Magnus Josefsson is an artist from Fröseke, Sweden, who has quite the background in the Swedish music scene. He began to release primarily atmospheric indie rock instrumentals as a solo artist in 2019. In November, his debut full-length will come out through The Mirror Factory. Of note, the album involves Christoffer Gunrup of the supergroup The Amazing, drummer Sylvester Schlegel of The Ark, and Craig Gannon of The Smiths. Simon Scott of Slowdive mastered the album.
The Mirror Factory is a new label that Josefsson is launching. He named the label after a closed mirror factory in Fröseke where he and his friends create music. He has toured extensively, and produced music, including Dungen, Kebnekajse, Anna Järvinen, Joel Alme, and The Amazing.
December is his second single from the LP, and it features Schlegel on lap steel, synth, and drums, Gunrup on bass and guitar, and Andreas Stellan of Dungen on synth. The first single, The Map, features Gannon on the mellotron, former bassist and rhythm guitarist of The Smiths.
Josefsson explains why The Map has been so pivotal, “The song began as a journey of discovery within me but developed into a compass for the rest of the album.”
Josefsson shared with Puddlegum about his experience with The Amazing: “I went to a club in Stockholm 2007, and was invited by a friend. And there were three men performing great songs. I invited them to the studio where I worked and we recorded the first album from The Amazing, the band didn’t exist more or less before this show. The [three] men were Christoffer Gunrup, Reine Fiske (Dungen) and Fredrik Björling (Dungen). So I recorded the first three records with The Amazing and sometimes played with them live.”
The level of musicianship coming into this album is astonishing. From Josefsson’s studio work, to the members (some former) of The Smiths, The Amazing, Dungen, The Ark, Slowdive, and Josefsson’s own work in Blända… it’s no wonder these songs are so precise.
You can certain hear the influences of these bands in these two songs, particularly The Amazing. All of these artists, and Scott’s work as a mastering engineer add a beautiful touch. These are sounds you can get lost in.
We’re looking forward to hearing more from Josefsson’s new album, and the magic that comes from The Mirror Factory!
Magnus Josefsson links: