The Swedish poptronica scene is not short of talent, but few of its participants can match the glamour of Page’s Marina Schiptjenko.
The daughter of a Swedish mother and Ukrainian father, Schiptjenko was born in Malmö, the regional capital of Skåne. It was there that she met Eddie Bengtsson, a skateboarder and drummer with a taste for Silicon Teens and Devo. The two had already started dating when Bengtsson traded in his drum kit for two keyboards at the local music shop. Schiptjenko, who was classically trained, taught Bengtsson to play his monophonic synth. Together, they started Sweden’s pioneering poptronica band, Page.
Page quickly became one of the most significant acts in the emerging Swedish synth scene. It was effectively the house band at Stadt Hamburg, an all-ages club at the centre of Malmö’s social world for the emerging syntare culture. With bouncy pop singles sung entirely in Swedish, it was both a successor to ABBA and its antithesis. Page continues to release new music and grow its fan base to this day, but both members have taken time to focus on other projects.
For Schiptjenko, the most significant have been Vacuum and BWO – two Swedish hyperpop bands with a flair for the theatrical and chart-climbing skills. Schiptjenko has not lost her head in the dizzy heights of commercial success, however – she has also worked with close friends like Julian Brandt (Julian & Marina) and Claes Bang (This Is Not America) to make music for the love of it.
A gallerist who deals in modern art from Stockholm and Paris, Schiptjenko moved to Sweden’s capital in 1986 to study comparative literature and theatre. These interests were combined when she appeared in Ruben Östlund’s movie, The Square. A satire on the elitism of the art world and the attitudes of the rich, the film took the Palm d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
An intellectual and multi-sided artist, Schiptjenko is a much-loved figure in Sweden. Through her activity in Page and her work as a gallerist, she returns the feeling. It is a virtuous circle that has kept her place in the hearts of the syntare community as fashions have changed and the years have passed.
10. Page – Dansande Man
Written with the third original member of Page, Anders Eliasson, “Dansande Man” became an early hit for the band. In this clip, we see its members, including Schiptjenko, in their youth.
9. Page – Står i din väg
Reduced to the core duo of Schiptjenko and Bengtsson, Page released this professional music video in 1995. Directed by Arvid Unsgaard, it shows off the band’s senses of melody and humour in equal measure.
8. Vacuum – I Breathe
Formed by Alexander Bard, after he dissolved Army of Lovers, Vacuum was designed for pop success. Bard told an interviewer, “Marina is the most creative and the best musician in the band.” She had to leave Page behind to focus on this project, which took her into the dance music stratosphere.
7. BWO – Lay Your Love on Me
After two albums with Vacuum, Schiptjenko left and joined Bodies Without Organs. Their hyperpop sound – curated, again, by the provocative philosopher Alexander Bard – found commercial success.
6. BWO – You’re Not Alone
BWO entered the Swedish Melodifestival – trials for Eurovision – in 2009 with this single from their fourth album. It was their second attempt at representing their country, but they narrowly missed out.
5. Page – Tick-Tack
This delightful clip recalls the innocence of Page in their early days. It is a contrast to the ultra-concentrated pop sensibilities of Vacuum and BWO in the heady days around the turn of the century. Schiptjenko was to reclaim her position in Page in 2010 for the album, Nu [EN: Now].
4. Julian & Marina – Moon & The Stars
Schiptjenko’s return to Page was not on an exclusive basis. She collaborated with Julian Brandt, the bassist in Lustans Lakejer, to produce a series of releases inspired by French romantic pop of the 1960s and perhaps a little Astrid Gilberto, mixed up with the Pet Shop Boys.
3. Julian & Marina – The Knight
Taen from their first album, this track from Julian & Marina shows off the elegant sound and style that the duo created.
2. This Is Not America – Your Love Is Wasted on Me
Schiptjenko met the Dutch actor, Claes Bang, on the set of The Square. The two became fast friends, and Bang invited Schiptjenko to join him for some recordings of his act, This Is Not America.
1. Page – Mia och Tom
Page have continued to release albums, getting more sophisticated as they mature, but on stage the crowds love to sing along to the classics. This clip captures the mutual love of the band and its audience. It is the spirit that Schiptjenko embodies.