Summary
[Johan Renck]'s love for independent artists has to do with his love of good music. Good music, rather than the size of the artist, determines whether or not he'll do a video. The fact is, that he himself was a pop star at the height of indie-pop during the 90's. He was, under the alias Stakka Bo, on most top-ten lists in Europe, even climbing the US charts with the album Supermarket and the dance hit Here We Go Again. But Renck was known even before that, as a trendsetter in Stockholm's inner circles. As Stakka Bo he hit it particularly big in England, Throughout the years, I've heard many musically inclined Brits ask "What's Stakka Bo up to these days?" Not all of them are aware that Stakka Bo and Johan Renck are one and the same person -- not even all Swedes know that. But many remember his hits.
"What happened with the second album is something that can happen, I don't blame the record label -- it just didn't work out. My own record label Stockholm Music and everyone who work there have been supportive all the way. I didn't have any relations with the record company in the US. I've been making music all my life and I haven't completely resigned. Not too long ago, I sang a track as a guest artist on the Fleshquarter's coming CD."Johan Renck had many strings to his bow even in his days as Stakka Bo. He had already gotten his Masters Degree in economy from the prestigious Handelshögskolan (Stockholm School of Economics), and had worked as a right hand producer at the film company Mekano. As Stakka Bo, he made all his own videos, directed those of friends, like the Swedish rapper Pappa Dee, and also shot some commercials. Today, after successful campaigns for Nike, Levi's, Coca Cola, and Audi to name a few, Renck is as sought-after in the commercial industry as in the music video business. Last year he did the much-talked about H&M campaign starring Karl Lagerfeld and Annika Aschberg, a Swedish photographer and former model, who is also Renck's wife.See the full content of this document
Extract
Raf: 'Here We Go Again'
Johan Renck, who has made videos for Madonna and Robbie Williams, will soon be shooting his first feature film starring William Hurt and Holly Hunter.
I meet with Renck at his RAF office at Stureplan in the center of Stockholm. The name RAF has nothing you do with the British air force, but is short for Renck Åkerlund Film. Renck and his colleague Åkerlund are childhood friends, h...See the full content of this document
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