Backstage at ABBA Voyage 2022

 

Abba Voyage

 

video Svana Gisla

https://www.instagram.com/p/DS51JFojeRA/

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ABBA Voyage producers: 'The possibilities were always there but perhaps it took us to venture ahead'

 

ABBA Voyage producers: 'The possibilities were always there but perhaps it took us to venture ahead'

by Andre Paine November 26th 2025 at 7:02AM — Tiempo de lectura: 3 minutos

The music industry is exploring opportunities for immersive music performances as technology opens up new possibilities for artists.

In the wake of the success of ABBA Voyage, new entrants and investors are set to increase the range of avatar-based music productions. 

In the latest edition of Music Week, we explore some of the key developments for this emerging sector as well as the legal and licensing issues around avatar-based productions. 

ABBA Voyage’s initial investment was considerable at £140 million, but the virtual performance was bringing in $2 million a week once it was up and running. 

ABBA Voyage opened in May 2022 at the purpose built arena located at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Digital versions of ABBA perform their greatest hits and two 2021 tracks, I Still Have Faith in You and Don’t Shut Me Down from their comeback album Voyage, alongside a 10-piece live band. 

Following its release four years ago, ABBA’s Voyage album (Polydor) has amassed UK consumption of 502,443 units (Official Charts Company). Up to the end of the third quarter, the group’s Gold – Greatest Hits was at No.17 overall with consumption of 181,491 units. It has since advanced to 214,515 as it chases the 2024 total of just under a quarter of a million units. 

With bookings open up to its fourth anniversary in May 2026, ABBA Voyage continues to stage seven performances a week at the 3,000-capacity ABBA Arena. Earlier this year, ABBA added new tracks to the concert’s setlist to celebrate its third anniversary. The additions include The Name of the Game, Super Trouper, Money, Money, Money and Take A Chance On Me. 

“It’s been interesting for us to see how ABBA Voyage has been received since we opened,” producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson told Music Week. “For us that created the show, we never saw it as a new format but rather something quite unique that works for ABBA. We just tried to make something beautiful that would hopefully stir up emotion in the concert-goer. It was never about the tech, never about ‘activating a catalogue’. It was only ever about love for the craft and curiosity.” 

We focus a lot on the audience experience, from the moment they arrive at the ABBA Arena until they leave

Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson

The producer duo acknowledged the ABBA Voyage, created with ABBA’s members (Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Frida Lyngstad) and directed by Baillie Walsh, has led the way in immersive performances.

“The possibilities have always been there, but perhaps it took us to venture ahead,” they told Music Week. “We would hope that whoever comes after would do something different, find their own idea and motivations. ABBA Voyage was never a format to copy.”

Anira, the holding company for ABBA Voyage, reported 1.06 million tickets sold in 2024 with overall revenue at £104.3 million. The shows averaged an occupancy of 90% and attendance is set to hit four million people from around the world by the fourth anniversary. As well as ticket sales, there’s a wealth of official merchandise – including a 2025 gingerbread man Christmas jumper – and physical music. 

“ABBA Voyage’s success is equal parts the appeal of ABBA themselves and the timeless music that they created, it carries so much nostalgia and emotion, and all we had to do was protect that,” said Gisla and Andersson. “We think that the audience can feel that what they’re experiencing is made by ABBA. That their DNA is in everything. Every detail reminds you that you are in ABBA's house.” 

The producers said they have continued to improve the show since its launch in May 2022. The venue has undergone a winter makeover for 2025/26.

“We focus a lot on the audience experience, from the moment they arrive at the ABBA Arena until they leave, and we tried to always be generous to that journey being the best it can be,” they told Music Week. “And we’ve kept improving the show since we opened. You might not see it but we’ve never stopped working on it and we will continue until the last person buys a ticket.”

Investors in ABBA Voyage, via Swedish company Goldonder Investors AB, include Pophouse Entertainment and Universal Music Group, the Swedish band’s label partner.

Pophouse has already announced plans for a Kiss avatar show, following the Swedish entertainment investment firm’s acquisition of the band’s catalogue, brand name and IP for a reported $300 million.

PHOTO: ABBA Voyage/Johan Persson

https://www.musicweek.com/live/read/abba-voyage-producers-the-possibilities-were-always-there-but-perhaps-it-took-us-to-venture-ahead/093127

https://www.musicradar.com/artists/shows-festivals/it-was-never-about-the-tech-never-about-activating-a-catalogue-it-was-only-ever-about-love-for-the-craft-and-curiosity-the-producers-of-abba-voyage-say-that-it-was-never-a-format-to-copy

Gala performance of ABBA Voyage in aid of BBC Children in Need!

 We’re pleased to announce a Gala performance of ABBA Voyage in aid of BBC Children in Need! 

✨

The  concert is at 1:00pm on Sunday 9 November at the ABBA Arena, Pudding Mill Lane, East London.

Join Scott Mills at this revolutionary concert that sees ABBA perform digitally, backed by a live ten piece band. Get ready to party, dance and sing along to some of ABBA’s biggest hits including Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia and Waterloo, as well as newly added tracks such as Money, Money, Money and The Name of the Game! 🕺💃

Scott will get the party started before the concert with special DJ set.

Head to bbc.co.uk/radio2 to find out how to get tickets 💛

https://www.facebook.com/BBCR2/posts/pfbid02LwcyuMG2cjbrpF49SVnEdmNBEAkCSNHLe9DBmtQk9wwxDxoChHD1bbtBTFNrG14Ql

Frida at ABBA Arena - sep 2025

 

video Svana Gisla

screenshot video Svana Gisla

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOjSABsDRcG/

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source Lyn Hobson

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source abba voyage upload 16092025

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https://www.instagram.com/p/DOteDfhjZ17/

source Svana Gisla upload 17 09 2025

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Björn about Abba Voyage

 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1404950553943563

ABBA no fue solo pop. Fue ingeniería emocional

 

El: viernes, 25 de julio del 2025

De 1974 a 1982 soltaron 8 álbumes de estudio, 70 sencillos, y más de 400 millones de discos vendidos

"ABBA no fue solo pop. Fue ingeniería emocional



Santo Domingo RD.- Una fábrica de hits disfrazada de cuarteto sueco, que logró lo impensable: sonar felices mientras te contaban cómo se rompe un corazón.

 

En 1974 ganaron Eurovisión con “Waterloo” y el mundo cambió de frecuencia. A partir de ahí, nada fue igual.

 

De 1974 a 1982 soltaron 8 álbumes de estudio, 70 sencillos, y más de 400 millones de discos vendidos (sí, cuatrocientos millones), sin TikTok, sin giras masivas por América, y sin necesidad de escándalos mediáticos. Solo música. Solo talento.

 

Lo impresionante de ABBA no es que te sepas “Dancing Queen” sin saber de dónde la conociste.

 

Lo verdaderamente brutal es esto: son el único grupo que logró mantenerse vigente durante décadas sin tocar un solo concierto entre 1982 y 2016.

 

Cero giras. Cero reencuentros. Cero entrevistas. Y aún así, sus canciones seguían sonando en fiestas, bodas, karaokes, películas, estadios, anuncios, videojuegos, playlists y sueños.

 

Y luego vino el fenómeno “Mamma Mia”, el musical más taquillero de la historia basado solo en sus canciones.

 

La película de 2008 recaudó más de 600 millones de dólares y revivió a ABBA como si nunca se hubieran ido. Porque en realidad, nunca se fueron. Solo estaban esperando a que el mundo volviera a necesitarlos.

 

¿Qué los hace distintos?

 

La perfección melódica de Benny y Björn, el tono cristalino y devastador de Agnetha y Frida, y una capacidad quirúrgica para escribir sobre divorcios, celos, nostalgia y vacío… sin sonar tristes.

 

Canciones como “The Winner Takes It All”, “SOS” o “Knowing Me, Knowing You” son dramas disfrazados de pop bailable.

Y sí: muchas de esas letras fueron escritas en pleno proceso de separación de ambas parejas del grupo. ABBA sonó mejor mientras todo se les caía. Así de potente era el dolor que manejaban.

 

En 2021, luego de 40 años de silencio, lanzaron Voyage, un disco nuevo que vendió más en su primera semana que muchos artistas de moda con millones de seguidores.

 

Y hoy, en Londres, tienen un show holográfico en el que no están… pero están. ABBA no envejece. Se reinventa sin tocarse.

ABBA demostró que el pop no es superficial si viene del alma. Que se puede hablar del desamor sin gritar.

 

Y que hay canciones que, aunque no entiendas el idioma, entiendes el sentimiento.

 

ABBA fue elegante, fue sutil, fue devastador… y sigue siendo eterno.

 

No fueron solo parte del pop. Fueron un género aparte.

 

Lo demás… es historia."

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Saving money, money, money: Abba Voyage chiefs replace experienced band with cheaper musicians to cut costs

 Saving money, money, money: Abba Voyage chiefs replace experienced band with cheaper musicians to cut costs

By GRANT TUCKER

PUBLISHED: 22:30 BST, 26 July 2025 | UPDATED: 22:30 BST, 26 July 2025

It is the lucrative show that allows Abba fans to experience a concert from the group as they were in their prime – or rather, through digital 'Abbatars' and a glittering ten-piece band.

But despite having raked in £300 million in ticket sales, The Mail on Sunday has discovered that the producers of Abba Voyage are cutting costs.

They have replaced the live band – which accompanies the four singing avatars of Abba – with cheaper musicians.

The show has attracted more than 2.5 million visitors since it opened in 2022 at the Abba Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and it has contributed £1.5 billion to the economy. 

The original line-up of musicians – to accompany the avatars of Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – was put together by former Klaxons singer James Righton, husband of Keira Knightley.

He scoured the globe for a band that could bring the group's hits to life, hiring the likes of singer-songwriter Victoria Hesketh, known as Little Boots, on the keyboard.

'The [band was] always brilliant and had amazing players,' Righton told NME magazine at the time. 'This band had to step up to being as good as the original line-up.'

However, neither Righton nor any of the musicians who worked with Abba members Benny and Bjorn in Stockholm to bring the extravaganza to life still work at the 3,000-capacity arena.

'Now it is a huge success with sell-out audiences, the bosses have begun cost-cutting and have even replaced the band with cheaper musicians,' one worker said.

'If something as successful and lucrative as Abba Voyage is cutting corners, there is not much hope for the rest of the industry.'

Last month auditions took place for new performers after an open call for 'a full-time contract with our live band at the Abba Arena'. 

The advert said: 'We are searching for professional guitar, bass, keyboard, saxophone, drums and percussion players, as well as female-identifying singers of the highest quality. Ability to read sheet music is a bonus.'

Workers fear that the quality of the show will be compromised when the new musicians take over in December.

Abba Voyage, a 95-minute run-through of 20 of the band's greatest hits, took five years and an estimated £15 million to make.

One of the most iconic moments in the show is when the four avatars are silhouetted against vintage footage of Abba winning the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton in 1974.

Originally billed as a temporary structure, the Abba Voyage venue is not slated to be earmarked for housing redevelopment until 2029. Abba were approached for comment.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14943625/abba-voyage-chiefs-replace-band.html

What's it like to see a show at the model for proposed new Swindon venue?

 What's it like to see a show at the model for proposed new Swindon venue?

Aled Thomas

Thu 24 July 2025 at 11:00 am GMT-3

3 min read

Local Democracy Reporter Aled Thomas outside the Abba Arena (Image: Aled Thomas)

I went to see the Abba Voyage arena as it is referenced as the blueprint for what a new theatre in Swindon could look like.

Bosses at Swindon Borough Council who want to see a bigger replacement for the Wyvern Theatre built on the site of the current bus station are keen on the construction methods used at the east London venue – while it won’t last as long as a more traditional brick and mortar structure, it is much cheaper to put up.

I was lucky enough to attend the Abba Voyage concert recently courtesy of my wife, who graciously allowed me to buy tickets for the show for her birthday.

I went along with half an eye on what the building was like, and whether the experience of going to a show there is different to a more standard venue.

And I have to say it is, a little.

The auditorium is much bigger than what’s being proposed for Swindon – The Abba Arena holds 3,000 people both seated and standing on a dancefloor, while the council here say they’re looking at a capacity of 1200 seated or 2,000 standing.

It’s the front of house where the Arena seems to be significantly different from more traditional theatre and concert halls.

They tend to concentrate on the auditorium, with relatively little room given to a foyer, box office and cafes and bars. These spaces tend to be small, often rather haphazard in shape or access, and can be quite crowded.

They are, in effect, a place to wait, not always in much comfort, before you go into the performance space.

The Abba Arena isn’t like that. Tickets are checked before you get into the building, and once you’re in, it’s all much more permeable. Inside, the front of house area is much bigger and more open. It’s a large open space with merchandise stalls, catering outlets and even a DJ booth.

It’s something more akin to a concourse in a very smart new sports stadium, very spacious and light- and seems designed to be part of the evening’s entertainment – go with friends, get a pizza and a glass of something, have a bit of a dance before the show.

One of the reasons it’s cheaper to build a venue like this (and the reason why it is actually demountable and can be taken away and set up somewhere else) is that the frame is made of steel and wood.

Architect Stufish’s website says: “The arena building is a lightweight bolted steel structure clad with two independent layers of insulated panels. This allows an external envelope to perform well acoustically and thermally.

“An independent internal structure makes use of mass timber to create the seating rakes.

“There is also extensive use of mass timber to the open front-of-house concourse in the form of a reconfigurable modular hybrid steel-glulam canopy, as well as CLT modules housing food & beverage, retail, VIP lounge and cloakroom spaces.”

It’s a big if, but if a new venue is built in  Swindon along the arena’s model – a report to cabinet quotes a price of about £15m, although council leaders have said they think it can be done for less- it certainly works as a traditional theatre or concert hall.

But the space at front of house, with the sense that it is also part of the experience, part of the show, might also allow the venue to be used in more innovative ways.

We’d just need to get Benny, Bjorn, Agnetha and Anni-Frid to come along to open it.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/whats-see-show-model-proposed-140000879.html

Melbourne’s bid to host blockbuster 3D virtual concert ABBA Voyage meets its Waterloo

 

Melbourne’s bid to host blockbuster 3D virtual concert ABBA Voyage meets its Waterloo

Will Melbourne finally get to host the ABBA Voyage virtual concert? It all comes down to money, money, money.

Nui Te Koha

@nuitekoha

less than 2 min read

July 22, 2025 - 6:50PM

Striking avatars of Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid illuminated the Pylons of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge accompanied by a dazzling light display across the Bridge arch. Credit: Gravity

Melbourne’s plan to host the blockbuster 3D virtual concert ABBA Voyage has met its Waterloo.

Promoter Paul Dainty, the president and chief executive of TEG Dainty, and who had an option to produce ABBA Voyage in Australia, said protracted talks to bring the venture to Melbourne had failed.

The 3D virtual concert, featuring digital avatars of ABBA superstars Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, depicting the group as they appeared in 1979, opened in London in 2022.

Talks to bring ABBA Voyage to Melbourne have failed.

Mr Dainty and Victorian government officials were pitching for Melbourne to be the first city in the world, outside London, to stage the Swedish supergroup spectacular.

But money, money, money was a constant sticking point.

Behind the scenes, Spring St struggled with requests to provide up to a third of the estimated $100 million cost to host ABBA Voyage in Melbourne.

The hi-tech show requires a purpose-built 3000-seat venue.

Insiders said ABBA Voyage is “not going ahead” in Melbourne. The same sources said the project didn’t offer value for money for Victorian taxpayers.

“It’s disappointing,” Mr Dainty told the Herald Sun on Monday. “It’s been a long journey, but (ABBA Voyage) is a super expensive project. Maybe we can revisit it in the future.”

A Victorian Government spokesperson said: “As Australia’s major events capital, we’re always working to secure major events that boost tourism and support jobs across the state.”

Mr Dainty toured ABBA in 1977, and asked Ulvaeus and Andersson to support moves to bring ABBA Voyage to Melbourne.

“When I toured ABBA, the (Melbourne) mayor at the time gave them the keys to the city,” Mr Dainty said earlier this year “I recently said to Benny and Bjorn, ‘You got the keys to the city, and you can come back and unlock it with ABBA Voyage. It will be a homecoming’.”

ABBA Voyage’s group chief executive Craig Hartenstine is a businessman from Melbourne.

He was in Melbourne late last year to visit potential sites for ABBA Voyage – and to hold talks with Mr Dainty and state government officials.

According to ABBA Voyage figures, the show contributed £1.4bn ($A2.75bn) to the British economy between May 2022 and May 2024.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL

other links

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/talks-failed-efforts-bring-abba-voyage-australia-1236027897

https://www.noise11.com/news/abba-voyage-is-no-longer-coming-to-melbourne-20250723

ABBA Voyage arena set to be demolished as developers unveil plans for housing estate...

ABBA Voyage arena set to be demolished as developers unveil plans for housing estate...

Howell Davies — 

ABBA Voyage has been a huge success since its launch three years ago, but now the Swedish group‘s digital avatars are set to be kicked out of their East London arena.

I can reveal plans have been drawn up to make way for a 1,000-home neighbourhood, which would mean the venue, constructed especially for the concert spectacle, will be demolished by the end of the decade to make way for apartment blocks.

The Swedish group‘s digital avatars will be kicked out of their East London arena

Credit: ABBA Voyage

The news is likely to devastate fans, as the group have said the concert — using state-of-the-art technology to show a younger version of the group on stage — is the closest anyone will come to seeing Agnetha Faltskog, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Bjorn Ulvaeus perform together again.

It also scuppers hopes the Spice Girls could take over the arena, in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, after The Sun revealed the girl group have been planning to create their own similar digital residency.

The concert is currently booking up until January 2026, although it is expected to continue for longer.

The show’s CEO and executive producer Michael Bolingbroke previously said: “ABBA Voyage will certainly run for another couple of years and hopefully longer — in an ideal world we’d stay for ever.”

Building work on the first two phases of a major new estate is scheduled to start next year just metres away from the arena.

Real loss

That will include construction on the site of the nearby hotel and bar Snoozebox, where revellers often congregate after the performances and which only has permission to stay until the end of 2025.

The first homes on the site are scheduled to be completed in 2028, but earlier this year, ABBA’s Bjorn said he believed the arena could remain until 2029.

He explained: “We are allowed to stay in our venue till 2029, but sales might drop, you never know.”

The arena was originally built as a moveable venue, but the band later admitted they hoped the show would stay in the area.

During its run, ABBA Voyage has attracted more than two million visitors and has contributed £1.4billion to the UK economy.

ABBA make a rare appearance together as they are honoured by the King and Queen of Sweden

A spokesperson for ABBA Voyage said: “We are in constant dialogue with the London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council about our lease and we welcome the opportunity to stay at the arena for as long as viable.

“At present, there are no plans for any changes to be made.”

A rep for LLDC tells The Sun: "It was always planned that ABBA Voyage would only be in place on a temporary basis, while plans were being approved for a new neighbourhood that will bring affordable housing to the area.

"The new neighbourhood, Pudding Mill Lane, will be made up of approximately 1000 homes, of which 45% will be affordable homes.

"There will be a high percentage of family homes, as well as a nursery, health centre and play spaces. Pudding Mill Lane will also be home to new employment space that supports the innovation district on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park."

It would be a real loss for it to go, but it’s certainly been a massive triumph.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/35935278/abba-voyage-arena-demolish-housing-estate-plans/

ABBA Voyage adds more dates to London run

 

ABBA Voyage adds more dates to London run

News Team — 

Hit ABBA concert ABBA Voyage has added another month of dates to its run in London.

ABBA Voyage is now booking at ABBA Arena in London to 1 February 2026.

The extraordinary ABBA Voyage concert features pop legends ABBA as you have never seen them before. The 90 minute show is a visual and musical feast, defying all expectations of what a virtual concert can be, and bringing ABBA back to a whole new generation.



ABBA Voyage took nearly six years to create, developing new technology and working with Hollywood visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic on virtual avatars of the four ABBA stars, using sophisticated motion-capture technology to show the fabulous four as they looked in 1979. A live band also accompanies the ABBA avatars.

The concert is housed in the state-of-the-art ABBA Arena in East London.

The show has sold millions of tickets since it opened in May 2022, and has scored incredible reviews from critics, with five-stars from The Guardian and The Mirror, and The Guardian hailing the show as “jaw-dropping”.

In May 2025, the show celebrated its third birthday in London with a glittering gala attended by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

The third birthday also saw the show add some new songs to the ABBA Voyage setlist, with ‘Super Trouper’, ‘The Name of the Game’, ‘Money, Money, Money’ and ‘Take a Chance On Me’ now playing at select performances.

ABBA Voyage is playing at the ABBA Arena in London, booking until 1 February 2026.

https://www.westendtheatre.com/172037/news/abba-voyage-extends-its-run-at-abba-arena-in-london

Benny about ABBA Voyage Concert

 A visual spectacle you won’t want to miss.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIQm7jVoB1E

Feel the love at ABBA Voyage

 

https://abbaregistro.blogspot.com/2025/02/feel-love-at-abba-voyage.html

ABBA Voyage revenue topped £100m in 2023

Friday 27 September 2024 

Abba Voyage doubles profit as sales pass £100m

By:Jon Robinson

Abba Voyage first launched in 2022.

The company behind London’s Abba Voyage experience more than doubled its pre-tax profit as its turnover passed the £100m mark during 2023, it has been revealed.

The business has reported a profit of £6m for the 12 months, up from the £3m it achieved in 2022.

According to newly-filed accounts with Companies House, Abba Voyage’s turnover also increased from £97.1m to £103.6m over the same period.

The accounts show that its turnover from show sales surged from £58.8m to £101.5m in the year as its earnings from the sale of film rights were slashed from £15.3m to £1.1m.

Its turnover from the sale of stage rights also fell from £22.8m to almost £900,000.

In the year the average number of people employed by the firm behind Abba Voyage increased from 64 to 113.

Abba Voyage to continue ‘as long as possible’

A statement signed off by the board said: “The group’s long-term strategy is to continue to run the show in London for as long as it remains commercially viable.

“During the period, the group successfully operated the Abba Voyage show, building on the critical acclaim received following its launch in May 2022.”

In 2023, 374 performances were staged, up from 228, which attracted more than one million visitors, up from 675,600.

The company added: “There is substantial market demand for Abba Voyage and the directors anticipate a continued high level of activity throughout 2024.”

Concerts feature digital avatars which depict the group as they appeared in 1979.

They are held at Abba Arena, a purpose-built venue in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The results come after Oxford Metrics, the technology firm behind the concerts, posted a revenue of £23.5m for the first half of 2024, up 10.5 per cent.

However, its pre-tax profit fell by 17 per cent to 2.8m compared to the same period in 2023.

https://www.cityam.com/abba-voyage-doubles-profit-as-sales-pass-100m/GWRhg8A_aem_QdSfGctuzTEXDbPG2w6b1w

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 ABBA Voyage revenue topped £100m in 2023

The groundbreaking production sold more than 1m tickets last year, with the company behind it posting a £6m profit

By James Hanley on 30 Sep 2024

ABBA Voyage

image © Ralph Larmann

ABBA Voyage grossed more than £100 million (€120m) in 2023 after attracting in excess of one million visitors, it has been revealed.

The groundbreaking production pulled in a total of 1,097,597 visitors last year, according to documents filed in the UK with Companies House by Aniara, the firm behind the virtual concert residency.

Over the 12-month period, the show completed 374 performances and attracted 1,097,597 visitors, achieving an occupancy rate of 97.8%. Revenue from ticket sales was £103,665,597, with Aniara declaring a pre-tax profit of £6,065,402 – more than double the £2,990,757 garnered in 2022, when it played for seven months.

Held at the purpose-built 3,000-cap ‘ABBA Arena’ under the direction of producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson and director Baillie Walsh, the show debuted at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in May 2022.

“During the period, the group successfully operated the ABBA Voyage show, building on the critical acclaim received following its launch in May 2022,” reads the report. “There is a substantial market demand for ABBA Voyage and the directors anticipate a continued high level of activity throughout 2024.

“The group’s long term strategy is to continue the run of the show in London for as long as it remains commercially viable”

“The group’s long term strategy is to continue the run of the show in London for as long as it remains commercially viable.”

The show has brought the Swedish pop legends – Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus (co-founder of lead investor Pophouse Entertainment), Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – back to the stage in avatar form, supported by a 10-piece live band. Standard tickets range from £27.50 to £319.50.

Costing £141 million, the entire venture was funded privately from Swedish investors. Turnover for the seven months its was active in 2022 was £97,118,038 from 675,600 visitors across 228 shows, meaning ticket sales revenue topped £200m in its first 19 months of operation.

By the year-end of 2023, Aniara had net assets of £13,886,925, compared to £5,826,001 12 months earlier.

Revisit IQ‘s 2022 interview with producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson and director Baillie Walsh here. Gisla also delivered a keynote during Touring Entertainment Live (TEL) at this year’s ILMC.

https://www.iq-mag.net/2024/09/abba-voyage-topped-100m-revenue-in-2023/

Bernard Lohr on preparing ABBA Voyage’s audio and mixing ABBA Gold in Dolby Atmos

 Bernard Lohr on preparing ABBA Voyage’s audio and mixing ABBA Gold in Dolby Atmos

Words By Alice Gustafson 

jun26, 2024

Bernard Lohr on preparing ABBA Voyage’s audio and mixing ABBA Gold in Dolby Atmos

Bernard Lohr is one of the founders of Pole Position Production, a Swedish company which specialises in field recording, interactive sound design, industrial sonification, audio post production, game implementation, music production and composition. The former race car driver, who also serves as the in-house engineer at ABBA’s Benny Andersson’s Mono Music studio, reveals how he’s mixing ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits in Dolby Atmos, and how he prepared the songs for ABBA Voyage in London.

What are you currently working on?

I'm working on mixing the ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits album into Dolby Atmos, which takes a long time, but it's a very good result when it's finished. I have started on Dancing Queen, which is a lot of work, but it will be super. 

When I have played these mixes, Benny [Andersson] has listened to them and said, ‘This is great!’. People that are listening in Atmos seem to find things that they didn't hear before, which is very interesting. When you have an Atmos room, there’s so much more space for things to come through.

You were formerly a race car driver. When did you decide to get into the engineering side of things?

I studied mathematical physics at Chalmers University in Gothenburg, and did my exams in acoustic treatment and sound acoustics. Before I did the exam, I didn't know if I wanted to work with music and sound, or cars. Cars have been a hobby for my whole life. But driving race cars started quite a lot later, when I had had the money for it!



I didn't know if I wanted to work with music and sound, or cars!

You’re an in-house engineer at Benny Andersson’s Mono Music studio. How did you get started there?

I started in Gothenburg. I moved to Stockholm, and the guy that helped me find a place to start in Stockholm did the live mixing for ABBA, and he invited me to a few studios. I started at this studio called Soundtrade in the north part of Stockholm. 

After a couple of years I was head-hunted to Polar Studios, which was ABBA’s studio, and after a short while, I met Benny and Bjorn and started working together with them. After a while, I started freelancing while still working on Benny and Bjorn's music, and ABBA’s.

ABBA is a Swedish music institution; before you started as an engineer, could you ever have imagined working on their music with an ABBA member?

It was not something that I thought about from the beginning [smiles]. It just happened that way.

What is it like to work with ABBA?

It's like working with any band. I work so much with Benny and Bjorn, so I work with them on other things also, like musicals and so on. But it was really fun to hear Agnetha and Anni-Frid start singing, and it absolutely started to sound ‘ABBA’. That was really amazing.

When mixing the ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits album into Dolby Atmos, what has that process been like to reimagine these tracks in an immersive context?

It's difficult because it's a fun project, but it's very difficult because you have to find sync with the masters that are on the streaming services and the old ABBA multitracks, but they are, of course, recorded on analogue tape recorders. So the speed of the songs are not exactly the same, which takes a long time to find out how to do, but it's a real joy to work with.



it's a fun project, but it's very difficult because you have to find sync with the masters.

Have ABBA been involved in overseeing the immersive mixes?

Actually, they have left it to me a lot. I work until I feel that I'm finished, and then I take Benny up here, and he knows the material so damn well! If it’s a little wrong, he tells me directly, but otherwise, they seem to love it. It's both fun and difficult!

Which of ABBA’s work do you think sounds the best remixed in Atmos?

The first project I started work on in ‘real’ Atmos was Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. I recorded and mixed all the songs and mixed them together with Benny, and then mixed it for the movie in Dolby Atmos. I had to think of what to do with the songs. 

You have to leave the rock group holding it together in some way, then you can play with extra overdubs like background vocals, maybe acoustic guitar, sometimes strings and some special effects, but the main rock group has to hold together in a stereo type of field.

we had to cut up all the songs in pieces and straighten out the tempo.

Abba Voyage in London is extremely popular and is regarded to be a spectacular, immersive experience. Were you involved in this with regards to the immersive mix for the purpose built ABBA Arena?

It's a live band with 10 musicians playing. I worked on it to deliver all the songs in a usable format to the theatre in London. We worked a lot here [Mono Music studio] first, and also, musicians came here to rehearse. So we tried to find out what was good to play when preparing all the songs for the theatre.

Tell us about what was involved with this project?

The only things that are recorded before are the voices of the girls, and in some songs, Benny's piano, because he's in the picture and he has to play the exact thing. 

So what we did was – together with an arranger that Benny often works with – we cut up all the songs, because they were recorded without click track, and it's impossible to follow the tempo as a musician if you don't have a click track that is steady. So we had to cut up all the songs in pieces and straighten out the tempo. 

A chorus can be a bit faster than the verse, but to be able to follow it, you have to have a click track to play to. So that was a lot of work.

Were there any other challenges involved in this unique project?

The problem was to actually make the songs playable so that the musician could play to them. Then, of course, we had to play around with all the vocals so it fits and sounds right. It was a long project because they had to do the animation and it's a lot of work, maybe one and a half years or something like that just for the animation. 

It's so much work, and then they have to have all the vocals ready. So it took a lot of time, but I agree on the result. It's fantastic to see!

What were your first impressions when you saw the finished show?

The first time I was there, long before the premiere, I came into the arena and saw a technician creeping on the floor, fixing some cables. I saw four people standing and trying to play on stage. The more I looked, I saw that it was ABBA! I didn't realise it was just a screen. It seems like they were there!



Benny has used Genelecs for maybe 15 years as the only monitors he actually relies on.

You’re building new studios at Pole Position Production using Genelec studio monitors. Why were they the right choice for the new Atmos studio?

There have been so many Genelec versions, and I like them a lot as an Atmos system. They work fantastically. It's a studio standard; almost everybody seems to like them and work with them, so of course it should be Genelecs. The guys that work for us like them a lot too. There will be at least one Dolby Atmos room, and we have three more studios to do.

How do Genelecs give you confidence in your immersive work?

They have a good sound field and they spread quite well. I like the sound of them a lot. I listened to them at an exhibition for the first time and liked them from the beginning. They are just super.

Mono Music studio has also just upgraded to Atmos; was this also using Genelelec monitors?

Yes, definitely. That's where I'm sitting right now! It's a 7.2.4 system.

It’s a Genelec 7.2.4 The Ones speakers with two subwoofers .Did Benny specifically request Genelecs for his studio?

He loves the Genelecs and has his own writing room here in the building. He has used Genelecs for more than 10 years, maybe 15 years, as the only monitors he actually relies on.

https://headlinermagazine.net/bernard-lohr-abba-voyage-audio-mixing-abba-gold-dolby-atmos.html

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Detalles desconocidos del nuevo disco – desde el interior del estudio Abba

Texto: Johan Bratell

Publicerad 26 sep 2021 kl 12.08

Abbas ”Todavía tengo fe en you” y ”Don't Shut me down” fue recibido con los brazos abiertos por fans y críticos y ahora muchos esperan ansiosamente que el álbum se lance el 5 de noviembre.

En una larga entrevista, Bernard Löhr, que trabaja con la música de Abbas desde hace 15 años, habla de los detalles secretos detrás del nuevo disco.

– Dijeron que estaba nervioso un par de semanas antes de ese jueves, Benny y Björn estaban nerviosos, dice.

ABBA

A pocos pasos del Museo Nacional y del Grand Hôtel, en una pequeña casa en Skeppsholmen en Estocolmo, se encuentra Bernard Löhr. Originario de Karlskoga y con educación en física técnica de Chalmers, no estaba del todo claro que en 2021 se sentaría junto a Benny Andersson y mezclaría el nuevo álbum de Abba.

El viaje comenzó durante sus años de estudiante cuando tocó en una banda, navegando entre diferentes estudios en los años 80 de Gotemburgo. Finalmente, también recibió una oferta para empezar a trabajar en uno de los estudios.

Tres años más tarde, la carga de mudanzas se trasladó a Estocolmo y finalmente acabó en la discográfica Polar, por lo que entró en contacto por primera vez con Benny Andersson. La colaboración entre el dúo finalmente resultó en el musical ”Chess”, y luego quedó enganchado.

– Después de eso he trabajado con Benny con todos los lanzamientos de ”Benny Andersson's Orchestra”, Chess in Swedish, Kristina from Duvemåla, el musical Mamma Mia y las películas. Básicamente todo lo que Benny ha hecho, en lo que he estado involucrado desde entonces.

Mientras tanto, ha realizado alrededor de 40 colaboraciones con el legendario estudio Cherion en Fridhemsplan y varias otras colaboraciones antes de que Benny Andersson lo invitara a Abba.

He trabajado con – Abba durante quizás 15 años. De vez en cuando se ha publicado alguna grabación en vivo, etc., pero, por supuesto, no hay material nuevo. He hecho un poco de eso hasta hace poco.

Bernard selecciona su calendario en la computadora, que está instalada en la mesa de mezclas de aproximadamente tres metros de largo.

– A principios de mes entre mayo y junio de 2017, dice.

Fue entonces cuando Abba se reunió nuevamente en un ambiente de estudio.

– Estoy aquí en la casa todos los días, así que escucho un poco, aunque normalmente lo escucho por último. Pero luego Benny dice que hemos reservado dos semanas y que vamos a empezar a intentar trabajar en esto, y luego veremos si pasa algo, así fue aproximadamente. Me preparé bien de tal manera que me aseguré de que todo funcionara en el gran estudio, que está en la casa de al lado.

Foto: ANNA-KARIN NILSSON

Junto con Björn Ulvaeus, de 76 años, Benny Andersson, de 74, Agnetha Fältskog, de 71 años, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, de 75 años, y algunas otras personas, entró al estudio.

– Al principio estaba un poco nervioso, ”¿cómo será?” Lo que fue tan fascinante fue cuando las chicas o mujeres entran, se sientan y empiezan a cantar – y suena como antes. Simplemente nos sentamos y nos miramos: ”wow”. No habían cantado juntos en 35 años ni nada por el estilo, pero ya era hora.

– Fue muy divertido. De repente sintió que el trabajo era fácil de alguna manera. Puede ser así a veces, trabajas y trabajas pero apenas avanza, pero aquí progresó inmediatamente. Se sintió muy fácil y todos pensaron que era muy divertido. Eso fue lo que finalmente lo convirtió en un álbum, que todos, las chicas y Björn, Benny y yo, por supuesto, pensamos que era muy divertido.

¿Qué pasó después?

– Desde entonces hemos hecho varias canciones, dos años después. ¿Cuatro tal vez? Y el resto este año. También se han probado un par de canciones que han desaparecido, pero ese siempre es el caso cuando haces un disco. Abba tiene una regla que dice que si hay alguien que no cree que una canción sea buena, la elimina y se le ocurre algo nuevo.

Confirma dos títulos de canciones en el nuevo disco

En el estudio de Skeppsholmen, donde vive Bernard Löhr desde 1992 y que está de pared a pared con el de Benny Andersson, soplan vientos de cambio. Se deben introducir nuevos sistemas de altavoces para que funcionen con uno de los nuevos requisitos de Abba cuando se trata de cómo la música ahora puede, y según algunos, debe sonar.

– Terminamos relativamente con el disco antes de tomarnos unas vacaciones este verano, pero luego hay mucho trabajo posterior. Solía ser sólo un formato, luego se convirtió en CD y ahora son todos los formatos posibles e imposibles. Implica bastante post-trabajo, hay que comprobarlo para que todo suene bien.

– Intentaré que las canciones suenen exactamente como son, pero de alguna manera en un entorno. Entonces usaré las mezclas que hemos hecho, luego traeré a Benny y Björn y luego tendrán que sentarse, escuchar y pensar. ”¿Será bueno esto o arruinará la canción?”, como.

¿Son generalmente críticos?

– Cuando grabamos, probablemente ambos sean críticos en muchos sentidos, cuando los mezclamos somos principalmente Benny y yo quienes nos sentamos. Es el arreglo de Benny desde el principio, básicamente todo, luego pondré un poco de mezcla en la que creo, luego ambos nos sentaremos aquí y quitaremos las reglas.

– Lo hemos estado haciendo durante muchos años, así que sé lo que le gusta a Benny y él sabe lo que a mí me gusta, y básicamente normalmente pensamos igual. Estamos muy tejidos de esa manera cuando trabajamos.

¿cómo sucede cuando Abba crea música?

– Benny siempre hace algunos bocetos primero, luego los grabamos para tener una base para los fondos y luego grabamos la música mientras Benny continúa trabajando en la base. Retoma, rehace. No son producciones simples, hay algunas canciones que son simples, pero ”todavía tengo fe en you”, por ejemplo, son cientos de pistas. Es mucho más de lo que crees y lleva un poco de tiempo transmitirlo.

– ”Todavía tengo fe en you”, Benny la había tenido antes y la había tocado, así que lo sabía y pensé que incluso entonces era una canción fantástica. Realmente no sé si tuvo algún otro pensamiento al respecto en primer lugar, pero al menos terminó aquí.

¿Lo habías oído antes?

– Tenía un texto diferente desde el principio y era algo completamente diferente, realmente no sé para qué estaba destinado originalmente, pero luego Björn escribió este texto y luego cayó increíblemente bien en este concepto. Eso es más o menos lo que puedo decir que sé.

¿QUÉ CARACTERIZA UNA CANCIÓN DE ABBA?

Bernard Loehr:

”Lo más fácil de responder son las voces de las chicas, las dos juntas se convierten en Abba y nadie más lo ha hecho sonar así. Realmente no puedo decirlo, pero van bien juntos y tienen muy buen momento juntos. Entonces los arreglos son increíblemente mucho más complicados de lo que crees.

Es muy raro que el versículo uno y el versículo dos tengan exactamente la misma estructura. Generalmente no los tienen, aunque no lo pienses, lo que significa que las canciones nunca se vuelven molestas. La mayoría de las veces, escribes algunos acordes, versos y melodías y luego los mueves al segundo verso y luego reescribes el texto. No es así con Abba, casi siempre es diferente de las diferentes fiestas, incluso si las experimentas como similares.

Todos los músicos que tocan de fondo dicen que es difícil. Estas no son canciones fáciles, aunque para los humanos pueden sonar simples. Ese es uno de los grandes, que no se vuelve molesto.”

¿Qué nos puedes contar sobre el nuevo disco?

– Es un disco bastante ancho, es bastante diferente pero hay un poco de cada uno. Son un poco de baladas, un poco de canciones pop, pero no quiero decir demasiado, tienen que decírtelo ellos mismos.

Continúa diciendo que Abba tiene una especie de regla de veto, lo que significa que si a alguien de la banda no le gusta la canción, se elimina.

– Una de las canciones ha sido rehecha varias veces. Es la canción de cierre del disco y es una especie de himno. Se llama ”Oda a la libertad”. El nombre ha circulado bien en Internet, así que puedo confirmarlo.

También se sabe que es una canción navideña en el disco. En una entrevista con Radio Tyresö, Bernard Löhr nos dijo que se llama ”Little Things”.

– Es muy simple, en cuanto a la grabación no tomó tanto tiempo. Son sólo dos voces, algunos teclados y esas cosas. Ni siquiera es la batería en esa canción.

Cuando ”The Winner Takes It All” fue lanzado en 1980, se especuló que la canción trataba sobre el divorcio entre Agnetha Fältskog y Björn Ulvaeus, algo que luego también se confirmó.

– Björn lo escribió sobre nosotros después de que nuestro matrimonio se vino abajo. El hecho de que lo escribiera justo cuando nos divorciamos es realmente conmovedor, dijo Agnetha Fältskog a Expressen en 2013.

¿Habrá algo similar en el nuevo disco?

– Hay tales piezas en todo esto, creo que es absolutamente. Hay algunas canciones tristes, pero muchas felices también, por supuesto.

¿Las canciones tristes?

– Quizás reflejan algo, pero aún con algún tipo de giro positivo al final.

¿Cuánto tiempo se requiere por canción?

– Se tarda al menos un mes en horas de trabajo. Si vas a hacer una buena producción de una canción que ha terminado de escribirse, te llevará al menos un mes, definitivamente es lo mínimo si no se trata solo de acordeón y voz, dice.

A Bernard Löhr le queda mucho trabajo antes de terminar su propio esfuerzo en ”Abba Voyage”, pero aunque la decisión no es suya, tiene claro un punto:

– Sería divertido hacer más.

– Es bueno que todos piensen que es muy divertido. No es algo que haya que apretar hacia adelante, está ahí sentado de alguna manera.

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Okända detaljerna om den nya skivan – inifrån Abba-studion

Text: Johan Bratell

Publicerad 26 sep 2021 kl 12.08

Abbas ”I still have faith in you” och ”Don't shut me down” togs emot med öppna armar av fans och kritiker och nu väntar många spänt på albumet som släpps 5 november.

I en lång intervju berättar Bernard Löhr, som jobbar med Abbas musik sedan 15 år, om hemliga detaljerna bakom nya plattan.

– De sa att det var nervöst ett par veckor innan den där torsdagen, Benny och Björn var nervösa båda två, säger han.

 Så går det till när Abba skapar sin musik

 Låttitlarna på nya skivan

 Särskilda regeln i studion

ABBA

En kort promenad från Nationalmuseum och Grand Hôtel, i ett litet hus på Skeppsholmen i Stockholm sitter Bernard Löhr. Ursprungligen från Karlskoga och med en utbildning i teknisk fysik från Chalmers var det inte alldeles glasklart att han 2021 skulle sitta tillsammans med Benny Andersson och mixa Abbas nya album.

Resan tog sin början under studieåren då han spelandes i ett band, kryssade mellan olika studios i 80-talets Göteborg. Så småningom fick han också ett erbjudande om att börja jobba i en av studiorna.

Tre år senare gick flyttlasset till Stockholm och så småningom hamnade han på skivbolaget Polar, och i samband med det kom han i kontakt med Benny Andersson för första gången. Samarbetet duon emellan mynnade så småningom ut i musikalen ”Chess”, och därefter var han fast.

– Efter det har jag jobbat med Benny med alla ”Benny Anderssons orkester”-släpp, Chess på svenska, Kristina från Duvemåla, Mamma Mia-musikalen och filmerna. I princip allt som Benny har gjort har jag varit inblandad i sedan dess.

Däremellan har han gjort ett 40-tal samarbeten med den legendariska Cherionstudion på Fridhemsplan, och flera andra samarbeten innan Benny Andersson bjöd in till Abba.

– Abba har jag jobbat med i kanske 15 år. Då och då har det varit någon release på någon live-upptagning och så vidare, men så klart inget nytt material. Lite sånt där har jag gjort, fram tills nyligen.

Bernard plockar fram sin kalender på datorn som står uppställd på det drygt tre meter långa mixerbordet.

– Vid månadsskiftet mellan maj och juni 2017, säger han.

Det var då Abba återförenades i studiomiljö igen.

– Jag är här i huset varje dag, så jag får ju höra lite, även om jag oftast får höra det sist av alla. Men då säger Benny att vi har bokat in två veckor och ska börja prova jobba med det här, och så får vi se om det blir något, ungefär så var det. Jag förberedde mig väl på det viset att jag bara såg till så att allting fungerade i stora studion, som ligger i nästa hus.

Foto: ANNA-KARIN NILSSON

Tillsammans med Björn Ulvaeus, 76, Benny Andersson, 74, Agnetha Fältskog, 71, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 75, och ett fåtal andra personer gick han in i studion.

– Det var väl lite nervöst först, ”hur ska det bli?” Det som var så fascinerande var när tjejerna eller kvinnorna går in och sätter sig och börjar sjunga – och det låter precis som förr. Vi satt bara och tittade på varandra: ”wow”. De hade ju inte sjungit ihop på 35 år eller något sånt där, men tajmning fanns.

– Det var väldigt roligt. Det kändes plötsligt att jobbet var lätt på något vis. Det kan vara så ibland, man jobbar och jobbar men det går knappt framåt, men här gick det framåt direkt. Det kändes så lätt och alla tyckte det var så roligt. Det var ju det som på sikt gjorde att det blev ett album, att alla, tjejerna och Björn och Benny och jag med förstås, tyckte det var jätteroligt.

Vad hände sedan?

– Sedan dess har vi gjort ett antal låtar, två år senare. Fyra kanske? Och resten i år. Det har testats ett par låtar också som har fallit bort, men så är det alltid när man gör en skiva. Abba har en regel ihop som säger att om det är någon som inte tycker att en låt är bra, så tar de bort den och hittar på något nytt.

Bekräftar två låttitlar på nya skivan

I studion på Skeppsholmen där Bernard Löhr huserat sedan 1992 och som ligger vägg-i-vägg med Benny Anderssons egen blåser förändringens vindar. Nya högtalarsystem ska in för att fungera med ett av de för Abba, nya kraven när det kommer till hur musiken numera kan, och enligt vissa, måste låta.

– Vi var väl relativt klara med skivan före vi tog semester i somras, men så är det massa efterarbete. Förr var det bara något format, sedan blev det cd, och nu är det alla möjliga och omöjliga format. Det innebär ganska mycket efterarbete, det måste kontrollyssnas så att allting låter okej.

– Jag kommer försöka få låtarna att låta exakt som de är, fast i surrond på något vis. Så jag kommer använda mig av mixarna vi har gjort, och sedan kommer jag ta in Benny och Björn och så får de sitta och lyssna och tycka. ”Blir det här bra eller förstör det låten?”, liksom.

Brukar de vara kritiska?

– När vi spelar in är de nog kritiska bägge två på många sätt, när vi mixar är det mest Benny och jag som sitter. Det är ju Bennys arrangemang från början, allting i princip, då lägger jag upp någon mix som jag tror på sedan sitter vi här båda två och drar i reglarna.

– Vi har gjort det i så många år så jag vet vad Benny gillar och han vet vad jag tycker om, och vi tycker i princip oftast lika. Vi är väldigt hopvävda på det viset när vi jobbar.

Hur går det till när Abba skapar musik?

– Benny gör alltid några skisser först, sedan tejpar vi ner dem så att vi har en grund för bakgrunderna och sedan spelar vi in musiken samtidigt som Benny jobbar vidare med grunden. Tar om, gör om. Det är inga enkla produktioner, det finns några låtar som är enkla, men ”I still have faith in you” till exempel, det är hundratals spår. Det är så mycket mer än vad man tror och det tar sin lilla tid att få fram det.

– ”I still have faith in you”, hade Benny haft innan och spelat upp, så den kände jag till och jag tyckte redan då att det var en fantastisk låt. Jag vet inte riktigt om han hade någon annan tanke med den från början, men den hamnade i alla fall här.

Du hade hört den innan?

– Den hade en annan text från början och var något helt annat, jag vet egentligen inte vad den var tänkt till från början, men sen så skrev Björn den här texten och då föll den så otroligt bra in i det här konceptet. Det är väl ungefär det jag kan säga att jag vet.

VAD KÄNNETECKNAR EN ABBA-LÅT?

Bernard Löhr:

”Det enklaste att svara är tjejernas röster, de två ihop blir Abba och det är ingen annan som har fått det att låta så. Riktigt varför kan jag inte säga, men de passar bra ihop och de har väldigt bra tajmning ihop. Sedan är arrangemangen otroligt mycket mer komplicerade än vad man tror.

Det är väldigt sällan som vers ett och vers två har exakt samma uppbyggnad. De har de oftast inte, även fast man inte tänker på det, vilket gör att låtarna aldrig blir tjatiga. Oftast är det så att man skriver några ackord, vers och melodi och sedan flyttar man det till andra versen och så skriver man om texten. Så är det inte med Abba, det är nästan alltid annorlunda de olika partierna, även fast man upplever dem som liknande.

Alla musiker som spelar i bakgrunden säger att det är svårt. Det är inte lätta låtar, även om de för människor kan låta enkla. Det är en av storheterna i det, att det inte blir tjatigt.”

Visa mer

Vad kan du berätta om nya skivan?

– Det är en ganska bred skiva, det är ganska mycket olika men det finns lite av varje. Det är lite ballader, lite poplåtar, men jag vill inte säga för mycket, det måste de berätta själva.

Han berättar vidare att Abba har en slags veto-regel som går ut på att om någon i bandet inte gillar låten, så stryks den.

– En av låtarna har gjorts om flera gånger. Det är den avslutande låten på skivan och är en slags hymn. ”Ode to freedom” heter den. Namnet har väl cirkulerat på internet, så det kan jag väl bekräfta.

Det är också känt att det är en jullåt på skivan. I en intervju med Radio Tyresö berättade Bernard Löhr att den heter ”Little things”.

– Den är väldigt enkel, inspelningsmässigt tog den inte så lång tid. Det är bara två röster, lite keyboards och grejer. Det är inte ens trummor på den låten.

När ”The winner takes it all” släpptes 1980 spekulerades det i att låten handlade om skilsmässan mellan Agnetha Fältskog och Björn Ulvaeus, något som senare också bekräftades.

– Björn skrev den om oss efter att vårt äktenskap gick i kras. Det faktum att han skrev den precis när vi skilde oss är rörande faktiskt, sa Agnetha Fältskog till Expressen 2013.

Kommer det vara något liknande på nya skivan?

– Det finns såna bitar i det hela, det tycker jag nog, absolut. Det finns lite sorgliga låtar, men många glada också förstås.

De sorgliga låtarna?

– De återspeglar någonting kanske, men ändå med någon slags positiv vändning på slutet.

Hur stor tidsåtgång är det per låt?

– Det tar minst en månad i arbetstid. Om man ska göra en bra produktion på en låt som är färdigskriven tar det minst en månad, det är absolut det minsta om det inte bara är dragspel och sång, säger han.

Det återstår en hel del arbete för Bernard Löhr innan han är i mål med sin egen insats i ”Abba Voyage”, men även om beslutet inte är hans är han tydlig på en punkt:

– Det vore kul att göra mer.

– Det är kul att alla tycker att det är så roligt. Det är inget som måste klämmas fram, utan det sitter där på något vis.

https://www.expressen.se/premium/noje/okanda-detaljerna-om-nya-skivan-inifran-abba-studion/

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