New Video & Article | Maia Hirasawa

This week we can read an interview with Maia Hirasawa made by The Local [Swedish news in English].

Maia's second album GBG vs STHLM was released here in Sweden earlier this year by Razzia Records and now she is touring Sweden over the summer [Starting with the Hultsfred festival tonight]. According to Maia the album will be released in the US later this year. For you who can't wait, check out Bengan's online store.

Maia Hirasawa - The Wrong Way


Press photo

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Check out MaiaHirasawa.se and the Razzia Records website for more news about Maia.
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GBG vs STHLM

This week Maia Hirasawa releases her new album GBG vs STOCKHOLM and as the title of the album and the new single South Again is suggesting, she feels pretty torn between the two cities. And it cant be easy being torn between the past and the future, the old home and the new one with her love in Göteborg. Now wonder it turned into a new album.

The new single is a bit different from the sound we have heard before from Maia, with more instruments and some kind of effect on her vocals... Im intrigued!

South Again


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Find out more about Maia and her new album at MaiaHirasawa.se
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Press Photo: Johanna Svensson

Moto Boy

The Moto Boy hype started sometime in the last part of 2008 but i didn't really care at the moment. You should care though, because its really good. Its beautiful, heartbreaking and with an almost church choir feel to it. Performing with lipstick gives him a special androgynous look, a Jeff Buckley-David Bowie kind of look.

Last weekend this was confirmed when Moto Boy performed last years winner of the Swedish Eurovision song contest. To get that honor is almost guaranteeing you a breakthrough. Remember Maia Hirasawa's version of The Arks winning song The Worrying Kind?

Check out his album, its available at Klicktrack.com [30 SEK, 2,70 EUR or 3,50 USD] or listen to the full versions of the songs at last.fm.

Ride My Wild Heart


What It Was Like To Be with You


Young Love


Hero at Melodifestivalen [feat. Charlotte Perelli]


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Check out MotoBoy.se for more information.
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The Art of Making a Great Cover [part II]

Another great example where the cover turned out great is Maia Hirasawa's version of The Ark's song The Worrying Kind. In 2007 The Ark, with their energetic glam-rock competed with this song in the Swedish verison of the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2008 Maia performed this great cover and over night she got her breakthrough here in Sweden and went from independent singer-song writer to being at the top of the charts and "Maia" with the whole Swedish people. Watch both of the versions below.

Maia Hirasawa - The Worrying Kind [2008]


The Ark - The Worrying Kind [2007]

The Holidays are Here!

For all of you Swedophiles who feel tired of the traditional Celine Dion Christmas songs i have something for you. Oh, no its Christmas! was released by Razzia Records last year and feature many of our favorite artists and their versions of Christmas songs.

Just to name a few: Hello Saferide, Kristofer Åström, The Soundrtack Of Our Lives, Maia Hirasawa, Laakso, Firefox AK, Tiger Lou among others.

Go check it out!

Petter – Mikrofonkåt

During the fall the Swedish Public Television [SVT] has given us a documentary series about Swedish artists called Dom Kallar Oss Artister [They call us Artists]. We have made visits to Per Gessle, Maia Hirasawa, Håkan Hellström among others... Unfortunately the programs is only in Swedish, but if you want to check it out you can do it here.

The other week we visited Petter, one of the big names on the Swedish hiphop scene for the last ten years. With five albums and countless of collaborations he is definitely one of the biggest hiphop artists in Sweden today. Its always interesting to see how the artists have every day lives like the rest of us with kids and bills. Im not a big hiphop connoisseur but i have a few favorite songs with Petter. One of them is the song Logiskt who comments on the every day life of Petter with the help of Säkert!

Logiskt


In the end of the show Teo Holmer performed an acoustic version of Petter's hit song Mikrofonkåt. I find covers fascinating to listen to when they have made something completely different and new from an existing song. [If you want to see Petter's original version, check it out here]

Teo Holmer - Mikrofonkåt


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More information about Petter is found on Petter.nu
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Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg

I wake up with images of spring in my hometown this morning :)

Its a sweet video from Maia Hirasawa (Hello Saferides back up singer) who has made a nice album on her own this year. More about this in a later entry. Enjoy!

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Read more about Maia Hirasawa & Hello Saferide
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