Kleerup

Andreas Kleerup, a Swedish producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, has built a commercially potent and critically respected style that fuses wistful synth pop with energetic modern disco, frequently enriched by string arrangements. His 2006 partnership with Robyn on the track "With Every Heartbeat" topped the U.K. charts, while his self-titled debut album from 2008 entered the Swedish Top Ten and earned him multiple Swedish Grammy Awards. Beyond that landmark Robyn single, the record featured vocal contributions from Neneh Cherry, Lykke Li, Marit Bergman, and additional guests. Kleerup has also produced or remixed material for Cyndi Lauper, the Cardigans, Roxette, and Moby. Outside his individual projects, he belongs to the pop group Me and My Army as well as the folk-inflected rock outfit Easy October. Expanding beyond conventional pop, he co-wrote the score for a stage version of Nobel Prize laureate Harry Martinson's Aniara, issued on disc in 2012. After issuing several EPs and navigating ongoing mental health challenges, he issued his second full-length album, 2, in 2020.

Kleerup launched his professional path by co-authoring Antique's 2002 success "Follow Me." He unveiled his debut solo single, "Medication," in 2005. Serving as a session player, he toured alongside the Teddybears and Robyn while supplying drums for the Teddybears' 2006 release "Punkrocker" featuring Iggy Pop, and he contributed to sessions by Christian Falk, Swingfly, and Melody Club. He also performed in the neo-disco trio the Meat Boys. Kleerup and Robyn laid down the emotive Euro-disco piece "With Every Heartbeat" in 2006; it surfaced as a single the following year, initially crediting Kleerup as primary artist. A reworked pressing of Robyn's 2005 self-titled album reached the U.K. in 2007 and incorporated the track, which was subsequently promoted as a Robyn single. The song achieved global impact, claiming the top U.K. pop position and peaking at number five on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart. Throughout that period, Kleerup supplied remixes for the Concretes, Mika, and Roxette.

Kleerup delivered his debut album in 2008, recruiting further vocalists such as Neneh Cherry and her half-sister Titiyo on the Swedish Top Ten single "Longing for Lullabies" together with Marit Bergman. The set climbed to number seven on the Swedish album charts and secured six Swedish Grammy nominations, three of which he won: Newcomer of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Composer of the Year. He additionally helmed Cyndi Lauper's "Lay Me Down," later adapted as "Thank You for Nothing" on his own album. In 2009 he issued the instrumental EP Hello Holla and the joint project Lead Singer Syndrome with Markus Krunegård. He created a remix of the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble's 2009 recording of Terry Riley's In C. Early in the 2010s he supplied further remixes for Lady Gaga, Natalia Kills, and Moby.

In 2010 Kleerup teamed with Carl Bagge to score a theatrical rendering of Nobel Prize laureate Harry Martinson's Aniara for the Stockholm City Theatre's 50th anniversary; the resulting album appeared in 2012. He remained active as a member of pop band Me and My Army, whose first album, Thank God for Sending Demons, arrived in 2011. Returning to solo work, he released the 2013 single "Requiem Solution" featuring Loreen and composed "Northern Lights" for the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. His EP As If We Never Won surfaced in 2014, spotlighting collaborations with Susanne Sundfør, Niki & the Dove, and Jenny Wilson. He also joined Gothenburg-based folk-rock band Easy October for their album Sweethearts Before the Fall.

Kleerup took part in the sixth season of the reality series Så mycket bättre in 2015, where established Swedish artists reinterpret one another's songs while residing together; fellow participants that year included Jenny Berggren of Ace of Base, rap duo Ison & Fille, and Miriam Bryant. The 2016 EP Det var den sommaren! gathered his performances from the show. The single "Carry On" with Sabina Ddumba also appeared that year. In 2017 he released the acoustic EP Recapture, presenting stripped-down versions of songs originally sung by others.

Kleerup joined Mr. Tophat on "Balearic Moonwalk," included on Tophat's expansive 2019 triple album Dusk to Dawn. That same year he previewed his long-awaited follow-up album via the singles "Lovers Table" with AlunaGeorge and "I Need Love" featuring Rebecca & Fiona. The album 2 arrived in 2020 and featured additional appearances by Ana Diaz and Yumi Zouma.