Tyskland
06.12.09
Tyske Fäulnis med Seuche i spissen representerer ikke det inntrykket som folk flest har av sortmetall. Han unngår alt hatet, og religion bryr han seg ikke særlig om, men innser at det kan være en rettesnor for noen i livet.
Fäulnis
spiller opp-punket sortmetall med en viss Shoegaze faktor. Mange liker å sammenligne bandet med aktører som
Lantlôs
og
Amesoeurs,
men den sammenligningen gjør bare Seuche oppgitt. Liker man Lifelover godt vil man kanskje også falle for tyskerne i Fäulnis. Bandets nye album, Gehirn Zwischen Wahn und Sinn, byr på mye kreativ vokalbruk og noen obskure samplinger. Produksjonen er klar og mektig og musikken likeså. Undertegnende har tidligere skrevet en
rosende omtale
av Gehirn Zwischen Wahn und Sinn.
First I must congratulate you with the success of the release of your new album Gehirn Zwischen Wahn und Sinn. I was very excited with it and I see that you got 9,5/10 from a German metal webzine as well. A slightly dumb question I guess, but are you as excited about this release as many other people seem to be?
"First of all, thank you for your commendatory words! Of course, I am very satisfied about the result of this two-year-project. It was a very hard and disturbing process, especially the final recordings. It's a mental thing, I don't really like studio-atmosphere at all. I have to get in the right mood in an exactly specified moment, I hate it! I am proud of my comrades who spent much time with me in the
Cheops Crypts
! However listening to the finished master-CD at home on highest volume and relaxing was one of the best moments for me this year. Everything else, positive reactions and reviews, are a nice bonuses, but in the end not the reason why I create music with
Fäulnis
."
In your own words, how would you describe the sound and feel of Fäulnis?
"Fäulnis
is depressive Punkrock with a Black Metal-basement and authentic with penetrative and distant lyrics. This is sort of the essence of
Fäulnis
. We could talk for hours about the meaning of this short explanation, but the next questions and answers will give some examples, so let me stop here."
Gehirn Zwischen Wahn und Sinn is the second part of a trilogy called
Verfall Eines Individuums
. Can you please give the readers a background story on this trilogy and especially tell how this second part fit in with the concept of the trilogy?
"When I started
Fäulnis
in 2003 I created this trilogy around an unnamed protagonist under the title
Verfall eines Individuums
(eng.:
The decay of an individual
). The trilogy leads this protagonist through
eruption
(
Cholerik – Eine Aufarbeitung
) -
insanity (
Gehirn zwischen Wahn und Sinn)
- and -
death/ breakup
(
Endstation
). There were some finished stories those days, but nowadays it seems a bit profane to me, following my first ideas, so I began to use the trilogy as a central theme but changed now into a wide scope of interpretations. For example, the “death-theme” got a new meaning. In 2003 death was meant as the profane killing of the protagonist. The last years I collect a lot of new input, “Letharg” was an important thought in this case, even “Kommando Thanatos” with its theme. The title
Gehirn zwischen Wahn und Sinn
is a German play on words, difficult to translate, especially for an English-language-moron like me... Brain between delusion and sense -> Wahnsinn = insanity. And the exactly aware use of the physical-term “Gehirn/ Brain” instead of for example “soul”. Originally this second part should describe the becoming-insane of the protagonist after the killing in part one. But after all I decided to remove all pathos, lots of metaphorics (the essence of “Cholerik”) and fiction and set the point of view on the real thought behind
Fäulnis,
my own experiences with, for example, insanity."
Musically, how would you compare this album to the first part entitled Cholerik: Eine Aufarbeitung²?
"I think, there are very important differences between
Cholerik – Eine Aufarbeitung
and
Gehirn zwischen Wahn und Sinn.
The first release was my first musical expression at all. An intuitional breakout, less quality in a musical sense but very brutal in its psychical presentation. Today I am surprised about the very curious atmosphere, based on my personal condition these days.
Gehirn zwischen Wahn und Sinn
is much more elaborated, structured and sensible recorded. On the one hand you grow as a musician from release to release, on the other hand you musn´t lose the most important fact, the atmosphere, the soul of the project. I think,
Gehirn zwischen Wahn und Sinn
is the style of music, had in mind, when I started with
Fäulnis.
But now I have to step forwards!"
In the review I mentioned that I found it difficult to compare the musical outcome of Gehirn Zwischen Wahn und Sinn with other bands. I mentioned Lifelover due to constant change of vocals and odd samples. For instance you have the sound of a train on rails and a guy coughing/puking in the toilet. This is to fit in with your parole of making musing in the sick black art way, correct?
"My releases are not really meant for easy listening. I want to transport a feeling.
Gehirn...
has a focus on the everyday-grey, insanity between concrete, white walls, long aisles and a brain ere to exitus. On the one hand there is the music but on the other hand these atmo-parts. By the way, everyone heard me puking in the toilet? Do they hear what they want to hear? Hm the vocals. I am not a really good vocalist, I only cry and whisper and shout out, trying to include all of my inner feelings. Emo, eh? Less technical..."
I feel Fäulnis effectively mix black metal with upbeat and vicious punk riffs. You also, however, throw in traditional rock and doom elements and create a quite innovative mix. Some people like to compare Fäulnis with
Lantlôs
and
Amesoeurs
due to this hybrid black/post punk playing style. Why do you think it's becoming popular to mix traditional black metal with more alternative stuff? Are we all sick of the old school
praise satan
way of composing music?
"Why does everybody mention these two bands in one sentence with
Fäulnis
? I never heard a full album of both of them, but already the Myspace-stuff was enough to get uninterested... Good musicians for sure but not my cup of tea... Nearly every style is on progress... And sometimes subordinated to hypes and trends. I don´t know what
we
are, but in my opinion, the raw old Black Metal is very important at every time. Besides “we” are not sick of all the
praise satan
- bands, we are sick of these imitating clowns. The problem today is the will of popularity instead of some more idealistic and candid intentions."
What would your response be if someone said that Fäulnis is just another generic suicidal black metal band?
"Read the lyrics or fuck off!"
I like all the mood changes displayed on your new album. You go from utterly depressive parts to more upbeat and victorious moods. The vocals reflect this as there are pained shrieks, distant and despairing vocals, more exhilarated vocals and so on. There is obviously a lot of emotion packed into things here as your voice goes from whispers to screams. Is it quite a personal album and would you say the music somehow reflect your own personality?
"Yes. Sorry for this short answer, but this is the point!"
Phil from Ophis made a fine guest vocal contribution on the track Weisse Wände. Can we expect guest appearances on your next release as well?
"I think so. I like this way of experimentation and I have some new ideas how to integrate some guests on the next release. By the way, check out
Ophis
Stream of misery
, very intense Death-Doom!"
What can you tell the readers about the last part of the trilogy called “Endstation”? Is it already written and recorded?
"I will start composing the next weeks. It will, however, take some time. I don´t really want to tell anything about the style of music. For sure, I will compose “metal”-specific music in the future as well but
Endstation
will be much more experimental. Don´t expect some lame two-fingers Ambient, that's why I don´t want to talk about it in details now. Sorry! But one point should be told: The whole project will be released as a free download. Not just some mp3-Files, but an adequate presentation, of course with printable artworks and an extensive PDF with the whole
Fäulnis
-story included. I will release a small edition for collectors, too. Also a vinyl-edition would be great. Labels out there: Get in contact!"
When can we eventually expect it?
"2011?"
My feelings regarding Gehirn Zwischen Wahn und Sinn tell me that I truly believe your music is really heartfelt. So I'm interested to know what music you mainly listen to and from where you gather your inspirations come to create this truly sick and awesome art.
"I take my inspirations from everywhere around me, not just music. I don´t listen to much of this nowadays sick-called stuff, especially the mentioned DSBM is boring in most cases. Just a handful of bands I like in this sub-genre. All these Silencer-clowns are bullshit. As I said, I listen to much different styles of music. The
sickness
of
Fäulnis
comes from my fucked up brain and bleeds on the music I compose with this shit I see behind my eyes. Stop being so enthusiastic, haha, I am starting to get arrogant right now!"
The production is quite powerful and modern sounding. Not what I expected from an underground black metal act. Can you please tell us about the recording process, the studio you used and other interesting facts? Did you run into any problems?
"We recorded the album in the
Cheops Crypts
, a small home-recording-studio. Little equipment, but a group of hard working men behind me. Hm, interesting facts... I told, I hate studios. The first day we started I played the first riffs, for
MorgenGrauen
. Overstressed and fucked upped I was thinking about breaking up after four hours being totally annoyed of everything. Fortunately my comrades were more relaxed. The next time was more creative. But I will never understand how you can have fun while recording an album besides amusement-music."
What is your description of what real black metal is?
"This experience have everyone to make for himself."
What would you say is the status of the Norwegian black metal scene as of today? Compared to Germany's?
"Hm, difficult, I don´t know the status of Black Metal at all, but the times Norwegian Black Metal was the spearhead of the scene are over, sorry man, he-he. There are so much different (sub-)scenes today you can´t speak about them in a few sentences. Orthodox underground, the mainstream, progressive stuff, the every-year-new-hypes and so on... I can´t compare both scenes, I was never in Norway. But I like the differences of music regarding to different countries. Every country has its own staining."
What is your opinion about religion and the effect that it has on people? Which are the positive and negative things that you can detect?
"I am not interested in religions. Religion gives people a point of view, but this point you can detect as positive and negative."
Alright Seuche, it's time to wrap up the interview. Thanks a million for your effort and please continue to create wicked extreme music. The last words are yours!
"And again, thanks for supporting
Fäulnis!
If you, the reader, are interested in
Fäulnis.
you can download our stuff for sure, but if you like it, buy it! Ask for distributors in your country or get Fäulnis-Stuff at www.sickblackart.de ! I am not talking about commerce, I am talking about fairness for all the hard working musicians/ artists out there! Regards to Norway!"
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