The Konsortium as a “band” is quite an interesting project. Can you tell me
about it and how it formed? How does your creative process work within the
framework of the Konsortium and who is involved?Interview with the Konsortium 2008
By Bradley Smith
The Konsortium as a “band” is quite an interesting project. Can you tell me
about it and how it formed? How does your creative process work within the
framework of the Konsortium and who is involved?
Member 01:
In short, the whole project came into being because I had to move away from Oslo to Stavanger. Sadly, this also meant leaving the old band (REX) behind. Of course, the need to play music doesn't disappear over night just because you've quit a band, so I just kept on making new material. This gradually evolved into asking other people I knew for contributions and feedback. So, we exchanged material and suggestions, and I tried to sow it all together back at my place. Perhaps quite similar to any other band, only that we didn't share a rehearsal place. In stead, we had to work over distance, using a.o. the internet. After a while I realised that I didn't have the same need to play in an "ordinary" band anymore, and that this way of working actually suited me quite well - and so the Konsortium was formed back in... well, 2004 I think. This way of working takes a bit more time than it does to jam out some new tunes in the basement, but it's worth it.
Apart from being a band, but at the same time eh.. "not being a band", but more of a (yep, you guessed it) consortium, there is no permanent members, other than myself that is. This serves two purposes; there are no long time obligations for the other contributing members, which gives them the necessary freedom to do what the hell they want in other projects. In addition, being able to get different participants for different material is something which is just great - there are no limits to what you can do. So, we are all free to do what we want, and we can focus on what really matters, namely making good music. This is also some of the reason for not having any cool pseudonyms, we are only Member 01, Member 02,etc. There's no point in any personal cultus, the focus should be on the music. This is not something that is very strict, however. If one of the members wants their full name on a recording, then that's not a problem!
Your recent Demo 2008 has been turning heads and ears across the underground lately. How do you feel it is a representation of the Konsortium and what are your overall impressions of it?
Member 01:
Yes, it seems that it has... This was quite a bit of a surprise for me. I mean, I like the stuff that we come up with - most bands do, as they try to make music the of course would like to hear themselves. But it was a very positive surprise that so many others "got into it" as well, and that they actually think the songs are worthwhile listening to.
The music itself does indeed represent us as a band, and in that sense I am satisfied with it. However, as it turned out, I had to play almost all of the instruments on this demo. That is ok I guess, but it would have been better to get just a bit more of the individual variations between each band members performance, just like one can get on a more regular recording of a band. Just a tad more band feel, if you know what I mean.
Of course, this will be different on the debut album, which will feature all of the current members personal contributions in a studio, as well as a better production and overall sound. All in all though, a part from a few things that bug me, it is an ok demo and I am sufficiently happy with it.
There is a large amount of Disharmony and dissonance within your style. What makes Disharmony so unsettling and how do you use it within the context of The Konsortium?
Member 01:
Hm.... This is not something that I have put much thought into, really. It must be that for the human mind, "natural harmonies" is what suits us, kind of what makes sense to us. The major pentatonic scale is a good example - it can be applied to almost anything I think, and you can find it in a lot of music from cultures all around the world. Now - avoiding the technicalities of augmented fourths and tritones - if you fuck this "natural order" up, by doing something as simple as applying a diminished chord were one usually would not expect it to be, it suddenly becomes disturbing for the listener. If I am not totally wrong, I think that people previously perceived this as something really frightening and dangerous, hence giving name to the expression diabolus in musica .
For a European, there's a lot of darkness and mystery in for example Arabian or Indian music, and I believe that much of this can be explained with what I said above. Perhaps it is the same thing for me, that disharmony and breaking out of the natural flow brings something sinister and cold into the music. As I said earlier, this is not something I have put much thought into, and it's the same musically as well - I am not very conscious about using or not using disharmonies. I do try to not overuse it, though. If you can hear it all the time, it has (at least for me) a tendency to become boring. That, and uneffective; a cold chord stings more if used carefully.
Member 03:
Well, as I am the heaviest member in the Konsortium, I’ll compare this
with…FOOD!
The chords and harmonies are different spices. The minor and major chords are
your usual salt and pepper. The power chord maybe some ordinary barbeque spice.
And then the augmented chords and 7s and 9s becomes a bit more exotic spices.
But disharmonies are the really hot and spicy shit, like chilie and such!
And of course, some people have sensitive taste buds and can‘t take it to hot,
while others need their food to be stronger and hotter tasting!
Me, personally, can’t get enough of those smoking hot chilie chords! It’s
acquired taste!
As an integral part of the way you create music, what are your general opinions of the internet and how does it benefit you as an artist? Do you ever feel like you need to escape its clutches? If so, how do you achieve this?
Member 02:
Internet is fine as a tool for getting various stuff done... I haven't explored all the lovely dating sites and places for socializing, and I don't think I ever will either. But for working with music, it's just splendid. And for the Konsortium, it's simply invaluable, we couldn't do what we do if it wasn't for the web. Of course it is helpful for young and upcoming bands within all genres, at the same time as it is almost overwhelming - there are so many bands and projects out there, that some of them are bound to go under. In other aspects, it's not so cool. Some of the old underground feeling is gone. You know, writing letters by hand, receiving tapes and including IRC's... I really don't have much time for that anymore, but I sure miss it now and again. It's almost as if some of that old magic is gone...
Regarding the escape: yes, both I and others I know feel that. We've found an easy solution to this. From time to time we pack our gear and head out to a cabin on the countryside, and stay there for several days, make music and generally have good time. Works out just perfectly.
Member 03:
The great binary spiders web is anarchy in the wires.
Its like a virus infecting our everyday life, we just have to learn to live with
it.
Treat it with respect and it may be a dream come true,
but fail to pay it proper respect and it can become a nightmare. This also goes
for artists. We just have to learn to milk the cow right to get the golden
shower!
You have some unwanted pressure to create your album for Interregnum Records.
How do you feel this has affected your musical birthing process and what impact
do you feel this will have on the upcoming album? Do you feel that this
pressure can be beneficial?
Member 01:
Well, actually I don't think there will be any problems with Interregnum because of a possible delay. Andreas, the guy who runs it, is a really cool guy, and I am sure that he will understand it. It's all my own fault really, as I said yes to an earlier release when he asked me. This is something I shouldn't have done, so Interregnum is not to blame for this at all. Still, pressure can be a good thing. I tend to be really slow with almost everything I do, so yes, a kick in the ass now and then is definitely something I need in order to get things done! And since we talk about pressure, these days I can feel it from time to time because of the very positive reception the demo has received. When people get expectations, you want to meet them and hopefully exceed them, and least of all disappoint them. But, this is something that I'll get around, I'm sure. As long as it doesn't get in the way of finishing the new material, then it will hopefully be inspirational rather than destructive.
I understand recently you went on a mountain trip. What did you do and where did you go? When you are in the wild environs of Norway how does that make you feel? Do you get inspired or do you get artistic inspiration from other sources?
Member 01:
This time I went to a cabin that my family has owned for generations. It's in a place called Sirdal, approximately 800 meters above sea level. It's beautiful up there, and right now there's still a lot of snow, so to get there I had to use my old Nordic skis, and walk for about an hour and a half. It's a rather steep climb from where I park my car, but it's worth it. The weather was sunny the whole weekend, so it was very hot. I went out on some long eh... how do you say? "Skitrips"?, and I didn't need to suit up like I have to do in the winter. Wearing nothing more than shorts, a t-shirt and skis, that was it. Guess it looked totally moronic, but fuck it, it's not like I am strolling down the catwalk either. Apart from looking stupid, the weekend was spent reading, listening to a bit to the radio, having a few beers, etc. There's no TV or electricity, no mobile phones or cars. And you have to chop your way through the ice laden lake to get water. It's all back to basic, and it's great!
To be outside and to "make use of nature" is something that I have done for as long as I can remember. It's just the way my parents brought us up... Every fall my father took me hunting in the mountains, and the summers were spent at another place we have by the sea. I am very grateful for the way they taught me to be outside, to enjoy the wilderness we have here in Norway. And it's still like that - we were mountain climbing just a few days a go, and both of my parents came along as well.
Of course, to be away from all the noise and people can be inspirational. Other times, it is just what it is: to be away, which can be a good thing in itself. How I get inspired, or what gets me inspired can vary a lot. Anything from a movie or something I have read in a book, or some old jazz record; it's all part of what gets me going. "Bad" things can spark it up too. Like big cities, for example. I don't feel very comfortable in them...Still, emotions that in their essence may be destructive or negative can be turned into something constructive, and to channel them into music is just one way of doing that.
Since you are no longer in a traditional band, how does that make you feel? What benefits and advantages did you get from being in a “band” and what exactly do you miss about it? Which set-up is better for your from a creative aspect and why?
Member 01:
I certainly miss playing in a traditional band sometimes. It's something special about it, the whole vibe of standing in the middle of a ton of sound that you and your co-conspirators are creating then and there. If the right opportunity came up, I would definitely go for it. Only problem is, I have developed some kind of arthritis, which has a nasty habit of getting in the way if I play fast for longer periods of time. The downside of being a self taught guitarist, I guess... So a black metal band would be out of the question - but let me know if Electric Wizard is in search of an extra guitarist, heh..
From a creative aspect, I am extremely happy with the freedom this kind of constellation offers. Everyone does more or less as they please, me included. If something doesn't work out, we just throw it away, or we use in another context/ song. Also, I can be quite difficult to work with, so there is a good chance that we all benefit from a bit of distance between us - not so much negative frictions and so on. This "band structure" fits me really well when it comes to writing new material as well, since I often use quite a lot of time to finish new parts, etc. Doing this in a setting where it is only myself I have to worry about makes it a lot easier. No disruptions and arguments, you know. And if I need a second opinion, it's just a phone call away. The downside is the lacking of a "band feeling", not being able to gather everyone and try it out in a rehearsal room.
Being the central node in your consortium, does that ever give you the feeling of megalomania or puppet master? How much of an elitist attitude does being an artist require or are those two mindsets in opposition to each other?
Member 01:
I don't get that feeling myself. Have in mind, I have already said that I can be difficult to work with, so.... I guess some of the others can shed some light on that! But I try to pay attention to everyone's opinion, and this includes opinions that contradict my own views. But to call it a democracy may be to stretch it a bit too far. Regarding an elitist attitude: this depends on the person's abilities to create music, doesn't it? There are plenty of horrific examples where one man or woman wants to do everything themselves, and where the outcome is not worth wiping your ass with. But there are other examples that this attitude can work out - Just look at Bon Jovi. No, seriously, I think what really matters is that one believes in what one does. One should be open for other people's suggestions, critics and such, but always have faith in ones own abilities.
Member 02:
Number 01 has his number for a reason. The doberman needs to doodle around for himself before us others soil his art with our mental trash. We, meaning number 02 and 03, have our own outlets and we know the importance of being the tyrant of your own playground. I have not been in arguments with him yet and I don't think I will, The Konsortium is his child, he is an officer and a gentleman and we are assisting him in the execution of his artistic suicide, like friends should. He gives us the freedom to do what we find appropriate.
Do you have any interests or artistic hobbies outside of music or does the Konsortium eat up most of your time?
Member 01:
I try to write a bit from time to time, just small short stories. I have no ambitions with this little project, it's just something I do when the desire is there. Apart from that, I review music on a regular basis. In addition, I really enjoy being out in the wilderness, be it fishing or climbing, skiing or hunting, so that's something I try to do as often as I can. The Konsortium is of course my main priority besides finishing my education, which is long overdue. However, it looks like I'm completing my Master's Degree next spring. It's about bloody time, and so I am really looking forward to that.
Member 02:
Everything that gives the brain a pause from reality is a nice way to kill time. All the numerals of the consortium has numerous diseases that needs time, lube and care. We are conspirators with several faces.
What are your Future Plans for the Konsortium and how do you see the near term developing?
Member 01:
Oh, man... who knows? First things first: We'll try to make an album that really represents some of what we can do. With this I don't mean that it is for everybody to like. If someone says "it's too much of this, too little of that", then so be it. As long as we are happy with it ourselves, and feel that this is a product we can defend, then we've reached our goal. I am currently writing as much as I can, but these things take time.
Other than that, things are a bit uncertain. The Konsortium will continue their path, but I am still not sure what direction it will take. I would really like to experiment, and keep pushing the boundaries of what we can do. This includes taking a whole different turn musically, and/ or mix up genres more than we do right now. Lately we've been asked a lot about live shows. This is something that would be cool, but at the moment it's not easily done. All members have their own projects and bands, and we don't live in close proximity to each other. So just to gather all the people, and to rehearse as to get tight as a band... that is a big project in itself. But yeah, that would be really cool, but it's not something that we prioritize right now. Hopefully we'll be on the road some time in the coming years, though.
There's also some talk of releasing a video from one of the track of the coming album - but this is yet another one of many uncertainties, so we'll just have to wait and see...
I’ll leave any Final Words to you. Close with anything you wish.
Member 01:
First off, thanks a bunch to Nocturnal Cult and yourself, Brad. We sincerely appreciate the interest, and wish you all the best with your great zine. Secondly, if you readers haven't checked out our material, come visit us at www.myspace.com/konsortiummetal , and look out for our coming debut on Interregnum Records.
Now, with the words of Nietzsche; "All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.". So get out of here!