lunes, 5 de agosto de 2013

TOTENGEFLÜSTER - ENTREVISTA

In the year 2007 Totleben began writing his first songs. His musical interest were bound to his inspirational roots. He had combined the coldness and anger of black metal with elements of classical music to get an aggressive and cinematic feeling for his music. But his music should not just be instrumental, there for contacting his good friend Narbengrund. Since Narbengrund's talent for writing lyrics were just perfect for the ideas Totleben had in mind, Narbengrund was made a founding member of black metal act "Totengeflüster" (Whisper Of The Dead).

The main goal for Totleben and Narbengrund was to create a coherent and sophisticated piece of art. In this time Totleben was also creating artworks and illustrations for bands such as Necronomicon (Canada), Imperium Dekadenz (Ger), Lyfthrasyr (Ger) and Unlight (Ger). Through his close contact to the bands he met Schattendorn, an already active death metal drummer. Schattendorn told Totleben about his interest in playing in his black metal project. So Schattendorn had by this time become a prominent session and live drummer of Totengeflüster.


During the winter of 2012 they're debut album "Vom Seelensterben" will be revealed to the world for the first time!


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1. Totengeflüster was founded in 2007, how do you decide to create the band? How important was the incorporation of Narbengrund give when musical guidance to the group?, And I finally incorporating Schattendorn, guessed? Totengeflüster stability needed as a band? 

Narbengrund: Well, Totleben had already a couple of song ideas (for example some parts of “Monolog im Mondschein” and “Ein Traumgespinst” very already done) and decided that those would sound much better if some screams would be added… and since we were friends since a long time and already had a band a few years before, he asked me if I’d like to be his singer…
The writing process was mainly an affair of Totleben, but he had close contact to me and involved my ideas into the unborn symphonies…  Schattendorn himself had no influence on “Vom Seelensterben” since he joined during the recording session…

2. Since it was formed in 2007 Totengeflüster been five years until the publication of "Vom Seelensterben". How was the songwriting process for this job? What, five years is a long time, you had always clear that you were going to debut a full disk, or sometime consider the possibility of some other format? 

Narbengrund: It truly has been a long time till we released our debut, but the songs are already some years old… I think our last sinister construct, named “Ein neuer Pfad” was written in early 2010… The years which have passed since then were used to create details within orchestral passages but it also was kind of problematic to record, because Totleben was in the middle of his exams and he was a kind of supervisor during the whole recording sessions. We may have spent a thought about releasing a demo but we wanted to create more than just music, so the whole concept, the artworks, the lyrics and so on had to be perfectly fit together to create this pitch black mosaic. The story for example, wouldn’t be complete if we just released an EP or a demo tape.

3. How is your way to work when recording new songs, all contribute with ideas, or is there a leader who imposes his own? 

Narbengrund: Vom Seelensterben was nearly completely written by Totleben. I’ve contributed some ideas in order to inspire him and to add some cruel sound details into the rotten soundscape, but I did not compose anything. Nowadays Totleben still does most of the composing but his time as lone monarchist is over… He always says that he sees himself as a kind of craftsmen while I am a visionary (But maybe without the required skill of implementation…)



4. Totengeflüster plays a symphonic black at times reminiscent of Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth and the cast of bands overall style 90s. What are your main influences musically? What do you think of the career of the bands listed above? 

Narbengrund: Totleben and I grew up with symphonic black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth, maybe one could say that those bands were our starter drugs and of course those bands listed above were huge musical influences. But apart from this kind of Black Metal, we also all do love the traditional kind of this music… Black Metal is the most intense music I’ve ever heard. I smile at those who can’t understand this art. I smile at those who can’t understand the essence of true art itself. Art is not the sum of all technical skills. A picture painted in black and white can be so much prettier than another which is soaked with all kinds of colours.
Totleben our main composer also listens to a lot of cinematic music, Schattendorn loves bands like Belphegor, Behemoth, Dark Funeral or Marduk, while I prefer bands in the vein of old Shining, Forgotten Tomb or Lifelover.
Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir lost their “magic” a long time ago… I can’t say that their new releases are that bad, they are excellent composed, great ideas, great music but somehow the music became kind of soulless. And if I’m not totally wrong…Emperor is dead since a couple of years, but the newer releases of them also didn’t please me as much as their first ones… 

5. Who has dealt with the design of "Vom Seelensterben"? What relationship can be found between the covers disco music? 

Narbengrund: Everything was designed by Mr. Totleben… We wanted to have an artwork, which perfectly fits to each of the tracks and since he’s a great artwork designer it would be simple stupid to pass the work to someone else. I think the front cover perfectly catches the topic of the album (which could be translated as “(tales) from a dying soul”). The pictures inside the booklet are adapted to the particular lyrics of the songs…

6. Once the album already published. What songs would you highlight about the others and why? 

Narbengrund: it’s hard to say because we all love each one of them. My favourite one is “Blutsegen- die strömende Erkenntnis” but one reason therefor are the lyrics. Totleben likes “Ein Monolog im Mondschein” the most, I think it’s because this one is the most symphonic song. Schattendorn appreciates “Ein neuer Pfad” the most, so there is no real consensus iside the band.

7. Five basic disk in black history. 

Narbengrund:
Mayhem  – De Mysteriies Dom Sathanas:
The true Black Metal cult started with Mayhem and this is their most essential album, even though it is without Dead…

Burzum – Filosofem:
Varg Vikernes may be a very controversial person with some… at least strange opinions but when it comes to music, he’s a simply genius. Filosofem is the essence of darkness and each time I listen to this album it shivers down my spine… 

Dimmu Borgir – Enthrone Darkness Triumphant :
Another disk which changed Black Metal. Along with Stormblast the best Dimmu Borgir album and therefor an essential album for each symphonic Black Metal fan.

Shining – IV The Eerie Cold:
Surely I could mention now bands like Darkthrone, Immortal, Emperor or Marduk but to mention all those classics would went behind the scope so I decided to mention 2 of my personal basic discs:
All Shining albums are amazing but I think the first five are the best. The vocals are incredible, the music is highly depressive but with a very aggressive subliminal touch. I adore how the bass is played and Hellhammer’s drum skills are as always impressive. A must have.

Naglfar – Vittra:
The debut album from this band is still unreached. I love the way Naglfar combines harsh Black Metal sound with a trace of Death Metal and melodies that remind me of a more melancholic version of Iron Maiden. And on top of that Jens Ryden’s fantastic vocal performance! I just can guess why he changed his style that much…This one is highly recommended for each one of you, who loves Black Metal with beautiful melodies! 

8. How did you get started in black metal? What made you consider important in your life so you want to devote yourself to be a musician? 

Narbengrund: I just can speak for myself, it all started with the probably most untrue band of all: Cradle of Filth haha – but I don’t really give a fuck what purist say and by the way, the band doesn’t even call their style “Black Metal”. As time passed by my musical interest developed in much darker realms. This kind of music was the only one which could fill up the hole in my black heart…or maybe it only fed this hole… 
Music is an excellent way express ones feeling, especially those, which can’t be released that easy because they’re not “normal” at all. Darkness grew inside my heart and I had to feed her… Making this kind of music is maybe the most harmless way to do this…



9. Do you have in mind in future to give concert? 

Narbengrund: Yes. 

10. "Vom Seelensterben" was self-released, was not there any label interested in your publication or believes that for a group like yours desktop publishing is the best choice? 

Narbengrund: A few labels were interested but the conditions were not that good and since Totleben could do most of our promotional stuff and the artworks and we could record at a friend’s studio, we realized that it’s smarter to release this record by ourselves. 

11. What future plans do you have with the group in terms of new releases, concerts.. etc? Are you happy with l impact it is having your first album? 

Narbengrund: We’re already composing songs for a new album but we can’t say exactly when it’ll be released and since we don’t have any pressure on part of a label it doesn’t really matter how long it may take. We want to play some shows but according to our actual line-up (problem) it’ll take some time, till we can perform our art… I think spring 2014 will be the chosen season of our live darkening… 

12. Thank you very much for your time, if you want to add something for people who like Totengeflüster, this is the place, thanks. I hope the questions are to your liking.

Narbengrund: Of course I’m proud of “Vom Seelensterben” and all its containing art and I would lie, if I’d say that it doesn’t pleases me, if you like it too, but I, or better we, don’t want to create some mindless light music but make a statement: Totengeflüster is more than just music; it’s a message to all of you out there willing to read the lines in between, willing to hear the unspeakable words and willing to see the forbidden truth.

Regards,
 Narbengrund 


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