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Artists
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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 05 May 2008 |
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Two years after the release of 'The Adversary', his first solo album, former Emperor maestro Ihsahn is back with a new one, 'angL'. Darker, heavier and more intense than its predecessor, the album sees Ihsahn embrace the furious metallic sound that defined his earlier recorded works, while still indulging in some fascinating musical experiments and paying his respects to the traditional melodies and riffs of old school metal along the way. We spoke with Norwegian metal's premier genius-in-residence shortly before he unveiled the new material. He took us through the album track-by-track and shared a few thoughts and insights about the songs and what they mean to him on a musical and personal level. 'Misanthrope' "It has a similar feel to the opening from 'The Adversary', but lyrically it's clear cut and hard hitting from the start. I deliberately wanted a similar start, although that wasn't exactly planned, but lyrically too, I wanted a good opener that sets the standard for the album. I felt it okay to be a rather harsh and probably more typical black metal theme on the opening track. It doesn't really cover all the other elements or give any hints to the more experimental parts of the album. The whole album builds in a different way from 'The Adversary', but for me it was a natural thing." There seems to be a lot more guitars on this album. It's a lot heavier than 'The Adversary'. Was that something you set out to do? "I really wanted 'The Adversary' to be quite thin-sounding and I didn't overdub any guitars, and things like that. This time, the way the material developed, even before I started writing I realised that when you're solo, you have to have some parameters, so I wrote some guidelines. I have this book where I write musical ideas, lyrical ideas and sketch out the idea of what kind of album I want to create, with some key words and all that, and a modern and heavier sound was one of the main things. Last time I wanted to have a go at being very pure in how I picked the sounds, with just one guitar in each speaker. We recorded it in a very old school studio. This time, I wanted to have a go at a more modern, overdubbed, massive sounding album. That's the privilege of being a solo artist. You can really indulge your curiosity for doing different things." Have you ever been tempted to enlist a producer to help you in the studio? "We never really had a producer. The ego overcame that idea! Probably at some point it would be interesting to have a producer, but then again, the reason why I continued to do all this myself is that I want to learn from it. It's good to use your own stuff as the guinea pig, rather than to destroy someone else's work." 'Scarab' "I started to have these rules with 'The Adversary', trying to be more focused and use more traditional song structures. I wanted this album to be more focused and not as all over the place as 'The Adversary' was at times. I wanted the songs to have a particular feel too, but also to stand out alone. With 'Misanthrope', it's kind of straight forward. 'Scarab' is much groovier. The scale it's built around, it has this Egyptian feel, in the tonality of it, and also this theme, the symbolic idea of the scarab, it's almost a 'Powerslave' tonality to it. So I tried to be specific and more focused on the feel, and not necessarily bring in all different emotions and arrangements into all the songs." What are the lyrics about on this one? "It reflects around the symbolism of the scarab and the reinvention of itself. The scarab is a symbol of reincarnation. It dies and a new scarab is born from the shell of the old one, so that's how the lyrics go. From my experience, you build a new version of yourself, then you fall on your face when confronted with yourself and you have to start over. I've been very much inspired by Nietzsche and the re-evaluation of all things. You can't stop that process, it's always ongoing. You have to re-evaluate constantly, unless you want to stagnate and become one of the static people. That's the theme of the song." 'Unhealer' This song features vocals from Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt. Was it written with his voice in mind or did you originally intend to sing it yourself? "I originally intended to sing it myself. I wrote all the songs first and then I tried to work out which one would be most suitable for bringing in Mikael, when I first got clearance for doing that. It was written first and then chosen later. It worked pretty well, I think, with the things he did with it. It was kind of easy to pick that song for him." It's quite progressive, but in a different way from the songs on 'The Adversary'. "Yes, I think that's a general thing for this album. I don't think it's more progressive in any way than 'The Adversary'. The progressive part of 'The Adversary' is more clear cut, with odd speeds and time signatures, whereas on this album there is some progressive riffing and arrangements, but the progressive tonality and melodies are much more apparent on 'The Adversary'. On 'Emancipation', for instance, the main riff is a certain way and then you have a contrast with the long guitar lines in the middle. It's kind of progressively built, but the way it sounds is different from an 'Adversary'-style thing. That's the main objective. Even though the arrangement may be tricky, that complexity shouldn't take the leading role." Has it been liberating to write as a solo artist, and to be able to write slower songs with less blastbeats and more space between the instruments? "I think so. The overall impression or the way of doing it is very extreme, but I've always been into having beautiful elements in there, and that's where the more epic, symphonic parts of Emperor came from, I think. It's all extreme, but the underlying melodies and the feel of it aren't that extreme, and I think with this material I can put a bit more emphasis on that element without everything going at 150 beats per minute the whole time." 'Emancipation' "I'm developing as a songwriter. Me and Heidi have discussed this. On her album ('The Thread', Starofash), she wrote all the songs on the piano and they worked in that context, and so then she started to arrange it. I think I tried to take a similar approach, just using guitars and drums and getting the riffs down, so the songs themselves were just basic ideas which you colour later. You need to have a very clear motive for each song. It's a much more interesting way of working, rather than coming up with all these different pieces and trying to fit them together and make something that makes sense, which was very much the case in the early days. You can hear that in very young bands. They'll reach a certain technical level and start to have ten-minute songs with 30 or 40 different riffs in there, with no apparent link between them. Eventually, you learn to appreciate form." Obviously this song is about freedom, but freedom from what? "It's about emancipation from everything else around you trying to lead you to decisions. It's building on the same themes that I've always had. The re-evaluation of all things, but also setting your own standards for own things. When you've reached a point where you can find certainty in a certain belief and you can make your own moral decisions and moral values without having them dictated by society or religious history and all that, then you can become more immune to all these other factors. These themes are on 'The Adversary' as well. You have to try to build a wall, so as not to get too distracted and try to have some trust in seeing things through your own eyes. It's also about being liberated from caring too much about what people think, and their impression of you. Particularly since going solo, I've stopped caring. I used to worry about interviews and whether I'd said the wrong thing. But having done as many interviews as I've done, and having said all the stupid things I've said, it hasn't really mattered one way or the other. These days I probably do better interviews because I don't have a second self judging me at the side. I just try to make good conversation and enjoy it, rather than telling myself to do the right thing." 'Malediction' "It's a very aggressive song. It's probably the most black metal-sounding of the songs. Both the title, the music and the lyrics express that. I haven't really been trying to do something that sounds evil, but somewhere inside that kind of teenage rage still lives on and once in a while you need an outlet for that. 'Malediction' is probably an example of that." Do you still feel obliged to satisfy the rules and conventions of the black metal scene to any degree? "Not really. If I had any concerns or felt competitive within that scene, it would be the strange feeling of being one's own little brother, because since the split Emperor has become even bigger than we ever were, so I know that everything I do, whether it's in a similar style or a different style, will always be compared with Emperor. That's my main competition. I have to show that I'm about something real even though I do not play in Emperor. In the end, I've come to the point where I just do my best and do it honestly and people will have to either like it or not. As an artist, you always try to better yourself and I know I'm a much better musician and song writer than before, but still people rave about things I did when I was a teenager. The majority of fans of music that I've done are still mostly attached to things I did years ago. They think I'm way past my peak, I'm just a shadow of myself, fiddling around in my old age with some riffs, you know? Most people stop evolving as listeners, I guess." Would you ever contemplate doing another Emperor album? "If we did a new Emperor album, we'd get shit for it whatever it sounded like. We could do something that sounded like 'Anthems.' and we'd get shit for it. We could do something new and more appropriate, and we'd get shit for not sounding like 'Anthems.' If we did an album because people wanted one, it would be a paradox. Would people really want an album that we didn't want to make? No one would ever be satisfied, I think." 'Alchemist' "It's building a song on the Goethe Faust story. You've experienced the same thing so much, and you want to experience something else, something more. You want to experience something other than the little cave you've built around yourself. It's an interesting perspective. You'd rather take the risk, like Faust. He does the deal with Mephistopheles, rather than keeping with the same old thing. As with Icaros and Prometheus and the others, it doesn't really go that well for him but at least he has a go at it! It's about dealing with that type of thing. The riffing and all that is more experimental in a way. I've used a different tuning, so I feel it has some kind of alchemist's feel to the music as well." 'Elevator' "This one didn't start with a riff or a lyric. It just started with a title. I had this idea that I wanted to write a song called 'Elevator' and I wanted to have the feel of the elevators in 'Angel Heart', going downwards, because that image and that movement has made such a strong impression on me. I wanted the song to be like that, hence I wrote the riffs that descend, all the movement is downwards. For me, it's a new perspective. I have a particular goal and then I try to fit the music to that. I've tried to do that with all the songs, have a clear cut idea of what the song should be before I write all the parts. I've been able to stay focused, and that's been a general rule of the album, having a very strong focus. We have our own studio and huge sound libraries and many guitar effects and sounds, and you can get really lost in all that, because you can do practically anything, so you need to have a real musical focus and try to use those tools to achieve that, rather than letting the tools lead you away." 'Threnody' "I've always layered my stuff so much, so I wanted to challenge myself and just use the guitar and vocals and not necessarily use ten extra voices. I'm challenging myself and trying to make things work without all the extra bits around them. It's a very simple, pure idea, having a go at that type of ballad. It's a very different thing from 'Astera Ton Proinon'. It's much more stripped down. It was kind of scary to do, but very liberating once you get past the ego thing of 'Do I look stupid naked?', you know? I'm very pleased with the way it came out." 'Monolith' "It ends in a similar way to how the album starts. It's lyrically very harsh, with the symbol of standing alone and relating to the whole desultory, solo experience, and the fact that you end up doing this alone. It's really a statement of 'Like it or not, this is what it is'. It's a bit of an arrogant attitude, I guess, but it should be expected! You can't be too polite or too humble." Where do you think the new album will lead you? "I have absolutely no idea. I feel so subjective right now. I feel very comfortable with the album and it even sums up more of the things I've done in the past. It's more confident. I'm coming to terms with my musical work as a whole and being content that this is what I do. I can still do other things in the future and try to reach new musical ground and challenge myself, but I feel confident with what I do. I'm not trying to escape it. With Emperor, it does become limiting when people try to pinpoint what you do, especially when you want to do something different, but I've come to terms with that, so if something I do sounds like Emperor, then why shouldn't it?" |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 05 May 2008 )
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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 03 May 2008 |
I must confess working on this interview has cause me to lose more than a little bit of sleep. Leæther Strip has been such a big part of the electro-industrial scene almost from its inception that I had a million questions for Claus. Many a sleepless night was spent trying to walk the line between asking questions that would be interesting without sounding like a wide eyed fan girl. The last thing I wanted was for this to be a boring one line answer email interview. After a week or so I managed to come up with two pages of questions. After another week I was able to narrow that two pages down to only eight questions. I sent them off and waited with baited breath for Claus' answers. When I got them back I was completely blown away by what an interesting and sweet man Claus is. So much so that I can say with all honesty while I have always been a fan of Leæther Strip, the band, I am now an even bigger fan of Claus the man. Just like with his music his answers totally surpassed my expectations. Now I'm nervous and jumpy again trying to write an introduction that will do these answers justice. So this time instead of writing a million lines of the brilliance of Leæther Strip, I'll just let you read the interview and hope that you enjoy spending time with Claus as much as I have as he dishes about the future of Leæther Strip and Klutae, song writing, the supernatural and his hopes for the scene.
The release of Retention N. 1 was the first installment of a series of box sets re-releasing a lot of older material. why the decision to re-issue your back catalogue?
At first it was mainly because a lot of listeners asked for it. A lot of the "new" people missed out of all the 90's releases. The first boom for this scene, not the last I hope. It would be too easy to just re-master the songs and release them, I wanted it to be something more for the listener, something new. Then I came up with the idea to bring a new life into these old songs. And I picked out some of them and "re-wrote" them. Not just a remix but sitting down in the studio and start over on the songs. I wanted to write them again the way I may have written them today, without raping the song. It's important to me that the collectors get something for their money, and to me the retention series is both a "thanks" to the old time listeners and a "hello" to the new people. I am currently re-writing songs for "Retention no2". It will contain "Science for the satanic citizen" + "Mohawk ep" + what else there is room for from that period, and a cd filled with rewritten songs picked out from those releases. Like the first one. It's a lot of fun rewriting, I was a bit scared that it would take too much inspiration and work to do it, but it actually gives me a lot of inspiration for new songs.
A lot of people credit Leæther Strip as one of the bands that helped to define the eletro-industrial sound that we are so fond of today. Where do you see yourself in the pages of electro-industrial history?
It’s what an artist has wet dreams about in the hopes of getting to that point in their career. To the point of having other artists and listeners calling ones work an inspiration to them. I can only give a big thanks to those who expressed that about my music. I just put everything I can to my music, it’s all I really do and I have to do it. The period I stopped writing songs was really hell for me, and as soon as I gave it one more chance I got back to my old self. I have this unstopping hunger for writing again, the same feeling I had when I started. Waking up at 4 a.m. because I had an idea I have to get recorded, and getting angry because I cannot start until Kurt (my partner) leaves for work. Then I run to the studio. But again, the fact that my music has done that to some people touches me deeper than anyone thinks. It’s a dream come true, and I hope I can give them something in return some day.
One of my favorite songs of yours is the 5 Avengers. What made you create a song around this piece of American history?
Ahh. I’m happy that you liked that song. As a kid I was fascinated with all kinds of mysterious and creepy stories. But the Bermuda triangle was something I really gave me chills. What the hell was down there? So I read a lot about it. Today they "say" it was gas from the some undersea activity, but I just know that it’s really scary aliens sucking all these ships and planes into their world to explore a lower life form. I don’t want to let go of all these fantasies I had as a kid. I was called a sick freak a lot as a kid because of my fascination of the dark sides of life. I remember sneaking into the living room as a small kid, after I was tugged into bed, to watch a lot of scary horror movies from behind my Dad's armchair. He was mostly sleeping hard when the scary movies were on. There I would sit for hours and then being too scared to walk through the dark hall to my room to sleep. But I loved that feeling of being scared shitless. And I still do. Back to the song. This story about the 5 plans disappearing really left a mark in my soul. I would imagine that I was the son of one of the crew members being told that my Dad wasn’t coming home ever, and we don’t know where he went. I day dreamed a lot hehe.
So now that I was looking back on the "one nine eight two" album it would fit perfectly there.
You always manage to have some of the most interesting samples in your Music. What are some of your favorite things to use for samples?
Thanks. I have always been very picky with my samples, they aren’t just popped into the song. Sometimes a sample can even be inspiration for a whole song. In the old days all groups mostly used movies. Thant meant that you could have several bands using the same sample, and that’s not very fun for a songwriter. The Internet really gave us all a whole new media to find samples. I find mine the strangest places, from strange videos on You Tube to radio theater shows and talk radio. In my world, they always have to add some meaning to the topic or the feel of a song.
Over the years you have collaborated with so many different artists. which of your collaborations rank among your favorite and why?
Yeah there has been a few over the years. The ones I remember was the ones where the artist actually would tell you what they thought about the stuff I did to their song. Most of the big names don’t bather, that means I lose a lot of respect for them. A little "I loved it" or "I hated it" wouldn’t be that hard on them. The one that actually made me smile for 6 months, was that David Gilmour told my in an e-mail that he thought my cover version of "Learning to fly" was fantastic. It was on a tribute to Pink Floyd album. Also one I was really honored to re-mix for was Gary Numan. But all the re-mixes I did for label mates are just as fun to do and its very giving to me to help new talent's out. I really enjoyed working on a few songs for the Alfa Matrix band "Crisk" I really hope they're debut album will be noticed. It’s really great and got a lot of new energy. I wish I had more time to do it but I can’t let it take too much out of my own music. I do have some dream about doing some work with Marc Almond, and Depeche Mode. But it seems that they only work with DJ's and dance people, sadly enough. I wish DM would start to use some of their "real" musicians-fans as re-mixers. But I guess that’s an airplay and money issue. But I think they would sell a lot more maxis if they had people who adore their work do the remixing. Wishful thinking.
Your side project Klutae has been dormant for a couple of years. is there any plans to revive that project?
I hope I will. Klutae is a lot of fun for me. I don’t know why, but the last album didn’t seem to get a lot of attention outside the usual fan base. I really had high hopes for this album to maybe gain some more from the "outside" world. But you never know what’s going to happen. It’s a lottery. It also depends a lot on the flow of Leæther Strip songs. Now I have the Retention series to so too so it’s a lot of work of one guy. I will really try to make room for more Klutae. There is so many things I would love to do, but the state of the scene isn’t very good, and the labels aren’t taking as many chances these days. That’s really sad. It leaves out a lot of side projects and experimentation. We need to get the underground back on its feet. I think we all want the scene to be as strong as it was in the early 90's Then you didn’t have to wait for something new and interesting to come out. It was booming. So many bands and labels, yummy. So we need to look at ourselves to make it change. I would hate it if one more underground label, band or magazine had to shut down. There has been enough of that. Maybe I will go in a total different direction on the next Klutae, maybe do a real electro punk album. We'll see. If you have any fun ideas you can always catch me at my MySpace site. I check messages each day if I can.
How do you feel your work in Leæther Strip has differed from what you've done with Klutae over the years?
All I can tell you is that I attack the writing on the 2 very different. I am much more spontaneous on that Klutae songs. The Klutae topics can be more humorous and sarcastic. I can work on a Strip song for ages but that would never happen with a Klutae song. I guess some songs could fit both bands, but I am never in doubt on which song goes where. Both bands are after all the same guy, so some connection between the two is unavoidable.
In the past you have hinted at the possibility of a live show. are there any plans to tour in the works??
The day I get rid of my nasty back problem I will tour my ass off. I've had a problem since I was a kid. I was born with a problem and then I was run over when I was 12 years old, so there has always been something with my back. But in 2000 it really went bad, and it hasn’t improved a lot since then. I am never going to stop getting rid of this shit, so hopefully soon it will be gone. I so miss playing in front of a crowd. It’s just a rush that doesn’t compare to anything else. Maybe the feeling of falling asleep beside the one you love is up there with it. It’s so good! If the pain doesn’t go away, I would maybe have to do a tour where I won’t be the mad man on stage as I used to be. When I watch some video from the last tour I scare myself. I wonder where that mad
Man comes from. Nah I know exactly where he comes from.
What sorts of things do you have planned for Leæther Strip in the future??
I know I have been releasing a lot of stuff, but that will continue if I get a say in it. The label thinks it's hurting my sales. I just got so much I need to get out there. And since I am not spending 6 months on the road touring, I got time to record more songs. I wouldn’t complain if my idols released more than the album each 2- 3 years. Also I need to get noticed in other ways than with live shows. So releasing an album with 3cd's full of new songs is maybe a way to get noticed. I didn’t see that happen in this scene before. And don’t worry, each song gets the same amount of time and love. I would never do a "filler" song. I have always hated when bands do that.
Is there anything you would like to add before we wrap?
Yes there is. I want to thank everyone who used their precious time over the last 20 years on my music. I want to thank those who with such dedication followed my work from the very start to now. Also a huge thanks and bear hugs For the way you all welcomed me back to in 2005. It’s your fault everything is going so great for me, artistically. I know it sounds cheesy, but I really mean it, so I have to say it. The scene could use a lot more people like you, so please spread the word about all the great things you get out of this scene. The world would be a shitty place if we only had "safe" and music. Support all the bands you love, if you don’t, there won’t be any labels left to release the cd's, and I myself hates the fact that parts of the industry wants all releases Digital only. I want my fucking cd's! I know U just releases a digi only EO called "When blood runs dark" but believe me I was on my knees begging the label to print a limited edition on cd. But the sales prevented them to do it. If you want it on cd' you should maybe e-mail Alfa Matrix and let the know you demand it! Maybe then they will see that some are willing to buy a printed version. Anyway the digi release is cheap and I did some very club friendly versions of some of the songs and there is some remixes from friends of mine. Jesper Schmidt of Psychopomps and Esben from Why the Misery. Anyway! We all need you! Sorry but I just had to get this out of my system.
Never apologize for ranting here! We all love to see artist getting amp'd up about the state of the scene, as fans it shows us that our artists care about the scene as much as we do!
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 03 May 2008 )
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 02 April 2008 |
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I think that one of the things I have always loved about electronic music and the artists in the scene is the community and the exchange of ideas that are always swirling around. Its always exciting to me to hear of artists getting together to expand on exchange ideas with one another. Aryia is one of those acts that really does embrace the spirit of community and sharing with her music. Having worked with an amazing array of talent from Leatherstrip to Essence of Mind. Along with all of her collaborations with Aryia, Jennifer is quite a producer in her own right having done all of the mixing and production on her last album Flicker on her own. Her new EP the Gun Song goes even further pushing the spirit of collaboration and showcases all of the unique styles and moods that are Ayria. Not long ago I got to sit down with Jennifer to discuss all things Aryia. The gun song is a pretty intense song. Where did the idea for the song come from
My lyrical inspiration came from my emotions and the issue of gun violence in North America and how slaughtering has become a recurring occurrence on college campuses taking out innocent people for unknown reasons. People using weapons as their voice and taking their ultimate stance. It’s disturbing. The musical inspiration of the Gun Song, how it sounds on the EP in its final version, was partly inspired by music artist MIA, who inspired me with her political songs but also her big hip hop beats. The Gun Song isn’t four on the floor regular club music and I liked experimenting with that sound and style. The gritty synth brings me back to my electro-industrial roots. I needed that big fat synth in there. I love it!
On your last album you did most of the mixing production and sampling on your own have you been as hands on with the new album
On “Flicker”, I wrote and programmed all of the music. I worked with my friend and producer Joe Byer of v01d on the final versions of the songs and for the mixing, EQ, final instrumentation, etc. On this upcoming CD, “Hearts For Bullets”, again, I wrote and programmed all of the music, I bounced ideas off of Joe again and he helped out a bit with some tracks but the final producer I’m collaborating on this CD is Seb R. Komor (Icon of Coil, Zombie Girl, Moonitor), he’s bringing new ideas into my music. I find that through introducing new collaborators, it helps me progress musically. Honestly, with Seb being in Canada too, it’s easy to communicate but I’m not as hands on in the studio with the final production as I was with “Flicker” because Joe and I are both in Toronto we could fuss over details for hours. With Seb, it’s more about versions being passed back and forth and commenting through MSN or email. That’s ok though, I’m still bossy about how I want things to sound in the end you can ask Joe and Seb! Hahaha ;)
On your first album you worked more as a collective and collaborated with a lot of people on the album. The second album you put a lot more of yourself into creating the album. Which way do you prefer to work
I think the results of “Flicker”, my second CD, was more satisfying and personal. I still love “Debris” (the first CD) but I’m not as connected to all of the songs because I didn’t write all of the music for them. But that being said, “Flicker” was a huge learning experience for me. I tried out all of my new programming and song writing skills and really went to town. There are a lot of styles I experimented with, I was really indulgent with “Flicker” with the 6 minute songs and I know that CD wasn’t perfect either. Once I found a grove I liked, I went with it. This new CD “Hearts for Bullets” I’ve taken what I’ve learned from Flicker and Debris and have been able to focus the learnings. The songs are tighter and more direct. I can’t say I prefer one way or another, I just like to grow and try new things. I didn’t want to write the same CD over and over again.
On your site you had a section that allowed open submissions for people looking to do remixes of your work. Where did you get the idea to allow open submissions?
People contact me a lot wanting to work with my vocals, which I find really flattering. I think there are a lot of people out there that love making electronic music with the software and set ups they in their home studios but they aren’t necessarily vocalists or aren’t necessarily interested in writing lyrics or singing them selves and haven’t found a singer perhaps? I think it gave musicians out there the chance to take my existing vocals and do whatever they wanted with them to create their own version of a song. It’s all about creative experimentation and I’m happy to provide a piece of that for those purposes. I’m sure I’ll do it for the new CD too. It’s fun to hear what people come up with! It’s exciting for me too to hear my voice in new settings.
Are there plans to reopen that section of the site
Yes, definitely. I also want to open it up for video possibilities. I think there’s a lot of people that want to play around with editing and making music videos too. That idea’s a bit harder to facilitate because besides providing the song, images and logos, I’m not sure what else I can provide to help out. But I know there are a ton of creative people out there.
You named this ayria because you like the word. Do you think it accurately describes the direction you want your work to move into
Most people think Ayria is my name, which is fine with me. It’s kind of a strange band name I guess. It’s not a word with meaning so it can’t really accurately describe anything ;) If I look at it from the base of the word that I liked originally, “Aria” meaning a musical scale, I think it’s still accurate. To me the word is vague, and all encompassing because I guess, I’m all over the place with influences and styles too so no matter what direction I move in, it will fit somehow. Wow, I don’t know if that made any sense at all!?… its 9:00 am in the morning on a Saturday and I’ve only had 1 coffee! Haha. ;)
Thanks for this interview! It was a pleasure to do and I thank you for your support of my music! Much love and keep in touch, Jennifer AYRIA |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 April 2008 )
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 26 March 2008 |
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There are time when I'm alone when my mind wonders and thoughts begin to bounce around in my head like a ball. I find myself just laying there in the dark listening to Sculptured new album embodiment thinking about everything and nothing all at once. Embodiment's lyrics begin to guide my thoughts without my even knowing it. Drifting from chaos of the random and onto loftier things. Like the state of human existence and the emptiness that sometime comes with being human. The music shifts my thoughts again, and I am entranced by the waves of heavy melodies that are flooding over me in seductive pulsating waves. At this moment I am keenly aware of the power of art, of music in particular to open the mind and help expand our consciousness beyond the things we may normally think of as it entertains us. Not long ago I got the chance to chat with Sculptured's Don Anderson about the new album, Embodiment, and music's place in the cosmos. In Taking my Body Apart and Embodiment there are two really small yet very interesting spoken bits. Were those lines taken from anything? Or are they something written for those songs? They are dialogue samples from two films whose subject matter matched my own for this album. I don’t want to divulge what these films are, but I love sampling from movies as I am a huge film fan. So, whenever I have some songs or I’m working on an album I always keep my ears and eyes open for possible film samples. It’s an effective way of bridging the work I do with another artist. I think by being associated with these films contributes to the overall meaning of my work—and maybe vice versa. It’s kind of a cross-fertilization. There was quite a gap in between Embodiment and your last album while you were working with Agalloch were you working on material for this album during that time? I started work on Embodiment immediately after Apollo Ends. I had three full songs, but ended up only keeping one, which was The Shape of Rage. But, I felt like I hit a wall with the songwriting and became disenchanted with what I was writing and metal more generally. Since Agalloch was taking off and I was very into the work we were doing at that time, which was the recording of The Mantle, I decided to just pause work on Sculptured and dive completely into Agalloch. Eventually, after the third Agalloch album I felt ready to take on a new Sculptured album. I also had the opportunity to update my computer software and began using FTP, which enabled me to collaborate with Andy and Dave who both live very far away. So, there were a number of things that helped inspire me to try again with Sculptured. How do you feel what you do in Sculptured is different from Agalloch and other projects you're involved in? I think the musical goals, at least on a smaller level, are different. I like to think that both bands are generally concerned with expanding the genres we find ourselves in and trying to bring something new to the table. However, Sculptured is specifically invested in pushing on harmony and structure way more than Agalloch. I am interested in atonality and surrealism and other ways of arranging notes outside of tonality. Agalloch, for the most part, is very basic when it comes to melody and harmony. But, I think this works in our best interest because with the amount of layering we do both instrumentally and harmonically, its better to work with very simple chord progressions. Agalloch is much more concerned with establishing a mood and atmosphere. Not that mood isn’t on my mind with Sculptured, but I am really more interested in hearing notes arranged in ways I haven’t heard before. I am more interested in experiencing moods I can’t predict. Agalloch is very determined to achieve a preconceived sound and mood. However, with Sculptured, I’d rather let the music decide what it wants to do and show me something I could never anticipate as a musician. Dave Murray, Andy Winter and Tom Walling are all new additions to Sculptured how did they come to join you in this incarnation? Well, I’ve known Tom since high school when we were in a power/speed metal band for two years during that time. When my last singer, Brian Yager, decided to leave, Tom was a perfect replacement. I think he has a voice more suited for this album anyhow. I’ve also known Andy for a few years now since he used to live pretty close to me in Northern Washington. I wanted him to do a solo on one song, but he actually sent keys for the whole song! I loved what he did and he had a nice window of time to work with me, so I kept sending him songs and pretty much let him do whatever he wanted. I think he really helped make this album what it is. As for Dave, he’s a studio musician; I’ve never met him. He is the former drummer for Estradasphere and is just a monster of a drummer. I love the Cynic/Atheist style and have always sort of modeled Sculptured after those bands. Dave is very much influenced by those same bands so he was a really natural fit. He did the drums on his own, without me. In fact, I didn’t even hear the drums until they were done—which is what I prefer. I actually prefer not to have much control, if at all, in Sculptured. I really want the end result to be something much, much greater than its parts—much greater than any of us. And so, I always give everyone complete control over what they individually do. Some of the members don’t even hear what the others are doing until the album is done! The philosophy behind my songwriting is to always function as a kind of intermediary. I like to think that I didn’t really “write” Embodiment, but rather that I made Embodiment “possible” through a series of actions; obviously composing the guitars being a major one, but after that, its really out of my hands. Some of the songs on this album are pretty heavy and seem to spend time questioning existence in different forms. Is it important to you as an artist to write things that make people think and question things around them? Of course, I don’t write for a passive listener. I like to think that I am writing to people who like listening to an album front-to-back with headphones. That is my preferred listening format. Listening to any music should be a two-way process. Both the music and the lyrics should really challenge your level of comfort. If you feel turned off, nauseated, or perhaps pleasure from the music, then that suggests a dialogue is occurring. If you aren’t viscerally involved with a work of art, whether a film, or a piece of music, I don’t think you are really listening closely enough. I am a firm believer in always being aware that you are listening to something or watching a film. This is why I prefer things that point to themselves—‘hey, I am a film, look at me’ or ‘this is a song you are listening to, doesn’t this note sound wrong to you!’ [laughs] After your last album you recorded a song for the Dario Argento film Suspiria, but the track was never used. What ended up happening to it? Are there any plans to use it elsewhere? It did appear on the End Records compilation, Phases: The Dark Side of Music. I came across the official Goblin webpage back in ’99. The guy running it was putting together a tribute album to Goblin. Since I was a huge fan of both Goblin and Argento, I wanted to be part of it. So, I tracked the main theme from Suspiria and, unfortunately, the album never saw the light of day. The guy fell off the face of the earth. I was really upset because I had spent money and time recording this track. Nonetheless, I was happy to have it. I often put it up on MySpace, but there aren’t any plans to do anything official with it yet. Maybe in the future. What do you see next on the horizon for Sculptured? I’d still like to do a fourth album, but I’d like to really simplify things. Embodiment was a real challenge to write and play. So, I’d like to begin subtracting elements and see what I can do with the basic elements of music. I am really interested in minimalism and composers like Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Morton Feldman, and Terry Riley. So, I might try to foster some of those influences for the fourth album. But, of course, Agalloch is again rising on the horizon and I’ll probably be dedicating the next year or two to Agalloch. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 26 March 2008 )
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Dark Nights and David Galas |
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 23 January 2008 |
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Its a rare stormy night in the city of fallen angels. Its colder than death outside as the wind rushes past banging the large branches of the oak tree against my bedroom window. Lightening crashes and in that brief flash I see birds of paradise broken and bent all over the street. My stereo changes discs and David galas is next on the menu. I lay in bed listening to the downpour outside letting David's deep warm sensualvox envelop me. Lulling me into a world that holds my darkest dreams and horrific nightmares. I slowly drift as the world is destroyed outside of my window. A feeling of calm anticipation in the words and music of David galas. There was a time where you thought about giving up music altogether. What got you back into recording again?
Basically, having Vendlus release my music. I was at the point where my life was no longer defined by my work. I felt that I had done everything that I wanted to do in music, and there was no other requirements for me to fulfill. I had the majority of 'thecatalcysm ' recorded, instrumentals and no vocals. I was going to release it for free. I was planning on selling my studio and being done with it. But afterVendlus contacted me, it was sort of the thorn that never let me retire from recording.
How did you get involved with Vendlus? Where you still sending out demos etc after having shelved the idea of pursuing music?
Actually I had not send any demos out. I didn't even consider having my music released on a label. Since the music was not completed yet, it wasn't something that I had planned. I had a few instrumentals up on an mp3 site, and a member of V:28, who was a fan ofLycia, talked Vendlus into contacting me. I was contacted shortly by Joseph of Vendlus, who was in Belarus at the time. So I sent a cd of all these incomplete songs, and it wasn't long before he wrote me back offering to release it.. once it was completed.
If you hadn't decided to go back to music what would you be doing now?
Either cooking at a country club, or, computer tech support.. or working at a radio or television station doing sound editing, production..which actually is somethingI'd like to get into.
For The Cataclysm did you use any of your older material or did you write the album from scratch?
The Cataclysm was a compilation of the music I had written between 1999 and 2005. There were only a couple idea's that I used from back in the early 90's. For example the short piano piece 'the burial'...which is only a clip of a few minute song. I've recently found some of my older material that I created when working withLycia. Including a lost song with Mike Vanportfleet doing the vocals. I'm still debating on releasing them for download..not sure yet. It's mostly just instrumentals.
Before The Cataclysm you were better knows as the bass player and synths for Lycia are there any plans for another album with them?
At this moment, there is no plans. We've recorded a few songs last year. Originally we were planning on producing a full cd, but because of the distance and our busy schedules, it's nearly impossible for us to complete anything. I'd love to produce a full newLycia cd, but the situation seems impossible.. sadly.
You also have another project in the works. How does The Petting Zoo differ from your solo work?
The Petting Zoo is another conduit for my work, it's more aggressive, more experimental and open ended with no actual boundaries. It just gives me more freedom to do whatever I want. I'd like to release at least 1cd a year.
You are currently based out of Kent Ohio what's scene like there? Every time I visit there never seems to be much of anything going on anywhere.
There is no scene. Which is fine with me, I rarely go out and generally hate being around crowds of people. I spend the majority of my time in the studio at home, or watching movies, drinking absinthe and writing. I enjoy theMidwest, it has some beautiful old architecture and the atmosphere works well with what I'm doing at the moment. In the next couple years I'll be moving somewhere back west. Montana, Wyoming or South Dakota.. I'd like an old large house somewhere out in the hills so I can record music, write..sit on my rocking chair on the porch with a bottle of Tequila and a shotgun...watching the rest of the world fall apart.
Are there any plans to do another solo album?
Yes there is. Actually, 2 more at the moment. The Cataclysm is part 1 of 3 releases. The 3 cd's working with each other within one coherent extended collection of work. The music will have a very close resemblance but each cd will have it's own theme. For instance, The Cataclysm being a surreal look at a world in destruction, the failure of mankind, the horror of our existence. The second revolves around my own life, the way I see the world from inside and revealing some of my most true thoughts on the world, people and experiences thatI've had. The third will relate to America.. the Amercian dream, the corruption and it's ultimate demise. It sounds cliche, but it wont be as obvious when it is finished of course.
How do you prefer to create music? The isolation of a solo effort or with the collaboration of a band?
At this moment in time, I like the isolation of doing solo work. I enjoy working with a bands and have often wanted to work again with an established group. It would be nice to lift the weight off my shoulders sometimes. There are a few bands, that if asked, I would drop everything and work with.
You’ve worked with a lot of different people through the years doing recording and production. Who has been you favorite band to work with over the years and why?
I enjoyed Lycia quite a bit. Mike Vanportfleet and I get along very well in the studio. I think it was probably my most productive time. We're both perfectionists, have similar influences and idea's. These days it's more difficult to work with other people and bands. I work 40 hours a week, and have little time to do what I want much less anything else. My website has been neglected for almost a year now.
Are there any plans to tour with this album?
I would love to, but it's just impossible at this point in time for me to do so. If i can get the next two cd's out within a year or two, then I may start thinking about putting together a surrogate band to do an extensive tour and promote the music more than I am now. If I put on a show, I want it to be done correctly, I want something verypowerful to offer my audience. I want the show to be a complete experience.
Anything you want to add before we wrap?
I'd like to apologize for my lack presence, the sad shape of my website and slow production of my work. I hate the idea that I need to work at a full time job, and neglect what I really should be doing. It's just the sad reality of life in this country and I truly believe that people should work way less, and spend more time with themselves, living, reading, doing something other than the sad shallowreceptiveness of American life... spend more time away from the prison of living within a capitalistic society. As a whole, the common people and the workers have lost their freedom and life. I truly believe we're entering into a very changing moment in history, things will get worse before they get better. Sorry for the rant.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 23 January 2008 )
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