TLOBF Interview // ceo

14 March 2011, 13:40

ceo arises in 1981 and 1891. in 3064 and tomorrow. after ibrahimovic and before nectanebo II. before the dark ages and after spring break. before time was, ceo is.
ceo arises in miami, hell, holzschlag, the andes, sparta, chianti and wall street. in the antennae galaxies, kungsmassan, flushing meadows and the mariana trench. before space was, ceo is.
you may call me sophia, yukio, fanta, eric, kiki and krishna. and wii and whitney.
ceo is you and you are me and i am ceo.
in eternity.

“No excuses, no looking back” has always been a theme of Sincerely Yours, the record label started by Eric Berglund and Henning Furst of The Tough Alliance. More than a record label, it’s a manifesto that occasionally produces records. Home of Air France, jj, Nordpolen and the very-much-missed Honeydrips, it’s a lifestyle based on reinvention, new chances, and living in the present – “When are you gonna see that that’s the way life goes, and what a god damn blessing it is?”.

Now The Tough Alliance lingers somewhere in the background, and Eric is ceo. Here we talk to him about the reality, the influence that The Tough Alliance holds over us and themselves, and ultimately, discover that sometimes the aim for reality feels too unrealistic. Sometimes, you just have to indulge in sweet distractions, gentle escapes and beautiful illusions to be able to stand this excuse for an existence. And, eventually, things will get to where you want them to be.

What does the present hold for ceo?

The present holds a present and it is life. It is not always gold and green woods as we say in Sweden but it is real; I am here and now most of the time and then things seem fine. So come what fucking may, I’ll dodge as fast as the wind, kick back hard as horse, or just don’t give a fuck. Or just do. Watch me.

How has your view on life changed since A New Chance?

I’m just not as scared. And since all bad things come out of fear, I feel a lot better. But that’s not just since A New Chance though of course, it’s been changing for a long time and it still does. Faster and faster, almost makes my head spin at times.

How does ceo represent a shift away from TTA? Or, in what way does it complete the ideas of TTA?

Hmm, I don’t really divide TTA and ceo, or anything like that. Whatever it’s called it’s all just life for me. It’s the same energy, just evolved. I mean the songs from White Magic was on The Tough Alliance record we were making when we decided to go separate ways. And that was supposed to be called White Magic as well. So you see, there are no different projects for me, it’s all essentially the same, and that’s really how it is if you do something you have to do, something that really matters to you, on a deeper level. ceo doesn’t complete TTA, Eric or whatever you wanna call it cause I’m not all happy, carefree and gay yet, but it’s an exciting and a pretty big first step.

You said in a previous interview “I am ceo on so many levels it makes me blush.” What would you say brought ceo into existence?

Life. Everything in my life and a lot of other ones has lead to that, it’s no more simple or more complicated than that. Everything is connected. You have to really feel that to be able to feel the nature and beauty of life and let go of fear. It’s hard sometimes to untie ceo from my ego, my self or what you wanna call it, especially when I have to talk about it and people talk about it and me. But I don’t wanna limit it to me, I can’t that wouldn’t be true, to me or to life. Cause ceo is nothing less than life working through me. That may sound offensive to some people and that’s because their egos feel threatened. But just relax, everything is ours, we are in this together. And people will feel that for real in time, patience patience patience! It’s hard sometimes, I wanna play with you now! Ok, later then?

How are these things related to the visuals that have accompanied ceo? How did you come up with the constructed definition of ceo that greeted the project (“ceo is saliva, panic, November rain and patron”)?

I didn’t have to construct it, that’s the whole point of it. That’s just how it was, how it is. I just wrote it down you know? It springs from a profound sense of connection. All limits, all boundaries are illusions. For real. I’m not playing with you. For real.

Are you pleased with how the album has been received?

Well, since I avoid pretty much all media, I don’t know much about how it has been received apart from various grades people have told me. However, this is a bit embarrassing to say but an old part of me was truly dissappointed when the world didn’t turn into a realm of light as soon as ceo appeared. It’s so fucking silly. I realise it makes me look like a fool, ha ha, but you have to be honest you know? That dissappointed part of me is a needy bitch and I hated it when I had to love it. But it taught me a lot more about myself and in what ways I oppose life – so it’s all good baby.

You’re accompanied by Kendal Johansson, how has his influence made its mark on White Magic?

Well he’s one of my best friends and one of my biggest inspirations ever, that alone says quite a lot. And even if I had my clear visions of the songs, the exact same ones as when we worked on the record as TTA actually, Kendal’s soul is very much in there. He’s so precise, so delicate, so sensitive, so detailed, so beautiful. He’s not easy to work with, not the most balanced soul I know. But God I love that boy.

In terms of playing live, there’s a lot of music right now that is unable to be recreated in a live setting. Do you intend on recreating White Magic when you play live or do you see yourself taking the live experience in another direction?

If you’ll see ceo on a stage I want it to be an experience, and I don’t create images beforehand that will affect that experience. It should be there and then.

“People want the future, like maniacs, like there isn’t enough in the now.” It seems like this is how the modern music machine is now. It brings despair a lot of the time. Do you have any ideas about how to banish these feelings of being a part of the circus and go back to what is true and real?

Yeah, if it hurts you, just be careful to not expose yourself to it until you’ve taken yourself to a state where it can’t hurt you anymore. It’s quite simple really. Especially if something you really love, something you have to do, doesn’t get mixed up with that circus. It does for me though, uninevtiably. But I can handle it now most of the time. It’s cool, I’m here, making beaucoup money. Cause if you have a strong enough connection to your heart you can move around in that machine without being hurt. I used to run and dream myself away from from it all a lot and maybe you have to for a while, to be able to focus and turn inwards without being interrupted all the time. But then when you’re stronger the only way leads back to the world, even if it’s a circus at the moment. That’s the only way to turn the circus into something real – change yourself, be in the circus and not be a clown. It’s very hard but I do my best, I’m so tired of trying to escape.

The most important feeling I took from The Tough Alliance is the line in Silly Crimes that went “I can run but I can’t hide it’s all inside”. I know TTA wrote that when they left Service to set up SY, is that feeling still something you have now?

Well, that was just the subheading of my life situation, it wasn’t related to Service more than anything else in my life.

And yeah I still feel it cause that’s just how it is. But it’s only a problem if you think you have to run and hide. If you don’t it’s only really beautiful and convenient. It’s all up to you, if you only dare believing it is. And it’s the most beautiful place I’ve seen, It’s all in there shawty!

The Tough Alliance: Eric Berglund with Henning Furst (right)

Since you are one of the owners of Sincerely Yours, how closely is the ethos of SY woven into ceo, or vice-versa?

It’s mine all mine, which part of my title don’t you fucking understand? Nah sorry, it’s just different ways to work with the same force. ceo is just a way into and hopefully through my inner dephts to a place where I can meet people on another level. Sincerely Yours is kind of my way of trying to interact with people more directly and take part in society on a more superficial level which feels quite important as well. As long as the suckers don’t forget that I’m the boss.

Can you talk a little about jj?

No, I can’t, it’s simply too much. I can’t even try to say how much they mean to me, as friends and as artists. It has to be felt.

How have you felt the last year about their success?

Well, I’m quite happy. It will make me a young money millionaire. Around jj n°5 I estimate.

And how do you feel about the demise of The Honeydrips?

Well it’s what he wants, what he’s gotta do, so I’m happy he’s strong enough to take a decision like that. So dry your eyes dear, nothing to be sad about. Expecting things like that from other people puts you in a very weird position. Just expect people to do what they feel like.

Recently you spoke about Lake Garda, saying ”being there is like a dream, it is like a fantasy world, so unreal”. What else is like this for you?

Hmmm, a lot feels like that nowadays. Especially nature, wii, exercising the hell out of body I’m in plus music and literature. And Hannah Montana, I wish she was my little sister. And many layers of cashmere blankets in different colours. And the now.

Speak of fantasies, what is your ultimate one?

Driving a Lamborghini Diablo at 120 mph with Joakim in the passenger seat and Alice Kingsley, Zlatan and Nicki Minaj in the back seat. And Kendal lying across their laps. All the way from the himalayas to the cheops pyramid. That or just breathing for the rest of my life, let everything else be minor details. No anxiety tingling in the blood. Hmm, that’s not fantasy though, that’s how it will be. And that goes for the other one too when I think about it! Vive la vie!