How a 17-day train journey became Vanbot's latest long player

Siberia is the outcome of that journey. 11 tracks of sprawling electronica intertwined with Ideskog's haunting and ethereal vocals. Each is track named after a city, town, or stop on the way, and as she explains below, these 57 minutes are the 57 minutes of recorded material that she, Johannes Berglund (The Knife, Lykke Li) and Petter Winnberg (Amason) created.

Sparse, unrefined, and expansive, Siberia and Vanbot's refusal to conform results in an exciting chapter of experimentation for the artist who is perhaps more recognisable for her more traditionally 'Scandi-pop' sound (as on "Trooper" or "The Way You Say It").

The new album was made on a train - what was that process like?

We wrote and recorded all the way along the 8000km long Trans-Siberian Railway; it was a very direct and liberating process. I wanted to work with limitations instead of endless possibilities. I tend to overdo everything and have a hard time to know when to stop. So I felt I had put put myself in a context where I couldn’t control the conditions to learn a lesson. It was amazing to work with Johannes and Petter, I think we made a perfect team. It was all about breaking things down, peeling off layers, trusting that very first instinct, and staying away from doing any polishing.

What were the hardest parts about making this album?

It’s tough to break habits, to not redo, redo, and redo, to feel secure with simplicity. We decided day one that we were going to be very direct and that was sometimes painful but it felt very central for the project.

What were the highlights of the journey? Any favourite places?

Being in Mongolia really shook my grounds. We went straight out into the wilderness, four hours away from the nearest civilization. In this area people live as nomads, and horses, sheep and cows roam freely with eagles flying high up in the air. This was something I had never experienced before and the overall symbiosis between man, animal, and nature made a huge impression on us.

How does it feel to have this record out in the world?

I feel very proud of the album, but I’m almost prouder about the fact that we actually did it. For me this was more like an experiment than an normal album production. All songs we recorded are on the album, we didn’t exclude anything and the production is very naked. I’ve learned so much about myself and the value of trusting that first instinct.

For you, what are the standout musical moments?

When recording "Hard To Get Used To (Baikal)" I had some kind of breakdown. We had been on the train for four days when we made our first stop by Lake Baikal. We were tired, worn out, and I felt pretty bad and emotional when recording that song. I’m happy that we kept that very first breakdown taking, even though it felt way too stripped down at the moment .

"Collide" was the album's first single, why did you choose to share this track first?

Choosing singles is almost impossible for me, so I use a tight group of friends and people working with music as my private test panel. I send out some songs and they give me feedback. They surprisingly unanimous. In this case I agreed. I also think "Collide" is a good bridge between my previous work and my new album.

Does the album's tracklisting follow the route you took?

Yes, it follows the exact route so you can follow the journey with the alternative titles. The album starts with the first song we wrote, and ends with the last one. We actually forgot to record the vocals on the last one, so it’s recorded on our way home when we had overlay at the airport in Moscow...

As the track titles refer to the sections of the journey on which they were created, how have these destinations shaped the music?

"Hard To Get Used To" actually had the alternative title "Baikal" where we wrote it. We named the songs after the place we passed by before we had any lyrics as just a way to separate them, but at the end we thought it added something. I definitely think the places shaped the songs, some more than others. For me it’s obvious which songs are made in motion on the train and which ones are made when making stops. The ones I’m thinking of especially are "Collide (Krasnoyarsk)"; it was raining, the temperature had dropped to around zero, and everything was grey when we passed tons of small industrial communities. "Hard To Get Used To (Baikal)" carries a huge contrast, it was the first song we made off the train, in the sleepy stillness by the Lake Baikal. The lyrics of "Wasted (Terelj)" is totally inspired by what we met in Mongolia. It became so clear how big our footprint is on the environment. Back home we live with endless consumption, and here in Mongolia time had just stood still. I mean really still. They live as nomads, and the ones who don’t, wish they did. Inspiring to say the least.

What did you take from Moscow when you made "Not That Kind"?

I don’t think we took so much from the city itself, I think it was more taken from stepping on the train. That song carries so much thoughts about what was lies before us, hopes and doubts, the feeling of throwing yourself into deep waters. To hopefully find yourself floating instead of drowning.

For a lot of people this is a journey they haven't been on, to places they're not familiar with - do you have tips for people planning to take a trip on the Trans-Siberian railway?

Yes! If the thought of going on the Trans-Siberian Railway has ever crossed your mind you must do it! It’s so special and the fact of being in motion does something with your mind, at least it did with mine. You start feeling like the world isn’t there anymore, like the train and all its people exist in a parallel world. Strange, but very calming.

My top tips would be to make friends with your travel companions, that will really enrich the trip. And when Russian passengers approach you snapping their fingers on their neck, that means they want to drink vodka with you and they won’t take no for an answer. They are very generous… and eat the local food. When the train makes stops along the way, get off and buy the best food from the babushkas on the platforms. It’s so much better and cheaper than the restaurant car.

Out of interest, did you reach the end of the line at Vladivostok?

Haha, this is funny. We actually took the route from Moscow through Mongolia to Beijing, which correctly should the Trans-Mongolian Railway, but everyone calls it the Trans-Siberian Railway. So to answer your question: no, we didn’t.

The album is a departure from the high-octane synthpop you’ve previously released... why the change?

It was never something we decided, we just did what felt good. This is very much the result of the three of us writing, facing new cultures and new people constantly. And the fact that being on a train, work with very limited equipment and recording on an eight-channel portable studio of course had a great impact on the sound.

Do you think you could do it again, plan a journey and record as you travel?

This was some of the best things I’ve ever done, but it wouldn’t be the same trying to repeat it. A big part of it was not knowing if and how it would actually work.

What does music and being an artist mean to you?

Music is something I do even when I try not to. I can’t stay away from it. Being an artist is something that comes second, that’s more like an excuse for doing more music.

What do you want people to take away from Siberia?

As you said, Siberia is quite different from my previous work, I think if you listen to it as a whole it sticks together. It’s definitely more an album than 11 individual songs.