INTERVIEW: Basshunter at Project D

“Why did I come to Project D? Do you want a bullshit answer or an honest answer?! Because they paid me…”

The washed-up Europop star was a very good sport about the questions I asked in the interview, and seemed very relaxed. He was throwing sultry looks at the Derwent  member who he later got with in Willow- that’s right, Basshunter was in Willow- and opening bottles of beer for people with his teeth.  He had a boyish demeanour, and whatever the reason he was in York, he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself and excited to be here- he wouldn’t stop smiling!

“My favourite thing about York is its cultural heritage, It’s very culturally preserved.  I think it is a beautiful place and I obviously love the Vikings! Apparently they landed in America before Columbus”

Basshunter was distracted in our ten minute interview by his entourage of Derwent JCRC members (and his balding manager, who kept shaking his head at us when we covered slightly more lewd topics…), and his rock’n’roll spread of sandwiches and Budweiser.

I asked him what his favourite song which he recorded was- expecting “Now You’re Gone”, which he sang in Swedish on the night- but he said; “I haven’t recorded it yet!”

This piqued my interest, I was hoping that perhaps he was gunning to branch out into moody indie rock- so I asked what it would be about.

“Probably just something else to do with partying.”

Perhaps not, then.

“I am kind of giving up the whole idea of albums. Instead of working around singles with an album, I’d rather grab attention with singles, so that’s the plan, Batman!”

Apologies to our music editors, but this is where the hard-hitting conversation about music ended, as Basshunter got a bit over excited by the app on my phone which I was using to record the interview (it’s just the one which comes automatically with an Iphone) and the snakebites I bought in the Willow section in Courtyard started to go to my head.

“What app is this? It is amazing, can I get it on my phone? I have never seen waves like this!” He leans into the phone and does a strange voice; “If you’re listening, you can’t really see what I am seeing but it is AMAZING”

Attempting to steer the conversation back to something coherent, whilst Basshunter was staring at the recording app on my phone, I asked: “So, who is Angel in the Night about?

Again, I expected a deep answer about heartbreak and the real man inside the heart of this buff europopsinger.

“Is this my drink? It’s about that girl over there,[name redacted]!”

I said to him, “No, it isn’t, is it Basshunter, as she was approximately thirteen when that song was released!”

However, he insisted that the song was about the blushing JCRC member and I realised that perhaps instead of engaging emotionally with the question, he was using it as an excuse to pull. Disappointing.

“I wrote this song to a girl I had not met yet! And now I’ve met [name redacted]!”

I asked whether he fancied her. “Well, I wrote a song about her!” I then asked whether it was requited: “That is between me and her!” She was just standing slightly away from us, looking a bit awkward, but from what I hear, they got off quite a lot in Willow and I take all the credit for that. He said that he was going to start his romance with this woman with a drinking competition because it is a “ritual in Sweden!” I’ve heard that one before!

I told him that it was really touching that he has now dedicated Angel in the night to her, as it is quite a permanent decision.

He dissolved into high-pitched mirth, which was  not abated my the following (now admittedly drunk) question: “Slave 4 U Britney Spears or Dirrty Christina Aguilera?”

It took him a good while to ponder this, and he consulted his manager before he gave his final answer.

“Britney’s body, with Christina’s voice and face! But I don’t like blondes.”

I then asked. “Would you date Beyonce?”

“I don’t date celebrities!” Yeah, yeah Basshunter. If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it!

We then started to talk about James Bond, for some unknown reason, and I asked “Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig?”

“Daniel Craig because all the other James Bonds when they had a wall blocking them from the bad guy they would find a way around it. Daniel Craig just busts through the fucking thing, he does not need a gadget.”

I asked him his favourite snow sport and he said that it was snowboarding, and said that I look like I ski. I was not sure what exactly that was supposed to mean.

Finally, he warned me not to include the entire audio file in the interview, or to include everything we spoke about and that if I did so he would “take his Viking ship and pillage York”, so for the safety of all of you, I shall comply by the law he laid down.

This interview was very enjoyable to conduct, although it was very bizarre, and I was gratified to learn that he is actually a bit weird. His set was pretty good too- and it was great to meet someone whose music I liked so much as a tween. Buy his single, when he writes it (I hope it is inspired by the new love of his life).