Since he was a teenager back in the 2000s, the Danish composer and multimedia artist Frederik Valentin has weaved in and out of many subcultures, styles, and scenes. He’s been a reliable presence within various alternative music circles, both in his country and beyond; in his 20 plus years in the game, Valentin has built up the kind of CV that can only amass from a constant stream of creativity and curiosity. 

His band Rock Hard Power Spray played the 2006 Warped Tour. He has collaborated with the Yung Lean alter ego Jonatan Leandoer96 and released music on the legendary label Posh Isolation. Last year, his third solo record ROCK N ROLL WILL NEVER DIE came out on YEAR0001. We are really only scratching the surface here, which is why we hit up Valentin for the newest edition of Web of Influences: We wanted to go deep. Read our interview and listen to ROCK N ROLL WILL NEVER DIE below.

Can you remember the first piece of music you heard that made a major impression on you?

Frederik Valentin: I was around ten years old, sitting in the car with my father, when “The Man Who Sold the World” by Nirvana came on the radio. It was their Unplugged performance, covering David Bowie, and Kurt Cobain had just died that same year. The sadness in the song, the universal language of “man” and “world,” sung with such dedication and darkness by the voice of a generation, struck me deeply. My father told me that Kurt Cobain had taken his own life, which only made it feel more intense and mysterious. Soon after, I got my first guitar and learned their entire catalog, listening to it over and over. I grew my hair long and even made my own sticker, similar to the one on Kurt’s guitar, that said, "VANDALISM: BEAUTIFUL AS A ROCK IN A COP'S FACE," and stuck it on my guitar.

What was the punk scene like in Denmark when you were growing up?

I grew up in the suburbs, in a small city called Odense. There was absolutely no punk scene—just funk and cover bands performing 80s hits at the local bars, which was kind of cool in a way as it meant that we had to create our own scene from scratch, and that gave us the freedom to define it all ourselves.

Do you have an all-time favorite Danish band?

Sort Sol/Sods made good stuff back in the day (1979-1993).

One of your earlier bands went on the Warped Tour. You also toured with The Bloodhound Gang. Any stories? How did those experiences shape you?

As a kid, all I ever dreamed about was leaving the suburbs, going on tour, seeing the world, and playing rock 'n' roll every night. Then, at age 20, it all started happening. I played Warped Tour, and we kicked off in Miami. The management wanted me to play a sponsored guitar, but I refused. Without a guitar in hand, I found the nearest guitar shop and bought myself a pink Hello Kitty guitar, which I ended up playing on the entire tour. I even put that guitar on the cover of my first solo album, Complicated Universal Cum—a noisy space-rock album that was entirely recorded with that guitar, and to this day, it’s one of my best works.

Touring with Bloodhound Gang was intense—big venues, shows every night, endless partying, and constant travel. Sure, it was a lot of fun, but I was also in love and missed my girlfriend during those years. I remember telling her once, somewhat ironically, that if she ever wanted to break up with me, I’d prefer if she did it while I was on tour—and she actually did.

Is there something that connects all the projects you've worked on in your long career? Any sonic or conceptual throughlines? 

I’ve always wanted to create something beautiful and, in a way, craft a ceremony for myself and for the listener. I wanted to show people how it could feel—that narcotic moment of creative bliss, to escape, to disappear. I wanted to experience that for myself and, at the same time, share it with everyone.

Are there any scenes you've never been a part of that still influence you in one way or another? 

Sure, there’s a group of incredibly talented Copenhagen-based artists who are dominating my personal hitlist, all female. Artists like Astrid Sonne, ML Buch, Fine, Clarissa Connely, Erika De Casier, Molina, and many more. For the first time in years, the Danish indie rock/pop scene is no longer just copying what’s happening in England or the U.S., but instead, they’ve developed their own sound, and their own scene. It’s really inspiring and a privilege to experience firsthand.

Any dream collaborations?

I’d love to collaborate with all the artists mentioned above.

What non-musical inputs are currently influencing you?

I read a lot, especially during the pandemic, when I read around 100 books. That experience completely changed the way I think, and my language transformed, which in turn affected my thoughts and the way I saw the world, turning everyday situations into poetry. At one point, I almost wanted to quit music and take a job in a parking lot or somewhere I could just read all day long. The book I remember the most from that period was On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, it’s just beyond beautiful.

Do you truly believe that rock and roll will never die?

Ironically, I’ve never asked myself that question before, but the title itself made me want to reflect, discuss life and death, and, most importantly, make music. For me, the title represented a more existential concept—something that could tie together what was, what is, and what will come in the future, making it all matter in some sense. In a way, that’s what happened to me musically during the making of this album, as I welcomed musical styles of the past to create something new for the future.