#kiwein

Kirsten Ohlwein aka Kiwein has left the RoxetteBlog. But then out of the blue, when you see her article on that platform, you absolutely get stunned - because you know there is going to be an emotional rush:

http://roxetteblog.com/2019/01/13/1001-nights-without-marie/

She wrote this article on how Marie is missed by her - and voiced the feelings of thousands of others who missed Marie. Calculating the days since Roxetre’s retirement, she found out that on Per’s 60th birthday, 1000 days have passed.

The selections of words, the ups and downs - the breaks to make you relive that oh damn, what just happened?

Here and there, I saw parts from this article quoted in other fan’s Facebook profile. She has a talent, doesn’t she?

In this article, she has managed to remember the Marie aura, the intimacy and the power of the impression which just creeps in. I didn’t cry, no - but my emotions really did get a push. I loved the way how she has described the importance over all in her Life - thanks to Marie.

Anyway, attached link for them who haven’t checked it out yet.

Love and Peace

🎶it’s a bright, June Afternoon - wah wah, here comes the sun🎶

Per also sang “it never gets dark” in the chorus - and beautiful Swedish Summers really don’t get dark!

When TDR was to announce their #1 song on #Marie60 list, I had a very slight fear that “Efterstormen” won’t make it. I mean, I knew that without “Efterstormen”, the list would be incomplete, but there was this one other song which felt like a competition.

After knowing the #1 song, I realised that song is not even in the list (obviously) and I was afraid for it being #1?

The song is marvellous, Kiwein might’ve given it a beautiful endorsement, and the thing which maybe have made it miss the list is that it’s new (2014).

Yes indeed, the song “Sista sommarens vals”.

How did it not make it to the list at all? Right?

Written and composed both by Marie, it was a potential candidate in the top 10, but well, I’m still satisfied with their list anyway - they might’ve not liked it that much. Or maybe they completely forgot to listen to Marie’s albums after 2004. Might’ve thought “no one will notice”.

Haha, the TDR boys are cute! Seriously, after their #marie60, a certain respect has made its way for them. But that doesn’t mean that i won’t be sarcastic when it comes to them. (Minus Stevo).

Do you also believe “Sista sommarens vals” is missing?

Love and Peace

Too late for “Guten Abend”, too early for “Guten Morgen”.

I had like 300 different ideas for a topic of tonight, and I don’t know where have they all gone (Most probably they went to sleep since it’s past 3 AM).

Ohhhh, OK, lets congratulate dearest RoxetteBlog!

40,000 likes on their Facebook page.

Not only is Roxette important enough for a fan base, it’s their regular reporters, their regular observers, their best information providers - The RoxetteBlog - Everything Rox.

The major congratulations goes to Ms. Patricia Peres AKA as PP, who has made sure that every Roxer in the world gets to have all the necessary information about what’s going on in the world of Roxette.

Then of course Ms. Judith, who is the pioneer of the idea - thanks a lot Judith.

The very admirable Kirsten AKA Kiwein, the very well aware Thomsz and Sascha, who has somehow stopped writing here.

RoxetteBlog, no matter what, you’re more important than The Daily Roxette now. Brilliant, ain’t it?

All the best and keep on spreading the Rox-Love every corner of the world.

Love and Peace

Mazarin is a beautiful album. It turned 14 on the 10th of June and it still manages to sound fresh out of the oven. Probably the album is very organic, with real instruments, which have the ability to sound amazing no matter how many years have passed since it was first recorded. This review focuses more on the melodic point of view. I can't understand Swedish well so, yeaahh. It is more like a review from a person who enjoys music, gets to pick Swedish out words she knows and sing them (Swedish-gibbrish) with a focus on the music. Enjoy!

1. Vilket håll du än gårn

The chirping birds in the beginning tell that you have to smile for the rest of the song. The start gives a whole review that it's going to be a cute song, and hells yeah it is. The song is like an intro to the whole album, how it's going to be like and all, you know. AND the Harmonica. Of course.

2. Om du bara vill

I loved this song a lot when I was 13 in 2003. It was my #2 after “ Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång)”. I wasn't aware of more songs probably. AND the strings, with a focus on cello, ooooohhh! Here, we have also been introduced with the “focused vocals” of Helena. Yes, this was the intro we got 14 years ago to a singer we'd end up going mahi nana over "första pris".

3. På promenad genom stan

I love this song. I love it I love it I love it!!! And I’m sure you love it too. Too many reasons to love this song.  - It's too cute - It's sha la la la la is catchy - MARIE FREDRIKSSON Yes, it's a perfect song. I wish it was a little more famous. It was the first song Marie contributed in after the... You know... And it was friendship which made it happen. Besides, listen to the piano in this song, written all over that it's being played by Mr. Magic Fingers Ofwerman.

4. Smakar på ett regn

We have been introduced to "Jenny". Now who is Jenny? Who was the inspiration behind the name "Jenny"? The radio, some random person, some not so random person or simply because it was a name which sounded good with the rest of the song? It also has a "Cute" factor, you know, tasting the rain. And the key change later in the song, it's just a very very typical Per Gessle song which you just can't not like.

5. Gungar

I think it was this song which people made fun of a lot. But why? It is too simple to be a song? Are songs not supposed to be simple. I was not that big a fan of this song earlier, music wise, but I was stupid to even think like that at the age of 13. The chorus part is very goosebump-ish, music wise. (I am too lazy right now to translate what he is singing).

6. Födelsedag

This song sounds like a Gyllene Tider song. Like very very much like a Gyllene Tider song. With the organs, the MP like riffs..... OMG! Please check if the drums are being played by MICKE SYDDDDD AAAAAAAAAAAA.......!!!! Seriously, please let me know, I don't have the booklet of Mazarin.

7. Sakta mina steg

So, have you heard this song by Per Jackson or Michael Gessle? Haha, Gessle's first official attempt of falsetto. Not bad, but his actual singing voice is a little more attractive, don’t you think so? 

8. Tycker om när du tar på mej

What is this instrument which is being played in this song? I can hear it in other songs as well. What is it called? Or is it simply the keyboard? Or is it that frequency instrument with an antenna.... Aaaa... What's it called.... Theremin, yes the theremin. Or a keyoard with the theremin sound? Anyway, Per goes pretty high with his vocal range, and one can feel he is putting an effort in it. Pretty amazing, isn't it?

9. Spegelboll

Another Gyllene Tider like song. It just reminds me a lot of the music of Blondie. I mean, with this music, if you suddenly hear Debbie Harry's voice, don’t be surprised.

10. För bra för att vara sant

This was my first time coming across the word "bra" in a song. I was 13 and I thought that Per has probably written a song about a girl who left her bra at his home. Quite a lot of years later, I got to know that I was wrong. I love the melody of this song, and esp the "woo ohhh ohhh" choir-like part ("The Beach Boys" much?). The middle 8 always captures me. Its has that vintage sound which can only be produced in the AGM studios.

11. Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång)

This was the first song which we all heard from Per after Roxette, and we all, yes, everyone of us went gaga over it. It's a song which is loved by everyone. Me and my brother were C.R.A.Z.Y about it, even my mother knows the melody of it perfectly. Although the song is pretty sad, but the music bluffs well if you don't know Swedish. I even got a translated version from google of this song, and used to sing it with the basic chords I learned on the keyboard. Ohhh, this song *heart eyed emoji*.

12. Jag tror du bär på en stor hemlighet

The song doesn't attract as much when it starts, but once the song proceeds, you get into the groove of it, and can feel your heard move with the melody. It has one of the most important lines in the history of Roxette related songs - "Andas in, andas ut". Ask Kiwein how important this line is for her. Her personal blog,  "Planet Kiwein" has this written on it's main cover. Besides, "Breathe in, breathe out" - Important for everyone's life.

13. Varmt igen

This song gives a very professional feel to it. You know, "I'm a very serious and mature song". Although this song translates to "Warm again", but this song sounds the best in winters. Language barrier, I think? But that spooky choir makes you go in another dimension, doesn't it?

14. Mazarin

A basic mixture of the whole album, in instrumental form. This could've been in "Small Apartments" as well, or may be this impressed Jonas Akerlund to ask Per for music for his upcoming movie. Besides, "Per Gessle" and "Scener" also had instrumentals, you know? The birds chirping in the end concludes that the whole album has been made in a way that you feel you are sitting in a park on a sunny summer day.

So here is my experience of listening to Mazarin 14 years after it's release. It still sounds fresh and very enjoyable. I'm not saying it as a Per Gessle fan, I'm saying it as a music lover. If it wasn't a Per album, I still would've appriciated it, and probably migth've heard it a lot more times after the first time.

What so you think of the album, I'd love to know your comments too.

Glee made me listen to “Hello Goodbye” by The Beatles. This time, I watched the video on YouTube and OMG!!!!

Have you seen the quality of this video?

I mean, no one in the late 60s could ever have thought that a video can be in such high definition. It’s perfect. It’s like a video which has been made in the last few years.

Yes people, this video of The Beatles has been edited accordingly. I haven’t watched other videos on The Beatles, maybe they have been edited as well.

Anyway, all this obviously made me want to check out the videos of Roxette on YouTube. I was expecting those videos to be super HD as well. Maybe this is what this VEVO thing is about.

Bummer!

No, the Roxette videos have not been made into HD. But something else definitely did take my attention - the dimension of the video screen.

Oh hells yeah, the pure 80s and 90s dimension of 4:3. The Look, Dressed for Success, It Must have been Love, Almost Unreal…. I mean, did you notice this before? Or was it only Per and Marie which we see and ignore the rest of the details?

Of course why would we notice, we grew up with the 4:3.

It’s a silly little thing to notice! But hey, this shows that Roxette is from a time when TV was SUPER COOL.

PS: Happy Birthday Kiwein. Thanks for being so Awesome. Still a wishing you the strength to bare your loss.