Fauna photo by Felix Gerlach
To celebrate the release of their irresistible, joyous debut album ’Taiga Trans’, we sent some questions to Gothenburg band Fauna. Their co-founder and bassist, Ibrahim Shabo (Ibbe), kindly told us more about the collective and how a microwave inspired one of their tracks.
Could you give some background as to how the band got together?
Ibbe: It’s a long story, but basically me and Tommie had played together for over 10 years, we felt boxed in in what we were doing at the time and started searching outwards. We experimented a lot in our old studio, and together with my sister Alexandra (the vocalist) we managed to create a rough sketch of our first single Animalisk, which sort of became this path we started walking down. It branched into the other two singles and by the time we were ready to go into the studio to record them we had met with or heard of some of the other would-be members. Over these three years we’ve had some additions. Last time I counted we were nine.
How does being in Fauna differ from groups you have been in previously?
Ibbe: There’s so much joy, respect and love in this constellation. It feels like a village, where everyone is pitching in and is doing the best they can for the collective. No divas (or maybe we’re all divas), just love for what we do and the need to do it.
Could you talk to us through the process of creating your songs. If there a usual starting point such as riff, bassline, or rhythm from one person and is there a lot of improvisation involved?
Ibbe: All of the above. Some songs we created together during rehearsals or while jamming, some came from conversations we’ve had about different concepts or approaches in music. One even came from the microwave at my parents house – it started this groove when it finished heating the food, the smell of mom’s food set the tone. Bada-bing bada-boom: Dunans Torka.
Yes, both in studio and on stage there’s a lot of improvisation involved.
Did you approach the recording of ‘Taiga Trans’ in a different way to your earlier singles?
Ibbe: Yes and no. The writing was a sunflower seed fueled maelstrom. It’s kind of a blur.
We recorded it with our local sonic wizard Pär Hagström at Skeppet who also did our first singles. Producing it was an experience very similar to the writing process. We also worked together with Daniel Fagerström and Axel Bauer and with their help Taiga Trans was molded and elevated into what it is.
Especially on ‘Bland Stenar’ and ‘Bland Träden’, there are sounds that conjure up an atmosphere of forests and wildlife. Are those field recordings or samples and how do you go about incorporating it into the song?
Ibbe: Everything here at Fauna is locally grown and made in-house. Free of samples and other additives. We captured some of the sounds in nature, some we made ourselves with our voices or instruments, some were enhanced or layered on top of other things or manipulated in some way, but we try to not go too crazy with it and we strive to stay organic. And it has to be playable. I’m not exactly sure which specific sounds you’re referring to, but wind can be a bass or a flute or a drum or noise from some machine in the chain.
While your music is mainly instrumental, it feels like when you do use voices, they are as another layer of sound rather than the primary emphasis. On ‘Bland Stenar’ there is a section where I can’t tell whether you are using a human voices or instruments manipulated to sound like it. On ‘Bland Träden’ there is what I would describe as some devotional singing and wondered whether it was sampled. Could you talk about these two songs and your approach to voice in general?
Ibbe:
I actually love that you can’t tell whether it’s a human voice or not and I hope that you do forgive me that I’ll just leave it at that!
I think by ‘devotional singing’ you’re referring to the choir at the end of ‘Bland Träden’? That’s the band singing. If you’re thinking about something else then it’s Alex.
Basically all of the voice-work just comes straight from Alexandra’s mouth. Otherworldly singer, incredible intuition and soooo loud. Trust me, we grew up together. She even has a pedalboard now which makes her even louder.
But yeah, a lot of the time they are another, much needed layer of sound. Sometimes they are the catalyst for the next movement or what drives a part of a song on. It depends a lot on what’s happening around it. On Dunans Torka it’s actually one of the main parts of the song, complete with lyrics. It’s a new thing we’re trying out.
How did the link with Glitterbeat Records come about?
Ibbe: Tommie has a remarkable ear and scope for music, seems to always know where to look for more. In his explorations he found a lot of the bands that we’ve listened to and admire, many of which happen to be represented by Glitterbeat. So they quickly became a talking point and our top choice. With them being so diverse it seemed to us like we kind of fit in here and there, or we wanted to at least! So we reached out to them during the making of the album and we’ve been talking ever since.
How do your gigs differ from your recorded work?
Ibbe: That is when it all comes to life!!! I could literally go on forever about this, but I’ll just leave it at this: if you like the recordings, please come to a show. If you don’t, come either way. We’re gonna have so much fun!
Have you performed outside of Sweden yet?
Ibbe: Yes, we have! We’ve had the pleasure of playing for amazing crowds in Denmark, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands and we have some exciting things brewing in Europe 2026!
Are there other bands in Gothenburg that you like and feel kinship with that you would like to recommend to our readers?
Ibbe: Yes and yes! Græns, Fontän, Kanot, Synvilla, Exorcist GBG, Uran GBG, Synd, Yunton Beach, Vapourmind and so many, many more. Definitely worth a deep dive
What are your future plans?
Ibbe: To keep you dancing.
Judging from ’Taiga Trans’, they are guaranteed to do that.
I was editor of the long-running fanzine, Plane Truth, and have subsequently written for a number of publications. While the zine was known for championing the most angular independent sounds, performing in recent years with a community samba percussion band helped to broaden my tastes so that in 2021 I am far more likely to be celebrating an eclectic mix of sounds and enthusing about Made Kuti, Anthony Joseph, Little Simz and the Soul Jazz Cuban compilations as well as Pom Poko and Richard Dawson.
