M U S I K K zag: August 2023

/ Swedish urban multi-genre-magic

Mats Samuelsson

Genre: Trip Hop, Electronica, Nu Jazz, Downtempo og House

Debut: 2009

Land: Sweden

Label: Lemongrass Music

Artist: Mats Samuelsson

Score (max 5): ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

Article and interview combined: I searched the internet for all info on Glam Sam And His Combo, wrote an article, and then I did an interview with Glam Sam to expand and correct my knowledge... The interview is afterwards inserted in the article; GS is Glam Sam and MZ is me / MUSIKKzag :-)

Here is a musician who has been in heavy rotation on my Spotify, for the last 3-5 years.

Because his music is so varied in genre, I listen to Glam Sam And His Combo on many occasions.

On Wikipedia, the genres of Glam Sam And His Combo are listed as electronic, trip hop, downtempo, nu jazz and house. An unusual but quite interesting mix of genres.

Glam Sam And His Combo was created by Mats Samuelsson.

Mats was born in Linköbing (Sweden) in 1965, but he now lives in Stockholm.

In his younger years, he played in an indie jazz pop duo, that did release a few demos. He also was a university student, and he began a writing career - he now writes as a freelance journalist and author; he has published biographies, fiction and poetry.

MZ: Hi Mats

Thanks for letting me write you, to do this interview...

I have a number of questions about Glam Sam, that I cannot find the answers to myself. Maybe some questions overlap, sorry about this...

GS: Hey Erling!

I'll try to answer the questions as good as I can!

MZ: Thank you, Mats; maybe I could start off with Mats as a writer: am I right, saying you write both biographies, fiction and poems?

GS: Well, basically I'm a journalist. That's my daytime job. I'm a magazine editor. For fun I used to write sports books (starting around 2003) but now I mainly write novels or short stories, and some of them are so short that I guess you could call them poems. My next project will be a novel.

In 2008, Mats Samuelsson invented Glam Sam And His Combo, where he himself is Glam Sam. He was signed by the German record company Lemongrass Music, and in 2009 he released his debut album. Mats / Glam Sam has since released 5 EPs and 3 more albums (including a Greatest Hits album).

Wikipedia also states, that since 2017 Glam Sam's releases (a number of singles) have been released from Coolsville Sounds, which is his own studio / label?

After a quieter period from 2015, when Mats has mostly worked as a writer, in 2023 there now is good news from Glam Sam:

In 2023, 2 (edit: when time flyes, things happens... now it is 3) singles have been released and (according to Wikipedia) there will be more releases this year.

But - what is Glam Sam And His Combo?

Above we see a well-chosen example, a typical Glam Sam track; danceable, well composed, groovy, a little laid-back, with samples and electronics: "The Last Days of Disco". Both videos and mixes of this track are available in several editions. Be prepared for a happy and original mix of disco, house, funk and dance-floor jazz! they say at Glam Sam's record company, Lemongrass Music.

MZ: Is Glam Sam And His Combo a solo project?

GS: Yes! It is a pure solo project, but in my mind I pictured a combo of cool jazz hipsters jamming in the corner of a cool hotel bar. That was what I wanted the music to sound like. So I called the project Glam Sam And His Combo to live up to that idea. I wanted the grooves to sound like they were played by a cool combo of jazz hipsters in a hotel bar at the Riviera!

MZ: Are you, Mats, solo composer and writer, or does the tracks have more composers and writers?

GS: Almost everything is composed, arranged and produced by me. But in some cases I did collabs with singers and rappers, so those tracks are co-written by me and for example Biker Boy ("The Last Days Of Disco") or Edison ("Deep In My Soul").

MZ: So your role in Glam Sam And His Combo is?

GS: The master mind! The producer, arranger, writer.

MZ: Do you play the instruments on the tracks, or are there others joyning you when recording?

GS: I play the keyboards on some tracks.

MZ: You are (also) a jazz musician, so is it mostly instruments, or is it mostly electronics and samples, the music you create?

GS: Well, I would not call myself a jazz musician. I would love to be one, but I'm not. Yes, I was in a jazz pop duo way back when, but I'm not a musician. I'm more of a producer!

This song (above) can be found both on the second album ("The Paradise Groove"), on an EP with 3 mixes of the same song, on the "Greatest Hits" album and on the album "Stockholm City Soul". It was first released in 2010, with contribution of Biker Boy (according to Facebook he is a Swedish solo pop act; find him on Spotify).

If we were to take a chronological trip past the Glam Sam releases, we have to start with the debut album: "Groovy!"

Glam Sam's first album is cool funk, it's swinging jazz, it's dance, electronica and hip hop. The album contains 18 tracks, some of which are quite long, and that is another plus, as they are so well composed. There are many styles mixed together, and the album is a multi-purpose thing. It is for parties, for relaxation and for everything in between.

From the album "Groovy!" we just saw "Mind, Body & Soul", which is chill-out jazz / groove with a lovely vocal, which just goes beautifully with the simple, melodic guitar. It's a bit of a drinks, beach and summer feeling you get, when you hear it...

MZ: How is the composing / writing process for a typical Glam Sam-track?

GS: It's very playful. I amuse myself with loops, beats, keyboards ... trying to entertain myself! Often it starts with a vision of how I want the groove.

MZ: How do you find the samples for the tracks? I imagine you watch a lot of classic 60's movies and find some forgotten gems?

GS: Yes, that's true. I'm a fanatic music fan myself, listening to soulful, funky and jazzy music all the time. Both new and old stuff. Yes, I'm always digging good grooves, searching for inspiration for the next Glam Sam groove.

MZ: Is the band you, Mats Samuelsson, and vocal artists, or are there other permanent members of Glam Sam And His Combo, than you?

GS: It just me!

MZ: Wikipedia says Biker Boy is also a member of Glam Sam And His Combo?

GS: No, that's a misunderstanding. We did one great track together, "The Last Days Of Disco", but that was it!

The following year saw the release of the second album: "The Paradise Groove", which, in addition to 2 versions of the aforementioned "Last Days of Disco", contains furthermore 14 tracks. Again, many interesting genres are in play; as described in Sonic Soul Reviews:

Super-sexy-mini-flower-pop-op-groove... die in the Metropolis of the World die Direction vorgeben. Dazu begeben sich Sam und seine Kumpane again auf eine kunterbunte Tour durch den Musik-Dschungel. Hier eine satte Prize Funk , dort eine wunderbare Jazz-Karikatur. Dazu jede Menge House-Beatz, sonniger Bossa-Schwung und eine spielerisch eingeworfene Prize Pop. Beste-Laune-Garantie-Sounds.

Well written and therefore quoted here, as I think it is an excellent description of "The Paradise Groove".

Above, the track that will move your feet: "Shake Your Booty". The video is a typical Glam Sam video, full of dancing people cut from various older films, sampled (if you like) just as the music is also often full of samples.

MZ: If Mats is Glam Sam, who/what is His Combo?

GS: They are my imaginary band. Very cool, hip, well dressed and groovy. But they only exist in my head.

MZ: Is the music entirely performed by yourself, or are there musicians involved in performing, and what about vocals: do we ever hear you on vocals, Mats, or is it vocal artists and samples?

GS: The sounds come from me, mixing and mashing up, having fun with cool loops. It could be further collabs with jazz singers and musicians in the future, who knows? I'm on backing vocals on a few tracks but the most of what you hear are samples or guest singers and rappers.

MZ: Are there artists you work regularly with?

GS: No, not yet.

In 2012, the first EP was released: The Riviera Sessions. It is a 6-track album which is not as disco as the previous ones, but still just as dance-friendly, but now we find, there is more jazz than disco... as written in Tokyo Jazz Notes:

... with some jazzy sounds creeping into the mix. That isn't to say, however, that the previous sound has been ditched in favor of a new approach ~ far from it ~ but the samples and beats give this set a bit more of a jazz flavor while it remains at heart a set of dance tunes that are more likely to grace house/lounge club nights than jazz dance events.

And it is an exciting EP, just listen to this tune, "The Riviera Stroll", a nice, laid-back, melodious jazzy thing:

MZ: Oh and on "The Riviera Stroll", is it you playing the keyboard?

GS: Yes, keyboard and cool samples!

Then, also in 2012, Glam Sam released EP No. 2: the 6-track long "The Brooklyn Sessions".

Now we're moving away from the jazzy, to the more funky / urban sounds on this EP.

The man left his Riviera studio, went away from the pure sweetness and all those funny nights and headed for Brooklyn. In his cellar studio he teamed up with rapper Edison and the rest of the old school bunch and started journey into the essence of hiphop, it says on lemongrassmusic.de.

Check out the video above: "The DJ is my Driver Tonight" - it's scratch, funky synth bass, keyboard, drum machine, rap. And then a delicious flute on top. What's not to like!? And the video just exudes love for classic urban dance / hip hop / culture.

MZ: It says: ... he teamed up with rapper Edison and the rest of the old school bunch... who are they? Musicians and vocal artists from Stockholm, from Brooklyn, or... ?

GS: Edison is a rapper living in Stockholm. The others are my imaginary friends from Brooklyn, haha.

MZ: OK, I found out you were a solo act - writer, composer and producer. But I still don’t get it: are you also solo performer on your albums (not asking on vocals anymore 😉)?

And you mention, you play the keyboards on some tracks. So all the cool music I hear on your tracks are keyboard + samples? It sounds very real, the flute and other instruments. Are they then digital instruments on an iMac or something? Nothing wrong with that, I like electronic music a lot, I just wondered if no-one did play that flute 😄

GS: Yes, you got it right!

I’m the producer / master mind / solo act - creating it all. The music is a combination of keyboards and samples - but the samples are real organic instruments played by highly skilled musicians. Yes, so it is real flute in that sample. It sounds real because it is real!

I like to think about it like a whole orchestra in my head. And I’m the conductor. I’m Quincy Jones, haha. Well, in my fantazy.

Joking a bit here - but I’m serious too.

So, Glam Sam And His Combo = me, Mats Samuelsson, the producer.

But it would be cool to work even more with singers and maybe musicians as well in the future. Let’s see what happens.

MZ: … OK, so the flute is what you found in another piece of music and then sampled, or someone playing for you? Do you manipulate the samples or are they as you found them (pitch, tone etc)…

GS: No, I don’t steal / sample from other songs. So someone is definitely playing for me.

Sometimes you can also find cool stuff on sample collections (for sale) if you have a good ear and know exactly what you’re looking for - and if you know to make it sound groovy. With all kinds of changes in pitch and tempo - and adding sound effects.

In 2013, Glam Sam releases EP no. 3: "The Coolsville Sessions", 6 tracks produced in the studio Coolsville Sounds.

MZ: Is Coolsville Sounds your own home studio / record label?

GS: Yes!

MZ: What about the Sessions EPs, are they recorded as a kind of live / jam or are they also studio albums, or is the Sessions part that they are recorded in those cities?

GS: They are studio albums just as all of my recordings. But I wanted them to sound like sessions recorded on The French Riviera, in Brooklyn and so on. So those trips took place only in my imagination!

Again, there is more soul, funk and hip hop than there is jazz. And again, it's an EP that has the cool dance rhythms, see video above:

"New York, London, Tokyo", which is definitely a cool track, and the video again oozes the same as before. It would be hugely interesting to find, out who is producing those videos, is it fans, a producer or Glam Sam? There are so many quirky little clips where you just think: Where did that come from?

MZ: So, who produces the music videos for Glam Sam?

GS: Mainly myself.

... but my new favourite Glam Sam-track is also on "The Coolsville Sessions" EP; it doesn't have a video though, but it has to be shown here because it has such a cool groove, such a delicious beat, flying scratches and beautiful keyboard... it develops from wow to WOW :-) Sit back and max up the volume!

And here's a question, straight from the lyrics:

How they make the beats so damn funky?

MZ: In the track "Beats" (on Coolsville Sessions EP) someone asks: How they make the beats so damn funky? Well I would like to know too... How do you do it? Are these beats and tracks derived from long processes in the home studio? Is it overnight? Is it alone or with someone? Who composes, writes lyrics and produces sound? Is it Mats all 3? And where does the inspiration come from? Is there any particular source of inspiration?

GS: Well, I think I already answered this one. I try to create grooves that I dig myself. Yes, If I'm grooving to my own productions, dancing late at night with the headphones on, then I'm on the right track. Yes, many of the tunes are produced during night. When I did my first two albums I didn't sleep much, haha.

I was a maniac in the studio.

In 2013, Glam Sam releases EP no. 4 - "Disco will never die".

Quoted from Lemongrass Musics homepage:

Disco Will Never Die.

Glam Sam is back, and the man has got his Combo to support him.

Glam Sam delivers a brand-new piece of art filled to the brim with disco-flavoured tracks for the discotheque dance floors of the world.

The disco music is spiced up with house, old school hip hop, soulful vibes and acid jazz, and towards the end Glam Sam touches cool jazz and electro funk.

It's pretty much all you need.

MZ: Are there any bands / artists that Glam Sam And His Combo is inspired by?

GS: I listen a lot to the funk and the soul from the 60s and 70s. I'm also a big fan of the disco years, mainly the soulful side of disco with a whole orchestra with strings, brass and everything. I'm very inspired by cross over artists, you know, when jazz musicians started to do soul and disco. People like Quincy Jones, Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers, George Duke. Wow! I love them! I love old film themes as well, those cool ones from the 60s!

MZ: From this EP we watched "I'm The Dude, Man"... listening to this song made me realise it reminds me about Michael Jackson's "Workin' day and night" (from the album "Off The Wall") - maybe you will agree? It's about the start, where both songs start with a rhythmic chanting and then drums start and then guitars etc.

MJ's song starts faster and he has two chanting rhythms, where yours is slower, with one line but it sounds dubbed in two voices; just as advanced, but in my head they are a bit similar.

Michael's chants are: 2 lines simultaneously, and repeating:

ahha ha ah ah ahha ha ah ah

dehdeh te du dah deh du dah

Glam Sam's chanting is, 2 voices repeating:

dom de chik duk deh ke dukke chakke dukke

Now some might say that is coincidental, or sounds nothing alike, what do you think, Mats, did you have something like "Workin' day and night" in mind when making this intro? Or how did it come about? (check the video from M. Jackson in links below and "I'm The Dude, Man" just above)

GS: Ah, that’s cool but in this case purely coincidental. I like "Off The Wall" a lot but I didn’t think about that track when I did that arrangement.

But of course I can hear some similarities! Another listener came to think of "Brazilian Love Affair" with George Duke. I can understand that as well. And I’m very flattered by such references. George Duke is one of my heroes.

MZ: From the track "Free Your Body, Free Your Soul" (on your EP: "Disco Will Never Die") I have a qoute:

Too many people get hung up these days on what style a track is, you know?

I hear people saying shit like

This track or that track is cool, you know?

Just because it's on this label or that label!

So, when people ask why my songs have that timeless feel to them?

That's what I need to explain!

It's in the very nature of how I write my songs.

In the nature of music and how I see it

- Pace!

Music for me was never about which DJ played my song or which label was cool.

It has always been much more than that.

Music has touched generations, liberated cultures,

Made people fall in love, made people cry.

It's true emotion.

... and following them lyrics, I would like to ask you, Mats:

Are these your own words, and is it a statement of your oppinion on music?

GS: That was a very cool sample I found. I don't remember where it came from, actually. But the words are so cool and right. Yes, you could call it my statement if you want. I agree with every word.

MZ: Do you find, some people are a bit snobbish on what label you play or don't play? Or is it more a statement on music in general?

GS: Yes, it's more a statement on the importance of pure passion in music.

MZ: And is Pace a secret ingredient in your songs, making it so nice and laid-back?

GS: I guess so, yes. And passion!

In 2014, "Feeling Groovy" (Glam Sam's Greatest Hits) was released.

Featuring 22 really cool and varied Glam Sam tracks, it's a super accessible way to get to know Glam Sam. And useful for many situations...

But we move on without seeing anything from it, since all of them are on the other releases too...

In 2015, Glam Sam releases the album "Stockholm City Soul".

It's a mix of new tracks and remasters and remixes.

The style is a delicious blend of hip hop, jazz, soul, funk and disco. Joining him, Mats has a number of excellent vocal artists who rap (etc.) the numbers perfectly.

Above, we heard the track "All Around Town".

In the later years, no more albums and EPs were released, but a string of singles with a total of 12 (no, 13 now) tracks. All are typical Glam Sam tracks, but we can't get into them all here…

The latest 2 (3) singles have been released here in 2023 and thus there is news from Glam Sam, after a slightly quieter period - this is really exciting news, which I look forward to be learning more about soon.

Wikipedia says: The year of 2023 will see several new releases from the producer.

We hope for an album and a tour that sends Glam Sam through Denmark 😀

MZ: I have to ask: there are no live videos with Glam Sam on Youtube... is Glam Sam not live, but only studio? And if it is live, does that mean there will be a series of concerts again? AND will one of these be seen in Denmark?

GS: Well, Glam Sam And His Combo is a studio project. I have been asked about doing live gigs (even abroad, in England and Germany) some years ago but I think it would be a too complicated (and expensive) project to create a live version of Glam Sam And His Combo. But of course it would be very cool and groovy. A bunch of groovy jazz musicians could do something very cool out of my tunes, for sure.

MZ: Will there be a new album, and possibly when?

GS: That's a possibility! I'll be releasing a couple of singles following the two previous ones this year. It would be cool to release a new album, so I would say that the answer is yes!

The 2 (3) new singles from 2023 are linked below in MUSIKKlik

MZ: Can we find music out there similar to Glam Sam And His Combo? Which bands should we listen to if we want to go further into the Glam Sam universe?

GS: Oh, that's a tricky question. Sometimes I hear music that reminds me of my own grooves, but I can't really point something out. I actually think that my eclectic blend of styles - different but all groooooovy - is quite unique.

But I would say: go back to my idols. Listen to Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, Quincy Jones, some pure disco like Shalamar or Crown Heights Affair. Or some old school jazzy hip hop like Guru. Or why not some azid jazz like Galliano? Or why not Fun Lovin' Criminals? Very cool, indeed.

MZ: OK - interesting... I will link some videos from those artists in the links...

And if you ask me, there are 2 Danish bands that reminds me a bit of the things you do, on one level or another: in my eyes, Glam Sam And His Combo is unique, but at the same time there are some other bands, that might be a bit in the same ballpark, and which you should consider listening to... follow the links below and listen to brilliant tracks from Danish bands Puddu Varano and E.T.A. (Estimated Time of Arrival).

GS: I'll also check out those Danish bands you write about. Will be fun!

MZ: OK, Mats... you expanded our knowledge on Glam Sam And His Combo a lot, and I thank you. I enjoyed our talk.

Be well. Looking forward to heering more tracks from you :-)

😀 Erling / MUSIKKzag

GS: All the best!

/Mats - Mr Glam Sam

That was all for now, people... I hope you all were as enlightened as me, that you got curious and enjoyed the music and the interview. For more exciting tracks, go listen to the full albums of Glam Sam And His Combo, and check out the (music on the) links below.

M U S I K Klik

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glam_Sam_and_His_Combo

https://lemongrassmusic.de/artists/Glam-Sam-And-His-Combo/

http://soulchoonzreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Glam%20Sam%20And%20His%20Combo

https://www.sonicsoulreviews.com/2010/08/31/glam-sam-combo-%E2%80%9Cthe-paradise-groove%E2%80%9D-lemongrass/

http://tokyojazznotes.blogspot.com/2012/02/glam-sam-his-combo-riviera-sessions.html

2 (no, now it's 3) new tracks from Glam Sam And His Combo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80nNbCwdOxg - Private Detective Funk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BjemqQJgGU - Lost In Art World

https://youtu.be/j3Rpq_2xInA - Live And Shine

Some videos found from Glam Sam's music suggestions:

https://youtu.be/nC9dQOnUyao - Roy Ayers: Everybody Loves The Sunshine