How did his work align with your vision and what made him stand out as the ideal choice for this project?
I think many bands cut corners when it comes to cover art and the aesthetics for an album. Since I don’t have a whole lot of collaborations on the album I like to see the “non-musical” collaborations as an opportunity to reach out to creators that I like that can elevate what I have created. For my last EP, I reached out to Daniel Romano and he made the cover for that, and I’m so happy Andrew wanted to work with me for this. We had never spoken before this but I had been following him for a while on Instagram and love the things he’s made. So I reached out to him and the cover is basically an updated version of his first idea. He just got it right at the start, and then there were a few adjustments. Andrew was inspired by old Japanese graphic designers when he made the album art and some things are from old newspapers he has stored. It all really adds so much to the vibe, and people at the shows come up to me and comment on the beautiful cover!
Could you tell me more about your musical influences and how they have shaped your sound? I noticed some similarities to The Black Angels in your music, have they been an influence on you? If not, who are some other artists that have inspired your work?
I like The Black Angels but I don’t think they have had a direct influence on the record. There are so many great new artists I listen to. I think I’m quite affected by the streaming climate so I listen to a lot of playlists where I find new stuff. I think it takes more for me to be interested in a whole album these days, which is sort of a shame I guess. Some artists that I think have released great albums that I’ve been inspired by are Weyes Blood, Big Thief, Sharon Van Etten, My Morning Jacket, Strongboi. There is so much! When an artist has made a whole album that I like to listen to, that means I’m gonna stick around for more. So I think the album format is still relevant!
Are you already working on your next release? If that’s so, can you give us any details?
Yes, I am! I’ve been recording some music with Erik and Fredrik of Little Dragon, it’s a bit different but something that I’ll be putting out in the not-too-distant future. We’ve been recording the songs’ foundation in their studio and that’s a great space for new inspiration. It has been fun to mix it up compared to my usual creative process!
Well, those are all the questions I have for you today Teodor! Thank you again for joining us! Do you want to add anything else?
Thank you! Yes, a message to the public: grow out your hair and quit your day jobs!
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