The Lodge @ Thou Shalt Suffer Interview

Thou Shalt Suffer
an interview with Ihsahn

Why did you wish to maintain the moniker for your new musical enterprise (since it represented the pre-Emperor era, with a quite dissimilar sonority) and the nature of the name?
Thou Shalt Suffer was the name I worked under when I chose to do this solo album in 1991 and even though many things have been re-evaluated, re-arranged and changed since then, I did not see the point in changing it now. After all, the contents on the album are from different periods between 1991 and 1999, so I preferred to keep some things as they were.
If some should find this misleading by any means, that will have to be their problem.

Why Somnium for a title (the Latin for Dream)? I thought it might had to do with the lyrical stance, since I have read several years ago that you would apply Latin lyrics for your initial release. Tell me why did you make a decision to abandon this thought and the cause for not adding a title to each symphony (rather baptising the album as a whole)?
Personally, I find it easier to write instrumental music, as lyrics and words do not "come" as easily to me as music does. Initially I had five lyrics for this album, but as I mentioned above, many things have changed since I started, so I chose to use only one of them. Despite the few sentences that are sung on the album, I still regard it as instrumental. I have also left out track titles and more or less kept it clean of anything but the music. My intentions have become, during the years I have been working with this, to make an album with contrast and atmospheric range, without making the themes too concrete. Also considering the concept Somnium (the dream), the themes are themselves abstract and do not portray concrete views or atmospheres, only vaguely.

Enlighten me regarding the composition method of Somnium (including the technique of creating a symphony from scratch to completion, if you assorted old song fragments with new ones and if the music has fluctuated that much ever since your first visions). Were the recording, production, mix and master done at Symphonique? How many tracks did you use to assemble the recording and what synthesizers do you employ?
You could say it has been musical experiments, exercise and curiosity. Due to my gradual enjoyment of soundtracks and classical music, I have found it very appealing working with this kind of instrumentation and arrangement. I think my ambitions for this album have outgrown each other through different "experimental" periods and they probably would have kept on doing that if I had not chosen to finish this once and for all. I feel I have learned quite a bit from this process, both musically and technically, as I have done this only in my own studio, except the mastering (at Strype Audio).
As for technical details; since I have 6 outputs on my JV1080 and 16 on my E4XT Ultra, I did not have to record this physically down on multi-track tape or HD. So, I mixed it down to DAT with a rather unconventional loop through an MPX1 and an Art tube pre-amp.

The album seems to blend classical music sound-walls with electronic passages (especially the second track). How were you motivated to create such a brand of harmony and prior to attend that Rock colloquium many years ago (the time when you meet up with Samoth), have you ever had any classical preparation (or) education? Do you believe that classical music is the most suitable and unquestionable outline of channelling your feelings (especially through the piano)?
Firstly, I chose to bind the album together with these more "technological" mid-parts to create contrasts. I also think this presents the true nature of this album. It is not merely a "classical simulation" nor is it a "wannabe soundtrack". Though, of course highly influenced by both soundtracks and classical music, I do not wish to necessarily compare or measure this product to them. Secondly, apart from piano lessons (which I was never any good at), I have taken singing lessons and recently Ihriel and me have taken private lessons with a composer. I have no formal musical education, but I think I am always eager to learn more, regardless of the formalities.
Lastly, music is my main medium of artistic expression. Whether distorted guitars or flutes play, it is a matter of instrumentation, arrangement and judgement.

Some classical composers were controversial individuals and ultimately felt like outcasts in their decadent epoch (due to their viewpoints on Life and acute beliefs). I believe every performer feels approximately the same way, since one must seize an outsider view to awaken "every soul in slumber" (in a manner of speak). How do you feel in the new millennia and how do you analyse society and the way Man is leading to his own downfall? Do you think Mars in the solution?
This is a very wide subject to discuss and a monologue from me at this point would be too long and too boring. But to answer the last; I believe Mars has been tried as solution since the beginning of mankind and what do we get? "Same shit, new wrapping", as they say. No, give Venus a chance.

According to traditional significance, a Satanist is "(...) a person branded to be a Devil worshipper (...)". You describe yourself as a Satanist, though I judge you boast a more intellectual philosophy of it than merely the reverse. What is for you the factual denotation of Satanism? Do you indulge in own rituals, with the aim of achieving Wisdom and are you really concerned in relation to definitions of your persona with correlation to your portrayal as such? How'd you hold this remark: "Death is essential to understand Life"?
Satanism is the way I see it (as most "isms"), a philosophical and religious system where you can attach thoughts and emotions to icons and symbols, in order to systemise, measure and understand them easier and also to signal your views and individuality unto your surroundings. Satanism, or any other "ism" for that matter, does no longer capture the essence of my nature and is therefore no longer a sufficient medium alone through which I can "breathe".
Questions on life and death are often directly or indirectly the essence responsible for many of the "isms". Nevertheless, they are important and delicate (too important and delicate for me to make quick comments on in an interview). I exchange the portions of these views that I wish to share, in my music.

Speaking of Art; I once read that in addition of your musical leanings, you were also a visual artist. Do you still maintain this activity, or does music take all of your time? Do you have any panels you might wish to use in the future for your musical assignments (if at all), or will you just keep them for personal purposes? As far as literature is concerned, whom do you reckon to be your authors of election and works?
My "career" as a painter was very private, very short and resulted in less than few "masterpieces". In other words, I have always liked drawing and I tried painting for a short while, but I suppose I was a bit over-ambitious when I considered doing the Thou Shalt Suffer cover myself. I think I'll stick to music.
As for authors, there are quite a few books I would like to read before I reveal my favourites in public, as I will probably change my mind several times before I feel I have read enough to make such a statement.

In what concerns Music, how do you sight Black Metal and Emperor in the towering hierarchy of the milieu? You were undoubtedly the pioneer of a brooding technique, but hasn't most of the magic and the dark atmosphere been lost over the years? Do you intend to revive a little of the mystical grip into Emperor's sound, yet giving it a fuller range simultaneously?
I have had quite a few remarks concerning Emperor's atmospheric development. Some people seem to prefer In the Nightside Eclipse, some Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk and some IX Equilibrium; some even prefer Wrath of the Tyrant. It is all a matter of taste and it is the same for me. I write music to the best of my abilities at the given time. If that equals the listeners' expectations, is not up to me to decide.

In the future, are you forecasting to take part in a live-set with Thou Shalt Suffer? If so, are you envisioning several dramatic performances? Inform me about your consequent plans.
I have not been able to make any further plans for Thou Shalt Suffer, as right after I finished Somnium, we recorded the Peccatum EP, Oh, My Regrets (which will be out shortly). Since then we have worked with material for the next Peccatum full-length, Amor Fati, which we aim to finish in time for a September release.Meanwhile, new Emperor songs are in progress.
Thank you also for a well-formulated and interesting interview. I hope my answers made sense, even though I did not fully discuss all the issues.

© 2004 The Lodge

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