4 DECADES OF MUSIC NOIR

In the beginning there was rock. Then came rock with synthesizers. Enter; New Wave. In the late 70s, RYDEN and some school friends, started the band STRASSE. Not knowing anything about New Wave.
 ”We didn´t fit in with the punk and rock music scene at the time. We felt we had more in common with Kraftwerk and Fassbinder” (film director). ”We wanted to make black and white music as in Film Noir”.

Now, 2017, RYDEN will release his new album. The single ”The Devil´s Work” from the album out now. Nearly 40 years since starting STRASSE and his music noir.

ULF LUNDELL

Lost and FOUND! Artwork by Ryden. Portraits of Swedish singer, songwriter Ulf Lundell. Crayon on paper (30x21 cm).

STRASSE SHOW AT MUSEUM

Scandinavian museum showing STRASSE rare items! Stadsmuseum of Gothenburg Sweden showing Punk, New Wave artists, clubs, photos, videos, posters and stage wear. Exhibition Musik Livet (Music Scene) 2015-2018. More info at Luminol Facebook page.

STRASSE PULP FICTION?

The real Mia Wallace? Check out more from the artist.

STRASSE AT THE NIGHT CLUB - AGAIN

Remember a few years ago, when PUNK NOIR Blogzine (RIP) and TF presented STRASSE Lost Tapes & Rare Recordings? Then, a couple of months later, we had to remove the songs due to legal rights. Guess what! - One of the songs, "The Night Club" (demo 1990) is up again! This time on YouTube. Why? Legal matter.
One Eric Amarillo and Scandinavian TV3 Television Company, not only released their version of TNC (on Crime TV series) they now (2013) also claim to have written it! Back to the future? Very much so. LISTEN to the STRASSE original and TV3 replica (YouTube).

R. RYDEN / Thank You IKEA

Ryden: "...most people find it a little disturbing, turning Audrey Hepburn into a Playboy bunny, but I was out of a canvas!"
Click on picture for lager view. Hepburn (left) canvas available at IKEA.

RYDEN EXIBITION 2011

R. RYDEN "Artist With New Haircut". Mixed media. From Heads and Numbers. More from the artist HERE.

R. RYDEN / Deer Trophy

R. Ryden, Red Ferrari (Deer trophy sculpture). One from the "Deer" series (including: BlackNblue, Pink Vengeance, MoonDoggie + more). Order at FabriQ No 15.

R. RYDEN / 3.000 EU

R. Ryden, R3. Oil and pencil on paper. From the Business series, writing down a number, stating the price of the artwork. In this case; 3.000 Euro.

R. RYDEN / Perro De Caza

R. RYDEN, Perro De Caza. Also known as Rothman. Oil on canvas and wood. Private collector.

STRASSE LIVE 2010-2011

STRASSE returned to the stage in 2010 and 2011. Back from the studio, working on albums: HALF PAST ANIMAL and STREET LIFE COLLECTION. More info and photos at STRASSE Facebook page.

STRASSE TALKS! - ON THE RADIO

STRASSE (Ryden) talk Warhol, inspirators and STRASSE on Sveriges Radio P4. Also playing favourite songs by The Velvet Underground, Nina Simone and Brecht/Weill.
SWEDISH RADIO (July 2010): "STRASSE, light years ahead of their time, tells their story...From forming New Wave Band STRASSE to meeting Andy WarhoL."

R. RYDEN / Soundcheck

R. Ryden, Soundcheck. Oil on canvas. Inspired by funny/half tragic scene when playing in Switzerland, late 80ties. "...very much a Buster Keaton moment." This is a STOLEN ARTWORK. Never been found.

R. RYDEN / DJ Pustervik

R. Ryden, DJ Pustervik. Oil on canvas (109 x 72 cm).

R. RYDEN / Subliminal Citizen

RYDEN, Subliminal Citizen released as a single on Luminol Grammofon/Spartakus Performances. Listen/Shop: Russ Ryden.Bandcamp, OneRPM and Spotify.

R. RYDEN / The Boxer

RYDEN, The Boxer. Detail (orig pic, left). Selfportrait, oil on canvas. Click on picture for larger view. Private collector.

STRASSE SLOW/Album/Poster

R. Ryden SLOW (hand). Ink and matchstick. Mid 70ties. Used later as STRASSE poster, Crash Slowly/Single and SLOW/Album cover. Download at Bandcamp.

RELEASING THE ANIMAL

Animal grace or just raving bonkers StrassenRaubers? Strasse and friends at the HALF PAST ANIMAL releaseparty Sept 2009. Pix by Mikael Almse.

STRASSE NEW ALBUM 2009

STRASSE new album, HALF PAST ANIMAL, out Sept 2009. Produced by Charles Storm. Jazz/Avant garde pianist, MIKE GARSON (Bowie, Nine Inch Nails) appears on Crashing. LiSTEN: STRASSE/Crashing HALF PAST ANIMAL; Shakespeare Was An American, From The Shadows, Damaskus 602, Spiders, Killed Again, Fashion Week, Spirits Of The Dead Watching, Crashing. All songs by Ryden. Except Spiders, Fashion Week, Spirits Of The Dead Watching, They Walked Like Men; by Storm/Ryden. Artwork by Francisco Stuyvesant.

R. RYDEN / The Slider

R. Ryden, guitarman, M. Tengby. Watercolour. Made as birthday gift for MT, who refused to accept it. Later sold to artist friend.

R. RYDEN / Monsterman

Ryden, Monsterman (innovative guitarman Adrian Belew). Mixed media.
RR on meeting AB: ”…one quick handshake in the late 70ties. He kept asking; Where are the girls? Where are the girls? Not aware he’d been dropped off by his tour guide at a “men’s club”. Add to that; wearing one unforgettable red-pink-light blue-ish Hawaiian shirt.” Click on picture for closer view.

R. RYDEN / Subliminal Citizen

Subliminal Citizen (followed by The Stranger in Your Eyes) by Ryden.

R. RYDEN / Head with hat

Ryden, Head with hat. Watercolour and kids crayons. Private collector.

"...I´m wasted and self-made."

"Self-made"? Not exactly true... If it wasn´t for: Ancient African art, Van Gogh, Dubuffet and Breugel, this website and Ryden would have been "made" quite differently.

R. RYDEN / Still Life

Ryden, "Still Life". Oil on canvas (100 x 76 cm). Private collector. More playboy bunnies below.

STRASSE RECORDING

Ryden trying hard to send an Email. Actually, STRASSE recording "Killed Again" at Cloudchamber Studios, 2007. ©Luminol Grammofon

R. RYDEN / Postcards

Ryden, handmade postcards. Free with STRASSE single, Killed Again on Luminol Grammofon.

STRASSE / Killed Again

New single from STRASSE out January 2009. Special edition with X-track, What can you do (Ghostboy version), never released before. Listen: MYSPACE December 22. Luminol Grammofon

THANKS, ULTRAVOX FANS...

...for sending this little thing! Ryden: ...We were blessed. Midge is a hardworking man and STRASSE always got the Royal Treatment...More at: INTERVIEWS

R. RYDEN / Strassenrauber

Ryden, Strassenrauber. Water colour, gouache and crayons. 1 of 25 Strassenrauber HEADS.

STOLEN ART WORK

RYDENS ARTWORK STOLEN from art gallery! Soundcheck (left) and New York Red self portrait. Oil on canvas. Any information, please, report to local Police station.

HALLO SPACE GIRL!

The girl from the future. Baby Ryden due in 2009. Photo: Yes, that´s her!

RYDEN "FACE DOWN"

Ryden artwork now at Facebook. Above: R. Ryden, "The Critic". Oil on canvas. Private collector.

STRASSE / Transylvanian Flower

STRASSE, Transylvanian Flower CD (2004); No, Ryden is not the man behind TF cover/sleeve. Producer, Charles Storm, is. Working with his sister, Louise Storm´s artwork and photos. Ryden: "Great work, very STRASSE. Reminds me of the fine masters, Duchamp, Schiele and The Blaue Reiter Group..."

R. RYDEN / Mike

Photographer, Mikael Almse by Ryden. Crayons and water colour. Click on picture for closer view.

R. RYDEN / Method Painting

R. Ryden painting the same motive (from left to right), same night. At the same party. Note some of the wine stains.

R. RYDEN / Madhatter

Oddball, Ryden with "MondalsKrowka". Painted on invitation card. Photo by Mikael Almse 2008. Painting: private collector.

R. RYDEN / Warhol

R. Ryden, 1 of a dozen studies for AW sitting on green chair. Check finished oil on canvas further down, this page. Read more: INTERVIEWS

R. RYDEN / Retrospectre

R. Ryden x 3 (details), at the Retrospectre show 2001. Oil, gouache on canvas and cardboard. (Private collectors)

BATMAN vs STRASSE

Found on the net. Striking. The STRASSE "Shakespeare" video made late 2006. The Batman/Dark Knight movie released July 2008. SHAKESPEARE video/info, below.

R. RYDEN / Head

R. Ryden, Head "Untitled". Water colour, oil crayons (41 x 31 cm). Private collector.

R. RYDEN / Half Past Animal

R. Ryden, Half Past Animal. Oil crayons and gouache. Private collector. Thanks to Mikael Almse (photo). Same title as the song written by Ryden.

R. RYDEN / Playboy Munch

Ryden, "Playboy Munch". Mixed media. Inspired by the great Edvard Munch, "Puberty". Private collector.

R. RYDEN / TRANSYLVANIAN FLOWER

Ryden, "Transylvanian Flower" (x 2). Silkscreen, oil and crayons on canvas, 115 x 92 cm. STRASSE/Ryden Transylvanian Flower song lyrics.

RYDEN / STRASSE At Gallery

Artworker, Emelie Lager at her gallery show 2007. Showing STRASSE photos (Ryden, UK Sandin). Check out more: EmelieLager.

R. RYDEN / Bloody Mary + Gazzo

Ryden, Bloody Mary + Gazzo. Mixed media (Private collector).

RYDEN AT PHOTO GALLERY

"Strassenrauber", Ryden doing his work, E. Lager, doing the art work 2006.

R. RYDEN / 2 CITIES

R. Ryden, two homes, 1. "Pimlico", London (98 x 86) and 2. "Stamp 48", Goth/Swe (98 x 86 cm). Oil on canvas. "...really, two maps of the areas where I used to live." Private collector.

R. RYDEN / Just like Dostoevsky

R. Ryden, Just like Dostoevsky. Oil on canvas. (Private collector.) More Ryden at Tumblr.

R. RYDEN / Animals

R. Ryden at his Animals gallery show 2007. Photo by Almse. "Max Abbey" (STRASSE guitarplayer) and "X-Haus".

R. RYDEN / Atoms

R. Ryden, "Atoms". Mixed media. (Private collector)

R. RYDEN / Heads

"Sometimes the sketch is better than the original." 

And sometimes not. Photo by C. Wass (1984). Paintings by Ryden. 

And yes, his own face, too.