TERRA TENEBROSA - INTERVIEW 2011
1)First I want to congratulate you on you album, The Tunnels. It’s really very good and I think the more I hear it, the more I’ll understand it because it’s not just an album, it’s more like a statement of souls. How did you come about all this?
1. Thank you. We poured a lot of our emotions into the production and hopefully it seepes through when you listen to it. Some of the stuff I originally wrote for Breach and I started playing around with the ideas in my own studio. I did not want it to sound like a continuation of what Breach was doing and that made me more open to different directions I could take. I forced myself to explore the music in ways I wasn´t used to. I was happy with what came out of it and played some stuff for Risperdal who in turn came up with a lot of great ideas. Before we knew it the project had took on a soul of its own.
2) You present yourselves in almost a theatrical manner. You have an image that’s miles from what other bands are doing nowadays and you give no information about who you really are. I agree with this, because I believe the first thing that’s important is someone’s music. All I know is that one of you used to play for my personal heroes/band Breach, am I right?
2. TWO of us used to play with Breach. I don’t think the masked faces and the hidden personas are THAT original but what we wanted was to have Terra Tenebrosa stand on its own with as little connections to the past doings of the members as possible, although together with TNO we came to the conclusion that we would reach more listeners if we outed the connection with Breach. Also we wanted an outfit that would visually correspond to the atmosphere of the music.
3) Your new album has a wide variation of sounds and emotions drifting through it and right when I’m about to let the music pull me down and let me sink, something happens and the record pulls me back up to the surface. Did this happen on purpose on your part or was that just how it came out during composition
3. When I write a song I have a somewhat clear picture of what the end result will be and now since we have our own studio I really can take the time to work with details in a way I never was able to before. We wanted the album to be meditative but not to the point where the listener falls asleep. With some of the songs I thought of the music almost as a guided meditation.
4) The record is called The Tunnels and I swear I feel it’s about the deep tunnels that run through each of us, and we have to be careful because we never know what kind of darkness we could find ourselves in. Am I taking this notion too far?
4. You´re right. The title suggests the inner tunnels and the vast inner universe where one finds both darkness and light. Personally I find darkness more interesting, not speaking in terms of good and evil, but as the unknown where you find things hidden that you can drag out into the light and hopefully something good comes out of it.
5) The atmospheric element that runs throughout almost the whole album brings to mind a sort of black mood and psychology, as if there’s something fundamentally wrong and fucked up with the modern world we live in today. Do you think it’s enough to be just a good person or should we be doing something more than that?
5. I don’t know. What denotes a good person?
6) “When I am king- heads of the old regime will tumble into the baskets at the foot of my guillotine” says Cuckoo at some point. Greek society is still stuck on the old triad of Country-Religion-Family. I wonder does your country, which is considered to be one of the most well developed within the EU, still have remnants of old regimes?
6. The line you cited came out political but it´s got nothing to do with politics. It´s more of a spiritual beheading of old ghosts and ideas in order to transform into a better person.
7) Almost the whole album has a sensation of trying to climb up back into the light. Or is it maybe the silent cries of humans lost forever in the dark? Either way, I believe anyone can climb into the light, the same way everyone can self-improve if they want to. What’s your opinion?
7. Sure. If I didn´t think so I would commit suicide.
8) Psychedelic ambience, hellish bass-lines, a mix of dark-wave sound and repetitive motifs. Harsh vocals, then soft vocals, church-ish whispers and spooky noises… I really can’t figure it all out. I’m just dying for you to tell me something about the lyrics!
8. Then I have to disappoint you. The words are there and if you here them, fine, if you don’t, that’s fine too. Maybe you even hear things that aren’t there. We didn´t want to scribble anything on the listeners forehead. What we wanted was to present an atmosphere or a frame of mind where the listeners can conjure up their own images to meditate upon.
9)When I hear The Arc of Descent, which I one of my favourite tracks, I can imagine Mr.Cuckoo from the booklet running in a black-and-white film noir scenery, with guns and knives, full of hate, slashing at everything in his path that he hates. Is my imagination too wild?
9. well, as for your imagination I don´t have any right to say if it´s too wild or not. Whatever feelings or thoughts that might arise while you listen to music is your own concern. But The Cuckoo is not a violent person
10) I feel the album is more like a ticket for a ride, a trip, rather than just a plain old CD. One reason is because it closes with a really impressive ambient piece, like out of a film score. Quite calm, as if the nightmare is finally over and now we wait to see what else will come our way. What were your ideas while making the album? Did you have a concept?
10. No, not more than what I said before. However we wanted people to feel that the songs were linked to each other and that when you listen to the whole album that you have a kind of sensation of having been on some kind of inner journey.
11) I think you should release it on vinyl as soon as possible! The whole delicacy and power is sort of lost on CD and vinyl is always best for sound and the impression that that the band is actually playing in your living room. Do you have any plans for a vinyl release?
11. I´d love to see it on vinyl but It´s not in my hands. But maybe. I hope so,
12) Are there any plans for live shows in your country? Or maybe a tour across Europe? (Wishful thinking on my part)
12. No serious plans no. Since we are only three we would have to involve at least three more to be able to perform live. If you had asked me 6 months ago it would have been a great big no, so you never know.
13) I have to admit I like the fact that I can detect a sort of Breach sound here- it brings out in me what the album Venom used to. I am not trying to compare so don’t get me wrong. I love Breach and the fact that you are moving in a new direction. What impression do you have of your journey so far?
13. No impression at all. I just wanted to make sure that Terra Tenebrosa wouldn´t come out as a continuation of what Breach was doing. And since I wrote songs for Breach as well it´s not that strange that you might find some similarities.
14) I don’t want to tire you anymore with my ponderings/questions. I really hope the album goes well and you guys are all well and I want to give you my best congratulations yet again. So thank you for bearing with me 14 times, closing remarks are all yours!
14. Thank you!
www.myspace.com/terratenebrosawww.trustnoonerecordings.com
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