Sweden’s User One found his place in hardcore behind a camera. After filming his first show in 2024, he began documenting live sets to contribute to the scene without being in a band himself.
Since then, the project has expanded beyond filming into DIY physical releases, including CDs and DVDs, with 26 projects released to date. USER ONE No Echo.
No Echo contributor Isaac Hernández caught up with User One to talk about documenting Swedish hardcore, the importance of preserving live shows, and finding your own way to participate in the scene.
Hey Jimmy, what’s up?
Heyoo! I’m hanging in there! Life is tough, and life is moving fast, but I’m trying my best to keep up. I am really thankful for hardcore right now.
First off—what was your gateway to hardcore? And what was your first show?
I was late to the game! I’m from the far north of Sweden, where I grew up with no friends that listened to hardcore, so I never really knew about it. I’ve always been more of a metalcore guy, leaning into deathcore, so growing up I listened to bands that are very radio-friendly today, I’d say!
I believe the first show that introduced me to the actual hardcore crowd/scene was when I flew to Stockholm to catch Knocked Loose, Justice For the Damned, Renounced, and Malevolence back in 2019. The lineup was metalcore, but the vibe at that show showed me something totally different from what I had seen at a Bring Me show, for example. It was so exciting to see that kind of explosive energy in such a cramped space. I had never experienced anything like it before. From there, I started to dive into bands’ earlier discographies and so on.
Shortly after, I moved to Stockholm and started discovering all the local bands, going to shows as often as I could.
What got you into filming hardcore shows in Sweden, and what was the first show you ever documented?
I remember my dad sent me his Lumix digital camera because I assume he never used it. I brought it to a local show and got some footage, which I tried to make a short edit of. I had no idea what I was doing (and still don’t!), but I knew I wanted to give it another go as soon as I could attend the next show.
That was a fundraiser for Palestine back in 2024, and the band I caught was Times of Desperation.
I’ve been playing instruments for over 15 years, but I have never been in a band. Since I’m not in a band, I think I felt like documenting could be my way of contributing to the hardcore scene in Sweden!
How would you describe the Swedish hardcore scene to someone who’s never been to a show? What makes it different from scenes in other countries?
I feel like the scene in Sweden is super supportive of our local bands. People are often even more hyped for a Swedish band that plays several times a year in the same city than they are for a U.S. booking, for example. I’m not saying that in a bad way! The scene is just that supportive of what is being built here.
Local shows are almost always sober and “all ages,” with free entry for people under 18, so there are a lot of younger kids coming to shows, getting involved, and discovering the scene, which is so sick!
When you’re filming a live set, what moments are you chasing—crowd reactions, specific people, the band, or something else?
All of the above! I have found my style in how I handle my gear and how I shoot.
I feel like you can only do so much while standing on the side of the stage capturing a full set, but somehow I get better at what I do every time I go to a show, which is a great and motivating feeling.
As of now, I am trying to get more bokeh shots and “cinematic framing” rather than panning all over the place—which is cool, too! Everyone does it differently, which is dope.
If you watch a lot of hardcore sets on YouTube, you can tell, “Okay, this must be this channel,” just by the way the set is being captured. I think that’s cool. It’s like when you know what band is playing just by hearing a few seconds of a song. It’s cool to see videographers, photographers, and other creatives the same way.
What do you think is the importance of documenting these shows—especially for a local scene like Sweden’s?
I love to create and contribute this way, so I feed off of it. It can be quite stressful and time-consuming, but I feel good doing what I love while also helping others out.
I believe every set is special in some way. Every set is sure to be someone’s first show, or a band’s first gig, or during someone’s birthday. Or maybe someone just couldn’t make it to the gig that night. Hardcore is unity, and I want to help unite in any way that I can.
I also believe a lot of bands get good exposure from live sets, which can lead to them getting booked for more shows if the energy from those live videos comes across.
Of all the sets you’ve recorded so far, which are some of your favorites?
I’ve had the privilege of capturing some really dope bands that I have been listening to for so long that it feels almost surreal. But I would rate “my favorite set” in terms of how pleased I am with my footage, not how great the set itself was.
In almost every case, that would be “the most recent one,” since I am constantly growing and improving at what I do. And, oh yeah, I buy new expensive equipment just as often, which surely helps!
Any bands you’re looking forward to recording or that you’d like to document?
Inner Torment.
Also, I know User One does more than record shows—you’re also putting out CDs. How did that come to be?
Right! I’m a physical media collector. I collect vinyl, CDs, and horror movies. I made a few different DVDs last year with footage from live shows. It was a really cool DIY thing to do, though it was too much work altogether to continue doing as “one user.”
Since I already had the equipment to make DVDs, I asked my good friend Jens (Times of Desperation) if they were up for a Times CDr release with alternate cover artwork (horror, of course), and we agreed on doing an Event Horizon rip together, which became my first CD release.
I want to be that guy who can help a new band get nice physical releases without reaching out to a proper label or pressing plant that requires a minimum of 100–200 units. If a band would like only 20 copies for their gig, I want to be able to help out.
Again, it’s all about coming together—uniting and creating together!
I have now released 26 different projects to date, and I do other random shit as “User One,” too. Wall clocks, incense sticks—anything creative I can think of.
If I don’t create, I just might die.
It's been great chatting. Any parting words?
Free Palestine. Be kind.
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User One video sets: YouTube
User One on social media: Instagram
Tagged: recording the scene, times of desperation, xserenityx
