The Soundtrack of Our Lives

Biography

The Soundtrack of Our Lives, often abbreviated T.S.O.O.L., is a Swedish rock band that formed in Gothenburg in 1995 and disbanded in 2012, before reuniting again in 2023. The band's style draws heavily from sixties and seventies rock and punk, such as Rolling Stones and Iggy and the Stooges. Psychedelic rock is another strong influence for the band, and psychedelic and mystical references are also prominent in the band's lyrics and aesthetics. The abbreviation 'OEOC', which is featured on all their albums, refers to the phrase "as above, so below" from Hermeticism. The name of the bands own independent record label is Akashic Records.

Formation

The Soundtrack of Our Lives was originally formed by Torbjörn "Ebbot" Lundberg, Björn Olsson, Ian Person, Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm, Fredrik Sandsten and Martin Hederos. Several members, including vocalist Ebbot Lundberg, had previously played in the punk rock band Union Carbide Productions, while Jerneholm had previously released an album with Gothenburg grunge rockers Electric Eskimoes. Olsson, who as a guitarist had helped craft the band's sound, left T.S.O.O.L. after its first release, Welcome to the Infant Freebase, to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by Mattias Bärjed, who, like other members, has also engaged in solo and spinoff projects.

Band members

Mattias Bärjed – guitar, backing vocals (1997–2012, 2023–)
Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm – bass guitar, backing vocals (1995-2012, 2023–)
Martin Hederos – keyboards, backing vocals (1995–2012, 2023–)
Ebbot Lundberg – lead vocals (1995–2012, 2023–)
Ian Person – guitar, backing vocals (1995–2012, 2023–)
Fredrik Sandsten – drums, backing vocals (1995–2012, 2023–)
Apart from those mentioned instruments, they all played other instruments such as mellotron, dulcimer, cello, piano, sitar, cembalo and others.
Former band member:

Björn Olsson – guitar, backing vocals (1995–1997)

Tours and releases

The band found critical success in the United States in 2002, with their third album Behind the Music×Behind the Music2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Infra Riot4:462Sister Surround3:363In Someone Elses Mind2:454Mind the Gap4:215Broken Imaginary Time5:15621st Century Rip Off3:577Tonight3:428Keep the Line Movin'2:489Nevermore3:2210Independent Luxury3:5911Ten Years Ahead2:5112Still Aging3:5313In Your Veins4:2214The Flood2:4815Into the Next Sun5:07, released the previous year in Sweden and the rest of Europe. It was nominated for the Best Alternative Album award at the 2003 Grammy Awards. They toured the US in 2002 with Oasis, in support of their album Behind the Music.
Their double album Communion×Communion26 November 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 24 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Babel On6:242Universal Stalker4:433The Ego Delusion5:044Pineal Gland Hotel0:505Ra 884:056Second Life Replay5:247Thrill Me3:128Fly4:339Pictures of Youth4:3410Mensa's Marauders2:2211Just a Brother3:2912Distorted Child3:44Disc 21Everything Beautiful Must Die4:502The Fan Who Wasn't There2:273Flipside3:244Lost Prophets in Vain3:355Songs of the Ocean5:546Digitarian Riverbank2:597Reconnecting the Dots3:548Without Warning3:159Utopia4:0710Saturation Wanderers3:2711Lifeline2:1412The Passover5:02 was released in November 2008. After a tour of the US the band announced that they were working on their next record Throw It Into the Universe. In October 2010, the band announced it would be releasing their first 'best of' compilation entitled Golden Greats no. 1×Golden Greats No. 118 March 2011 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1Instant Repeater '994:422Century Child3:303Sister Surround3:354Believe I've Found3:325Earthmover3:156Karmageddon3:417Lifeline2:128Firmament Vacation4:419Thrill Me3:1010Demophon6:0411Nevermore3:2212Bigtime4:0313Confrontation Camp4:5514Broken Imaginary Time5:1415Still Aging3:5216The Passover4:2717Tonight3:4118Flipside3:2419Jehova Sunrise4:26. According to a statement on their website: "The band has spent much of the summer of 2010 in Svenska Grammofonstudion [sic] where they remastered the original recordings and in part picked up nuances that somehow went missing. With the carefully restored and remastered versions we are invited to TSOOL classics in a way we never heard them before."
In early 2012, the band announced on their website that their latest album, Throw It to the Universe×Throw It to the Universe13 April 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Throw It to the Universe3:442You Are the Beginning5:043When We Fall4:124Where's the Rock?2:535Freeride2:456Waiting for the Lawnmowers1:297Faster Than the Speed of Light3:458Reality Show3:129Busy Land2:3110If Nothing Lasts Forever4:1711Solar Circus3:5912What's Your Story?3:5913Shine On (There's Another Day After Tomorrow)4:42, was complete. The album was released on 18 April 2012.
Lead singer Ebbot Lundberg stated in an interview with Intro Magazine that Throw It to the Universe would be the band's final album, stating that he felt it completed the band's journey. The band performed its last show on 22 December 2012 in Stockholm.
In 2023, the band reunited for a number of festival performances in Sweden, Norway, and Spain. A tour of Sweden took place in the spring of 2024, and more dates were added for summer and autumn.[1]

Songs featured in popular culture

Their track "Instant Repeater 99" is played during the closing credits of the 2002 film Spun.
Their track "Sister Surround×Sister Surround2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Sister Surround3:392News of the World5:433Slow Drift Away2:52" was included on the "jukebox" of EA Sports' MVP Baseball 2003, while "Karmageddon" is featured on EA Sports' NHL 2005 and FIFA Football 2005 video games. and in the movie Grand Theft Parsons. "Sister Surround" was also featured in an episode of Six Feet Under. Their track "Babel On" was featured in MLB 10: The Show.
Their track "Bigtime×Bigtime2004 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Big Time (album version)4:062Sister Surround (live)4:013Love Song #3105 (live)7:27" featured as the theme of WrestleMania 21 and on the soundtrack of the PAL version of Gran Turismo 4. Their track "Mother One Track Mind" was also featured on the Gran Turismo 4 soundtrack. T.S.O.O.L.'s songs "Sister Surround" and "Ten Years Ahead" both appear on the In Good Company soundtrack as well.
The song "Second Life Replay" was featured during an episode of the fourth season of Californication and "What's Your Story×What's Your Story17 February 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1What's Your Story?3:582You Better Run2:39" in season six.