Brainpool (band)

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Brainpool


Img_capt = Brainpool in 2004
Img_size =
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = Sweden
Genre = Pop, Rock
Years_active = 1993 – present
Current_members = David Birde
Christoffer Lundqvist
Jens Jansson
Past_members = Jan "Janne" Kask
David Birde
Christoffer Lundqvist
Jens Jansson

Brainpool is a pop music group from Lund, Sweden, cited as "Sweden's Oasis". The band has also been referred to as a Swedish NSYNC. It was most popular in the mid-1990s, mostly in Sweden, and never really made it abroad. The band was discovered by Per Gessle of Roxette, who signed them to his music publishing company Jimmy Fun Music , now called Tom Bone Music.

History

The original members of the band were: vocalist, Jan "Janne" Kask, guitaritst David Birde, bassist Christoffer Lundqvist, and drummer Jens Jansson.

Janne Kask left the band in 1997 to pursue a solo career. For a while the other band members were looking for a new lead singer, but soon gave up. "It didn't take long for us to realize that it would be impossible to let another person join", David Birde explained in an interview to The Daily Roxette. "It would have to be the three of us, or split up. At first we thought about changing our name, but that turned out to be difficult - Sony Music had already paid for the recording of "You Are Here" and they wanted us to keep the name. We had to choose between ditching the recordings and lose our record deal or go on calling ourselves Brainpool. We cowardly chose the latter."

The band not only decided to stay together after Kask left, but they decided to change their style and their music. "We realized our audience was getting younger. We were 26, we were smelly and unshaven and drunk. There were 11 and 12 year old fans who wanted a hug, we just thought it was so wrong, that's when we realized we had to do something else," says David. It was time for their music to reach the level of maturity that they were at."

"You Are Here" was released in 1999 and was a flop. After the unsuccessful release, the band worked for 4 years on a rock opera which was finally released in 2004 with the name "Junk" and with the topic of anti-consumerism. The premier was in Malmö on August 19, 2004 where the band was backed up by Malmö Symphony Orchestra. The album was published by the band's own publishing company Junk Musik which releases singles only on the Internet.

In 2005, Brainpool released the compilation "We Aimed To Please". The album only contains songs from 1992 to 1997 when Janne Kask was still in the band. There are no songs from "You Are Here" or "Junk".

In May 2007 Brainpool's "Junk: A Rock Opera" premiered in Los Angeles to rave reviews and packed houses. Further performances and tours are expected.

"JUNK: A Rock Opera" opens with an expanded production in Los Angeles August 23, 2007. The run is at Lyric Theatre, 520 North La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, Ca 90036, and is slated through November.

Members

* Christoffer Lundqvist started in the band as a bass player and backing vocalist, but has moved to play both the bass and the guitar. He has also produced albums by Per Gessle and Gyllene Tider and played in the backing groups of Roxette and Per Gessle.
* Jan "Janne" Kask is a former member of the band. He was a singer. He had a hit as a solo artist with "Golden Heart". Currently, he goes through medical education at Uppsala University.

Discography

Albums

* "Soda" (1994)
* "Painkiller" (1995)
* "Stay Free" (1996)
* "You Are Here" (1999)
* "Junk" (2004)
* "We Aimed To Please - Best Of Brainpool, Vol. 1" (2005)

ingles

* At School / Popstar (1993)
* Every Day (1994)
* Girl Lost (1994)
* In The Countryside (1994)
* That's My Charm (1994)
* Bandstarter (1995)
* We Aim To Please (1995)
* Tomorrow (1995)
* Sister C'mon (1996)
* In A Box (1996)
* My Sweet Lord (She's So Fine) (1997)
* You Are Here (1999)
* Live Transmission (1999)
* Metro Jets Premier Concert (2005)
* A Different Life (2005)