Sofia Härdig Biography 2011
Hard, unpredictable and beautiful!
Sofia Härdig has many times been called electronica queen. Her music has imaginary been described as avantrockimpro and electrotwistpunk, herself she calls her music electronica with roots in rock and noise. But her music subjects to no pre-label. Sofia has created a unique space in Swedish music. She conjures up her own musical landscapes; she goes where no one else has been before. Her working method is break apart and reassembles the fragments into a larger whole, something that is both more beautiful and dangerous. It is an approach that requires a combination of courage and great talent. Her artistic integrity and character makes her hard to place, Sofia music requires the listener. Each album in her catalogue has its own special style and character that differs markedly from the previous album. It is mainly abroad that she has so far achieved her greatest successes and, logically, she has at times lived and worked in Berlin.
Initially, there were traces of broken blues and deformed rock in Sofia's music, with references to for example PJ Harvey and Nick Cave's most claustrophobic outbreaks. Gradually, she developed the music to electronica; over the years, the music has become increasingly experimental and improvised. Characteristic is also her to say the least extraordinary voice, which she often uses as an instrument. Sofia herself says about her music: ”For me it's beautiful with that which is not perfect, in the dilapidated, broken and in the mistakes I see beauty.”
Sofia's musical adventure began early. As a child she made melodies and harmonies to the sound of vacuum cleaners and car engines, which was driving her parents crazy. Her career took off when she in the spring of 2003 travelled to New York and played at legendary places like CBGB's, The Kitchen and Arlene's Grocery with her band Sofia Härdig and The Needles. With the tour was also John Essing [Bob Hund] and Michael Nilzén [Thåström] and they appeared together live in Unity Gain Television under the band name 303. Later, the project 303 got much attention in the experimental noise and electronica scene, under the name Trio Switzerland. After the successful tour, she also started the band The Happiest Girl In The World, along with guitarist Otto Milde. The duo was immediately booked for Rookie-festival in Hultsfred 2003. In addition, the name got familiar to the Hellacopters fans through their bass player Kenny, who uses THGITW t-shirts for a live tour and in a video.
The following year Sofia awards, both STIM scholarship and artistic committee working grant for her music. That same year, Thomas Millroth, then head of Ystad Art Museum, discovered Sofia's music and chose her to be Room-Five-Artist. She performed with all three groups and set out a sound art project at the art museum. Just before Kenny Håkansson, bassist from The Hellacopters, become member of The Needles. Sofia also played on the Perspectives Festival 2004 in Västerås. In one set with her three band configurations, she showed an impressive range by performing pure rock to experimental noise- electronica. Spain's leading rock magazine Rock Sound spent the same year a full spread to her music. Entitled: Born to win.
Sofia Härdig and The Needles debut came 2005 with the album The Storm in My Head. [Before that, she released a number of demo discs with exclusive hand-made wrapping.] The record is very well received both in Sweden and abroad. It was widely reported in the Swedish radio and was played frequently on radio stations primarily in the U.S. and Europe. Before the album, her first single Ooo Ooa Ooa Ooo was released, only on vinyl! The Duo project The Happiest Girl In The World was selected to participate in the P3 Popstad in Stockholm. Sofia was also attending with her three projects at the big Open Music Festival in Ystad, where she performed along with Yoshimi [Boredoms, OOIOO and Free Kitten], Mats Gustafsson, Dror Feiler and other world-class artists in freeform music. Only a few weeks after her debut, she released The Demo Tapes album. The CD contains 14 new rough demo tracks. The songs were written and recorded by Sofia during three weeks of isolation in a tiny cabin in southern Sweden.
After having devoted herself to rock in the harder school with the backing band The Needles, Sofia began to explore synthesizers, electronics, and odd soundscapes on their own. 2006 was the very strong solo album The Need To Destroy released. Consisting of sexy electronica, heavy dance beats, grinding guitars and menacing industrial sounds. The response to the album was brilliant and Sofia got significant radio airplay in Sweden and abroad. She received several scholarships, among others, once again from STIM.
Then she travelled to Berlin to work on the sequel Dream was published in 2008. She also was rewarded for her fourth album with an artist's grant. P2 Monitor did an interview with Sofia in Berlin and in the autumn they broadcasted an hour long special about her music. Dream was chosen as one of the Top Ten Of The Year in the American journal playback and even named one of year's best records by Per Svensson in The Sound of Music. The album is relatively low voiced, text and words are highlighted in the production. Beautiful strings woven together with rumbling industrial noises. And over the strange dream- like sound is Sofia's incantatory and disturbing voice, which by many is considered one of Sweden's very best
Sofia is currently working on a new album as well as touring in Sweden and abroad. On the new album, there will be interesting participation by for example John Essing [Bob Hund] and Kenny Håkansson [The Hellacopters]. She also has several collaborative projects in the pipeline of experimental improvised music. Sofia is working with artist Jan Cardell and his sound sculpture Electro Mechanical Orchestra, where she has transferred her songs to be a part of the sound sculpture. The result is a raw and industrial version of her compositions. Sofia involved him with both vocals and guitar. Sofia has also received many requests to participate on other artists' records.
Dag Jonasson
Some press voices on Sofia:
”All hail the new electronica queen! The Swedish sonic auteur had already transitioned from guitar-based rock to a darker, more electronica-driven approach on last year's brilliant The Need to Destroy. On this new album, Hardig takes a commandeering approach to the genre, sculpting coolly dramatic synthesizer parts, edgy mechanized rhythms and her own gripping, vulnerable vocals into an unsettling aural experience that's like nothing else out there… The results are unsettling, hypnotic and brilliant.” Kevin Renick / Playback, St. Louis, USA
”Sofia Härdig’s Berlin album ... Dream was made there and has become her best album. When other albums have shifted from song to song, here is a whole story. It can be heard as a personal confession, a missing mixed with euphoria. It is a dark album. But she is able to sink into the hottest corner of passion and illustrate it, which also gives it a searing sensuality. She has condensed and created shadows and corners, where the brightest colours fade in red. Red velvet and black silk ... She sings appealingly, insistent, grieving. The voice is one of the industries strongest. The scents are also strong and stupefying or intoxicating as in the strong love numbers, just as torn as the grief leaves her.” Thomas Millroth / Sound of Music
”Many of the signs of electronica are here, but I would still not limit Sofia Härdig to just be about that, in many ways it feels more like the rock she is doing, but with strings, blips and crackling sounds. Her fourth album, Dream offers beautiful listening.” Tobias Petterson / Zero
”Your sucked into the music that seems to grow by 100% for each listening. Sofia and sidekick Otto Milde has accomplished quite messy metallic modern rock electronica to be imitated and copied by wannabes. Themselves, they put themselves in the driver's seat for good!” Gary Landström / Groove
”Sweden has been lacking a strong female rock-voice. Sofia Härdig has a great voice and strong lyrics, which provides new hope for the Swedish rock-scene... A splendid debut.” Musikkanmedelse, Denmark
”What a voice! …pure and raw rock 'n’ roll” Markus Wiludda / Eldoradio Germany
”The wild wolfwomanstyle she has done well. It is wonderful grinding and darkness and thunder on the debut album. Sofia sings with aggression and drags her hair in the dirt and is a chick with raw potential.” Expressen
”Sofia Härdig makes music that bites hard. She does an evocative, raw and intense rock ... Rock music that tears and rips. Above all, she sings with a voice that burns hot and touching ... crackling songs that vibrate and glow with intensity.” Östran
”Damn good. ... She will become a” household name among rock people ... It is not a question of whether or not she make it on a big front, but WHEN. Remember where you read it first.” Lars Thulin / Ystad Allehanda
”Sofia Härdig conquering the world with her voice ...” Sydsvenskan
”BORN TO WIN ... La-La-La Härdig… is on the verge of bursting in like one of new jewels of the inexhaustible Scandinavian mine There is no doubt that you will end up hearing and speaking of the extraordinary voice and the charisma…” Rock Sound, Spanien
”With a voice that burns through skin and concrete ... A register that lifts from under your feet to heaven. Some have spoken of deepest black. Yes, but she gives this darkness a quality that is felt on the inside of your hands: rustling silk, caressing velvet, skin in the dark ... the voice goes outside within and under...one of the coolest voices around.” Thomas Millroth
Kontakt and information: email: [email protected] www.sofiahardig.net www.myspace.com/sofiahardig