Denniz Pop (real name Dag Volle) was the most successful Swedish producer in the '90s.
For many years he consecutively received the annual DJ awards.
Me and Denniz did our thing and everyone ridiculed us.
Then things changed and everyone wanted Denniz' services.
Had we listened to the critics we would never had released the record in the first place!
Everyone said it was no good.
Thanks to our first record we both gained enough experience in producing and recording to start both our careers.
The Hello Africa album skyrocketed on the European charts. We're talking 1,6 million records.
Denniz is widely accepted these days but we took a lot of flack for our records back in the day.
"Denniz Pop dies of cancer at 35"
It wasn't until after his death on August 30 1998 that the industry started to recognise Denniz' achievements.
They never did in his living years...
We used one or two chords, simple not complicated. That was the thing.
Both of us having a DJ background, we targeted the dance floor.
Denniz had great admirers in a music act from Gothenburg.
Signed to the Telegram label but denied a release, they were desperately looking for a better deal.
We had a lot of foreign productions in our catalog at that time.
One day we received a tiny envelope with a demo tape inside.
It was "Wheel of Fortune" with the Ace of Base. We loved it!
We wanted out of the Telegram contract. So Mega Records bought us out for about SEK 30,000 (USD 3,500).
Ace of Base then sent a demo tape to Denniz Pop.
The tape got stuck in the cassette player of his car and forced him to listen to it every day on his way to work.
Eventually he saw the hit potential and wanted to produce it.
You need luck, good timing and talent to gain success in this industry.
Talent is important for staying power but without the other you won't break through.
They took Europe by storm but the Americans were not interested.
We didn't get it. If it works in Europe, why not in the US?
New York based Arista Records was the only American record label interested in Ace of Base.
"All That She Wants" caught their attention. It was the only Denniz Pop production on the record.
After "All That She Wants" we had to record a full album in a matter of weeks!
We did as many tracks as we could and then we filled up the rest with demo tracks..
Even if it's good enough for Europe they had to make changes for the US market.
The Americans obsessively altered all kinds of things and then remasterd the album.
Some changes were good, some were not.
"The Sign" was written for our sophomore album but was included on the first album..
So after all the US version turned out better.
"The Sign" album which was a modified version of "Happy Nation" was finally released on the Arista label in the US.
"The sign" sold in over 22 million copies which makes it the world's best selling debut album ever.
Swedish critics were not merciful...
Yes, it's a contradiction. According to me it's crap but they sell 20 million copies.
But that's how it works with all forms of art whether it's film, literature or music..
To some people Ace of Base is an art form, to me it's just crap. And sometimes crap sells better..
"Ace of Base is the worst thing in history" and "I prefer vomit to Ace of Base"..
..or "It's like getting rotten spaghetti thrown in your face"..
..I have seen thousands of quotes like that.
According to the Swedish critics, our first album was a complete failure, so was the second and the third one too.
They think we have had three failures! That's how we've been treated in this country.
