An Interview with Teloch [Mayhem, NunFuckRitual, Nidingr]

[Note: This is a span of technically three interviews – which is why you may notice a difference in changes. The first interview has major cell reception issues… Second interview didn’t all get recorded… And third interview – Teloch was VERY nice to fill in the blanks – with that all said, THANK YOU Teloch AGAIN for being so nice to doing these re-do’s over and over and over! 🙂 — Photo on the left by Carsten Aniksdal.]

When you were writing the NunFuckRitualAlbum album, how did everything start to materialize in your mind?

Materialize?

Yeah.

It evolved into a couple of songs. I have my friend, Espen [Hangård], who was doing the vocals and [inaudible]…But, I saw them as songs and he really liked them and he put some bass and vocals on it… And then it suddenly turned into a whole album and then I contacted Dan Lilker and Andreas [Jonsson] ….And then I recorded the drums and the guitars in Oslo and then recorded the bass in [inaudible], and then… [Call breaks up.]

The NFR music is very ambient and very intriguing, I really enjoy it, what kind of journey do you feel that you take the listener on every time that they listen to your album?

I don’t know… I want people to feel sad and lonely like there’s no hope left, you know? But it’s all about atmosphere. It’s all about pain. I want people to feel pain.

You’ve said before NFR is a very visual band… When you were writing the album, how did you take those visions in your mind and transform them into songs?

I don’t know, it just happens. Sometimes I get this [feeling] and go with the flow, and stuff happens. Stuff happens. That’s just the way it is.

I’ve had many artists tells me it ‘happens’ and can’t explain it…

It’ll always be like that for me, I guess to  make a specific song or anything I’ll just sit down sometimes I’ll have this weird feeling and then I will transform that into music. I’ve never planned anything, I just have to sit down and say to myself, “Now I want to make a Mayhem song.” Or “Now I want to make a NunFuckRitual song.” I’ve never just– I can’t really control it.. (laughs) Like it’s hard for me to stick to one specific type of metal or style.

Music has a sense of being alive, it has movement, and it’s dynamic… Whether it be with any band you’re in or have been a part of; how did you bring that life into the music and albums you recorded?

I pick up the guitar and I record it. (laughs)

(laughs) Ok.

Yeah, I don’t know, it’s just the way it is. (laughs)

How were you able to capture that certain energy on the NFR album; that really dark energy…Did it just happen too? (laughs) Or what?

Being alone and sitting in the dark; computer and recording; layers upon layers, just pulling the whole thing apart and arrange things. I don’t know, I have this weird– I can’t control it.. So, it just happens. (laughs) Of course there is something dark inside me that creates this, but it’s fun. (laughs)

What is it that creates that darkness that you just said you have inside of you though?

I’ve always been fucked up. So, I’ve always been very depressed ever since I was a kid. I was born depressed or something, I don’t know, and that’s inside of me. I’m not complaining, I’m just embracing it. I’m just doing something else than doing something stupid or something.

What is something that really impacted you that really made you view music in a different way?

I think it just… I was just born this way. It’s not like I pretend to be someone I’m not. It’s just the way I am, just the way I was born. So, yeah I’m not going out shooting people or doing something stupid. I’m actually trying to make something positive out of the negative.

Earlier I asked you how you feel your album with NFR takes the fans on a journey; how would you describe the journey you’ve been on throughout your entire music career?

(laughs) I don’t know. There’s only something so much that you remember [over the entire journey]. (laughs) So, I don’t remember everything!

Ok, well what would be some of the most important parts that you maybe do remember from that journey then?

Ok, the most important thing actually is what I’m doing right now, is Mayhem. I think that’s very important.

When you’re up on stage performing, since Mayhem is the most important part of your journey, when the energy is just right between you and the crowd, what does that feel like for you?

Actually I’m not very fond of playing live. Yeah, because I think it’s hard. Hard to connect with people who I don’t know in a way, but I just try to show them the hate in my guitar playing and the [inaudible] in music, trying to look like I care what I’m doing, but I’m really not. (laughs)

I read that you were working on a new Mayhem album, when is that going to come out?

I don’t know about the release, but it should be in 2012 sometime, that’s what I’m hoping for…

[[Second/Third interview!]]

In the last interview you were talking about, you said you like to turn the negativity into positivity; how exactly do you do that with your music?

Its just like, If I feel depressed or down, I pick up the guitar and try to make a song that describe the feeling I have, instead of sitting there and let the feeling take me over completely, well at least I try, sometimes its too late already, haha.

I’ve had a couple of artists, mainly from Scandinavia tell me that music speaks to them when they’re writing, if that makes any sense, and when you’re writing, does any of the music speak to you, in a way, and make you write those songs?
In a way yeah, as soon as I made a riff the whole thing is usually going on automatic.

You said, you don’t necessarily write black metal, it just depends what mood you’re in; what kind of musical identity do you feel you have through all of your music, or what kind of identity do feel that you have?
I dont know, its something rooted in Metal of course.

[Off subject black metal conversation about how black metal isn’t what it used to be…]

In my opinion NFR has that black metal sound to it, in a sense, though…
[Teloch went on rant no, it doesn’t…]

Well, how would you describe it, then?

I would not, I would let people listen to it their selves, its not up to me telling people what kind of music this is, people can choose what they will call it.

You have passion for music, and I know you don’t like to use the labels of black metal, but I know you’re drawn towards it, otherwise you wouldn’t be in Mayhem if you weren’t, because you told me last time, that it was your most important part of your journey, being in the band. So, what in the beginning attracted you music and black metal, in general? — Was it the craziness surrounding it, the rebellion; what was it?

It was the first albums that came out here in Norway that turned me on to the black metal thing, I had already been playing Death Metal for many years, so for me it was a natural step to take.

Were you with Mayhem at Hellfest 2011 when they were on stage with human remains?

Yes. [Tells a story about having to smuggle 16 bodies of human remains from Germany to France for this show…]

When are you guys going to be back in the US?

Nothing is planned at the moment, looks like we are spending the year mostly planning the new album before going on any long ass tours again. But then again, this is Mayhem, so one never knows.

Well, try to smuggle those 16 bodies of human remains here soon…Or come back with decapitated pig heads!

[He mentions they had decapitated pig heads on the last US tour and I inquire, naturally…]

Yeah, we had some pigheads in the back of the bus, but we totally forgot to use them. But they where not in the living area, they where under the bus somewhere.

When did you realize music could have darkness to it?
I think it was after hearing De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas [Mayhem].

I was watching a video that Dimebag Darrel did a long time ago and he was talking about how music back when it was just done in one take and only was on vinyl record, had no computers to make it ‘perfect’, it had it’s most honest parts to it… What are the most honest parts about your music, do you believe?

Not sure about that, because I usually are doing disinformation all the time, so I cant tell if my music is honest…Many of the riffs I make is just to make black metal sound like shit.