Interview с Ihsahn : DARKSIDE.ru

You received quite an appraisal for Arktis. after it was released. If I may ask, what is your attitude to positive feedback: does it feel well-deserved and relaxing or it is rather humbling and motivates you to reach for a higher peak?

Over the years, I think I’ve developed a healthy distance to both positive and negative feedback. In the early days it was necessary, because all you got for playing extreme music was negative, and later I found that it is very hard for an artist to be in sync with the audience, other than in a live show. That is not to say I’m immune, and I am of course encouraged to keep on going when people are connecting to my music in a positive way. And, as a music fan myself, knowing how deeply some music has moved and affected myself, I am always humbled if some people might have a similar experience with my music.

You deliberately took a step away from your usual work patterns on Das Seelenbrechen. Today, when your last album has been released, do you feel that "break" brought any meaningful changes to your working routine?

Absolutely! At the time it

was really important for me to reset some of the parameters for my approach to music. I always admired artists who could express themselves very spontaneously, whereas metal or extreme metal never left very much up to chance or improvisation. So basically, Das Seelenbrechen was in all intent meant to be a very pure black metal expression. Not necessarily in shape and sound, but in atmosphere. I wanted to go back to the state of mind before having the technical experience, like when we recorded the first Emperor releases, going by pure intuition, with focus on how I wanted the music to feel. As a contrast to this very improvised approach, I wanted to embrace traditional songwriting with Arktis., but I feel the experience of making Das Seelenbrechen has left me with some very important lessons that I now bring into all my work.

Personally I like Das Seelenbrechen for the sense of unpredictability and sort of 'sophisticated' music style. Are you interested in repeating such (or similar) experiment under Ihsahn name someday?

It all depends. Having had the privilege of writing and recording music for over 25 years

, a big challenge is finding new ways of expressing myself. Not so much for the sake of being experimental or provoking, but rather as a means to keep myself excited and enthusiastic. The simple philosophy that: if I’m not fired-up and passionate in the process of making the music, I cannot expect anyone to be very excited about listening to it either. For every new album I start, I make myself some basic parameters to go by, whether to do a very improvised record, like Das Seelenbrechen, or to write an album entirely with a piano sound first, like Eremita. The key is to trust the process. That, regardless of instrumentation and technique, if done with honesty and integrity, the end result with come out sounding like yourself.

Going back to Arktis. talk, I must mention that I appreciate the visual contribution to the physical album no less than a musical one. Could you please tell us where the promo shoot took place?

Thanks. Well, I started out having all these arctic images as an inspirational source during the writing process, and I found out that many of them were photos taken by Norwegian explorer,

Fridtjof Nansen. I ended up getting permission from the Norwegian National Library to use the original photos for the album artwork. For the promo shots, it was natural to keep that arctic feel, so we took winter pictures, but locally where I live and not in the Arctic.

Also, you have already talked about a clear connection of visuals (exploration of the Arctic) and musical concept in previous interviews. Still, could you spare a thought about what was born in your mind first - visual (in this sense – the Arctic) or musical side?

I think the root of this inspiration is my fascination for the bluish ice color. Perhaps this was imprinted in me early on by having such a strong relationship to Iron Maiden’s “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”? The Arctic. So desolate and hostile, yet beautiful. There are so many aesthetic and philosophical attributes to these landscapes, especially for a black metal related expression.

If it is not too rude to ask - are there any ideas or workings in progress for a new album? Can your followers expect new "big" collaborations to come?

In fact, I’ve

started writing and recording very recently. But, I have not gotten to the stage where I consider collaborations or guests, as that often comes in very late in the process.

While I was preparing for the interview, I learned that you consider black metal to be an ode to non-conformity rather that being a collection of clichés from any given religion. Do you consider yourself working under a black metal star/mark these days?

Definitely. Most important is the core source of inspiration. The driving force to express. Though abstract, still a very identifiable ideal. Every new song or album is another attempt to reach that ideal, to reach the summit from another side of the mountain. Also, I cherish the uncompromising ideal of black metal, and as such will not accept any rules or limitations to how I perform and develop my black metal.

Moreover, does it take more devotion from a person who decided to tread on a black metal path in comparison with artists from other genres derived from heavy metal?

I think musicians should be equally devoted to what they play, regardless of

genre. As an example, it is typical for young bands to present their music as “just for fun….nothing serious” as a preconditioned excuse, in case people don’t like it. My response has always been: if you don’t take your music seriously, why should I? There is so much music created with heartfelt devotion, why waste anyone’s time with something half-way?

What is your attitude to the new bands who are eager to play symphonic black metal nowadays - are they successors or rather imitators of pioneers of the genre?

Again, this comes down to integrity and what they allow themselves to be. If you love symphonic black metal and your ambition is to play and write something that sounds similar, most likely the result will come out as an imitation. If you connect with the atmosphere of such dark music and have a burning desire to fill that void inside with ravaging sounds of inhuman proportions, the result may be slightly different…

Based on your rich background as a leader of the band and solo artist could you name any particular challenges an one-man band or a solo musician may encounter today (apart fr

om obvious financial limits)?

Well, the good things about working solo are: creative liberty, no limitations as to what kind of ensemble to write for, it is easier to collaborate with a wider range of creative and inspiring people, and, I guess, financially there are no splits. Downsides are of course lack of creative push-pull, you have to do all the boring work of a band alone too. In the end, it is all a matter of preference. Some people love the creativity in a band, others, like myself, prefer a more egocentric, narcissistic and solitary approach.

Did the matter of importance of studio equipment change throughout the years for you?

I guess my equipment has changed very much in time with technological advances, and my dependence on having a studio to work in has grown. But I think the mindset of using recording as a tool to write music has been very present throughout my career. I remember using an electronic organ to play rhythm loops and bass pedals, while playing guitar on top. I got my first 4-track recording setup at age 12 and started recording demos. I was introduced to computer sequencing while

in the studio recording the first Emperor MLP and all ready with “Anthems…”, I arranged all keyboards in advance with a computer. However, we always used a simple tape recorder in the process of writing also in the rehearsal space and I believe I wrote the majority of guitar riffs for “IX Equilibrium” on a voice-memo recorder. These days, I very often develop ideas immediately in the studio, but as it happens, I’ve recently been writing and recording several ideas on the voice-memo app on my phone while being out of the studio, so I think it is great to change up the procedure.

Do you possibly listen to pop music nowadays (and if yes, to what bands?)? What do you think about pop culture overall as it is today?

I listen to all kinds of music really, including pop. Of more contemporary artists, I guess, stuff like James Blake and Radiohead is worth mentioning, but I also go back and enjoy early A-ha or Abba for that matter. As for popular culture, I think a majority of the material you find in the “midrange” of popularity, is very mediocre and hollow. However, I have a theory that the economic downfall of the music business ha

s lead more musicians to do creative music for it’s own sake in the underground, rather than trying to “make it” by adapting to major record labels. At the same time, the top producers are so independent that they share this uncompromising way of making music, and hence reshape popular culture. Take Kanye West’s “Yeezus” album for example… Hardly very commercial in production or lyrics, but a commercial success nonetheless. He also pulled back his latest release to change it and release it again… That is uncompromising. In a way, I miss this kind of “fuck it all” attitude in the metal world, as it has somehow become very politically correct.

November will mark two unique Ihsahn shows in Russia. What can fans expect from the performance? I mean whether you already have any special thoughts on a set list in mind.

I believe my setlist will be very much in line with what I’m currently doing live, which I think is a dynamic set that span over most of my musical expression, both extreme and softer.

From the other hand, do you expect to experience something new in terms of fans' feedback while performing in Russia?

I must say I am very excited to finally come to Russia! I know the Russian scene is strong, but having never been to Russia in any capacity, I don’t know really what to expect. Still, in my experience, when traveling to any part of the world to play shows, I meet people who grew up on Iron Maiden etc., just like me, so we a have a lot in common, so any cultural differences, etc. beyond that is like an added bonus and an enrichment.

And, finally - what book is currently on your nightstand?

Knut Hamsun: “Wanderers”.

Thank you and looking forward to Russian shows!

Thank you! Very much looking forward to the shows. See you there!

Interviewer – Mitrevna, Lexy Dance
Thanks a lot to SPIKA CONCERT AGENCY for their help.
5 ноя 2016 the End


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Ihsahn

There is so much music created with heartfelt devotion, why waste anyone’s time with something half-way?

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Mitrevna

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