"Spotlight: Ace of Base" US Magazine, August 1994
    "How come you haven't asked us about ABBA?" inquires Buddha, Ace of Base's keyboard wiz, as he strokes his blonde goatee. Buddha (real name: Ulf Ekberg) and the other three Aces are the latest swedish band to crash the charts, with the techno-reggae hits "All That She Wants" and "The Sign", so ABBA is very much on thier mind. Right now they're sitting in New York's Central Park, on a promotional tour for their triple-platinum debut album, "The Sign", discussing Swedish success stories. "We are like ABBA, but they are '70s, and we are '90s," says Buddha in his ongoing salesman's patter. The rest of the crew- siblings Jenny (the brunette), Linn (the blonde), and Jonas (the big guy)- chime in only when Buddha comes up for air. During one pause, Jenny explains that she and Linn started the band with Buddha and some other friends several years ago in their hometown of Gothenburg; Jonas joined in 1989, says Jenny, "because we needed a replacement who could jump." Jump? "You know, jump around on stage, not be shy." In addition to his jumping duties, Jonas now writes most of the melodies and lyrics, many of which have the same trippy rhymes as their name. "Ace means best of, and base means like a home base," explains Linn. "The studio is our base." They've been away from it for weeks now, and Linn looks forward to going back home and riding her bike. "No exercise here except for eating," she says. Then she notices a pair of young lovers sitting on a rock, kissing. "I didn't know you did that in America," she jokes. "Why not?" Jenny asks. "It's good exercise." --Guy Nicolucci

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