Carmen
Arne:
Hi Carmen and Midnattsol, and congratulations with your new album Nordlys?
Carmen:
Thank you so much, it means a lot to me hearing that it is so special for me
when someone from Scandinavia tells me that!! J
Arne:
You are from Norway, but moved to Germany some years ago. Can you tell us a
bit about why you moved to Germany and about the foundation of Midnattsol?
Carmen:
Everything started some years ago, in 2002, when I decided to move from my hometown
Stavanger to Germany. There were different reasons for my decision, e.g. I longed
for my sister extremely much, we are so close and I really wanted to see her
more. Additionally I loved the German language and I had a dream about speaking
it fluently without accent and learn more about the German culture. At that
time, I was at a new stage in life, wanted to bring the little melodies keep
circling around in my head to grow up to real songs by instruments as well.
The coincidence was that I told my friends and family about my wishes for founding
a band, about the same time Chris H. told about his wishes for founding a band
too. So thanks to nice friends, we met in a metal-disco in the nearby of Stuttgart
and talked about our plans and wishes. And luckily, we had some of the same
ideas. From that point on, things went very fast. Chris talked with some of
the earlier members of their Ex-Band Penetralia, Chris M. and Daniel F, and
they were curious about finding out what this was. Chris contacted Birgit and
we saw that we functions well together as a band, and with this formation we
started to make some songs. The writing process went very fast, it was like
the ideas popped out of us, it was a great time. But it didn`t stop there, it
was only the beginning: in a very short time we made a demo, Daniel D. became
a member of the band, we got a record deal with Napalm Records and then it just
went up the hill, hehe J
Arne:
You released Where Twilight Dwells back in 2005. What do you think is the biggest
change between the debut and the new album?
Carmen:
You know, I have to say that it is really funny to read peoples opinion about
that, there are so many differences, some are like the night and day, so I don`t
think there is a 100% answer, it has a lot to do with personal opinions. Personal
I think that one of the biggest change is the variety of the music besides that
it also it a bit darker and heavier. I think it is connected with the fact that
we developed a lot as musicians in these three years. When we started to make
the new songs we noticed that we could play and sing more complex and diverse
stuff, it was a fantastic feeling, just looking how the band had grown. More
quality and variability from both the vocals and the instruments, more details
and extras, which you perhaps don`t notice after only one time listening, more
guitar melodies, more complex drums and bass and keys, the vocals have more
volume and a lot of different matters to sing are used. Additionally I think
the song structure is more progressive than before and the sound is more natural
and warm. But even though there are differences, there is a strong the red line
to the debut as well, e.g. the folk inspired melancholic melodies.
Arne:
Nordic Folk Metal is an original style, and for me who lives in Norway, and
know a lot about the Norwegian traditional Folk music I feel you have a lot
of elements in your music that reminds me about Norwegian traditional Folk music.
Can you tell about your music and your inspirations?
Carmen:
Your thoughts are definetly right, I am sure that there are inspirations of
the Norwegian folk music and Norwegian traditions and culture in general in
both our lyrics and music. You know, I think it is so great here in Norway where
you get to know about your roots and traditions since our childhood, through
books, school and told stories. Especially through the old fairy tales, where
you can always get to know about the Nordic nature creatures, the trolls, Nøkken,
Huldra. It is a great part of me which is shown in the lyrics. Besides the nature
creatures in the Norwegian tales, my main inspiration is the mystic and wonderful
Nordic nature. In this clean untouched nature I feel real, I feel alive, I feel
that everything flows. The sight of beautiful waterfalls, deep dark green woods,
powerful waves of the ocean makes my thoughts escape from this industrial material
focused society in kind of another world where these things don`t matter. So
the wonderful nature inspires me a lot, and direct description of the nature
like e.g. the northern light, magical rivers of powerful winter landscapes,
you can especially find in the songs En Natt I Nord, River of Virgin Soil, Wintertime
and Northern Light, and in the rest of the songs you can find it more indirect.
But not only the nature inspires me, a great part of the influences are my thoughts,
experiences and happenings in life. With other words, the music and the lyrics
come from deep within, it`s real, it comes from my soul. Big musical influences
are Anathema, Amorphis, Dead Can Dance, Paradise Lost and Norwegian folk music.
When it comes to our music, it can be described as quite heavy with hard riffs,
but at the same time melancholic melodies. With other words, our music can be
interesting for a wide audience inviting to both head banging and dreaming I
think. This combination of hard guitars and loud drums with a lot of double
bass and clear and authentic female vocals is typical for us and the folk inspired
melodies combined with inspiration from the Nordic language, nature and culture
both on lyrics and music, gives additionally the music a special touch after
my opinion J
Arne:
Would you mine to say a few words about each song (lyrics) from 1-10?
Carmen:
No not at all! I don`t want to destroy the listeners picture or feeling regarding
what the song is about, I want them to think and feel for themselves, but a
bit is okay of course J
Open your eyes: This song is meant to be provocative,
it contents quite directly words, because I want people to wake up and stop
treating other people, animals or environment/nature in such a cruel way. Some
people (which I also have experienced in real life) just think that they can
go on and on behaving like shit and with no consequence. But they are wrong,
they will get it back in some way and even though it doesn`t seems like that
in one moment, “I`m” unbreakable.. J
Skogens Lengsel: the setting of Skogens Lengsel
(The longing of the woods) is in the deep deep untouched woods in Norway, there
is a little house hidden in these woods and inside there is laying a person
waiting for someone (or somethingJ) to come. It is a deep longing, because the
person needs it so badly, but it never came, so the person sends his/her longing
words out and can almost see feel he/she longs for so near, but still, it is
so far away…
Nothern Light: You all know the feeling, the world
being so dark, you see no end of the misery, of the atrocity happening to you.
I can assure you that I know what I talk about. And then, at the point you least
expecting it, you see the northern light, lightening up your mind with its mystical
and beautiful karma. Such a treasure you wouldn`t live without. What I mean
about northern light is up to you to decide J
Konkylie: means conch and like the name says, the
song is about a special connection to a shell where you can like one like to
say hear the words of the ocean. Tiny as it is, it raises you up and gives you
hope in a time where dark clouds are passing by through its whispering words
and through the mystic that is lying in the air.
Wintertime: is about treasuring different sites
of life, rain and sunshine. "How could I ever recognize the light, without
dark clouds?" In this society, people tend to never feel real happiness,
they are just going on wishing for more things further and further. And forget
the moment and the things that really matters. I love the wintertime and its
landscape, no matter how cold it is.
Race of Time: My life was a race of time the last
10 years and especially the last five, I am sure you as a journalist know the
feeling of stress, deadlines and short (or no) nights. So from deep within I
really long for time where I can be myself, just me and feeling that I am living
and treasuring the small things in life. I hope this is happening this summer,
I need it to be whole again.
New Horizon: I can`t stand what`s going on with
our world at the moment, the animals and nature are treated like they would
be objects, just fulfilling a function in our industrial societys system. I
get so frustrated about this society, I could scream it out loud!!!!!!!! Wake
up people!!! We can`t go on like this! I long for a new horizon.
River of virgin soil: One of the beautiful, secret
places in Norway has a wonderful untouched river, hidden deep inside the woods.
With silent steps I walk in this wood and the magical sight of this river hits
me. There is something magical you can`t describe. There is a virgin like mystical
creature in the river, floating away. It is raining all around the place, but
the rain drops are not falling in the river. It is a place protected from everything
outside. You can just be yourself, you can let the senses go wild, just live…You
can escape from all the ever circling thoughts in your head, the never answered
questions, you can just leave it behind and let everything flow…
En natt I nord: is inspired by a Norwegian film, Flåklypa, and it describes the powerful, beautiful, mystical Nordic nature and the special connection to it. The person is standing on a hill with the arms wide open, ready for life, like a flower he/she is growing, not looking back, only enjoying the moment of life and just being his/herself and one with the nature.
Arne:
Can you tell about the recording process and production of the album?
Carmen:
Yes, it was quite a special process for us, because we decided to let different
kind of studios (and in fact in different countries) with different producers
give their best to our new album. The recording of my vocals found place at
Alex Krulls Mastersound Studio in Fellbach in Germany and the recording of the
instruments at the Studio E in Mellrichstadt in Germany by the producer Markus
Stock. Tue Madsen at the Antfarm Studio in Aarhus in Denmark was responsible
for the mix and last but not least the well-known Mika Jussila at the Finnvox
Studio in Finland did the mastering. So which you understand, we had a lot of
great and professional producers with a lot of experience to give their best
into the new album, which we all think they did in such a great way, we can`t
describe how satisfied we are! We wanted a kind of natural and heavy sound,
which we think was in a very high level achieved. Because of our experiences
and development, I think it was also easier for all of us this time, we grew
a lot during these three years, both musically and personal. Even though, it
didn`t go totally without stress, travelling from Norway to Germany a lot of
times and loosing my luggage quite often, costed me for sure some nerves, hehe.
Because my things weren`t there then, I walked around with Alex big socks and
a big t-shirt some days. We laughed so much, I looked like I would come from
another planet. You can read more about the recording experiences from the whole
recording process and look on the photos http://trig.com/midnattsol :)
Arne:
Your cover artwork is also this time very nice! And it`s obvious there is a
connection between the title on the album and the artwork. Can you tell us a
bit about it?
Carmen:
Thanx again, great to hear that you like it J Yes, you are totally right, there
is a strong connection between the artwork and the title. On the cover you see
appearance of the the amazing green like shimmering light, the northern light,
which is Nordlys in English. The northern light (“Nordlys”) appears
because of the energetic connection between two extreme poles, the sun and the
earth, and like you see on the cover, Birgit and I are symbolizing these two
poles and the connection between them. At the same time it represents a symbol
for the beautiful but mystical site of the nordic nature, which is a great inspiration
for both the music and the lyrics of Midnattsol. This light shows the real beauty
of the world, far away from material and industrial things, which only take
us further away from the real meaning of life after my opinion. The northern
light also stands for diversity, it is made of two extreme poles, and stands
as a symbol for treasuring different sites of life. Everything in the nature
is special and beautiful in their way and shouldn`t be seen as negative. The
title is also strongly connected with the musical site of the album; the songs
are diverse like the northern light as well, they content beautiful and melancholic
melodies with inspiration of the folk, but at the same time complex song structures,
heavy guitars and loud drums with a lot of double bass are central elements
in the music. So the title was chosen because of its perfect fitting to the
music and the lyrics on the new album, but also to the general band concept
and style. So every element on Nordlys, from the title to the layout and so
on, is strongly connected, like a whole package
Arne:
I`m sure you will tour this summer to promote your album. Have you planned any
gigs at the moment and will it be possible for us living in Scandinavia to see
you this summer?
Carmen:
Until now we know that we are going to play the following concerts:
23.Jan.2009 - Treibsand
24.Jan.2009 - Winternoise Festival
25.Jan.2009 - De Pul
28.Mrz.2009 - Ragnarök Festival Lichtenfels
Unfortunatly, we will not play in Scandinavia this summer, which is very sad, because I never played with Midnattsol in Scandinavia and it would be so fantastic to do that. The other band members also love Scandinavia, so that is a thing all of us want to. But unfortunately, our guitarist Christian Hector just left the band (you can read more about it on our homepage), so of course, we can`t play live in the next weeks, many things have to be organized and we are searching for a new guitarist, so we have a lot to do at the moment. But after the summer time we will start our live activities and I am sure there will be some shows in 2009. Lets hope that one of them will be in Scandinavia ;)
Arne:
Since you started Midnattsol back in 2002, I`m sure there is a special moment
from a concert, recording or anything else that has set traces in you and ment
more for you than other things. would you mine to tell a little story for us?
Carmen:
Yes, you are totally right, there are really special moments for me during the
years with Midnattsol!! I have to say that already with the first album, everything
I have ever dreamt of was achieved. I don`t know if it is difficult to believe
me when I saying that I never expected all this to happen, just the opportunity
to record an album, it is more than I ever can explain with words. One of the
things that I think all the members in Midnattsol will never forget are our
live gigs on the Belgium FMVF, they were the greatest live gigs for us ever!
Such professional organisation and caring for the artists, the FANTASTIC and
supporting people, the special atmosphere! Very eye-catching were the huge Midnattsol
banner which hangs on the wall on our rehearsal room in South-Germany and actually
a big norwegian flag, so cool!! The concerts went very well and we had a very
special connection to the fans. Everything we had was sold out, even half-broken
cds, can you imagine?! Most of the band members partied all night and I think
I slept one hour after each of these concerts, there was so many great people
to talk to, it never stopped. There were some moments where I asked myself if
I would ever come out of this huge crowd of people. I remember that Christian
H. screamed if I needed some help, and I needed to use my leadership knowledge
from my studies to calm down the situation and organize everything. I got so
many gifts, this is something I only thought happened to pop stars, hehe! ;)
And now we are coming again, we are so looking forward to meet all the fans
and people from our forum – it is going to be another unforgettable evening!
Hope to see you there!! :)
Arne:
I wish you all the best with your new album Nordlys, and thanks a lot for taking
time out to answer my questions?
Carmen:
Thank you so much for this interview and good luck with everything!!! Enjoy
the summer time and the great festivals!
