Imperiet

During the mid-1980s Imperiet ruled Sweden’s alternative rock landscape, and although Thåström later regarded those years as far from his strongest creative stretch, the period locked in his lasting renown. The group began as an alternative outfit grounded in punk, yet reached a broad public with its second album, Blå Himlen Blues, and swiftly became the country’s most popular rock act. Continued domestic success followed with another strong release, but repeated attempts to conquer foreign markets faltered, internal tensions mounted, and the band dissolved in 1988.

Imperiet had first appeared under the name Rymdimperiet as a side project for three members of Ebba Grön, then Sweden’s leading punk outfit. The Rymdimperiet single “Vad Pojkar Vill Ha” and the following year’s self-titled EP already signaled a shift away from punk, echoing the direction of Ebba Grön’s later work yet pushing further. When Ebba Grön disbanded in 1983, Rymdimperiet rebranded as Imperiet; vocalist and guitarist Thåström, drummer Ljungstedt and keyboardist Sjöholm were joined by bassist Falk, formerly of Madhouse. The new lineup’s debut single, “Alltid Rött Alltid Rätt,” appeared that year, followed by “Rasera,” whose lyrics still carried traces of the band’s punk origins. Also in 1983, Hägglund came aboard on keyboards and saxophone, prompting Sjöholm to switch to guitar; Sjöholm later departed in 1994 to form Babylon Blues.

Carrying name recognition from Ebba Grön, Imperiet quickly dominated the alternative circuit, and the 1985 arrival of Blå Himlen Blues delivered a decisive mainstream breakthrough. That year the band undertook three nationwide tours, performed in the United States for the first time, and captured the shows on the live album 2:a Augusti 1985. Following Ljungstedt’s departure, Imperiet sustained its momentum by issuing Carl Michael Bellman’s classic ballad “Märk Hur Vår Skugga” as a single and, the next spring, toured Central America and the U.S. The album Synd appeared in 1986 and included contributions from the still-developing string quartet Flesh Quartet. International ambitions now took shape in partnership with A&M Records; a single had already surfaced in England, and while playing Swedish dates the group began work on its first English-language album. Released in spring 1988 under the title Imperiet, the record consisted of translated versions of earlier material. Despite an exhaustive European promotional trek, the album succeeded only in Sweden, ending hopes of wider success. Internal friction intensified, Hägglund exited, and Tiggarens Tal—widely viewed as Imperiet’s weakest effort—was cut with session players. The remaining trio continued touring through 1988, yet that autumn the members chose to disband what had been Sweden’s foremost rock group of the decade. Thåström, long the central figure, proved the sole member to sustain a thriving solo path, first extending the band’s established style before exploring industrial rock with Peace Love & Pitbulls during the 1990s.