GJENFERDSEL – Interview with Iudex

Snowy landscapes and norwegian flag waving on the wind…Two main reasons, why I’ve started to listen to Gjenferdsel’s second album. Then I’ve listen to their debut, after it first demo… So I felt self-fulfilled, when Iudex agreed to answer few questions about music and Norway.

Hello! In Poland you are not very popular- you also haven’t visited our country yet…And how does your popularity looks like in Norway?

Black metal, and Norwegian black metal in particular, aren’t that popular in Norway. A lot of foreigners that come to here imagine Norway to have a greater black metal scene, than it really is. Norway is a small country, and it’s hard to become known as a black metal band here. We have a small and good group of fans in Norway and abroad, and that’s all we need. To be honest, we haven’t really put that much effort in to becoming popular at all. If that was the goal, we would’ve chosen another genre for sure.

I’ve seen your photos in mountains with Norwegian flag- amazing  Actually, how important is your country & nature in music of Gjenferdsel?

I think especially our nature has shaped me a lot as a songwriter. Norway has tons of untouched wild nature, that makes a huge inspiration, and creates an amazing space for creative thoughts.

Was it hard for you to find the name for your band? Why Gjenferdsel- does it mean anything?

The name was the first that came to my head when I wanted to start a black metal band back in 2002. It’s a kind of made up word, that consists of “gjenferd” (ghost/haunt) and “ferdsel” (journey/travel).

Your lyrics are different than these in typical black metal tracks. Why? Was it hard to separate the music from lyrics (what are the lyrics about)?

I don’t think our lyrics are that different from other bands, except from those who are occult. We never mix religious topics into our lyrics, and are may therefore not be considered as a traditional black metal band. I think that we are more a black metal band with folk-influences. Our lyrics are mostly about the mysteries of the human mind, our nature and the interaction between them.

Also in music and sound you sound sometimes….happy or positive. What do you feel when you write/play the music and why do you do it?

What you call happy/positive, is probably the more melodic part of our sound. I guess the folk influences creates an atmosphere and sound that is different to the typical black metal bands. I usually write material when something or someone has had an emotional impact on me somehow, and I therefore expresses those emotions through my music.

How important is the band for you?

I would say that music in general is very important to me, and is a huge part of my life. And the same goes for my own songs and music. I think what’s so special with music, is that it contains different interpretations, memories, associations etc. for each and everybody. The same goes for myself, and therefore are a part of me.

The covers of your albums show mostly ‘typical’ Scandinavian landscape. Who does the artworks for your albums? Is there any connection between covers and visual aspects and the music on the CD?

Both covers are photographed by myself. Both are photographed pretty close where I grew up, and the nature has been a great inspiration to me. I therefore think that these landscapes somehow have played a part in shaping me as a black metal musician. The cover of the last album even has a direct connection to it, as the cover shows a ‘Varde’ on it.

How does your music change between succeeding albums?

We have just released one demo and two albums, but I think we have changed a lot as a band since the beginning. We have definitely improved our sound and production, and we have also evolved as musicians and as a band. I still think that the typical Gjenferdsel-sound is present in all our work.

What could we expect from the next Gjenferdsel album?

I think you will meet a even more matured band, with a bit more developed style. I think our fans will love our upcoming material, as we have improved our style. I think that the upcoming album will be a bit more melodic, but at the same time more intense. I think you will have to check it out, to fully understand.

Do you like performing live? Which tracks do you think are the best to be played during the gigs?

Yeah, we’ve already done some gigs, and they were really a blast for us. The last time was when we did a mini-tour in Russia, and the feedback from the audience were amazing. It’s been a while since last gig now, but it would definitely be good to get back on stage soon. But the plan is to create more material first, and record another album.

Which contact have you got with your fans (get on well with them etc.) ?

A lot of fans contact us directly to tell us how much they like our music, and we’ve even met some of them at our gigs. It’s always great to meet these people, and hear how much they appreciate what we do.

Black metal is now one of the main associations with Norway. What did the popularizing of black metal changed in its sound and perception by other musicians (did it, actually) ?

Apart from production, I don’t think black metal has changed that much as a genre. Of course the earlier black metal bands, have changed their sounds and music by mixing in other genres. So I don’t really think that black metal in itself has changed that much, but I think the bands has changed.

And the last question- what do you think about the Norwegian music scene and underground ?

Actually I’m not that much into the Norwegian music scene anymore. I’m mostly listening to black metal from abroad. I think the Eastern European black metal scene has a lot of interesting things with bands such as Drudkh from Ukraine and Mgla from Poland. And I also think that Australia has a lot to offer with releases from Austere, Nazxul, Woods of Desolation and so on.

Thanks a lot for the interview- the last word is yours ! See you soon 😉

It has been silent around us for a while now, but stay tuned and something good will come! New material is in the making, and meanwhile you can listen to our previous albums at http://gjenferdsel.bandcamp.com!

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