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For a relatively small country, Sweden offers big opportunities. The number of educational programs varies as much as the geography. Regardless of where your interest lies, be it in science, film, medicine or philosophy, Sweden can provide world-class programs in a number of fields.

From the arctic north to the continental south, there are no less than 38 universities and university colleges to choose from. This is no coincidence. Sweden is a country that puts strong emphasis on ­education as the single most important factor to remain economically competitive and politically just.

This emphasis on education has a long history. Although ill-equipped with sun-hours, Sweden has been able to attract skilled workers and gifted students from all over the world with excellent universities, a high standard of living and an impressive level of English proficiency. For centuries, our wealth has derived from trade and innovation.

Openness remains a core feature of Swedish society, and a key for our success. As a minister of higher education and research, I am personally convinced that this constitutes one of the main reasons for why we have been able to produce so many outstanding researchers.

Just look at Carl von Linné, the “father of botany”, or John Ericsson, who invented the propeller among other things. Both men travelled extensively and gave service to people well beyond our national borders. Perhaps the most famous Swedish inventor of them all, Nobel,  made a huge imprint on the history of mankind, and continues to do so today. The Nobel prize festivities in Stockholm are not only a matter of national pride because it puts us in the international limelight, its true value lies in the fact that it is a yearly celebration of the human mind and all it can achieve. However, given all the challenges and opportunities globalisation offers, it is obvious that it is what we make of the rest of the year that matters. Creating world-class science environments takes time and effort, as well as vast resources.

Therefore, I am proud to announce that this administration recently made an historic push, injecting large amounts of money into the educational system further to enhance quality and accessibility. By putting quality first, we aim to make sure that the students at our universities get a hefty return for their investment in time and energy. Thousands of young people choose to come to Sweden to invest in their future – we will do our utmost to honour that trust by providing the best we have.

We know that great ideas must be able to transcend national boundaries. Knowledge thrives when it is able to flow freely. That is why internationalism provides a cornerstone in our educational policy. And why I would very much like to welcome you to one of our universities.

After releasing her second cookbook in English, The Nordic Diet, Trine Hahnemann is set to tour the UK with cooking demonstrations and debates. Scan Magazine’s own food guru Bronte Blomhoj had a chat with the healthy Dane.

Every country seems to have a Delia Smith – someone who can teach us how to cook wholesome food, and, most importantly, how to eat better. In Denmark, that job has been given to Trine Hahnemann, a passionate Copenhagen-based foodie who is on her own crusade to promote Scandinavian food all over the world (albeit without longboats).

Last year, Trine published The Scandinavian Cookbook. This was her first book in English, and quickly grabbed the attention of the UK press. She has just followed up that success with The Nordic Diet. An inspirational collection of recipes, Trine’s second book is based on some of the findings from a University of Copenhagen report of the same name (a five-year study that investigated whether the traditional Nordic diet could help to combat, among other things, childhood obesity).

Having grown up in a family where food was at the heart of everyday life, Trine has continued that culinary heritage in her own catering company, supplying food to prestigious clients such as the Folketinget (the Danish Parliament). When she’s not busy feeding politicians, writing books and touring the world, she also finds the time to write food columns in the Danish press.

How did your career start?

I studied literature at university. During my time there, I had a part-time job at a friend’s café, and really enjoyed it. Later on, I bought a catering company that provided food for music tours and film productions. However, being away from home so much after I’d had children was too much, so I sold the business and started Hahnemann’s Kitchen, my current enterprise. After I was asked to write a column for a major women’s magazine in Denmark, I realised I wanted to combine my love of food with my love of writing.

How do you think Scandinavian food is regarded outside the Nordic region?

Everybody thinks it’s just salmon, herring and all sorts of weird stuff that nobody likes. Few people know about the different flavours and ingredients that we use in our cooking. Even less is known about our very seasonal eating habits. Local, seasonal food is a way of life. It’s not always something we do consciously, perhaps, but we do it anyway. When I was a child, we only ever ate strawberries in the summer. They were picked fresh, and eaten while plentiful. Anything that remained was frozen for the winter or made into jam. When we ran out, that was it. Simple. Today, people are used to eating the same fruits all year round, but produce doesn’t taste the same when it’s been shipped halfway around the world.

Do you think fast food culture is influencing the way Scandinavians eat?

There is a big effect, and we need to make sure it doesn’t become too engrained. Statistics show the Danish obesity rate is very low compared to the UK and US. General awareness of the issue is good in Denmark, which hopefully means we can reverse the effects of fatty food before they become a bigger problem. Research is being done to combat obesity, which is good. However, obesity also has a lot to do with education and social status. Statistically, the less money you have, the worse you eat. I find it so depressing that a meal cooked from fresh vegetables can be more expensive than a greasy cheeseburger.

So are the traditional Scandinavian foods out of fashion?

Actually, new influences are combining with our original food heritage. Smørrebrød – open sandwiches – were so out of fashion five years ago. Today, they’re back ‘in’, and most Danish cafés feature a platter of them. Younger people are getting into it again and are enjoying the different varieties available.

I also think that if you don’t teach young people to cook and get them to understand where food comes from, this will also lead to problems later on, because it takes away control over what goes into your mouth. It’s up to parents to help their children by teaching them about their diets, and by sitting down together to eat as a family.

Is the Nordic Diet a fad?

I don’t think so. To us Scandinavians, our diet is nothing new, but perhaps we need a small reminder. In my book, I try to present a new way of eating Nordic food. It’s a way of looking at food as a way of life.

You don’t have to live in Scandinavia to follow the Nordic Diet, as most of the ingredients can be found in any British supermarket. Other things, such as cracked rye for making your own rye bread, are sold at speciality shops or online. As for all the fish and meat, if things can’t be sourced, then just substitute them with good, local ingredients.

Do you think the Scandinavian diet has enough variety to attract people in the same way that the Mediterranean diet, or sushi has before now?

I truly believe so. It’s all about eating decent, hearty and sustainable food. Ten years ago, there was no real market for Japanese ingredients. Today, one can find pickled ginger and wasabi sauce on the shelves of most supermarkets. My sister set up Feng Sushi, one of the first Japanese chain restaurants in London. She also continues to add plenty of Scandinavian touches to her menu, which is an excellent example of how two distinct food cultures can blend.

What’s next for you?

I’m planning to tour and discuss my books, with a lot of cooking demonstrations planned for all over the UK. There will also be a few ‘pop-up restaurants’ in London with Nordic food. Back home in Copenhagen, I’m also developing a ‘grow-your-own’ project with my mother in my back garden. I’m growing tomatoes and she’s growing chillies. Delicious!

The Nordic Diet by Trine Hahnemann is out now, published by Quadrille. It is available at all good bookshops and at Scandinavian Kitchen (which, incidentally, also stocks those all-important cracked rye grains).

Is it just me… Who has noted the huge change in our collective approach to crazes?

It used to be that fads were strictly reserved for youngsters. From Elvis, over disco, to 80s MTV, new trends were solely directed at adolescents, considered the only ones hip and happening enough to go along with a new craze any responsible adult would dismiss as silly. That has changed significantly. In today’s world we’re all teenagers.

Facebook, Ipods, Wii and PlayStations are not reserved for people in their teens. On the contrary – teens chat with aunts and uncles on Messenger. Children receive texts from their grandparents. On my birthday I got a text from an 82 year old member of my family signed “xxx”.

My Mom has an Ipod. At a family gathering she tried my cousin’s Ipod and apart from initial misunderstandings like her looking puzzled while moving rhythmically, yelling “So, am I the only one who hears the music?” she instantly declared the Ipod was “awesome” and bought one the next day.

On my Skype contact sheet every generation in my family is represented. To Skype with my parents however, does require a bit of patience. Every call begins with them fumbling with the plug to the headphones saying: “Hallo? Is this plugged in? Halloooo? Can you hear me? No?” I’ll spare you the full, action-packed minute to minute rapport, but just let you know that there does at some point occur what can be described as a real conversation. To be fair, my 14 year old niece describes her Skype calls to me in much the same way. But that sort of minor obstacle will not stand in the way of anyone over 20. Undaunted we head for new crazes, full throttle.

The only things youngsters get to keep to themselves are Bacardi Breezers and low-cut jeans – that’s two things we will never claim. Anyone with more than 5 minutes of real life experience knows that anything involving cheap liquor and exposed, freezing buttocks isn’t worth striving for.

It happens every year: the cold winter months take you by surprise and you need extra fuel to keep you warm. Then the festive season comes around and, suddenly, you have a whole spare tyre around your waist that not only keeps you cosy and warm but also wobbles in a funny way when you walk. Before you know it, people are calling you “lardy boy” (even to your face) and you know it is time to bring out the dreaded scales.

When thinking of Scandinavians, people don’t tend to associate us with a nation full of spare tyres or with people who take up two seats when using public transport. Instead, we are often compared to beauties such as Victoria Silvstedt, and Helena Christensen and Viggo Morten­sen. Flattering, even if not entirely accurate.

But are all Scandinavians thin and healthy? No – although obesity rates in Scandinavia are around 60% lower than in the UK, things have certainly started to shift a bit. With the introduction of more ever so tempting ready meals and more fast food outlets in the Nordic Countries, even we’re seeing an increase in flab. This is simply because we’re being tempted away from what is our traditional, healthy way of eating off our lands and into the realms of the fast food circus. Indeed, we Scandies also need to get back to the core of what Scandinavian food is all about and to feel the force of the rye bread.

Traditionally, Scandinavians have eaten off the land. It’s all been about preserving what we could harvest during those fertile summer months by drying, fermenting and pickling the goodies as best we could. Drawing from a landscape rich in berries, grains and fish, those Vikings conso­lidated a way of eating that still holds true today.

The Nordic Diet

Last year, research started to emerge from Scandinavia that this new Nordic Diet (although followed by Vikings, so by definition not so new, really) would be the way forward; the new big thing and with health benefits to pose a serious rival to the Mediterranean diets that have been so popular during the last twenty years. Out with pasta, in with herring, so to speak.

The Nordic Diet draws on the Viking principles: eat a breakfast that releases ­energy slowly, such as muesli or porridge. Add lots of berries to your diet, as these are packed full of vitamins and anti­oxidants (think blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries). Cabbage-type vegetables are key, so bring on the pickled red ­cabbage and the coleslaw type salads.

Bread is made of rye and sourdough cultures. Omega 3 is added to the diet by eating lots of mackerel and herring. For meats, go for less mass produced stuff, such as game: venison, reindeer (sorry Rudolf) and even Moose (although, admittedly, Tesco’s in Hackney was out of stock of this last week). Add to this a whole load of nuts and seeds and you’re on your way to eating like a real Viking.

Seriously delicious

Much more than just a fad diet, the Nordic Diet it is a way of eating healthily, and by cutting out the mid-morning Krispy Kreme and replacing it with a handful of nuts, things will certainly start to shift from the wobbly midriff. In fact, The Nordic Diet by the Danish food writer Trina Hahnemann has just been published in the UK – and after only a week, stocks of the book were running low and they’ve started the second printing. The People are catching onto the Viking Way of life and you can expect to hear a lot about the Scandinavian way of eating in 2010.

Perhaps, this is the secret to all sensible dieting, though: if we all thought a little more about the stuff we use as fuel for our bodies and cut out the daily doughnut, the excess flab would start to disappear. Doing it the Nordic way, however, means being able to explore all those seriously delicious ingredients served with a Scandinavian twist that perhaps makes the whole issue of losing the post-Christmas flab a little easier to bear.

Follow the Nordic diet and you can indulge in open rye bread sandwiches, lots of beautiful fish and stuff yourself with berries. And maybe, just maybe, in a few months you’ll start to look like Viggo Mortensen too.

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Bronte Blomhoj is the owner of Scandinavian Kitchen in Central London – a cafe/grocery store that stocks everything you need to follow a Nordic Diet. All the staff there look a little bit like Victoria Silvstedt (especially Sebastian).

Hummel, the oldest sportswear brand in the world, is definitely not resting on its laurels. The brand’s characteristic colourful, chevron-marked clothing keeps being renewed and re-used and with great success. This year Hummel Kids Clothing is launching in the UK as the brand’s popularity keeps growing.

Founded in Germany in 1923, Hummel gradually shifted ownership; in 1980 it was a 100 per cent Danish company and just three years later the brand was the biggest in sports clothing on the Danish market. Today Hummel is present in more than 40 countries around the world and has won numerous design awards – including the prestigious Global Style award in 2007.

Hummel’s chevrons – everywhere

Hummel’s widespread fame and popularity is to a great extent based on the company’s unique and visible profile in team sports; the Danish national football team, for instance, wore their kit at the victorious European championship in 1992. But the many international celebrities, like Jennifer Lopez and Melanie C, who have a weakness for the brand’s retro look, have also caused many a teenager to dig out and pull on their parents’ old Hummel tracksuit.

Hummel’s UK brand manager Kevin Batchelor says: “Our foundations are built on teamsports which mainly include Football and Handball. But towards the end of the 90s the company started to move into the fashion sector more and more using retro-inspired clothing from our heritage/back catalogues and placing them on celebs and cool dj’s.”

Since then Hummel has also branched out into Fashion Footwear, which is growing very quickly internationally, and more recently they launched Kids Clothing in DK which is becoming a huge success. “The growth is most importantly of all down to a fabulous product mix which keeps evolving season after season and is the reason more customers and territories want to get involved!” Batchelor stresses.

Karma and TEAM spirit

Today Hummel is owned by its Chairman Christian Stadil, who bought the company in 1999. He is one of Denmark’s most well-known businessmen partly because of his success, but also because of his spiritual engagement and monk-like appearance – he is a self-declared Buddhist. His spiritual belief is also, explains Batchelor, reflected in the company’s approach to business. “We believe in Company Karma and try to give back where possible. We support many charities and make sponsorships that can make a difference, such as in Sierra Leone where the infant mortality rate is the worst in the world. We donate funds from the proceeds of sales back to Sierra Leone where it is needed most,” he says, adding: “Rather than being political we are just trying to help kit people out to play sport and get some enjoyment and wellbeing into their lives. Yes, we need to survive in business also, but we still have a corporate social responsibility which we take extremely seriously.”

Conquering the UK

The brand first saw UK ground in 1980 when it established itself as a football kit brand with some high profile sponsorships. Later, however, it experienced some turbulent years with third party license holders, and in 2004 it was decided that Hummel International should have its own company over here. Since then the brand has steadily been expanding and today Hummel is represented in more than 300 sports retailers and team sports specialists across the UK and Ireland. They also have over 100 stores across the UK stocking either fashion clothing, Fashion Footwear or both. “This year will also see some kids’ stores stocking Hummel in the UK for the first time, so it’s exciting times for us,” says Batchelor.

A global Hummel

The International group, of which Hummel UK is part, has been steadily growing at a rate of 30 per cent for the past three years; an impressive achievement considering the economic downturn. But the plans for the future are even greater, says Batchelor. “The Goal is to be the most exciting team sport brand in the world – a recognised International Sports brand across the world. We very much have our heritage in Denmark, Germany and Scandinavia, but we have some exciting projects taking place in North America, the Far East and right across Europe, so hopefully in the not too distant future Hummel will be on the global map!”

Scan Magazine’s music fanatic Karl Batterbee takes a look back at the decade gone by in Scan pop hits. Who makes his list of nougthies’ greatest export hits? Find out below where you can also take a glimpse into the Scandinavian pop future!

Scandinavia has by now earned itself a reputation for being one of the world’s most reliable regions when it comes to exporting top-notch pop music! Remarkable in itself, given the small size of the area’s population, but especially impressive when you consider that the well known hits that have been embraced by every nation in the world, were composed by songwriters that don’t even use English as their primary, or sometimes even secondary language. Any music lover in any country will be able to sing you the songs that came from Scandinavia in the seventies, eighties, and nineties, from acts like Abba, A-Ha, Aqua, and Ace of Base.

But as we commence a new decade, we wanted to look back to find the noughties’ most prolific Scandinavian musical exports and see if Scandinavia still has that special something when it comes to crafting pop music that can be loved the world over.

So here they are, the ten biggest Scandinavian artists of the last decade!

Alphabeat

These guys burst onto to the UK music scene in 2008 and took firm occupancy in the sizeable gap that exists between pop music and indie music in the UK. Visually unique, they bopped around in headache inducing fluorescent videos, to music that they penned, produced, and played themselves. Hailing from Denmark, they consist of five gents and a lady, a factor which has contributed to the sound that has made them so popular – male and female perfectly layered harmonies. Their debut album, This Is Alphabeat, went top ten in the UK and spawned three top twenty hits, all four releases totalling half a million sales in the UK alone. Biggest Hit – Fascination

Robyn

Perhaps Scandinavia’s most extreme pop chameleon, Robyn started out in the nineties as a manufactured pop puppet – only to cut the strings in the early noughties, leave her record label, and record the music that she wanted to make independently, releasing it on her own record label. Her native Sweden loved her for it, but even they were surprised when the rest of the world went mental for the beat heavy, dark electro that she produced. Such was the quality of the album Robyn – her fourth as an artist, first doing it her own way – it went on to become by far her most successful. Biggest Hit – With Every Heartbeat

Eric Prydz

You may not know the name, but you’ll know the hits! Call On Me exploded around the world in 2004, and not only became one of the biggest selling dance hits of all time, it also started a brand new trend within dance music that was imitated by everyone with a synthesizer for the next three years! With Call On Me, Eric had sampled an eighties rock track, and tailored it for the noughties’ dancefloor – and thus a new formula was born, and somewhat thoroughly bred! His most recent concoction was Pjanoo, a piano-led house track which was the biggest selling dance single of 2008. Eric is also partly responsible for the worldwide reputation that Swedish house music has, along with the famed ‘Swedish House Mafia’ – Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso. Biggest Hit – Call On Me

The Ark

This Swedish embodiment of glam rock had their first number one album at the turn of the decade, and went on to have three more chart topping albums throughout. Loved for their outlandish rock n’ roll glamour, they have courted controversy as if it was a love-struck groupie! From lyrics contrary to the morals of society, to ill-thought out comments about the 9/11 terrorist attack when they commenced their US tour, a tour which was short-lived as a result. A new album, their fifth, is due sometime this year. Biggest Hit – The Worrying Kind

Agnes

Scandinavia’s newest pride and joy, Agnes released three albums in her native Sweden after winning their version of Pop Idol in 2005. But in 2009, it was a single from the third album that catapulted Agnes to fame in every corner of the globe. Release Me took up a permanent residence on every radio, dancefloor, and singles’ chart last summer. Knowing that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, Agnes is working on her new album with the exact same producers that she struck gold with for her current record! Biggest Hit – Release Me

Röyksopp

The Norwegian Gods of electro can probably also lay claim to the moniker of Gods of music synchronisation! Their music is as famous as it is critically acclaimed, thanks to placements in adverts from the likes of Apple, BBC, Virgin, T-Mobile, and computer games from EA Entertainment. Ever since their debut album Melody AM in 2001, the duo have spawned songs that are recog­nisable to millions of television lovers, and revered and respected by millions more music lovers.
Biggest Hit – Eple

Alcazar

Camp, kitsch, and never ever taking themselves too seriously, this trio have enjoyed a full decade of success around the world since their debut album in 2001. When manufactured pop was at its most cherished in the UK at the turn of the century, they boarded an Easyjet flight to London and infected dancefloors with their ode to drunken drama, Crying At The Discotheque. Since then they have taken great pride in making ridiculously crafted pop music whilst looking as fabulous as their (usually low) budget allows. Biggest Hit – This Is The World We Live In

Annie

Born and raised in Bergen, Norway, Annie enlisted the help of UK super producer, Richard X, to make two of the most acclaimed electro pop albums of the decade. Anniemal and Don’t Stop marry insecure vocals to irresistible melodies and industrial beats. Annie’s ability to craft the perfect pop song has earned her a massive following online, and when her second album took five years in the making, it became one of the last decade’s most eagerly anticipated albums by music fans and critics alike.
Biggest Hit – Heartbeat

BWO

Self-proclaimed Godfather of Scandipop, Alexander Bard’s most recent project, after giving the world Army of Lovers, Vacuum, and Alcazar, BWO released four studio albums and a Greatest Hits in the space of six years – treating fans to both quality AND quantity! Their melodious electropop is as catchy as it is cool, and they can count Coldplay and Mika as celebrity fans who have taken inspiration from them. Biggest Hit – Sunshine In The Rain

Basshunter

Love him or loathe him, you can’t deny that this Swedish chap, real name Jonas Altberg, has well and truly conquered the UK. Well over a million sales of his singles, and half a million sales of his albums in Britain alone, have ensured that no casual music fan isn’t aware of Basshunter. His detractors were bitterly disappointed to find out that he was actually a thoroughly nice and likeable guy, when he competed in television show Big Brother last month. Biggest Hit – Now You’re Gone.

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So that was the noughties – now here is our quick round up of ten acts from Scandinavia that we’re expecting to blow up in this coming decade!

Gravitonas – the creator of Army of Lovers, Alcazar, and BWO, tries his hand at forming a rock group.
Le Kid – Alphabeat peering at their ­reflections in a mirrorball.
Jonas Oakland – young synthesiser prodigy.
Daisy – dancefloor diva with killer hooks in each of her club tracks.
Eric Saade – clean-cut, Disney-esque heartthrob who’s about to become very famous in Sweden.
Rosanna – has got the tunes and the voice to compete with Annie and Robyn.
Medina – after taking up a year long residency in the Danish singles chart, she’s ready to look further afield.
Belle – cartoon pop music, but oh so sophisticated with it.
Erik Hassle – just about to blow up in the UK with debut single Hurtful.
Lisette Vares – melody driven pop ­music that’s dancefloor friendly.

Swedish furniture and design is a worldwide phenomenon, recognised mainly for providing the best in value for money solutions. However, Swedish artisanship is also strongly represented by designers and furniture manu­facturers who firmly believe in solid materials, traditional carpentry and custom-made, fully-finished pieces that stand the test of time. A business that goes the extra mile and embodies these aspects is G.A.D., a Swedish company situated on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea.

By 1997, founder and leading designer of G.A.D. Kristian Eriksson had found himself ready to throw in the towel and leave his job at IBM to pursue a personally more rewarding and creative line of work. “I wanted something else in life,” says Eriksson. “And design has always been in my genes.” And he means this literally: both his parents and grandparents were designers by profession. So, equipped with a technological education and a passion for design and art, he established G.A.D. and set out to make sustainable furniture without any compromises in design, quality, materials, workmanship or price. For the manufacturing process this meant no cutting corners and no cheating. In 1999, the company made a big splash at a Swedish design fair, received a Swedish design award and the rest is pretty much history. Today G.A.D. is in high demand amongst design lovers with its 35 outlets and showrooms spread across Sweden and a few more located in Britain and the US.

Scandinavian art & design

G.A.D. easily epitomises classic Scandi­navian style and design, while ­si­­multaneously holding a tight grasp on modern aesthetics. Eriksson identifies the style as “classic contemporary” and “Scandinavian with straight lines and simple designs”. Moreover, the furniture speaks volumes about the Scandinavian disposition, as the solid materials demand respect, whereas the clean and streamlined simplicity of the designs soothes the eye: the result is something very honest and genuine. Eriksson takes a lot of pride in the excellent quality of their products and what G.A.D. stands for in terms of style and traditional workmanship: “I think the designs speak for themselves.” His confidence is the clear result of years of striving to be the best at what they do and, of course, the skilful application of the best materials that Sweden can offer.

Solid materials

“The key point is to use solid materials and sand them into the right places using traditional carpentry. Each piece of furniture is made by us all the way from the raw materials to the finished product,” says Eriksson. Accordingly, the materials used include solid Nordic wood of the highest classification (mainly birch and oak), limestone and sheepskin from Gotland, stainless steel on all handles and black granite on surface tops. All of the work is carried out in Gotland with the help of local craftsmen in order to make the manufacturing process more unified and interlaced with the work of the designers. In addition, G.A.D. strives for perfect customer satisfaction by including serial numbers on their furniture for tracking purposes and future check-ups. Naturally, all of this takes a lot longer than just popping by your nearest furniture retailer. It might take weeks, if not months to finish one piece, as everything is made to order, and there are no stockrooms in sight. The price is also set in accordance with the amount of work and passion poured into these products. However, at G.A.D. quality comes first, and in today’s throwaway society, something that truly withstands the wear and tear of time should be regarded as more essential and precious than ever.

For more information visit: www.gad.se

If you have never heard The Final Countdown, you have to visit planet Earth more often – and in particular Europe! The band’s Keyboard Intro is one of rock history’s most iconic creations ever. Scan Magazine talks to Europe’s singer Joey Tempest about the band’s wild heydays in the 80s, their successful new album Last Look at Eden and the forthcoming UK tour.

Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson better known as Joey Tempest was certainly a pioneer of ‘Hair metal’ in the 1980s. As a fan I still remember how I used to steal my brothers OKEJ magazines, (Sweden’s largest teenage pop magazine) every time Joey was on the cover. I would languish, pretending I was his girlfriend entangling my fingers in his long and wavy hair. It almost feels surreal now hearing his voice on the telephone.

The Force that got them started

For the group it all started in the Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby in 1979 when Joey and his friends, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson and drummer Tony Reno performed under the name Force.

In their teens the foursome had great confidence in the band and sent several demos to record companies only to be told that to be published they had to cut their hair and sing in Swedish. Their first breakthrough was winning the Swedish rock talent contest Rock-SM; having competed against 4,000 other bands they were presented with a record deal with Hot Records. During the contest, Force changed their name to Europe; why? The idea came from listening to a number of Deep Purple’s live albums and in particular Made in Europe, explains Joey. “It took the guys quite a while to get used to it, about 17 pints or so,” he recalls laughing.

The countdown to fame

However it was not until their third album, The Final Countdown, that things really began to change. This monster hit album sold over three million copies in the U.S alone.

After several triumphal tours around the world, the band decided to take a break during 1992, but reunited temporarily for a one-off performance in Stockholm on New Year’s Eve 1999 and announced an official reunion in 2003. Since the band’s first days the lineup has changed a few times and today, besides Joey Tempest, consists of John Norum (guitar), John Levén (bass ), Mic Michaeli (keyboards) and Ian Haugland (drums).

In September 2009 Europe released its latest album – the third since the reunion – Last Look at Eden. The album shot straight to number one in the Swedish album charts, something that has not occurred since 1988 when the band released Out of This World, and is now being unanimously extolled by the world’s greatest rock critics.

You have recently celebrated thirty years as a band; what is the recipe for such a long union?

The fact that we found each other all those years ago has given us an incredible strength. We all have a burning passion for music plus we are one hundred percent committed regardless of what challenges we face; that is, I think, what is unique about our band. We are an extremely hardworking group!

How would you say that Europe has changed in the years gone by?

We are experienced businessmen these days, not those naïve young guys we were back in the days; we have now taken control over our affairs in a different way. The long break we had back in the 1990s did us a lot of good, we explored new paths, for example recording our own solo albums, I developed my singer and song writing skills.

Can you tell us the story behind The Final Countdown?

I Came up with the keyboard intro when I was in college. I kind of knew that there was something special about it as soon as I had written it, but it actually took a few years for it to be used. We needed an intro to start our gigs, and we decided to try that tune out that I’d written all those years ago, The Final Countdown was then born. We could have never imagined in our wildest dreams that it was going to be such a major success; mainly because it was so long, more than six and a half minutes. We didn’t think the radio would be interested in playing such a long song!

British media have praised your latest album Last Look at Eden; what does it mean to you?

It’s incredibly exhilarating and very special to us, as the UK has always been the country of rock n’ roll for us. All the bands we have admired, like Deep Purple, UFO, Queen and Gary Moore, were spawned here and we have always aspired to break into the British scene. It’s amazing to play live over here; you just know that the audience gets it straight away. We are being featured in Classic Rock magazine in the next few weeks and that has been a Rock bible for us, so it’s very flattering to be featured.
How is touring life these days compared to the 1980s?

Our drummer Ian Haugland recently said that touring in the 1980s was “80 percent about partying and 20 percent about the music”, today I would say it’s the other way around! But we are still five guys who play rock n’ roll and still know how to party!

What are your future plans? Will you be like the Rolling Stones and tour until you drop?

Hah hah! Well, we’re not sure about that, but we can at least guarantee that we will be here for a long time. We are usually forming five year plans; the immediate future is all about the tour. We start our UK tour on the 18th of February and will be on the road for pretty much all of 2010 and then we start to work on the new album in 2011. We are generally better at planning these days since we all have our own families.

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Europe February 2010 UK Tour
With special guest Diamond Head
•    Leeds O2 Academy (Feb 18)
•    Birmingham O2 Academy (Feb 19)
•    London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (Feb 20)
•    Oxford O2 Academy (Feb 22)
•    Bournemouth O2 Academy (Feb 23)
•    Bristol O2 Academy (Feb 24)
•    Manchester O2Academy (Feb 26)
•    Newcastle O2 Academy (Feb 27)
•    Glasgow O2 ABC (Feb 28).

Ticket Hotline: 0844 477 2000 | www.ticketweb.co.uk
The album Last Look At Eden is out now.
More info: www.europetheband.com

For someone who has enjoyed tremendous success in her home country and is only just embarking on an international career, Agnes Carlsson – or simply Agnes as she is known in the UK – is remarkably relaxed and down to earth. In fact, it is hard to notice her slim figure, tucked up in a huge armchair at the trendy London Hospital Club where Scan Magazine meets her. Quite different to what you would expect from someone with such a powerful voice, somewhat reminiscent of Whitney Houston’s.

The Swedish 21-year old singer is just about to release her second single in the UK I need you now, shortly followed by her first UK album release with Dance Love Pop. The expectations are high after the screaming success of Release Me earlier this year, which reached number one in the UK radio airplay chart, number one on iTunes UK and number one in the US billboard dance chart. The smash hit also just picked up an award for song of the year in Sweden and it has had over ten million plays on You Tube. “I’m incredibly lucky it has gone so well on my first attempt,” says Agnes, smiling.

It cannot all be down to luck though. Something else must play a part in the career of someone who only four years ago was completely unknown, living in the small town Vänersborg in western Sweden.

Pursuing the passion

Although music has always been an integral part of Agnes’ life it was not until she was 16 that she first sang a solo, one year before her break-through. “Before that I had only sung at home and in choirs, which I never felt was my thing,” she says. But with her first singing lesson came the first solo. “I was so nervous I nearly died,” she laughs. /MF

The day Agnes was more or less dragged by her friend to the Swedish Pop Idol audition in 2005 changed her life forever. Not only did she get in, she won the entire competition. Agnes herself mainly sees the time at Pop Idol as a “great school”. “I really learned a lot there, which helped not least my nerves,” she says. She still gets nervous though, but often when she least expects it. “I was recently in France where I was asked to sing in front of 200 specifically invited fans of mine and I was so incredibly nervous. But then the next day I sang in front of 200,000 people in Morocco and did not feel a thing! It is very strange.”

The road to success

After Pop Idol there was no going back. She was quickly signed by Sony BMG and released Right here right now one of many hits to come over the next year, as well as three gold, platinum and double platinum selling albums. It was Release Me from her third and latest album that brought Agnes international success. Starting in Denmark, it quickly reached the UK charts and after that the door opened to the rest of Europe. Next target is the USA from where Agnes has just returned on her first promotional tour.

What is different about her latest album is that it comes under a new record company, Roxy Recordings, and she has teamed up with producer and song writer Anders Hanson. “I am very happy with the change. Anders is very inspiring and this time I have really had time to sit down and properly work on the writing with him.” And the result speaks for itself, as Release me recently was awarded song of the year at the Swedish Music Publisher Awards. “It makes you so happy when you are appreciated for who you are and what you have written,” she says. Perhaps that is why she tends to stick to her preference for small record companies in Europe, such as 3 Beat Blue in the UK. “It is nicer when the entire team is enthusiastic and not just a few as is often the case with bigger corporations.”

Dance Love Pop

The title of the new album, released in UK on 7 December, is just what it says: up-beat pop tunes about love, which make you want to hit the dance floor. When asked where she finds inspiration she simply says “from life” and smiles. “Even though they can have a deep subject (such as un-returned love in Release Me) I want my songs to inspire people to have fun and dance,” she says. “But,” she adds, “in five years time I might feel like something completely different. Things change.”

Agnes herself keeps things pretty quiet during her time off. Family and friends are really important. “I spend so much time performing in club environments that in my time off I would much rather stay at home with a cup of tea – which makes me sound very boring as I am only 21,” she adds with a bubbly laugh.

The future

Agnes is already traveling most of her time and, depending on what happens with her recent promotional tour in America and ongoing success all across Europe, she might have to consider moving abroad. “That is something I would definitely do if it made my work easier,” she say, “but Sweden will always be home.”

Before the end of the year she will have seen the UK release of her second single, followed by her first UK album release, as well as gone on an arena/club tour throughout England. Hectic times, but none of this will stop her from taking two weeks off to spend Christmas with her family in Vänersborg. “Christmas is very important and I’m glad it is so easy to take time off during that time in Sweden, because everyone else does!”

She should enjoy the holidays as much as she can, as the following months, years and perhaps even decades will only get busier. And as we say goodbye it strikes me how this young woman has simply found her tune in life – with the world stage on her doorstep, she is ready to be released.

Dance Love Pop is released on December 7.

Quirky facts about Agnes

What is the most important thing you have learnt so far?

Always to trust my gut feeling. It is weird how right it is.

Rumours say you prefer gay clubs?

Haha, well yes. In Stockholm the club scene can often be so stale and boring. I’d rather go somewhere people let their hair down, dance and simply have fun.

Who is your role model?

Whitney Houston and Beyoncé.

What would you do if you were not doing this?

That is a very difficult question… I think I would be a “bullfarmor” (roughly translated bun-grandma).

At Westminster Business School not only are the lecturers professionals, the students are too! The cosmopolitan school, which is located just near Baker Street, London, requires students to have at least three years work experience to do an MBA with them.

Besides, as one of a select group of universities in the UK, Westminster is a member of the international, impartial authority on postgraduate business education, AMBA, which sets a global standard for MBA programmes.

Real skills

Director of Postgraduate Courses at Westminster Business School Jon Pike says: “Most people approaching us for MBAs have started work in a specialist area and are looking tomove on to the next step. To do that they need knowledge about HR, finance, IT, marketing and management which they can obtain here.”

Swedish Credit Analyst at Nordea Bank Kristina Nordström graduated from Westminster with a BA International Business (Honors) in 2007, and says she uses what she learned on a daily basis. “I was very impressed with the university. The lecturers were at a very high level, many had worked for some of the largest banks in the world and had real world knowledge. Inmy final year for instance we had a lecturer who had previously worked for Goldman Sachs,” she says.

An international profile

When it comes to attracting the best students, Westminster not only benefits from its location in central London, but also from an excellent reputation in business studies. “I was accepted in more than one place, but the reason I chose Westminster was that a friend recommended it, and I heard that the university’s Business School was very good,” stresses Nordström. In some courses almost 90 per cent of students come from outside the UK and together with their various backgrounds thus create a hub for knowledge sharing, says Pike and Nordström agrees: “There were a lot of students from abroad in my course and I think that created a great atmosphere. Everybody was very serious about their studies and strived to do well, which is also evident in the high numbers who graduated with a first degree honours.”

For more information visit:
www.westminster.ac.uk/schools/business