In this interview, Isvidd explores Swedish folklore, supernatural landscapes, synesthesia, and the creative journey behind “By the Other Side of Midnight” and the upcoming second album.
The
background of this story goes back to the island of Gotland, a legendary and
beautiful place.
I visited a
wonderful photo exhibition created by Linnea Jägrud and Tore Hagman:
The other
side of the story is that I work as a history guide and lead guided tours
through historical and picturesque places in Sweden. I also have a series of
dusk walks dedicated to dark creatures and folklore. In the end, all of these
things came together and became the theme of the new song.
2. The
song seems to explore the fragile boundary between the human and supernatural
worlds. When you were writing the track, did you imagine a specific story or
scene unfolding, or did the music itself guide you toward that atmosphere?
At the very
beginning, I was inspired by Edvard Grieg’s music, and the song was initially
called “The Dark March.” But the theme changed once I started working on the
lyrics.
So I would
say that Troldtog was the first brick in this chapel. I love Grieg’s music, and
I also enjoy visiting his home in Bergen. I go there every time I visit the
city.
3.
Compared with “Where the 9 Shadows Fell,” which was deeply rooted in Ragnarök
and Nordic mythology, this new song draws more directly from Swedish folklore.
How does working with folklore rather than mythology change the way you
approach the lyrics and music?
You know, I
have many different interests in my life, and Isvidd is a mirror of them. My
emotions are born from my life experience and from the things that happen to
me. So I would not say that anything has fundamentally changed.
The first
album contains songs based on Carolean history, landscape-inspired lyrics, and
personal emotions connected to certain periods of my life. On the second album,
which is currently being recorded, there will even be some quotations from
Lorca and Dante.
My poetry
is not restricted only to Nordic myths or creatures. It is much broader than
that.
4. “By
the Other Side of Midnight” is described as a symphonic black metal journey.
What new elements did you bring into the arrangement this time, and how did you
balance the symphonic atmosphere with Isvidd’s raw and melodic black metal
foundation?
I am a
pianist by my “official” musical education. Of course, I can also play guitar
and bass and sing, but in the past I used to write parts for viola, violin,
cello, flute, and many other instruments.
For this
song, we left more space for the keyboards, using them to imitate certain
orchestral elements. Of course, we had to reduce the amount of guitar sound a
little to make room for this idea.
It is
difficult to say that Isvidd belongs exclusively to raw black metal or to any
other particular subgenre. My guest musician Sascha Samayoa hears a lot of
progressive and even some jazz elements in the songs I have written for the
second album.
So we will see where it all goes in the end. That is why I call it a journey. Every journey starts with one step.
5. Your music often turns Nordic landscapes and weather into sound. What kind of visual or sensory images were going through your mind while composing “By the Other Side of Midnight”?
Yes, this
time the image was the edge of an old graveyard near a forest in the Uppsala
region. It may sound like a classic black metal setting, but I genuinely love
old Swedish churches and, therefore, their graveyards.
Many of
them contain runestones dating back to the Viking Age, so for me it is both an
aesthetic experience and an important cultural feature.
6. The
idea that “the sunset dusk never ends” creates a particularly dreamlike and
unsettling feeling. What does this endless twilight represent to you, and how
important are contrasts between beauty and darkness in Isvidd’s music?
You know, I
have very detailed and colourful dreams at night. Sometimes they even have
continuations. And sometimes I see an endless sunset zone where I can meet dead
relatives and friends and talk to them.
But this
attraction to the night does not mean that I do not see beauty during the
daytime. In my poetry, I simply combine the world of sleep with the real world.
7. You
previously mentioned that your synesthesia allows you to experience unusual
connections between sound, colors, weather, and other sensations. Did this
particular song trigger any especially strong colors, landscapes, or sensory
impressions during its creation?
Yes. It
felt like a series of watercolour paintings dominated by dark green and grey,
similar to the colours of a fir forest.
The
movement of the harmony clearly showed me moving shadows there, almost like
small creatures. Perhaps it was somewhat similar to the atmosphere of John
Bauer’s paintings.
8. Since
our previous interview, Isvidd has continued releasing new material while you
are also working on the second album. Has your approach to songwriting or
production changed during this period, and is “By the Other Side of Midnight”
pointing toward anything new on the upcoming album?
The
approach has not changed significantly. I would say that some of the bass and
guitar parts have become more complicated. There will also be slightly more
piano, and I decided to invite a guest female singer for two songs.
So I would
say that the second album will be more colourful. There will also be a song
dedicated to J. R. R. Tolkien, so the range of topics has become wider as well.
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9. The
track has been associated with the atmosphere of artists such as Agalloch,
Panopticon, Woods of Desolation, Drudkh, Ulver, and Alcest. Beyond those
established influences, are there any particular albums, films, books,
landscapes, or pieces of folklore that helped shape the mood of this song?
I have
already mentioned John Bauer, so I would also add Theodor Kittelsen and Johan
Egerkrans to the list. Their artwork and visual worlds have been an important
source of inspiration for me.
As for
landscapes, one of the songs will be dedicated to Östermalm, one of the most
beautiful districts of Stockholm. I love walking there at dusk.
10. “By
the Other Side of Midnight” feels like another chapter in the larger world you
are building with Isvidd. After exploring Ragnarök and now the darker creatures
of Swedish folklore, what other stories, themes, or unexplored corners of
Nordic darkness would you like to bring into the project next?
We will
see. The most interesting thing about a journey is that it can be unexpected,
just like in Tolkien’s books.
I have some
ideas about adding even a few Arabic influences to the music, something
inspired by old Eastern fairy tales.
Maybe other
themes will appear as well. For now, there is one word that keeps coming back
to me again and again: selenophilia. Maybe it will become something
interesting in the future.
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