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Swedish producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist
Andreas Kleerup's shimmering, often string-laden blend of melancholic synth pop and upbeat neo-disco has been commercially successful and critically acclaimed. "With Every Heartbeat," his 2006 collaboration with
Robyn, was a number one hit in the U.K., and his 2008 debut full-length,
Kleerup, reached the Top Ten in his home country and helped the producer win several Swedish Grammy Awards. Aside from the smash hit with
Robyn, the album also included collaborations with
Neneh Cherry,
Lykke Li,
Marit Bergman, and others. Additionally,
Kleerup has worked with or remixed other major artists such as
Cyndi Lauper,
the Cardigans,
Roxette, and
Moby. Aside from his solo career,
Kleerup is also a member of the pop band
Me and My Army and the folk-tinged rock group Easy October. Branching out from pop music, he co-composed a musical adaptation of Nobel Prize laureate Harry Martinson's
Aniara, released as an album in 2012. Following several EPs and continuing struggles with mental health issues, he returned with his long-awaited second full-length, 2, in 2020.
Kleerup started his professional music career as a songwriter, co-writing Antique's 2002 hit "Follow Me." His first single, "Medication," was released in 2005. As a backing musician, he toured with
the Teddybears and
Robyn, and played drums on
the Teddybears' 2006 single "Punkrocker" (which featured
Iggy Pop), additionally appearing on recordings by
Christian Falk,
Swingfly, and
Melody Club. He was also a member of the Meat Boys, a neo-disco trio.
Kleerup and
Robyn recorded the yearning Euro-disco ballad "With Every Heartbeat" in 2006, and it was released as a single in early 2007, initially with
Kleerup billed as the lead artist. A revised edition of
Robyn's acclaimed 2005 eponymous full-length was issued in the U.K. in 2007, including "With Every Heartbeat," which was then re-released as a
Robyn single. The song was a major worldwide smash, hitting the top position in the U.K. pop chart, and reaching number five on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart. During the year,
Kleerup remixed songs by
the Concretes,
Mika, and
Roxette.
Kleerup released his self-titled debut album in 2008, with additional guest vocalists including
Neneh Cherry, her half-sister
Titiyo (on "Longing for Lullabies," a Swedish Top Ten hit), and
Marit Bergman. The album reached number seven on the Swedish album charts, and garnered the artist six Swedish Grammy nominations; he won the prizes for Newcomer of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Composer of the Year. He also produced
Cyndi Lauper's song "Lay Me Down," which appeared in altered form on
Kleerup as "Thank You for Nothing." In 2009, he released the instrumental EP
Hello Holla and Lead Singer Syndrome, a collaboration with
Markus Krunegård. He produced a remix of
the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble's 2009 recording of
Terry Riley's composition In C. During the first few years of the 2010s, he also remixed songs by
Lady Gaga,
Natalia Kills, and
Moby.
In 2010,
Kleerup and
Carl Bagge composed music for an adaptation of Nobel Prize laureate Harry Martinson's
Aniara, presented as the Stockholm City Theatre's 50th anniversary performance. The recording of the score was released in 2012.
Kleerup also kept busy as a member of pop band
Me and My Army, whose debut full-length, Thank God for Sending Demons, appeared in 2011. He returned to his solo career with the 2013 single "Requiem Solution," featuring
Loreen. He also composed "Northern Lights" for the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.
Kleerup's EP
As If We Never Won appeared in 2014, including collaborations with
Susanne Sundfør,
Niki & the Dove, and
Jenny Wilson. He also joined Gothenburg-based folk-rock band Easy October, contributing to their album Sweethearts Before the Fall.
In 2015,
Kleerup appeared on the sixth season of reality television show Så mycket bättre, in which several well-known Swedish artists stay at a hotel together and perform versions of each other's songs. Other participants during his season included
Jenny Berggren (ex-
Ace of Base), rap duo
Ison & Fille, and
Miriam Bryant. 2016 EP
Det var den sommaren! collected
Kleerup's performances from the program. The single "Carry On" (with
Sabina Ddumba) was also released that year. In 2017,
Kleerup released Recapture, an acoustic EP containing solo renditions of his hits sung by other artists.
Kleerup collaborated with
Mr. Tophat on the song "Balearic Moonwalk," which appeared on
Tophat's ambitious 2019 triple album Dusk to Dawn. Also that year,
Kleerup previewed his highly anticipated second album with two singles, "Lovers Table" (with
AlunaGeorge) and "I Need Love" (featuring
Rebecca & Fiona). 2 arrived in 2020; additional guests included
Ana Diaz and
Yumi Zouma. ~ Paul Simpson