Interview with Furze 2011
By Bradley Smith

Your new album Reaper Subconscious Guide is finally corrupting the dreamscapes of the underground.  Can you tell me about this album and how is it a progression from previous albums, especially UTD? 

I used to have MUSICAL urges that switched between the brutal and the groovy/eerie...that’s how the first album was mostly brutal, the next is more eerie/sabbath style, then  you have the brutality back like hell on UTD and here we are again with Reaper Subconscious Guide....but there are other “progressions” as well... those progressions just “happen”. Having many ideas, it’s been a goal to not go so much back and forth on the arrangement of the songs, I rehearsed the songs and planned the recording better from the start this time around. Having said that, I‘ve never done Furze songs I’ve not been satisfied with at the time given, so perhaps it’s more a case of being a little more experienced; that it FEELS easier due to many years working every week now...

Reaper Subconscious Guide has a 100 percent analogue sound and is the first Norwegian black metal album to have that.  Why is that important, both in respect to the album and as a landmark within the Norwegian black metal scene?  Also, as I understand it, the vinyl and the CD have different mastering, is that true and why?

It’s not possible for a CD to have an analogue Mastering cause the CD source is in itself Digital. That’s why only the LP version has the pure warmth and glowing sound.  I’d say the LP version is THE definite official Reaper Subconscious Guide album version, the one to listen to...I tried many times (many versions) for each song to reach the sound  for the CD, which fell RIGHT on track for the LP, when entering the analogue Atlantis Studio in Stockholm...it was IMPOSSIBLE to have all the needed “things” in the sound when mastering digitally...Check out the sound and presence of the bass guitar on the LP version (I just have the testpress when this is written but you will  very soon have the LP out on the market ! ).  It’s just cool that Furze did this first, but its not a big fuzz, I just love that analogue sound and have always recorded Furze analogue but have never had the resources to go the whole round like I did now. With other words: doing analogue MIX and MASTERING is my dream come true, not playing Hammersmith.... 

It seems that the concept of Furze has a lot of background to it involving Scythes and the Reaper and other Deathly oddities.  Can you elaborate on all this imagery and tell us more about the concept of Furze?

I think I’ve told alot in interviews around on the net and in zines lately and previously as well.

Reaper Subconscious Guide stirs the question to consciousness about then value of Death, how it transforms patterns of your perceiving Reality, from the subconscious in order to define the conscious values which then again leads you to what you do in your conscious...on religious plane and so on. For you, for your Christian teacher, for your atheistic daughter or your Satanic friend, your muslim neighbors ...All shall fall, only the Reaper is Eternal.. Gods and cyber energies are “half-eternities”, humans connections to whatever planes makes them never immortal, they are just, in best case, a part of the half-eternities... The depths of this is personal. The friction between these planes is the satanism I am into. The friction between these planes is very real and not superstition, its something that “demands study” (to quote LaVey - which I’m not into!) -it’s the PolyTriad Fingerprints...

At one time, on your website you stated that “All Death / Black Metal bands having a too direct link to the 'personal Death' should know they are ripping off FURZE.”  What exactly did you mean by this?

Bathory - as a symbol of somebody whose “doing whatever it takes” to keep young, or “the WISH to keep the lifeforce intact and strong” - then that is again something which can be understood on many planes and in many contexts. Elizabeth could be the “the god” and the virgins could be “Mankind” - this way its a symbol of the ”hunger” of the gods, that feast on the the humans in order to stay alive themselves...they have to bath in the human blood...but the trick is that it is the humans that DEFINES the feasting gods for the humans....so(maybe) the gods are the puppets for a group of people who are hungry to enslave....The same ”depends on context”  can be said about ANY question about life and death.. But in fact, I didn’t say only that which you stated, I said that if ANY MUSICAL UTTERING (no matter what style) claimed to be the personal uttering of The Reaper (Death) - then they are just trying to rip off FURZE (the Name of the Blade on the Official Reaper’s Scythe) cause that’s the core of the Triad of FURZE, that’s the definition of the name, like described above...without its exclusive meaning, it wouldn’t be that eternal symbol any longer, it would just be a band among humans.. BUT that doesn’t subtract from my personal planes, my warmer human side.

Also since you are so “death” oriented what is your personal view on death?  Where does it lead or is it some sort of eternal silence or profound mystery?  How do your contemplations on that subject affect your artistic expressions?

I explained the essence of Death above, eternal silence, yes. Its non-time waiting for ANYTING connected to any time system...half-eternities may seem long - but are not eternal.  Between the human plane (1) and the mystical next (2) of half-eternities - they are HIDDEN connections. All those hidden answers lie here to us as questions, that’s why one can only have senses, heart and soul ready to receive and then understand that one MIGHT have received BULLSHIT cause the ONLY real ETERNAL FORCE is....the highest of the 3 planes....that’s why that’s the plane that has THE most powerful impact on our psyche, especially subconsciously...

Carnality from one side of the triad is the focus of Reaper Subconscious Guide.  How do you translate carnality with the album and why did you decide to focus on this aspect of the triad? 

It was a natural RESULT after the revelation of UTD, to go this way. Just like PSYCH MINUS SPACE CONTROL will be the natural next step...

There is a bold statement on the face of the actual compact disk for Reaper Subconscious Guide in regards to not uploading the album to the internet.  Is there is a huge issue with the stealing of your art by internet thieves?  What is your response to these betrayers?

I hate the modern free downloading thing. Its probably good for somebody, but the sound is shit, the availability gets all over because some journalist chooses to launch up the album 6 weeks prior to an release date and probably decreases the sales by 60% due to the adequate modern   culture of just having the album on the pc instead of a real sounding album with the lyrics and layout along.......Everything gets weaker for the LISTENER and for the ARTIST with this story!! For those who want blind spreading of shit versions of albums without lyrics and coverart (a body without heart and soul) AND wants to steal from the artist they like...well the choice is yours...

How is the new album a guide for one’s subconscious?  How does it influence the thoughts and actions of the conscious self through its affect on the subconscious?  And what role does the Reaper play in this journey?  Is he just the end?

There is no guide. Reaper is not a part of time or space physically...

Reaper’s Subconscious Guide - if THAT was the title - then we would speak about a guide. The title is Reaper Subconscious Guide. It’s already in every human’s subconsciousness - there’s where the patterns starts in order to give way for IT’S RESULTS (guide) in the real world...there’s where the Christians have their death-fear which makes them cling to their belief - that’s where the fear pushes the intelligent to seek wisdom not lies - that’s where the tricks are born in order to send you to mental hospitals - that’s where the muslim draws sharp pictures of Muhammad, that’s …..DOWN THERE.....

When the True Golden Age of Furze arrives, what can us denizens of earth expect?  What does that concept mean to you and when will we bear witness to its existence?

When is shaped the true Golden Age of Furze ?

This is not about “the band Furze”.

The meaning with this sentence (from IMMORTAL LECTURE)

is that there is not Golden Age....it’s a mindblasting stirring question when you read it in connection to its lyrics, but don’t go into the trap and believe that its about the best period of “the band Furze”....

Humans know their fate but the future remains unknown to them (as you stated in another interview).  What affect does that have on the human psyche?  And is it possible to view the future or are we all just floating dust, wandering blind?

I said something about how humans are affected above...and I guess we all have our opinions about how wrong or correct people define death & life values and questions in order to organize it upon others....Is it possible to predict the future? Believe it or not, but I’ve had a few glimpses, that has proven itself later, but I don’t have a clue when it will happen next time. But due to the circumstances it has been happening so far, I’m sure there must be external powers that has had an influence, of course in combination with my own receptors so to say.

What does the future hold for Furze?  I mean what can we expect from you in the near-term?  New recordings?

Yes, there is a schedule now:

- REAPER SUBCONSCIOUS GUIDE analogue LP - the 4th album (different versions/numbered) out NOW -the CD was out November 2010.

- HIDDEN HITS OF THE OFFICIAL REAPER VOL 1 - BOX LP and Gatefold LP out in late June 2011 as far as I can picture(is in the pressing)...the box in only 300x and has

loads of attachments..the most grandiose vinyl format so far from Furze. Includes 15 (surprising?) tracks. CD will AFTER ALL be released since the idiots can download

LPs too from the net due to the new LP players which makes you put the shit into the computer aaaaaargh!!!

- PSYCH MINUS SPACE CONTROL LP/CD November 2011 -the 5th album...

- HIDDEN HITS OF THE OFFICIAL REAPER VOL 2 LP/CD  April 2012 (look out for a massive cool Vinyl version of this one - be early to get the die hard version! )

Any final words of unconscious wandering and searching?  What “results” do you have for us?

Better move on to the next plane now, been far too heavy within the subconscious planes for a while...the results are the recordings mentioned above.

Special thanx to You Brad/NC cult.

Right now I’m off this interview but first:

a massive thanxx to our American listeners, you seem to enjoy original metal with old school bones balancing up the body, thanx to Tim Lehi in San Francisco - the most die hard American Furze fan who ALWAYS order everything possible to order from us. Good luck with your tattoo studio... A message to the underground in USA: there are two ways to get our albums and merch, directly from RED/SONY in USA or order directly from AGONIA RECORDS in Poland. I know there have had been problems to get the album over there but mail them - or me ( theonereaper@gmail.com ) if access fails...Do not burn it if you do not pay for it ! I’m in minus already enough as it is..thanx in advance, vinyls rule!!!!!