Selfmindead
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994–1995 |
| Headquarters | Eskilstuna , Sweden |
| Products | Hardcore punk music |
Selfmindead was a Swedish band known for its hardcore punk style.
History
Originating in Eskilstuna, Sweden, during the winter of 1994–1995, Selfmindead started as a quartet consisting of Marko Hautakoski on drums, Timo Sillankorva handling guitar duties, Ilkka Viitasalo as vocalist, and Tapani Hoikkaniemi playing bass. Drawing inspiration from the Swedish hardcore movement, with bands like Refused, Abhinanda, and Mindjive influencing their sound, they gained recognition by winning the Cult-95 contest in Eskilstuna in 1995, which elevated their profile within Sweden. The following year, they secured a deal with Soulscape Records and released a 7" record featuring two original tracks along with a rendition of Starflyer 59's "Hazel Would."
In the early summer of 1997, Selfmindead recorded their debut full-length album titled after the band itself. This album was distributed by Soulscape across Scandinavia, by Sally Forth Records in England and the Benelux region, and by Solid State Records in the United States. To promote this release, the group embarked on a European tour.
Following Tapani's departure, bassist Emil Nikolaisen—known for his work with Royal and Silver and later with Serena Maneesh—joined the lineup. By late summer 1999, Selfmindead commenced production on their sophomore album, At the Barricades We Fall, which saw a distribution strategy similar to their first release. During songwriting sessions, Emil exited the band; subsequently, Marko transitioned from drums to guitar. Drumming responsibilities were taken over by Tommy (associated with Silver and Turbonegro), while Even (Silver, Evil Eye) assumed bass duties. After touring as a quintet, Even and Tommy left to concentrate on Silver. Their replacements were Håkon from Mold on bass and Michal (formerly of Amphibro) on drums. Due to Michal residing more than 700 kilometers away, rehearsal opportunities were limited. Nonetheless, the band continued touring primarily across Germany and Sweden.
In 2000, Selfmindead toured the United States utilizing a backup system to accommodate member availability challenges. Concurrently, they began composing material for their third studio album and released a split EP alongside Dutch band The Spirit That Guides Us through Sally Forth Records, which was distributed by Sony Music. They also appeared at several European festivals before concluding with their final performance at Eskilstuna's "Blå" club in August 2002. The group officially disbanded on 22 March 2003 when Ilkka and Marco announced plans for a new musical venture.
After the breakup, Ilkka and Marco established the Norwegian band Benea Reach, while Timo pursued an electronic music project named Tiikeri.
Selfmindead briefly reunited in 2014 for two concerts in Norway alongside Mantric and Shevils. Later, in 2016, they performed at the Brainstorm Festival in the Netherlands with a lineup featuring Ilkka, Marco, Timo, Michal Bäckrud, and Håkon Sverre Nakken.
Members
- Current
- Ilkka "Volume" Viitasalo – lead vocals (1994–2003, 2014, 2016–present) (Benea Reach)
- Marko "Storm" Hautakoski – drums (1994–1999, 2002), guitar (1999–2003, 2014, 2016–present), backing vocals (1994–2003, 2014, 2016–present) (Benea Reach)
- Timo Sillankorva – guitar (1994–2003, 2014, 2016–present)
- Håkon Sverre Nakken – bass (1999–2003, 2014, 2016–present) (Benea Reach)
- Michal Bäckrud – drums (1999–2003, 2014, 2016–present)
- Former
- Tapani Hoikkaniemi – bass (1994–1998)
- Emil Nikolaisen (Extol, Serena Maneesh) – bass (1998–1999)
- Live
- Even Steven (Silver, Evil Eye) – bass (1999)
- Tommy Akerholdt (Silver, Turbonegro) – drums (1999)
- Ole Børud – guitar (2002) (Extol, Schaliach, Arnold B Family, Fleshkiller)
- Timeline
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Colors =
id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:BV value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:Orange legend:Drums id:Tour value:yellow legend:Touring_members id:EP value:gray(0.55) legend:Other_releases id:bars value:gray(0.95)
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 BackgroundColors=bars:bars ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1994
LineData =
at:01/01/1997 color:EP layer:back at:01/01/1998 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2000 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2001 color:EP layer:back
BarData =
bar:Ilkka text:"Ilkka Viitasalo" bar:Timo text:"Timo Sillankorva" bar:Ole text:"Ole Børud" bar:Tapani text:"Tapani Hoikkaniemi" bar:Emil text:"Emil Nikolaisen" bar:Even text:"Even Steven" bar:Håkon text:"Håkon Nakken" bar:Marco text:"Marco Storm" bar:Tommy text:"Tommy Akerholdt" barMichal text:"Michal Bäckrud"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Ilkka from:start till:03/22/2003 color:Vocals bar:Ilkka from:05/12/2014 till:05/13/2014 color:Vocals barIlkka from09/01/2016 till:end colorVocals bar:Timo from:start till03/22/2003 color:Guitar bar:Timo from05/12/2014 till05/13/2014 color:Guitar bar:Timo from09/01/2016 till:end color:Guitar barOle from03/08/2002 till03/10/2002 color:Guitar barOle from03/08/2002 till03/10/2002 colorTour width3 barTapani from:start till01/01/1998 color:Bass barEmil from01/01/1998 till01/01/1999 color:Bass barEven from01/01/1999 till01/01/2000 color:Bass barEven from01/01/1999 till01/01/2000 colorTour width3 barHåkon from01/01/2000 till:end color:Bass
</timeline>
Discography
- Selfmindead 7" (Soulscape Records, 1997)
- Selfmindead (Solid State Records, Sally Forth Records, 1998)
- Hit's of the 80's (featured the track "Wayfaring Stranger," Sally Forth Records, 2000)
- At the Barricades We Fall (Solid State Records, Sally Forth Records, 2000)
- The Oslo Compact (split release alongside The Spirit That Guides Us, Sally Forth Records, 2001)