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libido

Attention pop music fans:  Puff Daddyanoma and Limp Bizcuititis may soon be complicated by a welcome infection---LIBIDO.  Of course, some pop fans will never be cured of and are content with their daily doses of adolescent fantasy via crap rock music.  But for the remainder of you who are still healthy [visiting DK PHOTO/ SHAG], here is one ailment you just might crave! 

Symptoms of LIBIDO addiction include impulsive urges to listen to fresh songs with meaning ["In My Shadow"]; an enlightened view of sex ["Good Intentions"]; an interest in rethinking your relationship with a significant other ["Revolving"]; and a stronger willpower to invest in the moment rather than the future ["Overthrown"].

Libido, who describe their sound as "a soulful exercise in pop," formed in late 1995 in their hometown of Bergen, Norway and now reside in London.  They are enjoying their newfound success and their creative progress and they have been working non-stop since the release of Killing Some Time Dead.
          

In the cold thrush of winter I had the opportunity to meet up with these talented pop-sters in the midtown photo studio where Top 40 music vibrated and Courtney Love had visited and modeled in only days earlier.  A long, hunter-green, velour couch is covered in a potpourri of shopping bags, coats, and magazines.  What looks like the aftermath of a Spice Girls shopping spree is actually a photo shoot for some stylish musicians from Norway.  "Do you like this shirt?"  A tall bleached blonde with a thick accent and pierced eyebrow asks the photographer.  No, Baby Spice did not pierce anything or move to Scandinavia, but a star drummer-in-the-making is visiting.

Though the band's name sounds like it came from some testosterone-saturated porn actors' guild, it actually came from quite opposite---it came from a German detective TV show called "Deadly Libido."  The band's members, Cato Eikeland, Even Johansen, and Jorgen Landhaug say their inspiration comes from such contemporary bands as Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Bob Marley, and Patsy Cline.  "My mom was really into Elvis, and my dad, who was in a crappy band called "Kontiki", liked the Beatles," says 26-year-old front man Even.  "When I was six years old, my friends and I made our own band and used oil barrels for drums and a guitar with four strings."

Libido's debut album Killing Some Time Dead is packed with cumbrous bass, vibrating beats, dubious melodies, soulful-yet-catchy lyrics, and penetrating and profound vocals.  The 12 songs, which deal with relationships, sex, journeys, and compromise, were written by Johansen who looks to personal experience for ideas.  Libido's lyrics view human nature through a vulnerable male perspective, unveiling the truth about men, who Even claims are "the losers of the moment."  He admits that the hardest part about being a man is "being dumb because we can only concentrate on one thing at a time."  I laugh because it sounds impossible coming from a brilliant guitarist/songwriter who successfully manages to focus on both his career and family simultaneously.  Remember---this statement came from Even Johansen, not Kid Rock!
              

Despite his achievements, Even's greatest pride lies within his three-year-old daughter Frankie because she is the "greatest thing that ever happened to me."  Even enjoys being with his daughter as well as with his guitars, but not much else aside from that.  "We do not really have any hobbies.  I think when we want to relax we sit down in chairs and talk," says the ashen but attractive singer.  "Coffee is nice too," adds bassist Cato who at this point is not sitting in a chair but on a step, obviously not relaxing.

Even is an interesting guy to sit down with.  He makes you feel relaxed as his boyish offstage charm mingles contrastingly with his throaty, intense, on-stage persona.  He seems nervous, and has a habit of always scratching his chin and sitting with his long, slender legs crossed.  The 26-year-old's smile is sincere rather than cocky, and he does not have that rock star guise that we all know and love to hate and hate to love, but wind up lusting after.  We can just lust after him naturally.    

Now for some stats.  Even says if he could meet anyone in the world, he would want to meet Jesus Christ to "see if he was for real."  He does not like groupies, tomatoes, and waiting around.  He smokes Marlboros and speaks with the romantic flutter of Romeo Montague in Dolce e Gabanna pants.  The blue-eyed Even is spiritual and constantly searches for meaning rather than assumption, and all the while, he still loves to make good music with Cato and Jorgen, and he has fun learning about his two favorite parts of life:  music and relationships.  "Five things [aside from people] he could not live without would be "my acoustic guitar, my electric guitar, my amp, my stereo, and sex," he says blushing.

"The best advice my parents ever gave me, and believe me, they were not very good at giving advice, was to be yourself," Even says between sips of bottled water.  "Be honest, and be nice to people and they will be nice to you as well."  And how do Even's parents feel about their son's success and lifestyle?  "They are delighted but they miss me a bit...I do not think they really like the music though!"  he says smiling.

Libido are not only pop pioneers and romantic soothsayers, but they are a close-knit band who share their experiences with each other with tireless energy and spirit.  Even admits that he finds Jorgen and Cato quite inspiring when he is writing.  "They are both intelligent, humorous, and a little annoying."  Even does, however, break out of his gentle and somewhat serious shell when he contemplates what animals he and his band mates remind him of.  "Jorgen strikes me as a bit of a hippo," says the sexy singer glancing over at Jorgen [i.e. Baby Spice], who is sitting on a couch eating grapes and grinning to himself.  "Cato would definitely be an orangutan.  And me, I am like a hyena."  Is Even admitting to being stubborn?  I do not know, and I do not bother to ask.
               

Even is passionate about music, and his dreams have come true now that Libido's debut album climbed the UK and European charts in 1998, and sat in a higher position than their shopping rivals, the Spice Girls.  The band's presence was applauded in America with massive radio airplay, praiseful press, and Libido's highly anticipated performance at the prestigious South-by-Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas.
               

This Norwegian trio has no signs of letting up.  "The highlight is always going to be the next thing you are doing, and I'll be happy as long as Libido are always doing something," says Even Johansen with a smile.  If you experience symptoms of Libido addiction, do not seek help.  This is one disease without a cure and not in need of one.