Skognatt Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

I started Skognatt in the winter of 2014/15 when i had some riffs for the title song of the EP Landscape of Ice. As I always have been drawn to more atmospheric and mystical music it was quite natural to me to make the songs slower and very atmospheric.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Well, I would describe it as atmospheric Black Metal but i'm not one to think in genres. The sound you will find on the recording is very atmospheric and if you listen closely you will hear lots of acoustic guitars underneath the distorted guitars. I always loved that about some recording of the 90s, so i would say it sounds quite old-school as well.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

As I'm very much drawn to nature and try to spend lots of time outside it is a big part of what my music is about. I also tried to show the lost connection most people have towards nature and what it can lead to in my opinion. So, basically it's a mixture of nature romanticism and some modern topics.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Skognatt'?

Well, it is put together of the words Skogen and Natt which mean forest and night both in norwegian and swedish. So, it means something like 'forest at night' in the end. When i was a teenager i listened to lots of skandinavian Black and Death Metal, so these are my main influences when it comes to Skognatt and with the name i wanted to show that. To be honest, i was pretty surprised that nobody had used this name before...

5.With this musical project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians?

Yes, initially i wanted someone else to do the vocals and i had a few people who were interested but as they all have their own bands and families it never really happened. So, a few months ago i gave it a shot and tried to do the vocals myself and i'm quite satisfied how it turned out. On the next recordings i definitely want to record real drums, so generally i'm open to work with other musicians.

6.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Yes, i sent it to a few labels but the interest was not very big, so this is pretty much a DIY project. But i'm a freelance musician and I have been releasing and producing my music for a long time on my own, so this feels very natural to me. Also, with sites like Bandcamp it's pretty easy these days to sell digital as well as physical stuff.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of atmospheric black metal?

The general feedback has been really good I have to say. Of course, this EP is not everyone's cup of tea but the Black Metal community is pretty supportive. It has been shared on some well known Youtube channels shortly after the release which helped a lot. I didn't expect anything so i'm really pleased with the reactions and all the nice reviews.

8.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Yes, i have a few more solo-projects. Walden is an acoustic folk project i do and it is again rooted in my love for nature (https://waldgefluester.bandcamp.com/). I have put out two EP's and an album with this project as well as a little EP with acoustic covers of mostly Black Metal songs.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

I don't know if there will be a full length album with this project as I don't really enjoy making albums. I really enjoyed making these two songs and it would probably take me many years to come up with an album, so I rather stick to the shorter format and will most probably only release an EP when I have some songs I think are worth being released. There's so much music out there and to me the album is pretty much out of date in this digital age we live in now but that's just my opinion.

10.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?

I clearly hear some Black Metal from the early 90's in my songs as this is the time when I used to listen to tons of Death and Black Metal. Bands i really loved and still like are Emperor, Gehenna, (early) Dimmu Borgir, Empyrium and the EP Strid put out. But I always loved classical music and Soundtracks very much and i listen to lots of music of all styles. At the moment i listen to Enya a lot, the new Gojira and Coldworld. I really love what Wardruna are doing and i could go on and on here for hours... :)

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I live a pretty simple life so i spend lots of my free time out in nature or with friends. I love to ride my bike and read a good book every now and then but music takes up most of my time as i'm a freelance musician and composer. Since two years or so I have been drawn to meditation and I have to say that it really benefits you when it comes to focusing.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks very much for your interest and for taking your time and making this interview.

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