Anders Bagge & Arnthor Birgisson
Arnthor Birgisson and Anders Bagge (right).
Richard Buskin talks with two of Sweden's hottest writer‑producers about their ongoing work as part of the Murlyn Music Group, including recent hit recordings by Jennifer Lopez, Samantha Mumba and Jessica Simpson.
In a forest just north of Stockholm, overlooking one of the city's many sea inlets, is Vantorp, a traditional wooden villa which once housed the mistress of a 19th‑century Swedish king. Wheareas said monarch would simply row across the bay whenever he felt the urge, today Vantorp is the venue for action‑packed activities of another kind: it serves as the headquarters of the Murlyn Music Group, an all‑encompassing operation with a fast‑growing reputation for turning out the hits. Founded in January 1998 by Christian Wahlberg and Anders Bagge, Murlyn boasts an in‑house setup of four studios, a publishing division, and a stable of producers that includes Bagge, Arnthor Birgisson, Christian Karlsson (aka Bloodshy), Fredrik Odesjo (aka Fredro), Daniel Eklund, David Eriksen and Henrik Korpi, who write, record and mix the songs of an eclectic bunch of artists. Four new studios are about to be added, while another three are already based in Oslo, Norway.