LIGHTLORN - INTERVIEW

 Good morning, thank you very much for answering these questions, how is everything going in Gothenburg?

Hi, good morning! Everything’s good – except for the fact that it’s starting to get really cold as winter approaches.

1. Lightlorn comes into operation around the year 2021, what led you to create this project? Why did you choose the name Lightlorn and what does it refer to?

I started Lightlorn after my previous band split up. We had recorded a couple of songs, but we were struggling to find enough time to rehearse together, since we are all parents to small kids. So I took the songs I had written, reworked them and released them as Lightlorn. I chose the name because I thought it sounded cool and was a good reflection of the cosmic themes in the lyrics and music. It essentially means ‘bereft of light’.

2. Only one year after launching Lightlorn comes the release of “These Nameless Worlds”, your first EP, which contains four songs. What was the writing and recording process like for this first album? Did what was offered meet your expectations? on this first EP?

It definitely did meet my expectations, even exceeded them! I was not expecting the hugely positive reception that the EP received. I never imagined the EP would get such good reviews from so many well-known metal zines – we even received a very good review from Metal Hammer. As for the writing and recording, I took a few songs that I had started working on in my previous band and gave them new life. I tracked the guitars and bass in my home studio, and the rest was done at Studio Svart in a town called Gråbo, which is in the countryside just outside Gothenburg.

3. Recently this Ep has continued with the release of your first album “At One with the Night Sky”, an album that I don't know if consciously or not has represented a leap in quality in terms of sound, which among others things seem darker, are you aware of the evolution in your sound in this sense? How has the composition and recording process of this album been? What have you modified with respect to the past? What brands of instruments did you use on the album? process?

The album certainly is a bit darker, but this wasn’t really a conscious decision. It’s just what came out of the writing process. As much as the lyrics represent existential pain shared by humanity as a whole, they also reflect my personal struggles. So I guess that’s why it’s somewhat darker than the EP. In terms of sound, we used a different audio engineer for the album – David Mauritzon from Soundtornado – and I think he did a really good job. He helped improve the sound and the quality of the mix. For the instruments, I used my Ibanez RGRT421 for both the rhythm and lead. And for the bass I used a cheap, but very good Harley Benton bass. 

4. Post-black and atmospheric black are two labels that appear when defining your music, however I believe that the sound you offer in “At One with the Night Sky” goes far beyond a standard black, with different styles and registers, how will you define the sound of this new album for those who have not yet heard it? What bands and styles are influences for you?

I actually find it difficult to define Lightlorn’s sound. Post-black metal, blackgaze, and atmospheric black metal are closely related, but none quite fits our sound. I think that post-black metal is probably the best descriptor since it’s an umbrella term for bands that reach beyond the confines of traditional black metal. 

I have a lot of different influences ranging from black metal like Emperor and Satyricon to more avant-garde bands like Arcturus and Borknagar, and newer styles like Alcest and Deafheaven. I’m also hugely influenced by bands like Pyogenesis (German alternative metal) and softer stuff like Angels and Airwaves.

5. The lyrics of the album are related to space, loneliness and existentialism. How do you relate these three terms when writing the texts for the latest album and why are they important to you? Are the lyrics Do they adapt to the music or vice versa?

I think that all of us feel loneliness at some point in our lives, but it’s important to find comfort in our solitude and see it as something positive. I’m highly influenced by the existential philosophers, particularly Nietzsche, and I find it intellectually fulfilling to approach astronomy from a philosophical perspective. After all, space and that stars aren’t just things in the sky above us, they are an intrinsic part of our existence on this planet. 

I usually write the music first and then the lyrics, but sometimes I have the song title and sort of adapt the music and sound to reflect the theme of the title.

6. There are references in the album to the Fermi paradox, as well as everything related to other forms of life in the universe, where does this interest in these topics come from in you and what opinion do you have about it?

I’m very interested in astronomy and other branches of science. It’s been a passion of mine since I was young. It feels more natural for me to write lyrics based on this than the typical themes in other extreme metal. All the lyrics I write involve things I study or think a lot about. They are ideas that fascinate me, and I think that concepts like the Fermi Paradox are some of the greatest remaining mysteries that humans can – and should attempt to – answer.

7. On the covers of your albums there is always a relationship of a landscape on earth, with a background view of space that conveys both a feeling of loneliness and insignificance for the earth. Warren Graham is in charge of developing the artwork for the album. last album, why did you decide to work with him for this album? What do you want to convey to the listener with your album covers?

That’s actually a bit of a misunderstanding since the credits are slightly confusing. Warren simply helped put some final touches on the artwork and designed the CD booklet layout. The main art itself was designed by I&I Artwork.

I think it’s important to have an album cover that somewhat reflects the music and themes. And combining the firm ground of earth with stars and planets in the background really expresses the themes of Lightlorn.

8. I don't know if something similar happened in “These Nameless Worlds”, but it is true that for the recording of “At One with the Night Sky” you have worked at the Svart Studio together with David Mauritzon in Soundtornado, why Do you choose to work with them and what do you think they have contributed to the final result of the album?

While we were happy with the overall sound on the EP, we wanted something better for the album, so I got in touch with David from Soundtornado. Since David is also based here in Gothenburg, it was easier for me to sit down with him and discuss the ideas we had for the sound, and we are very happy with the end result! 

9. Since the reissue of “These Nameless Worlds” you have been linked to Black Lion Records, how did the possibility of working with them arise? Do you have in mind to reissue the album in some other format?

After releasing the EP independently, we wanted to release the album on a label. Black Lion Records is the perfect label for us. It’s a Swedish label run by a very passionate team, and we are very happy to be part of the roster.

Right now, there are no plans to release the EP or album on formats other than CD and digital. Perhaps one day a vinyl will be produced, but that depends on the CD sales.

10. When talking about “space” black metal, bands like the Italians Progenie Terrestre Pura, the Americans Imperialist or the Swiss band Darkspace come to mind, each with a different vision of the genre, some more ambient, others more industrial, others More directly, how would you define this style within black metal and how do you think this aspect fits within black metal?

I like to call it ‘cosmic black metal’, and I think it’s well-suited to the music of black metal. It’s more progressive in terms of ideas and themes, but without losing any of the despair and coldness of the early Norwegian bands. There are countless bands that are very theatrical and wear corpse paint, but like all music, styles change over time, and I think black metal is experiencing a renaissance right now. It’s great that new bands are bringing new ideas to what black metal can be.

11. If I'm not mistaken, you are trying to bring the bands live through the participation of other musicians, how advanced are you with this idea? What concerts do you have in mind to start with? Who would you like to share a mini tour with?

Yes, I have assembled a group of very talented musicians, and the idea is to play a few live shows next year. We had a few gigs booked but unfortunately had to cancel because our drummer injured his back, but we have some shows lined up for next year.

I would love to tour with Arcturus! I think our aesthetics are quite similar. Other bands that would suit us include Iotunn, Ghost Bath, Harakiri for the Sky, and other post-black bands.

12. How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What happened in your lives that pushed you to want to be musicians?

My father is also a musician and can play a vast number of different instruments. So music has always been a part of my life. I got my first electric guitar at 14 and have played in various bands ever since. The first metal albums I bought were bands like Megadeth, Metallica, Sepultura. But I soon discovered death metal and, a little later on, black metal.

I can’t really remember which was my first concert, but I watched a lot of local metal bands as a teenager growing up in South Africa. Only when I moved to Sweden did I start seeing the “big” bands.

13. What album represents for you the essence of black metal? What latest albums have you bought?

For me, Emperor’s Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk is probably the quintessential black metal album. It’s one of the first black metal albums I heard, and I still think it has all the qualities I appreciate in black metal. 

The latest albums I have bought include Tjaktjadálvve, Hypocrisy, Pyogenesis, and Wolves in the Throne Room.

14. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Lightlorn fans, this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.

I’d like to thank everyone who has listened to and purchased At One with the Night Sky! We truly appreciate your support!

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