1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording and release of the new album?
‘A Collection II’ was released on September 1 and is the second of two compilations featuring works that I recorded and released between 2017 and 2021.
After a few years of simply releasing individual tracks on Bandcamp without any marketing, I felt the tracks deserved more attention.
I assembled the tracks to form two different compilations and, for the release of ‘A Collection II’, I enlisted the help of a fantastic PR company that had experience working with dark ambient artists. I couldn’t have been happier with their work and the coverage for the record.
Since the release of ‘A Collection II’, it’s been great creating more awareness for the music and In The Absence of Words as a whole.
With regards to what I’ve been doing since the release, sadly, during the campaign for ‘A Collection II’, my father suddenly and unexpectedly crossed over, which left me devastated. The idea of creating music was far from my mind. However, slowly but surely, I’ve come to realise that in time those emotions together with an accompanying and heightened interest in mysticism and spirituality will be represented musically.
2. A few months back you had released your second volume, musically how does it differ from your previous release?
That’s easy to answer - ‘A Collection I’ is compilation of the long-form dark ambient works that I’d created and released. Despite being a compilation, it is more immersive and feels like a full-length dark ambient album.
‘A Collection II’ on the other hand is a compilation showcasing the diversity of the project, where each song could belong to a different genre while still containing the essence and intention of In The Absence of Words.
3. What are some of the themes and images you have brought into your musical concepts so far?
When I originally started In The Absence of Words in 2017, the idea was to explore different moods, sounds and themes and release a new track every month for a year.
The launch of the project coincided with a new life chapter I’d just started following a heavy couple of years where my marriage ended, I quit my job, sold everything I had, and moved country. When I started In The Absence of Words, the aim was to express and release all the emotions associated with that period - loss, hope, sadness, grief, possibility, betrayal, heartbreak, confusion, anger, rebirth, renewal.
Interestingly, even though it was not something I’d planned for - or even thought about for that matter - upon the release of the first 12 releases (aka “chapters”), my closest friend remarked how the works revealed a journey, both sonically and emotionally. The journey begins dark and foreboding and ends with a sense of arriving at a place of serenity.
Following the release of the original 12 chapters, and now having settled into my new life I had created, I began producing music that focused more on themes of spiritual exploration and mysticism.
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'In The Absence Of Words'?
I work as a copywriter and I love working with words. However, there are experiences, events and moments in our lives that defy words. Be it the connection with another human being, the grief of losing one, or the sheer beauty of nature, sometimes words cannot capture. In The Absence of Words was created as an outlet to express experiences and moods in other ways than words.
For example, someone could try to explain to someone else a specific experience or emotion. However, the person speaking is limited not only by vocabulary but also the hope and expectation that the listener understands or relates to what he or she is saying based on the listener’s own knowledge or experience. In such instances, words can often fail to communicate and convey the message.
Where words might fail, feeling cannot. Ad such, music can be a more resonant and accurate form of expression. With the goal of creating sounds that resonate emotionally, the listener is be able to associate the feeling with their own personal experience. Whether it or not the listener experiences the emotion because of the same event or experience is irrelevant; the sound triggers an emotion in the listener which they can connect to an experience or event in their own life.
5. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The artwork for ‘A Collection II’ is a photo that I took in Lapland, Sweden during the middle of winter a few years ago. I think the photo captures the beauty, solitude and the extremity of the deep north.
Since the music on ‘A Collection II’ is diverse and covers a few different genres, I needed an image that could represent the music as a whole. However, it would be impossible to create an image that could represent the different themes and sounds. Therefore, I opted for something that I think acts as a blank canvas of sorts with its vastness and emptiness.
With that being said, although the music and themes on the collection vary, many people have remarked on a consistent glacial, melancholic and Nordic quality that runs throughout In The Absence of Words. So, I think the artwork fits the collection well on two different levels.
6. With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?
I am open to working with others, such as a producer, mixer or percussionist. That said, I think the creation of ambient music is often very solitary and may not benefit from collaboration in a way the other genres might.
I could only see myself working with somebody once I have created the framework or essential pieces. Therefore, I think involving someone to mix or add parts would likely be the best form of collaboration as opposed to working with someone from scratch.
I am quite particular about what I want to achieve with each song. That’s not to say that the tracks couldn’t be made better with the help of others. However, I have always recorded, written and produced music by myself. I enjoy working that way, especially since the events that trigger the emotions that inspire the works are personal even if the themes and emotions themselves are universal.
7. So far you have remained anonymous, what impact does this have on the musical style that you play?
The decision to be anonymous is really two-fold. Firstly, I want the listener to be able to listen to and experience the music without any specific knowledge about me or many details about my experiences so that they can experience things themselves. It’s not to be secretive or create some sort of mystique, rather I don’t see how knowing more about me would help someone to enjoy the works more or enhance the experience.
Secondly, the music is a snap shot of an emotion, and represents but an aspect but not and the totality of me.
8. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Up until five years ago, I worked in the music industry for many years and over time I just became tired and jaded by it all. While working on what would become the ‘Ascension’ EP, which is one of my personal favourites, I had the goal to make it a full-length album, which I would then pitch to labels. I liked the idea having a label get the music into the right channels and to see the music released physically, and maybe through a label that I admire.
A close friend made an introduction to a label and I also spoke very briefly to two or three labels to gauge interest but the whole process quickly reminded why I became tired of the industry and why I preferred to do it on my own. Everything was so slow and I didn’t want to wait around for responses or to release music. I prefer the freedom to record and release music as and when I feel.
So, instead of looking for a label, I will continue to self-release and then enlist the help of a PR company again to help spread the word.
9. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of dark ambient and drone?
I think most people would say that a lot of the music on ‘A Collection II’ isn’t dark ambient or drone but I would say 99% of the people who have connected with the music listen to those genres.
Since my goal for the project has always been to explore various emotions and sounds, I would say a lot of what I do doesn’t fit into traditional dark ambient. For one, not every theme I explore is “dark” - in fact, far from. Many of the themes are of hope, exploration, love, desire, aspiration and yearning. So, it’s definitely not dark ambient in that sense.
I’ve received some really humbling words from listeners and from magazines and websites focused on dark ambient and extreme metal. Especially for ‘A Collection II’, the reviews have exceeded any expectations I had about how people might feel about the music.
What’s more, a couple of tracks have been added to playlists alongside other great tracks, namely Peter Bjärgö (of Arcana, Sophia fame) and Raison d’Etre. Since I grew up listening to work by both those artists, having my music playlisted alongside theirs has been a crowning moment.
Sales and streams have been quite minimal but I never expected the music to sell truckloads anyhow.
10. Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
I hope to record a couple of individual tracks and maybe a 3-track EP. For those releases, I would like to move away from trying to capture emotions and feelings associated with events and instead explore something the hopefully resonates with listeners on an instinctual and spiritual level. What that will sound like musically, I am not sure yet but intuitively, I think it will be more spacial and serene, and perhaps continue off from where the ‘Ascension’ EP left off.
11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
My first introduction to ambient music was in the early-mid ‘90s through the Cold Meat Industry label and Lustmord. Of all the great artists that CMI put out over the years, the ones that influenced and resonated with me most are Raison D’etre and Desiderii Marginis. Together, these artists created my awareness and appreciation of dark ambient music and they continue to influence me today, albiet unconsciously.
Today, I find myself listening to ambient artists like Hilyard, who I absolutely love, as well as Warmth and Poemme who all have a more serene and emotional sound that resonates with me.
Aside from ambient music, I would say that Dead Can Dance, and the long-defunct Australian death/doom band Disembowelment are both important influences. In fact, Disembowelment’s only full-length album is one of my all-time favourites - the production, composition and sheer atmosphere are incredible. To that, I would also add Trial of the Bow - the short-lived project formed by two Disembowelment members - is an influence and inspiration.
Who else? Sigur Ros, classical pianist, Ludovico Einaudi, even The Mission UK inspired one song.
Lastly, I would venture to say there’s likely to be an unconscious second-wave black metal influence at play too, which may contribute to some of the melodies and feelings of melancholy.
12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First and foremost, I would like to say thank you to Dark Underground Music Zine for being the first platform to interview In The Absence of Words and for the interest and support. It’s been a lot of fun answering the questions.
I’d also like to say thank you to anyone who has bought any of the music from Bandcamp, streamed the compilations on Spotify, or has written about or reviewed In The Absence of Words.
Lastly, thanks to Paul and Chris at Imperative PR whose work to spread the word about ‘A Collection II’ and In The Absence of Words has been incredible.
No comments:
Post a Comment