SOME MUCH FOR NOTHING INTERVIEW

December, 2015

Hi Erik, How are you lately?

Hello, and thanks for your interest in So Much For Nothing. I guess I’m ok. It rarely helps to whine and complain all the time, so I try not to bother anyone with it.

Your album Livsgnist is released on Jan, 2012. How are the reactions, reviews for the album from press, fans and your label My Kingdom Music? Do you have any plans for a new album recently?

The album got massive critics when it was released. It sticks out from the normal metal release and because of that, I guess it gained some extra cred from the review writers, in addition to the simple fact that it’s a really solid album in the first place. I’ve also gotten lots of feedback from people saying this and that about how good this shit sounds, so that’s of course a positive thing along all this negativity. As for a new album; all songs are written, but I’m not finished with all the lyrics and vocal arrangements yet. After tons of delay, I hope we will start recording it late this summer.

So Much For Nothing (SMFN) is started as your solo project but now drummer Uruz is also permanent member. Now there you have kick offs for live performances first at Inferno Festival on February 1st and then Under the black sun festival on 3-5 July 2014. Will you use live members or are then any plans for permanent ones?

As for now, I think we will keep on going with this live members situation as it seems to work really good. As you mention, we just played our first gig ever at the kickoff event for the Inferno Festival, and I don’t think it could have gone much better.

Do you have influences from classical music or other genres while you are creating SMFN music? You are using various instruments like violin, cello, saxophone, trumpet that bring experimental atmosphere to SMFN music. SMFN seems like contribution of dark experimental pop into black metal. How do you define SMFN music?

I like listening to classical music, but I rarely do it anyway. Although I listen to lots of movie soundtracks, and you can find lots of classical music there, so… I probably do, when I think of it twice. However, the instruments you mention is not played by myself, but some talented people I know. I just play the basics on the album; guitars and bass, as well as some small parts with piano and flute. As for the inspiration, I must say that my main inspiration comes from pop music and black metal, as those are the two genres I mainly listen to myself. And as for how I will define SMFN, it’s easy; metal-pop/rock!

The melancholic tones of SMFN catch from the beginning of the songs throwing out the listeners to the unpredictable utter darkness. Oldchool guitars riffs, sorrowful vocals, sharp deathwish, suicidal lyrics are the ones what I can say about your music. What are your influences coming from? Do you think creativity is implicated in extremism, pain and destruction?

Musically, it’s what I wrote above, inspiration wise. Lyrically and regarding this “feeling”, I really don’t know… As far as I can remember, I’ve always been attracted to darkness and the sombre aura, so the whole melancholy concept which dwells upon SMFN really comes natural to me. And the lyrics are spawned out of everything from single actions which has happened to a more general feeling and the way I see things, life, future etc.
As for creativity in general, I don’t think this HAS to come from something extreme, sorrowful or whatever, but if you take a look at the history, many of the greatest artists of all time don’t seem like they have been happy as a teletubby, so to speak.

There is a trendy description for depressive black metal music as suicidal black metal? Do you think if it is used to describe some sort of music? Do you call SMFN suicidal black metal?

Of course it’s used as a description for a special type of genre which doesn’t exactly fit the regular extreme metal, black metal or whatever. But isn’t depressive and suicidal black metal sort of the same when referring to bands in one of those categories? Anyway, I don’t mind what label music get, and I’ve seen this label when speaking of SMFN as well. I don’t mind what other people say, but personally I just call it metal-pop/rock. Not suicidal or depressive or something like that. Plenty of bands and artists outside the metal genre have sombre lyrics without being labeled with that tag. I mean… Have you ever heard the term “suicidal synth pop” or “depressive country” when referring to a band/artist that happens to write about the darker aspects of life? I haven’t…

Livsgnist means “spark of life” which takes me think about Nietzschean affirmation theory.

In The Birth of Tragedy Nietzsche maintains that the Greeks knew well that life is terrible, inexplicable and dangerous yet didn’t surrender to pessimism by turning their backs on it. Instead, they "transmuted" the world and human life through art. Their culture is a unity of two "attitudes"—the forces of life (Dionysian) and the love of form and beauty (Apollonian).

Saying “yes” to life, feeling the joy of exhaustlessness of you, a pleasure featuring the pleasure taken from destruction… Do they take part in SMFN ideology? What do you wanna say about this resemblance?

Well, I haven’t been giving this issue much thought… But as stated, “the forces of life and the love of form and beauty” sounds pretty much intact with a part of how the concept behind SMFN works.

Nihilism might be defined as severe misery resulting from meaningless efforts and loosing the meaning of life. Do you call yourself nihilist? How do you define it by your own words?

I think I will rather call myself a realist if I have to put a tag on myself, which I prefer not to. But according to the definition of nihilism in the question, I guess it suits me in some levels. Again, I haven’t given this much of a thought either… I simply am who I am and do what I do, without having the urge to find a definition or to find out under which label I “belong”.

Melancholy, suicide is related with depressing gloomy atmosphere and long-lasting dark winter times of Scandinavia in black metal scenery. However, according to Camus, suicide season is the beginning of summer because when the nature awakens, the gap between inside and outside gets deepens that makes internal midwinter intolerable. What are your thoughts on suicide and suicide season? Do you think suicide is a passion or it is like falling in love as Freud says?

I think this is a very individual matter; when and why people commit suicide. But of course it’s some sort of passion… There’s a reason why they want to leave this world, so they probably have a passion for suicide, right? But frankly, I don’t care…...

In SMFN lyrics love and death are in touch in many sides. Moreover, in the songs of One Last Night and Suffer in Silence, love is threatened to death if not commits a suicide. What kind of relationship do love and death have according to you?

I guess both love and death are two really emotional topics, and the thought of one or the other can probably be too much for some people. Of course you have the lack of love which can lead to death, but also the love of death – the curiosity of what’s on the other side (even though I personally don’t think it’s anything waiting for you there) or those who somehow fall in love with the thought of dying, as they can’t stand this world anymore. I don’t know…. I can probably come up with many more thoughts around this subject, but does it really matter what I think? When reading lyrics, it’s best to think about what you get out of them yourself, instead of trying to “understand” the author’s thoughts, at least in my opinion. In most cases, you will probably get in wrong anyway.

Many suicides are seen in black metal genre, which is started with Dead from Mayhem. What kind of connection do you think black metal and suicide have?

The search for utter darkness, feeling misplaced in this world, being depressed as you don’t feel you fit in… Lots of people commit suicide, not only people involved with black metal. However, the feelings and darkness is usually very essential in black metal, so it’s not very surprising that several people within this “scene” have passed away over the years.

Misanthropy as hated over humanity and in sometimes hatred over every living thing including nature. What does misanthropy mean to you? Do you call yourself misanthrope?

As said, if I have to label myself with anything, I will call myself a realist, but of course, I have some misanthropic point of views.

How do you feel about drug usage in rock/metal scenery? Do you think hallucinogens can contribute to inspiration on music like opening a different perception as Aldoux Huxley mentioned much in his book called Doors of Perception?

Yes, absolutely, but I don’t think that it works for everyone. Like so many other things, I think this is very individual, and personally, when writing music I usually end up dead drunk. Possibly not the best way to work, but I think it’s essential in SMFN’s matter.

Niklas Kvarforth from Shining is featuring in Suffer in Silence song from Livsgnist album in vocal parts and lyrics. How was the working with him? How did you league together?

I knew Niklas from being on tour with Shining together with my other band Sarkom. I told him about SMFN and that I wanted him to take part on one of the songs. Sure thing, but today you can just send files over internet, so he did his part in Sweden while I was at home in Norway. We communicated mostly over e-mails and everything worked out great, I think!

Unlike SMFN, anti-religious side of black metal is seen your other band called Sarkom. What do you think about religions generally? What do Aleister Crowley’s disciplines or Anton La Vey’s Church of Satan mean to you?

As said before, I’m a realist. If someone told me about a man who can walk on water, then please show him to me and make him demonstrate how he does that. Unless I can’t see it or personally feel it, it’s not real to me. On topic, religion mostly sucks. Just look how they fight over things that claim to be real. And that you will get seven virgins when you die for example, haha! Unless they are pedophiles, most women aren’t virgins, so I don’t understand how each and one of them will get seven!!? As for A. Crowley or La Vey, they mean nothing to me. Don’t know so much about them either, so that’s rather natural. I care mostly about myself and my closest and do what I want within a certain limit, of course. As far as I know, I don’t get any ideas or way of living because it’s written down or told by others. I have a slightly functional brain, so I prefer to think myself rather than doing what others say I should.

What do you want to say about Trondr Nefas (Trond Bråthen) known with its band called Angst Skvadron who passed away on May 2012? He is one of the friends of you which you contribute great projects together. How is he remembered by your side and in black metal scene?

Nefas is one of those I actually will call a pioneer in the black metal scene, and I’m personally inspired by his work with Urgehal. That’s one of my favorite black metal bands. He was not a close friend of mine, but we met from time to time. As you say, we worked together, or he helped me out with a couple of guitar solos on Livsgnist, which I rather will call it. However, I have several memories of him and he was certainly a person not to forget! People still talks about him “up here”, and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t! Even though he is gone, his music will live for many decades!

Please share your last words and wishes. Thank you for the interview.

If anyone feels to check out SMFN after reading this, the easiest way is through facebook. That’s where the shit happens these days. The page is regularly updated by myself or our PR manager Patricia Thomas. As we also just have started to play live, any interested bookers should not hesitate to get in touch! Thanks for your time and support!

Originally published in Turkish on Filhakikat.net.