As some of you know (and probably don't care) my long standing internet 'zine Lunar Hypnosis has come to and end and will soon be disappearing from the internet completely. Since a lot of interesting and possibly entertaining interviews were conducted over the years I thought I'd post some of them hear rather than letting them disappear into oblivion. As for the reviews maybe I'll post them on metal archives or something. Anyway here's Part I of the interview archive. Enjoy?
Interview with Magnus Wohlfart of
Yggdrasil
January 7, 2008
JJM: Greetings Magnus, how are you and the band doing during these icy cold winter months of the year?
Magnus: Hail to thee Joe, everything is fine here in midst of ice and snow. Some cold and nasty winds have been tearing at us these last few days, but it’s all to be expected at this time.
J: It’s likely that not everyone is familiar with Yggdrasil, so why don’t we kick things off by having you tell the readers a little bit about Yggdrasil and the type of music you play.
M: Yggdrasil is a trio consisting of Me (guitars, keys, vocals), Gustaf (bass, vocals) and Jeremy (drums, vocals). We play a form of dark metal with influences from traditional Scandinavian folk music, something we’ve been doing since the turn of the year 2000-2001. Our debut album “Kvällningsvindar Över Nordrönt Land” (”Evening Winds Over Northern Lands) was released in December 2007.
J: A great deal of time has passed between your last demo and now your debut album. Maybe you could enlighten the readers on what was going on these last five years.
M: After we had recorded demo #2 in the end of 2002 Gustaf went off to join the army, while Jeremy and I focused on other projects. During 2004 we were rehearsing for a new demo, and had actually started to record said demo when we were offered a record deal. We cancelled the demo recording, and since we felt that the material on our first two demos was strong enough to be on an album we went back into the rehearsal room and started to re-arrange the old songs. In the spring of 2005 “Kvällningsvindar Över Nordrönt Land” was recorded, and this was followed by 2 years of waiting (for us) and excuses (from the label). Finally we went searching for a new label to release the album, and in 2007 we signed a deal with Det Germanske Folket, who released the album in December the same year.
J: Naming the band Yggdrasil obviously shows your interest in studying and reading Norse Mythology. Is it common for the average Swedish person to be at least somewhat familiar with this mythology?
M: Yes, definitely. The mythology is presented to us, when we are children, as fairy-tales and stories, so most people will be familiar with Odin and Thor in the same way they are familiar with the hare and the tortoise. If a child was to actually have faith in the gods, though, in the same way some people have faith in Jesus and the Big Guy Upstairs, they would most likely be discouraged, and possibly even ridiculed, by their elders.
J: Up until now all lyrics for Yggdrasil have been wrote in Swedish. So that brings on an interesting question. What are Yggdrasil’s lyrics about?
M: The lyrics are mostly about nature; northern landscapes, dark forests and mysterious creatures who dwell there.
J: I think it’s great that you’ve stuck to writing lyrics in your mother tongue, but do you think you’ll always write the lyrics in Swedish? I mean a lot of non-English speaking bands say they will, but then some eventually write all or nearly all of their lyrics in English (Vintersorg is an example). What are your thoughts on this and do you find it easier to express yourself through the English or Swedish language?
M: I remember that when Vintersorg started singing in English on the Cosmic Genesis album (an excellent album, both then and now) both I and Gustaf were disappointed over the change, and at that time we decided to keep writing lyrics in Swedish. Nowadays we’re not that dogmatic about it and it’s not impossible that some future Yggdrasil songs will feature lyrics in English. It will depend on what works best for the song. As to which language is the most suited for expressing myself, that depends on what mood I’m in and what it is I’m trying to express.
J: Some bands within the Viking/folk metal scene embrace neo paganism as their religion of choice. Do the members of Yggdrasil adhere to some form or another of neo paganism or does religion not interest you? Did your parents raise you with a specific religion in mind?
M: I was raised in a Christian household, although more due to tradition than to actual faith. I realized early that Christianity wasn’t for me, and I left the Swedish church as soon as I was old enough to legally do so. Yggdrasil is not a religious band in the sense that we’re not trying to evangelize or promote any certain religion. Each member has his own reasons for utilizing the Norse/pagan symbolism and mythology, and as long as it works we will continue to do so.
J: All of the songs on Yggdrasil’s debut album were re-recorded pieces from the two earlier demos. An interesting move, but I can’t complain since they sound even better than the originals, as they definitely should. Was this done simply because the band had been on hiatus and you didn’t have the time to write new material? Or was it simply because you felt these were great songs that didn’t deserve to be lost in the obscurity of an old demo and that they deserved to be revamped?
M: The label which was originally supposed to release the album wanted to re-release the second demo, and if it wasn’t for the poor sound quality of the first one, they wanted to re-release that one as well. We weren’t too keen on re-releasing the demo-material as it was because neither the sound nor our performance were that good, but the material itself was deemed strong enough to be re-arranged and re-recorded. At this time we already had 35-40 minutes of new material which we decided to put aside for a future album. Some of this material will most likely end up on the second album.
J: I really like the painting that was used as the album cover. Is there any special meaning behind this painting or is it just a normal nature landscape?
M: This painting was created exclusively for Yggdrasil by Matilda Mellergårdh. We described to her what we were after and she created the excellent painting you see on the album cover. It fits perfectly with the mood and atmosphere of the album.
J: I noticed you had a few guest musicians help out and enrich this album even further. Do you know if Michelle, Kristofer, or Jonas play with any other bands currently?
M: I think Michelle is involved in a metal band called Damien, and she also does musicals. Kristofer mostly plays classical music. As far as I know he’s not involved in any band. I have no idea what Jonas is up to these days. We used to play guitar together in a heavy metal band called Broken Dagger until he left the band and the metal scene altogether to travel through Asia, where he learnt some strange traditional music. Apart from all of this the three guest musicians have all lent a helping hand in the Folkearth project.
J: I enjoyed the small usage of the flute on ‘I Nordens Rike’ that Gustaf provided. How come no flute was used on the full length album?
M: We had the privilege, through our guest musicians, of using both violin and keyed-fiddle, so we tried using those instruments for the flute parts as well. The result was excellent, so we decided to skip the flute.
J: When Yggdrasil began in 2001 all of the members were under twenty years of age. Looking back are you pleased that the band began at this point in your lives or would you sooner have preferred starting things more recently?
M: Much of what I have learnt about the music business has come through dealing with Yggdrasil, so I think it’s a good thing that we started as early as we did. Right now we have 7 years of experience behind us, and we are only in our early twenties. Yggdrasil will continue to grow for some time yet.
J: Does Yggdrasil have any experience with any live performances? If not, do you plan to take Yggdrasil to the stage some day?
M: We did some live gigs around 2002-2003 and we have some gigs planned around Europe in early 2008. We are currently working with some session musicians to help bring more power to the live performance.
J: Now that the debut album is behind you guys, do you plan to start writing some new songs and quickly following it up with your second album?
M: As mentioned earlier, we have a lot of unused material ready to be recorded. How much of this material we will use, and how much will be completely new remains to be seen. We’re planning on entering the studio again during 2008.
J: Will future releases be with Det Germanske Folket? Are you happy with the label’s work thus far?
M: We signed a 3-album deal so we have two more albums to go. So far they have done a great job and I’m excited to continue our successful cooperation.
J: Could you think of a time or place that would be best suited for listening to Yggdrasil’s music?
M: For me that would be a Friday evening after coming home from a week of hard work, sitting down in the dark with a glass of my favorite beer, and just relaxing while listening to the atmospheric music from the speakers and the howling winds from outside.
J: I found one of your promo pictures to be really fascinating. In particular I speak of the one where the three of you are kneeling before the stone altar with the animal hide, dead birds on the ground and the torches around you. It looks like some sort of ritual is being performed. What exactly is happening in this photo?
M: In this photo we are paying tribute to the gods of old and hailing the power of nature in a magical ritual that took place at a nearby stone circle in late 2007.
J: Does Yggdrasil have any t-shirts or hoodies available? I’d certainly be proud to wear a t-shirt with your logo on it.
M: Yes, we do. They are available at
http://www.ureuropa.com
J: Have your parents heard Yggdrasil or any of your bands for that matter? How do they feel about your musical endeavors? Do they enjoy it or are they proud of what you’re doing?
M: My parents have heard most of the music I’ve recorded over the years, and I think they are quite proud, even though they don’t necessarily appreciate the music as such.
J: I’m familiar with your side project Nae'blis, and have enjoyed it considerably. I see your playing in a few other bands though. What can listeners expect from those bands?
M: Nae’blis is mostly slow/mid-paced dark or blackish metal. I’ve released 2 albums and one split-CD under this moniker. I’ve been involved in several bands and projects over the years, Folkearth, Broken Dagger and Trymheim, to name a few, but right now only Yggdrasil and a solo project are active.
J: Through your side project Nae'blis one might think you were a depressed suicidal freak, but then when listening to Yggdrasil people might think something completely different. How would you describe your personality?
M: There are many different sides to my personality, and I express some of them through my music; Nae’blis expressing a crystallized version of some of the more negative parts. For a more comprehensive study of my personality, I guess you would have to get to know me (and perhaps buy ALL of my CDs).
J: Any favorite authors you in particular enjoy reading?
M: I just gave up on Sartre because he was such a bore, and instead I started reading Magister Matt G. Paradise’s book “Bearing the Devil’s Mark”. This past year I’ve been reading a lot of Satanic literature, such as “The Satanic Scriptures” and “The Fire From Within” by Magus Peter H. Gilmore and Magister Nemo respectively. Two books I definitely recommend.
J: Had any fascinating dreams or bloodcurdling nightmares lately?
M: None that I would care to share. ;)
J: What’s your favorite drink/beverage?
M: Samuel Adams Black Lager is certainly in the top category, as is Guinness and Grönsteds VSOP Monopole Cognac.
J: What types of music do you enjoy the best these days?
M: Mostly various types of dark metal, like Agalloch, Ulver, Ancient Wisdom, King Diamond, In The Woods… etc.
J: In conclusion what is Yggdrasil currently doing and what are your musical plans for 2008 and beyond?
M: We are currently rehearsing with session members for some gigs. Later on we will rehearse the new material to be recorded, and eventually we will enter the studio for the second album.
J: Magnus I have to thank you taking the time to answer these questions. The final words of wisdom are all yours.
M: Thank you for your interest in Yggdrasil and for your support all the way through our demo years! Right now the tree of Yggdrasil is growing rapidly and I’m looking forward to broaden our horizon further with each successive release. For those of you, who are yet to discover the music of Yggdrasil, please visit one of the Internet addresses below.
Heathen regards,
Magnus Wohlfart
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Interview with Peter Kubik of
Abigor
February 4, 2003
JJM: To start out why don't you tell our readers a little bit about yourself and some brief information on the many bands you've been part of through the years.
Peter Kubik: Well, some of you might know who I am, so I'll start to tell you about the bands I've been involved with throughout the years... ABIGOR, which is still my main band, was formed in mid 1993. The first project I worked on was GRABESMOND, this was back in 1994/1995, Protector of SUMMONING and myself were involved in that band. GRABESMOND was some kind of very trance-like ritual music, quite differnt to our main bands. Anyways, because of lack of time we decided to split the band. GRABESMOND was reborn in 1996/1997 as my wife Lucia decided to invoke the band again, yet very differnt compared to it's roots, she released 2 records so far, Mordenheim, and Xenoglossie. After GRABESMOND I was involved in DECEMBER FOG. DECEMBER FOG was some very fast and harsh Black Metal, we released only one demo because the mastermind of the band moved to Canada.
In 1997 I decided to start with HEIDENREICH. HEIDENREICH was Black Metal with some more or less untypical elements at these time (Programmed drums, alot of samples and effects). I released 2 albums, A Death Gate Cycle, and Trance Of An Unholy Union. In the meanwhile I recorded the guitars for AMESTIGON's MCD Höllentanz, but just as session member for the recordings. In 1999 I formed HELLBOUND, but the band was laid to ice for more then 1 1/2 years. In 2002 we started with a new line-up and the work on the material for Fatal Illumination. A split-CD HELLBOUND / AMESTIGON was released not long ago through MILLENIUM MUSIC. Well, that's it. All projects are dead now, I am only a member of ABIGOR and HELLBOUND. But just to make that clear, HELLBOUND is an individual band I am the 2nd guitarist, it's no project, nor my band. However, I concentrate fully on ABIGOR at the moment...
J: Recently your side band Hellbound has released their debut MCD. Can you tell us a little bit about the music, members, how the band was formed, ect.
Peter: Basicly we thought about some quite primitive and harsh Black Metal, very old school, but during the rehearsals we changed our "style" a bit. So the 4 songs of Fatal Illumination are quite primitive but with very strange and rythmical-double-bass mid-tempo parts, a bit more "groovy"... The current line-up is Patrick on drums, Andreas on guitars, Sethnacht Eligor (of ENCHANTON) vocals and myself on guitars. Within the next month the other members will continue the work on new material, I'll join them later this year because of ABIGOR's priority.
J: So what's Abigor been up to lately? I see you've got a 7" and a split album coming soon. When can we hope to hear these new recordings, and the next full length album?
Peter: No, there will be a split 7", and a 7". The split 7" will be with Austria's BELPHEGOR. We'll self release that 7", limited to 1000 copies - heavy and coloured vinyl, full-colour and stamped logos. The other 7" will be "Schockwave 666", it has been licensed to the us label DARK HORIZON RECORDS. Expect a release of both 7"s within the next 2-3 months. The next album is entitled "The Dead White Moonlight Songs". Currently I've recorded some ideas, and do some pre-recordings for the drums, I guess we'll enter the studio this summer, so expect a release in autumn.
J: What happened with the gig the band was going to play this summer? How come it was cancelled?
Peter: I had a motorbike accident, so I wasn't able to play, therefore we cancelled the gig, and that's it.
J: That gig of course was to be the bands first gig in the history of Abigor. What's the reason for not playing live ever?
Peter: None of the previous members were fans of gigs, so we decided not to play live. Simply because we never felt the need to enter a stage and perform a gig with a fucking bad sound, with fucked up equipment, in front of an audience that's 99% drunk. As Moritz joined the band we thought about 1 exclusive gig, the gig at the SKELETON BASH FESTIVAL was very suitable, so we agreed to play there, at last it didn't happen. Also I had some problems with the promoter of the festival and so on, simply everything happened why I never wanted to play live with ABIGOR, so at last there won't follow any gigs, ABIGOR won't play live.
J: Through the years your lyrics have involved cosmic imagery combined with Satanism. Where do your ideas for these lyrics come from?
Peter: Hard to say. In my opinion it's just natural because if you're into the Occult, if you're into heathen/pagan mythology, and if you're into Astrology it is just natural. Think about it, think about what you believe in and you'll see that the dual concept of lies doesn't exist, the truth will reveal and at last you'll understand.
J: Is there any logical reason as to why Napalm decided to stop making your shirts, long-sleeves, and hooded-sweaters, ect.?
Peter: I don't think so. NAPALM just told me that they don't sell enough of our merchandising anymore and they won't reprint it, so it's all sold out and won't be available anymore, that sucks!
J: Why did the band stop wearing the corpse paint?
Peter: Just because there exist photos without corpse paint you think we don't wear it anymore...?!
J: What are your thoughts on today's black metal scene?
Peter: I don't give a shit on it! I don't care about "scene(s)" anymore, I try to realize my ideas through ABIGOR, and listen to every band/musical style I like, no matter to which scene it belongs too, no matter if people accept my views or not.
J: What would you say is your favorite Abigor song and album?
Peter: It's Apokalypse, my favourite song is Dawn Of Human Dust, we re-recorded the song last winter for the 7", it's heavier, and faster then ever before.
J: Back in the early days what was your inspiration for forming a black metal band? What bands and other things made you want to play black metal?
Peter: We formed ABIGOR because it was a very suitable way to unleash our mental, satanic, attitudes through extreme music, at last, what defines Black Metal and ABIGOR!
J: I'm kind of surprised the band is still on Napalm Records. I always figured you guys would leave them some day and find a more underground label.
Peter: Well, that's a seperate chapter. Sometimes I've had problems with NAPALM, just as everywhere, you've advantages and disadvantages. Just think on the merchandising, that's a worst decision, also that they are not interessted in any vinyl releases, so we'll self release the split-7", BUT you must consider they pay for everything that concern the albums, and release the albums really fast when you're ready, and I don't know any label that works that fast, and pays every cent you need for a release, and that's the main reason why we're still on NAPALM.
J: It seems like many metal bands (especially black metal bands) often have a medieval look or use some type of imagery like that. Abigor has definately had the look an musical style present though the years. So i'm curious why are bands interested in the dark ages so much?
Peter: I am still interested in the medieval times, but I try to ban it from ABIGOR, and in my opinion it isn't an (lyrical) influence anymore. Hm, I don't know, nor care why it became a part of Black Metal... It was a fascinating period of our history, especially in Europe as well Austria. At one side, dark, mystical, on the other side the most stagnating part of our history, the church destroyed the ancient believe of our ancestors with fire and sword under the banner of the cross, their fucking Jesus Christ, the Christian pestilence that infected the heart of Europe and their lie became alive and grew, at last it destroyed the free will of the people, and made them slaves, slaves that beg for heaven, even they once believed in proud pagan values...
J: What exactly does Abigor mean?
Peter: ABIGOR is a demon, the demon of war.
J: what are your thoughts on Satanism? I've read many times that you are a Satanist. I'm just wondering what type of belives you have exactly.
Peter "Satanist" is a WEAK definition of what I am / I believe in! I just define myself as Satanist because it bewares me from stupid questions... Don't get me wrong, but I won't explain my believes anymore, it's personal, and some of my views are unleashed through ABIGOR's lyrics.
J: So what made you hate Christians so much? Parents force you to go to church and shit like that when you were young? That's exactly what happened to me. My parents forced there fucked up belives on me. I always thought doing things like that were completely wrong.
Peter: I don't hate Chrstians, I despise them. I don't understand how people can be that stupid, that fucking weak minded to believe in Christian values?! No, no one ever forced me to go to chruch, my father told be about the crimes of Christianity when I was 10 or something, he told me about their "good god", the "all-knowing", that punish you if you don't pray each day, he who gives you hell if you blaspheme his words. This is not my God, not my religion, it is the God of the fools, the religion of the blind masses.
J: What's the Austrian metal scene like? I honestly don't know of that many bands from Austria.
Peter: I don't know much about it too, hehe. Bands I am in contact with and well known are BELPHEGOR, KOROVAKILL, HELLBOUND, AMESTIGON, GRABESMOND, SUMMONING, HOLLENTHON, PUNGENT STENCH, and some others of course, but that's it... There're tons of new bands, but I don't care about them. The above mention exist for years, each with it's unique and outstanding style, and in my opinion is that what makes the differnce to all the other scenes and countries. In Austria each band tries to remain unique with their individual style and not to copy each other as in the Scandinavian scenes for example.
J: Is your wife Lucia still making music with Grabesmond? Or has that been put on ice? I'd imagine she's busy taking care of your daughter Luna these days.
Peter: She's got so many new songs and ideas. Once she planned a new album "Styx", but at last GRABESMOND is more or less dead. If she'll ever record a new album then on a new label with a very differnt style of music, much more dark, much more atmospheric and sick.
Well, to take care of Luna is a 24hour job, and Luna don't care about ABIGOR, nor GRABESMOND, she need's our time and she's much more important then any of the bands of course!
J: This will about do it Peter. I thank you for your time. It has been an honour to interview you. The final words are yours.
Peter: Thanx for your support and interesst in ABIGOR. Check out the 7"s that'll be released soon!
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Interview with Mick Moss of
Antimatter
July 22, 2005
JJM: Since not everyone is likely to know who antimatter is could you please just give us some details on how the band formed and what you've accomplished so far?
Mick Moss: Myself and Duncan Patterson (formerly of Anathema), agreed to pool our songs together back in 1998. We settled on a name and recorded our debut album, 'Saviour', in Sept 2000 in Academy Studios. The first album, although featuring natural instruments was heavily based on electronica and female vocals. A tour of Europe followed in 2002, and in 2003 we entered the studio in Dublin, Ireland, to record 'Lights Out', this time taking a more dark-rock approach whilst still retaining our electro feel. We later embarked on a world tour, going west as far as the U.S. and east as far as Turkey. 'Planetary Confinement' Is our 3rd release, this time we have recorded using natural, acoustic instruments for a more organic feel.
J: I hear now that Daniel Cavanagh from Anathema will be participating on the next album. Has he become an official member of the band or is he just going to be doing session work?
M: Fantastic, at last - someone who hasn't misinterpreted the press release. Danny will be doing session work on one album, 'Leaving Eden', planned for 2006. Danny is a member of Anathema, which is his absolute priority, anything he does past that is on an informal basis only.
J: I'm kind of curious why the album was recorded in different locations, and why each member wrote their songs separately and used different session members for their songs? Maybe it's just me but that doesn't really make the band look like a fully functional band. To me that looks more like a band that's on the verge of breaking up. Care to explain that one.
M: Well, you're right; we've never been a fully functional band anyway. It was easier for us to work separately this time, especially as I live in England, and Dunc in Ireland. Besides, we've always written and arranged our own songs separately, and played minimally on each other's work, so it didn't make much difference in the grand scheme of things.
J: What have the reactions to the new album been like so far?
M: I've read less than 10 reviews and most have been excellent. It's been awarded a few 'Album Of The Month' accolades, which is always nice. One guy said that it is gonna be an 'important album for rock music in general', which is a fucking great quote!! What a guy - two thumbs up!!
J: With Planetary Confinement the bands sound has changed quite a bit, but kept the dark/depressing feelings intact. Will future Antimatter albums be in this vein or are you preparing something entirely different for the next release?
M: Well, it'll always be dark and depressing somehow otherwise it wouldn't really be Antimatter. I've gathered a lot of material already for the next album, and it basically carries on where 'Planetary...' left off, albeit with a rockier feel.
J: I noticed Hayley and Michele didn't do any female vocals on this record and you went with a new female vocalist instead. Any reason for not using them or were they just not interested this time around?
M: I recorded my session in Liverpool, so I wanted everyone involved to be at arms length, therefore all personnel were also from Liverpool. Michelle and Hayley are from Yorkshire, so to involve them I would've felt a bit out of control not being able to fully prepare with them without making numerous journeys beforehand. Also, I wanted to sing all my tracks this time around and make the transition from songwriter to singer/songwriter fully, so I didn't really have any room for female vocals. As for Duncan, he recorded in Ireland and France, so once again it was a geographical thing and nothing personal against the ladies.
J: As for new female vocalist Amelie Festa, is she involved in any other bands/projects at this time? Will she be helping Antimatter out on the next album?
M: I've never met Amelie, and she lives in Paris, so no she won’t be involved in any future releases. It's possible that Duncan may work with her again, though.
J: Are you a fan of vinyl? I think the new album would sound really great on vinyl.
M: I think as I've got older, I've gotten more into the digital carrier as it's more durable, space-conserving and most of all delivers a clearer performance. When I was a teenager, I was in love with vinyl; in fact when I heard it was being phased out I was mortified. One problem of the digital realm, though, is the ease of duplication due to home computers with c.d. writers and printers. That wasn't a factor with vinyl, sure you could put it on tape but there was varying loss of quality depending on the equipment you used, and the most you could get was a shitty black and white photocopy for a cover.
J: Over the years Antimatter has written some very depressing lyrics many of which I can totally relate to. However for some bands things like that is just their gimmick. How serious is Antimatter when it comes to the lyrics?
M: Everything we write is 100% from the heart.
J: I've wondered for a while now, why did you choose the name Antimatter?
M: Duncan chose the name, and I thought it suited us really well as it represents the darker side of existence.
J: I haven't had the opportunity to see Antimatter live just yet. What is a typical Antimatter live show like?
M: Basically me and Duncan with acoustic guitars. It's a possibility I may tour in 2006 with a rhythm section, and do a fuller unplugged set-up quite like the final night in Germany where we played 'Lost Control' with members of Autumnblaze. ( A video of this is available for download at
http://metalchroniques.free.fr/video/antimatter_esslingen2003.rmvb )
J: With a lot of bands I can usually pick out their influences and describe the music rather easily, but with Antimatter I find it to be a bit trickier. So I'm kind curious what bands have influenced the music of Antimatter?
M: Not very many, to be honest. Personally I'm influencing myself as time goes by.
J: What are you listening to these days?
M: Right now I'm listening to 'The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute', which has really grabbed my attention. Apart from that I've been listening to Sandy Denny (a British female folk singer who appeared on Led Zeppelins 'The Battle Of Evermore) and Miles Davis.
J: What was your reaction to the recent terrorist attacks in England?
M: I have a close friend who works in the London Underground, and it was quite scary to hear that something like that had happened. Thankfully he was all right. I think it's going to change a lot of people's attitude towards the minorities over here. There was all kinds of anti-racist campaigns going off in the wake of 9/11 where the Muslim community was complaining that they might be portrayed badly, or that their religion might be misinterpreted, so the T.V. stations suddenly started showing all kinds of stuff to 'integrate' the image of Muslims into the minds of the British people. If it was working, then that shit in the London Underground has just undone whatever progress was made. It seems bizarre to me that they should do this in the name of their religion, yet the outcome is that they're effectively shitting on their religions chances of being accepted by the rest of the world. I guess logic isn't a strongpoint. But then again, if you're prepared to blow yourself up along with a load of innocent people just because some feller somewhere up the 'ladder' has asked you to, then you're obviously not the sharpest tool in the box.
J: What are Antimatter's plans for the near future?
M: Right now I'm sorting out a video E.P. of live tracks that I hope to distribute free via the Internet very soon. I'm also arranging the next album, with plans to record in April 06. Soon, I'd like to film an internet-exclusive acoustic performance of a track from the new album, but I'll have to see if I have time for this.
J: That will about do it. The Final words are yours.
M: For a free 16-track virtual album of rarities, alternate versions, live recordings and early demos complete with downloadable artwork, please go to
www.antimatter.tk , and check in the coming months for the video E.P.
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Interview with
Atomtrakt
April 30, 2004
JJM: Greetings Atomtrakt. Why don’t we start out by having you tell the readers about the bands formation, who’s involved with the band, and describe the music you create.
Atomtrakt: Hello Joe! Well, there is not much to tell about Atomtrakt. The project was started back in early 2003 by myself. Atomtrakt is not a band at all, ‘cause I am the only member. In 2003 I have created the “Verwüstung” MCD and two tracks for a new 7”, which will be out in July 2004 on a German label. Besides this I have created one track for the Dutch BM band Cirith Gorgor. The music of Atomtrakt can be described as “bombastic, martial, heroic, atmospheric, monumental, cold, industrialised and militant Ambient” as I prefer to call the style.
J: What’s the meaning behind the word Atomtrakt?
A: Well, “ATOMTRAKT” is hard to translate into English, actually. Maybe I can translate it as “section of an building/factory where atomic material is being handled”. Nah, I think it is not possible to translate the word. It only makes sense in the German language.
J: Can you tell me about your creative process? How do you usually create music in the studio? Do you use a computer program, synthesizer, or both when creating music?
A: I am using a lot of synthesizers, samplers and sequencers to create my music. Besides this some hard disk- recorders and some effect-processors. The computer is just used to record the final song, to master the stuff and to burn it on CD, for nothing more.
J: Thus far have any record labels showed interest in signing the band and releasing a full-length album?
A: Yea, there are some labels interested in ATOMTRAKT. But nothing is sure yet concerning the first full-length CD. The first full-length ATOMTRAKT CD will not be ready before Spring/Summer 2005 anyway, ‘cause I am busy with other projects, too. Well see what the future brings. There is nothing to hurry when it comes to finding a label.
J: What has the general response to Verwüstung been like?
A: Excellent, I think! I got a lot of positive responses from magazines and people all around the world! Sure, there are always some negative reviews and stuff like that, but the positive reviews are dominating.
J: You recently created an intro for the black metal band Cirith Gorgor. How did you come into contact with them?
A: Well, there is no big story behind the whole thing. I know their vocalist and he told me that they’re looking for someone creating an intro for their upcoming CD. And I said that I’ll try to create it. I did it, they liked it and now they’ll use it.
J: What other types of music do you enjoy?
A: Old Black Metal, Neoclassic, dark Classic, Industrial, dark Ambient, Neo folk… The list is long. I am only listening to dark, melancholic, moody, bombastic, symphonic, grim, cold and monumental music. As long as some of those parameters are fulfilled, music is interesting for me.
J: The artwork for Verwustüstung is quite interesting. It seems to again hold a strong war theme to it. Who created the artwork for this release?
A: I have created the artwork for “Verwüstung” myself, actually. I am of the opinion that the layout fits perfectly to the music. Nah, it is not a “strong war theme” displayed. Maybe just the picture on the CD itself, which shows a destroyed town. Translated into English “Verwüstung” means something like “devastation”. Title, lyrics, song-tiles and the entire layout are fitting perfectly to the music, at least in my opinion.
J: Your lyrics are not in English so I have no idea what they are about. Can you tell us a little bit more about what’s being said in the two songs that have lyrics?
A: Well, the lyrics are quite personal and they are quite hard to translate into English. Besides this I always avoid to explain / to interpret my lyrics. Everybody should interpret them him-/herself. I know that this is not possible for people not speaking German. But as I said: The lyrics are hard to translate and their sense would not be the same anymore when translating them into German. The only thing that I can tell you that the lyrics are quite destructive, apocalyptic, personal and “cold”.
J: Could the music of Atomtrakt ever be performed live?
A: No, I think the music of Atomtrakt will never be performed live. At least I think so at the moment. There are absolutely no plans at all to play live in the future. But we’ll see what the future brings.
J: Have you played in any other bands both past and present?
A: Yes I do/did! In the past I was playing for some Black Metal bands not worth to mention at all. Currently I am running two other projects besides Atomtrakt (no bands!), but I do not want to mention them ‘cause they have nothing to do with Atomtrakt at all and because they are quite different from what I am doing with Atomtrakt.
J: Could you think of a time or a place that would be best suited for listening to Atomtrakt?
A: Sure! After the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima or some days after the catastrophe in Tschernobyl in 1986 (it was in 1986, right?). That would be the best place/ time listening to Atomtrakt!
J: Where do you live? Does your location in the world influence your music at all?
A: I am living in a very small village in Germany. No, my local does not influence Atomtrakt at all. The place where I live is more “romantic” and “dreamy” so to speak.
J: Can you name five albums, which have changed your life?
A: No I cannot, sorry. I am listening to a lot of music, different kind of music. Too many great albums around actually. I cannot pick out the five best ones, sorry. Besides this, no album has ever changed my life.
J: What do you do when your not creating music?
A I am spending almost all my free time creating music and doing things related to music. As I said, I am / was also busy with other projects these days and in the past. Therefore I have almost no real free time at all. Creating music is what I want to do!
J: Finally what’s the band currently doing and what are your plans for the near future?
A: Atomtrakt is laid on ice until early 2005 cause I will be very busy with other projects until the end of the year. Somewhere in 2005 the first full-length album will be released. The next two releases coming is the 7”EP on MNDR Records (GER) in July 2004 (500 copies). The 7” EP will feature two exclusive and new tracks. The next thing will be the track on the new CD of Cirith Gorgor (HOL) (Intro). After that the Ukrainian version of “Verwüstung” will be released on Bloodhead Productions (500 copies). Besides this nothing is planned so far.
J: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview and I wish you the best of luck in finding a good label for future Atomtrakt releases. The final words are yours.
A: Thanx for the interview and good luck for your magazine in the future!
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Interview with A of
Caïna
September 15, 2006
JJM: Greetings Mr. A! Let's start with the basics and have you tell us a little bit more about yourself and the creation of Caina.
A: Hi Joe! Well, Caina started in December 2004, and was the first project where I played every role in writing and production (although a friend of mine drummed on the first demo, to save on studio time) – actually I had only owned a guitar for about a month before starting Caina – which you can probably tell by those early recordings, haha. The aim was to create a constantly evolving project, which would combine all of my favourite styles of music, from atmospheric post-rock, to Swans-like stuff, noise, neo-folk, and of course black metal – although I think that it’s only recently I’ve actually been able to make good on those ideas.
J: Is there any meaning behind the word Caina?
A: Caina is taken from Dante’s Inferno, and is a frozen lake towards the bottom of Hell, and is in the circle of treachery – etymologically the name derives from the biblical Cain. The word resonates with me quite deeply, as well as matching the brutality and rawness that – at least in the early days – I dealt with in my music. You don’t get much more brutal than a frozen lake filled with eternally damned souls up to their necks in icy hell-water!
J: How widely available are your three earlier EP's and the split release with Vivid Dreams? Can they still be found in distros or are they out of print and no longer available?
A: Well, to answer your question chronologically – the first demo was limited to 100 hand numbered copies, and a fair few of those have disappeared somewhere…I know that
www.goldenlakeprods.co.uk used to have some, but that was a long time ago. To be honest, I hate that demo; I don’t even have a copy of it! My second and third e.ps – The Cold Taste of Perdition and The King Beneath, have both been recently released in pro-printed cassette format by Drakkar Productions; I know for a fact that they are still available, but are limited again and numbered etc. As for the split, I still have about 8 copies, if anyone’s interested… If not, try Ebay.
J: I really admire the fact that you were brave enough to try something different with Caina. Most bands especially the black metal ones are so stuck on the old ways. It's just sickening sometimes. So I must ask what influenced you to play this unique style of black metal?
A: I totally agree with you – the lack of originality within Black Metal these days is quite startling. It’s not simply that people won’t do what I have done and cross pollinate genres, but are actually apparently afraid to create their own identity – not naming any names. To be fair, I have no idea whether or not one can call Caina ‘Black Metal’ anymore – maybe the distinction isn’t so hazy on Some People Fall (my recent album on God Is Myth), but on the next one I’m pretty sure it will be…
I think what inspired me to do it is my genuine love of so many different kinds of non-mainstream music; I originally wanted to pay homage to as many styles as could cohesively fit (normally post-rock and post-black metal), but now I think the urge to really stamp my own identity has come to the fore. Everything inspires me – Occultism, the natural world, and my own ‘natural history’, as I call it (relationships, etc) in particular. Even the ‘people’ whom I observe in the street… At the moment though, there’s a serious vein of 70’s rock in the stuff that I’m writing for the new album – building on what was in songs such as Satanikulturpessimis on SPF.
J: Before Caina were you involved with any other bands or projects? How about now or will you just be concentrating on Caina in the near future?
A: I had drummed in various bands, starting with a kind of early post-hardcore thing when I was 13/14, then moving on to a really nice post-rock band in Sixth Form College (I think the equivalent of high school(?)), then an insane black metal band with my friends whom I lived with in my second year of University. Nothing serious before Caina though. I am currently involved in a couple of projects with God Is Myth CEO Todd Paulson (who is also behind the excellent Uvall and Cruel Harvest), and am working on another solo project – pure neo-folk – called Threads; the priority at the moment is the second Caina album, for my new label Sound Spheric.
J: Interesting.... I wasn't aware of your projects with Todd from God is Myth Records. What can be expected from these bands musically and is it just you two or are there others involved?
A: The two projects are Dormant, a hybrid of Pagan Black Metal and progressive rock/metal, and Celestial Sea, which is a post-rock/shoegaze project heavily influenced by classic 4AD records, with Todd’s own inimitable style. Todd writes and records all the music (he has help with the drums in Dormant), and I just add vocals and lyrics to both projects. Todd keeps his cards close to his chest, so it’s hard to say when anything will be forthcoming, but I absolutely love and stand by the material that we are making. It’s really cool in both cases to take a backseat on the writing front; obviously with Caina I’m in charge, totally. And that isn’t always fun!
J: As I understand it you're a Satanist of the LaVey style. How long have you been practicing this and what got you interested in his style of Satanism?
A: Well, my personal spiritual system is actually a little less clear-cut; a fusion of Crowley’s Thelema, LaVeyan Satanism, and parts of other forms of mysticism. I became interested in LaVeyan Satanism in the same way as many, I think. I was quite young, and had been vehemently anti-Christian for some time, and I bought The Satanic Bible on a sort of whim. I found that the book spoke to me in a way that was beyond profound – it was as if I knew every word already, that it concisely summarised what was inside of me that I could not articulate. LaVey’s Satanism is extremely attractive to me, in that it doesn’t require one to suspend disbelief, nor does it encourage weaklings or stupidity (although many stupid people claim to be Satanists, ignoring the chief Satanic sin) – it is also, fundamentally a workable doctrine, as is Thelema. My relationship with Crowley’s work is too long and boring to detail here, but I try and weave both into my daily life. I have been a practicing Satanist (or hybrid of such) for going on six or seven years now.
J: Have you ever thought about bringing another person into Caina or is it just easier for you to create music on your own?
A: Ah…this is everyone’s favourite question to ask me, it seems! I work alone for a number of reasons. Firstly, I am an untrained musician, and to work with anyone else on my own material would expose me for the fraud that I am! Secondly, I would hate to relinquish any creative control of Caina; it is me, a pure expression of my feelings and ideas. I do like to collaborate with others (on other projects), and value their opinions on my work very highly, but open Caina up? Never! I’ve just realised, that probably says something interesting about me psychologically… haha!
J: Your lyrics are rather brief so it's kind of hard to pick up on any messages behind your words? Is there any messages or points you're trying to get across to the listener?
A: Actually it’s funny, because a lot of the time I write sheets and sheets of lyrics for a song, and only a few lines make it in. A good example of this is The Validity of Hate within an Emotional Vacuum - on the first demo of that track you can hear loads of vocals hidden in the mix, which are dropped in subsequent versions. I had a tendency on my first ever demo to have too many lyrics, so I’ve been reacting to that ever since. I loathe BM bands who sacrifice the rhythm and atmosphere of the vocals for the sake of the lyrics – a band that are really guilty of this is Dimmu Borgir, for example.
To answer your question, I think my lyrics/vocals are just another carrier of the feeling of a song – the music and even the title contribute almost equally. Some songs have a clear point to them, like The Mother, but many just serve to illustrate my personal philosophies or feelings in a kind of impressionistic or enigmatic way.
J: I've noticed that you're also putting together a special version limited to just twenty five copies of the album through your website. When will these be available and what can purchasers expect from this?
A: Actually these have almost sold out – the easiest way to find out what they are like (and whether you can get one) is to take a look at my myspace (
www.myspace.com.cainaband) and check out the pictures that are up. Each copy is hand made by myself, and all look totally different. They’re made to order (meaning that your copy doesn’t exist until you order it) – mostly they are self-made books that I wrap around the regular CD, but there are various mutations…they’re kind of hard to describe! They’ve sold really well, but there are few left to order.
J: I thought the butterfly on the cover of the album was indeed an interesting choice. Any particular reason why you choose this? It is certainly a breath of fresh air from the usual upside down cross and pentagrams that generally adorn most black metal releases.
A: Thanks – that was exactly what Todd and I thought! He designed the cover, but told me at the time that he saw the album as a work of transformation – I think you’ll agree that the album does kind of ‘evolve’ throughout; he saw the butterfly as a kind of metaphor for this, and I definitely agree with him. The aesthetic of the album has drawn a lot of praise, and was something that we really worked hard to get right. Black Metal has been stagnating both musically and aesthetically for a few years now – we’re just trying to buck the trend. However, in my personal life I’m no stranger to the inverted cross or pentagram– I just don’t need it on my album cover!
J: Do you have any specifically favorite track on the album?
A: I don’t know if I could pick a favourite…the most meaningful to me is The Mother, for reasons that are probably transparent. The Validity of Hate… has a real time-travel value for me, as it’s the oldest track…I wrote it before I came off drugs and alcohol, before I went into therapy for my depression… things were pretty fucking black when I wrote that song. However, unlike most of the songs I wrote then, I think it still stands up. Having said this, though, I think that Inside the Outside is pretty accomplished, so I’d probably go with that.
J: I think it's really impressive that you're playing all the instruments in Caina. How many instruments do you know how to play and which one did you start with?
A: Thank you! I’ve been playing drums for about nine or ten years now, but I also play piano/keys, and guitars, moutharp, and various other things that I pick up now and again. I am, as I said before, almost totally untrained in all of these, which can be as hindering as it is creatively liberating.
J: Are there any plans for Caina to ever enter the stage and perform live?
A: None at present, but it is something I would sincerely love to do, one day – if there’s an audience for it. It would be a logistical nightmare, though, recreating the sounds and atmospheres I use in the studio in a live setting. I do plan to play Threads material live someday, however. (UPDATE: See below -JJM)
J: Since the release of your debut have you worked on any new material? Any idea when us listeners could expect to hear your next release?
A: I’m currently working my arse off right now writing and recording the second album for Sound Spheric Records (FRA), as well as rehearsing for my first ever live show in November (which I am really looking forward to). I have about 30ish minutes recorded and mixed, but I hope for the album to be about an hour long. The label is seemingly really excited about the material, which is a real help. I think that the next album is going to be a marked progression on the first; more depth, more maturity, more integration of my influences. There’s also a noticeable 70’s prog and psych-folk influence too! Sonically the new songs are a vast improvement too, I think. I didn’t even know I was making an album when Some People Fall was being recorded, just demos for labels, so naturally the sound isn’t perfect. The album hasn’t got a title yet, but should be out in early Spring time.
J: I was really impressed with your Death in June cover song. Are you planning on doing any more covers on future releases?
A: Again, thank you, I think it came off pretty well too; there are no plans for another at the moment – mainly because with my new deal with Sound Spheric more and more people will hear Caina, meaning that I will get sued if I don’t properly licence a cover song! I actually have had a folk version of Herbstleyd by Nargaroth recorded for some time, so maybe I will release it in some form one day. There are a few songs that I would kill to be allowed to cover, such as ‘100 Years’ by The Cure.
J: What is the hardest thing about being in an up and coming metal band on a small independent label like God is Myth?
A: I think that the promotional side is the hardest; getting people to hear your music. I am not one of those who want to be obscure by choice, to be ‘true’. This is why webzines such as yourself are so invaluable!
J: I'm kind of curious what has the sales for your debut album been like? I see that it was limited to just five hundred copies. Something tells me there's going to be a need for a re-pressing in the future. Besides that what has been the general response on the album?
A: Because of the quite disconnected nature of releasing things in the underground, it’s hard to get exact figures, but I’ve asked this myself and have been informed that the album has been selling really healthily for a debut, and from the amount of people who have contacted me, people seem to really like it. I hope that it will sell out and need to be re-pressed; although there are a couple things that looking back, I would change, I’m extremely proud of the CD, and think it deserves to be heard. I think that the safest thing to say would be for your readers to snap SPF up whilst the first press is available – that way if it isn’t repressed, you won’t be disappointed, and if it is, then you’ll have something to stick on Ebay in a couple of years, and reap the rewards!
The general response has been excellent; where it has been reviewed; on the whole the reviews have been great. As with anything new, there is some bitching on the internet about me and what I am doing, from both post-rockers and BM fans. I managed to really freak myself out the other day by reading my own positive and negative press on a couple of message boards and little profile sites. Some people just don’t ‘get’ it – either because they can’t, or refuse to. I think that’s fair enough – but what I do object to is the bitchy mentality that the ‘scene’ cloaks itself in. However, I think that for a debut album by a solo artist, half of which was recorded on the most primitive equipment possible, I am very pleased with the response.
J: On the subject of God is Myth records who found who. Did they contact you or did you contact them? Will you be releasing future material with the label?
A I believe it was me who emailed them…however with the new deal it was the other way around. Todd (GIM) is a great guy, and I am proud to know him; I am working on Dormant and Celestial Sea material with him right now. With my Sound Spheric (
www.soundspheric.com) deal, the next Caina album is sewn up, but I hope to release the Threads album with God Is Myth sometime next year.
J: What is the music scene in England like these days? Any up and coming exciting bands you know of?
A: England, to me, is kind of stagnant at the moment, musically. The metal bands all seem pretty content to plough the same early to mid 90’s furrows they always have, whilst indie rules the charts. My good friends Yndi Halda are an exception; they are a post rock band whose debut album shits all over the last Sigur Ros offering, in my opinion. There are quite a few BM bands that I am friends with at the moment, who are doing really great stuff, but none are releasing anything – we need to get more fucking proactive over here! However, the new Iron Maiden album is fucking excellent – but I could hardly describe them as new!
J: What are your thoughts on this present day black metal scene?
A: There are some good bands around in the BM scene nowadays, such as Enslaved, Deathspell Omega, Watain, Xasthur, Kroda and some others… but I see a lot of new bands just carbon-copying the old ones, and joining the legions of Black Metal bands who all sound exactly the same. I find it pretty depressing, to be honest – I listen to a lot of different types of music, but the BM bands I consistently return to are either ‘the originals’, or those who are trying something just that little bit different…
J: Is there any specific album(s) which has changed your life and persuaded you to make music in this style?
A: Wow, what a question! There are so many albums that I could talk about…most of them are kind of cliché; the first time I heard Burzum, Darkthrone or Emperor, etc… I think the second Sigur Ros record, Agætis Byrjun, back in 1999…those sounds were as if from another world from me. It’s not the coolest or most obscure record I could have chosen, but it’s a really big one for me. Also when I first got into the Red House Painters they were a revelation to me – not necessarily because they sounded totally different from what was out there, but because they did it with such individuality – something I try and do with my work. The kind of melodic but incredibly melancholic cadences they use have been a real influence too. There really needs to be some sort of Red House Painters renaissance!
I think the other big band for me in the evolution of Caina (other than the BM bands I mentioned) is Swans – their mixture of total intensity and (sometimes absolute horrifying brutality) with layered ambience and beauty was one of the reasons I was convinced that Caina could work. They never fail to blow me right the fuck away whenever I listen to them, and I’ve been lucky enough to briefly correspond with Michael and Jarboe, as well as see J perform live in the most intimate gig ever. They changed my life, for sure.
J: Besides creating music with Caina what other interests do you have?
A: I am a full time student of English Literature and Film Studies, which occupies quite a lot of my time (although watching and analysing film is an unadulterated pleasure), as does spending time with my fiancée and her four dogs. I’m a big animal lover, and a vegetarian, although I do wear leather occasionally! Listening to music is a big part of my life too, obviously. I have something close to 800 CDs – at the moment I am favouring Rush, Killing Joke and Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds! Also, my Occult studies are something I relish in my free time, and I have quite a large esoteric library. I find that Caina has become an irreplaceable part of my life though; when my software broke a few weeks ago, it was as if I had been bereaved!
J: What is one trait in other humans that you despise the most?
A: I am quite an accomplished misanthrope, but I would name stupidity (in its sociological or societal form), and everything that goes with it. For example, if I see some obese, foul-mouthed white-trash trawling around with a menagerie of children at my local shopping centre. Her whole life has been, as I see it, a litany of idiotic acts, stemming from a basic lack of intelligence. Although I cannot claim to ‘know’ these people, I am still disgusted by the impression they give off.
J: Assuming you had the ability to return to any place or time in history, where would you go and what would you do?
A: A very interesting question…I think I would choose to go back to pre-history, the cradle of life, as it is the area of natural history that fascinates me most. It may sound like a Black Metal cliché, but I would love to see how the world looked before people got to it. Either that, or the 19th century, to a literary circle, as my fiancée insists that’s where I belong, as I am sickly in body and obscure in mind!
J: If you had the power to obliterate anyone or anything in this universe what would it be?
A: Oh man, I would love that; hard to choose just one thing…I’d like to be able to erase any existence of human kind from the universe, or at least organised religion. However, both of those would be far too Black Metal for anyone to take seriously, haha. Bob Geldof, then, I think.
J: Which of the seven deadly sins would you say you are most guilty of?
A: Well, I practice pretty much all of them at some point; which is pretty typical because they were originally designed so that no-one would be able to say they didn’t commit at least one. So, I did an online test just now, and my highest were Sloth and Wrath. This is accurate, as I prefer making music to conventional employment, and have a bit of a short fuse!
J: What's your idea of tranquillity and complete happiness?
A: Being paid (well) to do Caina for a living, with better equipment than I have now, and a few more books. In a cliff-top castle.
J: Do you have any personal motto or words you live by?
A: ‘Love is the Law, Love Under Will’ – Aleister Crowley, and ‘Everything Happens for a Reason’.
J: You're obviously a very diverse genre music fan. How many different genres of music do you enjoy listening too?
A: (Deep breath) Black Metal, some Metal, Doom Metal, some Death Metal, Progressive Rock, Post-rock, American Indie, Country, Alt. Country, Folk, Neo-Folk, Ambient, Dark Ambient, 80’s Goth, solo artists (e.g Bjork, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Tori Amos etc), some Industrial, 70’s rock, old style Emotional Hardcore (e.g Sunny Day Real Estate, old Hot Water Music), 80’s pop. And probably a few that I will remember just after this interview.
J: I reckon you've probably had some time to look over the zine since we came into contact. So I must ask what are your thoughts of Lunar Hypnosis and the mp3 compilation you recently participated on?
A: I like Lunar Hypnosis a lot, and feel extremely privileged to be on a compilation with bands I respect very much such as EDM and Nostalgia; although it makes me wish that the track I put on (an older DI6 cover) was better! I like that you review and cover what you want to; from Death In June and Current 93 through to pure Black Metal. In this way your zine very much mirrors my own record collection!
J: Well I am out of questions. I thank you for taking the time to do this interview and I wish you the very best with the future success of Caina. Take care.
A: You too – thanks for interviewing me.
http://www.caina.co.uk/ &
http://www.myspace.com/cainaband
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Interview with Einride of
Valkyrja
September 24, 2005
JJM: Greetings Einride! Valkyrja is a fresh face in the black metal underground. Why don't we start by having you shed some light on the band and tell us how you formed, who the members are and what you've accomplished thus far.
Einride: We are 5 members in Valkyrja with the basic line-up; one vocalist (Einride), two guitarists (Nahgarash and Helbinde), one bass player (Yxnath) and one drummer (Skall). Along with Yxnath I started the whole thing by looking for ambitious people late 2004. In the last days of December we had the complete line-up. This summer Helbinde was placed as second guitarist when ex-member Xephroth had to leave. As a band we have recorded the demo "Funeral Voices", self released on CD, also released on tape with 5 newly recorded songs as bonus. The tape got the name "Far Beyond" and is released on Deathkrush Productions.
J: What is the meaning behind the name Valkyrja?
E: The meaning of the name is taken from the old Nordic mythology. A "Valkyrja" can generally be described as one who are leading the dead warriors to Valhall.
J: One of the things that really surprised me about your demo is how professional the production is. Where did the band record the demo and who produced it?
E: The studio is entitled Offbeat Studio and for me it was obvious to record there, it's about 10 minutes away from our rehearsal room and an optimate sound for this type of music is required to experience it to the fullest, which I knew they were capable of in that studio. I strongly believe the next "real" recording (since I think the bonus-material on the "Far Beyond"-tape is nothing but just bonus-material, which we recorded in a home studio) because it is far more advanced and much more aggressive, and I want it to be experienced in a way that, as previously told, they can arrange.
J: What has been the general response on your demo? Have any labels showed interest in signing the band?
E: Really hard to say, from my mouth anyway. We are basically rehearsing every week and so on, just like we did before we even released something, so it's the same thing for us in the band, no bigger contact with labels or anything... Smaller labels have showed interest but nothing above the clouds, so to speak...
But the general response has been good, we have heard a lot about the good producing and the melodic versus the aggressive parts create variations in the genre who in some cases risk turning monotonous and boring.
J: Are the members of Valkyrja involved in any other bands or projects?
E: No, it's total focus on Valkyrja from our side. We have tons of ideas how to improve both the material and ourselves as musicians. To do that we need to focus on this one band, otherwise you easily get distracted.
J: Does Valkyrja have any experience with playing live?
E: Sure, not so much yet though, but now with a strong line-up we will be playing a lot and I'm strongly looking forward to it.
J: Do you just listen to metal or do you have other musical interests?
E: It's black metal for me. It's the type of music that brings something more than just the shallow facade. May sound boring, but only black metal can provide the atmosphere needed when listening to music (which in my case is all the time). I think it's a wide genre once you explore it, calling it one-sided is in my opinion just stupid.
J: If you could do a side project with any musician of your choosing who would you do it with and what type of music would you create?
E: I know right away that it would be old school black metal, I am 100% into the black metal genre, the only genre I consider listening to when I think I need some variation is death metal. But black metal flows in my veins and since Valkyrja is the more advanced kind of the genre I don't get the love for the old school black metal out of me. So it would be something like Darkthrone during the "Transilvanian Hunger"-era and something like the works of Swedish Pest.
J: Tell me a little bit about your lyrical themes.
E: It depends; I try to make it intellectual, though I only write with metaphors so it may not show at first sight. But to describe it in general it's very dark. A journey to a distant atmosphere beyond death. That's pretty widely spoken, but that's the emotion I base most of the lyrics on, though I never get completely satisfied. I never do.
J: What do you think of the present day Black metal scene?
E: Well, most people spit on it, and I stand by their side when the symphonic and gothic influences (among other) are getting involved, but if you know where to look there are great material still produced, Gorgoroth for example.. Funeral Mist (I'm not sure if they are split-up or on hold or something right now...), Watain... You just have to focus on the "real" side of black metal and leave the shit to the youngsters who adore them (sad enough!)
J: Is there any specific album(s) which have changed your life and persuaded you to make music in this style?
E: Sure. To get a longer story short: I borrowed the Emperor-album "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" from an old friend of mine, and then I was hooked on black metal, since that day I found the salvation. Before that I was pretty open minded about music.
J: Are there any non-musical matters, which have served as an influence to you?
E: I think a lot, philosophies very much time of my life. Blending that with the dark image involved in the music I prefer to listen to it often becomes something depressive. That's a good mode for me to create, create generally too, not just music. A real favorite to listen to when reflecting about life and death is always Burzum's "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss"-album, you do not find that sort of atmosphere in any other album. Especially the title track and 4th song "Tomhet" (even though it's ambient).
J: If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be and what would you do?
E: Hard to say... Most likely someone in my complete opposite, to see the world in an another way.
J: Which time period or event (past or future) would you most like to visit?
E: Sweden, about 100 years ago. I don't know what I would do, but I always long for that type of inner silence that I believe existed. The world has changed to the worse and experiencing that calm atmosphere would be priceless in my opinion...
J: In what way would you prefer to die?
E: Quiet by the coast, alone, without a bastard in sight.
J: Who would you most like to fight?
E: I really don't know, but how about... George Fisher? Just for the sake, even though he would rip me to shreds and make kebab out of me.
J: What is the strangest dream you have ever had?
E: I don't remember those.
J: I don't know if you've had a chance to take a look at Lunar Hypnosis in detail, but if you have what are your thoughts on the zine?
E: Sorry, I have no bigger experience of it, just that you gave us a great review and you have a lot of reviewed bands in your collection. I saw your banner on a band's (which name I can't recall right now) and sent you a promo.
J: So to finish up this interview I must ask, what is Valkyrja currently doing and what are the bands plans for the near future?
E: We have new material that will give us the chance to prove ourselves, I have no idea when the follow-up to "Funeral Voices" will be recorded and released. For those who like our already recorded material I can assure it will be a step further in every way. Also some live gigs will be performed.
J: The final words are yours, thanks for your time!
E: No problems. The site is HTTP://WWW.VALKYRJA.SWE.NAME for those interested who have not heard us previously.
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Interview with
VLE
September 5, 2003
JJM: Greetings VLE. Why don’t we start off by having you tell us about how the band was formed and the type of music you perform?
VLE: Basically a friend of mine heard a few of my songs and encouraged me to let others hear it. It wasn’t until many years later one night in the summer of 2001 while feeling bored and curious that I decided to put a song up on MP3.com. After receiving a lot of positive feedback and requests for more music, VLE was finally realized. So, everything happened and continues to go along as I receive energy from the people. I had no idea how far this would go, so now I just take everything day by day because I know it could all end tomorrow. The music exists as a vehicle for my own self-expression. It is as eclectic as my life experience so I can’t really put it into a specific genre or type. But even if I could there would still be others who would say it is something quite different. In any event, I truly believe that it is up to the listeners to formulate their own visualizations of the sound.
J: What’s the meaning behind the name VLE?
VLE: The letters VLE are taken from the phrase the eViL onE. Unfortunately, I have come across many frightened people that like to judge me. They see me as this evil dark individual... and for a while I started to believe this myself. I began signing the end of my letters with ~the eViL onE~ as a sort of sarcastic mocking. So when I first released this music I decided that I would just refer to myself as ~the VLE~ and call my project VLE. The music is just a reflection of this misinterpretation… the illusion as seen through eyes of the flesh. In the end, VLE is just a Virtual Listening Experience, nothing more.
J: Your Book of Illusions trilogy is broken up into three chapters. Since I have no lyrics can you tell me a little bit more about each part of this trilogy? I’d imagine there is some type of story being told.
VLE: There is no story per se, just one theme running throughout… the ascension towards chaos. Chapter I is the darkness, Chapter II the beauty of the light and Chapter III is the chaos.
J: Chapter III featured some female vocals. Who is this person and has she worked with any other bands?
VLE: I perform all the vocals myself. It is the first time I have ever recorded my voice and let others hear it. I treat vocals like any other instrument so I also try to manipulate my voice to fit the mood and the atmosphere of a piece.
J: How long have you been playing your instruments?
VLE: Hmm, I am not sure, but I have spent the most time writing with the guitar. I think it has been about 10 years since I bought my first guitar. I can’t say that I can really play any other instrument as well as the guitar though. I mostly just experiment and fake it with the other instruments. Overall I am a self-taught musician who relies on my ears to formulate song ideas since I have no music theory knowledge. I wish I developed a better technique though, but that would require that I actually practice… oh well ;).
J: Do you play in any other bands or have any side projects?
VLE: Yes, I play guitar in another band.
J: You have placed several of your songs for free download on mp3.com. How do you feel about downloading music on the Internet?
VLE: I don’t really have anything to say on the subject except that I invite everyone to come to my domain on mp3.com… listen to the sounds and if you want to purchase CDs of my music I would be very honored by your show of support and appreciation of my art.
http://www.mp3.com/vle
J: What are your influences both physically and musically?
VLE: I am influenced by all kinds of music (Classical, Metal, New Age, Classic Rock, etc), art (Dali), life experience (my hell), authors (Poe, Shakespeare, Richard Bach, Truman Capote, Guy de Maupassant), sunsets, darkness, the ocean, and silence. I have been playing guitar in Metal bands for some years now, so Metal has been a large part of my cultural experience thus far. Still, musical genre doesn’t matter to me… if something moves me enough, I will listen to it. I am also influenced by the aesthetics of nature. There is a musical quality to nature… like the waves of the ocean, the sway of leaves on a tree or the flight of a bird. I take a lot of inspiration from these things but it is the cycle of the sunset that really evokes some feelings within me that go beyond words. I just love the way the sun disappears and the night takes over. It is a beautiful and scary thing to watch the sun swallowed up by the ocean… very powerful.
J: Do you have any plans to make VLE a live band?
VLE: No.
J: Have any labels showed any interest in signing VLE?
VLE: Yes, but I don’t think any of them will be brave enough to follow through.
J: Finally what is the band currently up to and what are your plans for the future?
VLE: Well, I’m about to go on holiday and can only look forward to some much-needed silence. Depending on my mood during this time, I may end up working on some music, but nothing is certain. I have no plans… only hopes and dreams.
J: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. The final words are all yours…
VLE: Thank you for your interest in my music. I wish you and the rest of your crew continued success with Lunar Hypnosis. To all those who remain… Play it Loud. Hail and Kill!!
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