Mortiis, ex-Emperor bassist, speaks about his music and future plans here.
Could you give us some idea of the concept behind Keiser av en dimension ukjent?
A lonesome spirit travelling the realms of his own kingdom. The titles mean "Emperor of a Dimension Unknown."
How would you describe your songwriting/recording process?
I write songs piece by piece and then put the pieces together making them into songs; the recording process is a part of this.
This is your third album, and I personally feel it contains some of the best aspects your previous two albums. Do you have any comments about your progress?
Not really. I sort of agree, and must hasten to add that the newer stuff, released and unreleased, is my best yet (in my opinion, that is).
In your music, I hear a bit of Univers Zero, Present and other such bands. I also hear some classical influences. Could you comment on your influences, musically as well as conceptually?
Conceptually I am inspired only by thoughts and ideas conceived by me. Musically I may be picking up ideas here and there, forming these into my own sort of creations. I have only heard a few minutes of Univers Zero, never heard Present, and was never really into classical music that much, even though certain structures/arrangements did impress me.
What's currently happening with Vond? Is there something new to be released?
Currently I am working on the artwork for the second album The Dark Revier, to be released through Dark Dungeon Music in October.
I've also heard you have an EP titled Blood and Thunder, but I've not been able to find it anywhere. Can you shed some light on this?
I can. It was released earlier this year on Primitive Art Records, in 500 copies on purple vinyl including a poster. This sold out very shortly, therefore you did not find it.
What do you think of the current music scene, particularly the rise of the black-ambient-atmospheric music in the underground?
I suppose people will always have the urge to do something that other people have done before them. I don't know. I don't even know why I personally started doing this kind of music. I think it was because I was deeply into that sort of music then. I suppose the rise of black-ambient-atmospheric music, as you call it, may be good to some and bad to others. I don't think I am able to comment on this.
What's your favourite music? That is, what music do you listen to and currently like?
I have always been addicted to Heavy Metal (hello Tiziana!) and I suppose that is where my heard is and always has been. Some people may notice that quite often my song structures are based on HM song structures. That is to say, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, etc.
There is a tendency for people to associate black/atmospheric metal as being anti-Church or anti-Christian also. Do you subscribe to these philosophies, and if so, to what extent?
I subscribe to no religion or any orthodox philosophy. And having said that, I would like to add that I feel that anti-Christian ways of life are almost getting orthodox these days. My views upon things stretches beyond the spheres of man.
What are your future plans?
To get the new Vond out. I have a few possible concerts in Germany again, another concert in Sweden this month. Also to release the 2nd 12" in the series. Also there is a 10" coming up with a project I produced, on Dark Dungeon Music.