Interview with Ciekals of Lja 2007

By Bradley Smith

I must admit I didn’t get Til Avsky for Livet until recently but I was blown away.  Everything about the album is high class.  Can you tell me a bit about what went into the album and all the different concepts involved within it?

Thanx, yeah I know its high class… but then again nothing else is accepted… there are not so many concepts revolving around the album.. mainly my feelings towards life and what comes along with it…death being the most obvious.. Musically it is an expression of how I like black metal to be… I wanted to create an album I have missed in the genre.. I mainly stopped buying black metal albums in 96 because there were coming so much crap… so this is my response to that…..

I know Vedderbaug will be re-released on vinyl format in the near future.  How is that version coming along?  Will it ever see release on CD format?  How large is the demand for this demo?

Oh it’s coming, but there are some delays as always…. It will be a different cover and include some unreleased tracks… yes there probably will be a cd release as well.. The demand is very high.. Its been 4 years since we recorded it.. and still I get mail almost every day from all over the world from people wanting it…

Lja means scythe in Norwegian correct?  So how does this image represent the artistic aim of Lja?  Who designed that “killer” Swirling Scythe symbol you guys use on your website?

Yes that’s correct. Ljå is for me the clearest symbol of death/reality.. and we represent something real… for us it’s a natural expression….

The swirling Scythe symbol was designed by a friend of mine..

The Band members live in other locations throughout Norway.  How does that affect Lja’s ability to function as a band?  Do you think it helps to be separated in such a way as to keep a sort of isolationist mentality?

Obviously it makes it a bit harder and everything take longer time than it should, but we have all been playing since 1990, and we do not need to rehearse that much… before we recorded the album we had not rehearsed for 9 months, and we did the whole session live in studio in 5 days.. So there you go….

I read that you think that the format of Vinyl is special and I wanted to know what you think makes it to “true” in regards to the spirit of underground music and why it continues to live on despite the plastic society moving on without it for the most part?

The whole concept of vinyl is dedication to music.. I think there is a more genuine interest in people that prefers vinyl.. Playing an LP actually takes an effort and you have to handle it with care… so you do not buy an LP if you do not really like the music that’s on it…. Also the format is more appealing with a larger display of the artwork… regarding black metal that is important… the devils own format if you will…

You seem to have a fairly close relationship with Koldbrann(or members thereof).  What sort of friendship and project do you share?  What do you think of their brand of black metal?

Yes Mannevond is one of my good friends and the other guys are a good crowd…  Me and Mannevond are actually going to record 2 songs this week … it s for a split 10” with Slavia.. But I will not reveal the name of the project yet… the music somewhat eerie old school necro black metal, and I think it will be a treat for the fans of Ljå/Koldbrann… Dirge Rep from Orcustus/Gorgoroth has written the Lyrics, and Vold (x-Dismal Euphony) will do the drums…

Koldbranns latest album is a really good piece of work….

Everyone always talks about their musical influences when it comes to making extreme metal.  I was wondering what some of your Non-musical inspirations for composing music was and in what manner they helped you? 

Hmm I guess you can say that life itself is the biggest inspiration.. everything I do is a result of how I think, and it is reflected in my music as I paint  visions in my mind writing the songs…I am a complex person and I do a lot of different things.. I travel a lot, have an interesting job etc. and all these things affects me in one way or the other….

A lot of bands answer a question like this with  things like “walking in the woods,, gazing at the moon etc”.. I guess that works for some people, but I am not into the mythology stuff, I am more concerned with what happens now…. But I have done my share of walking in the woods in the past hehe

To me and to a lot of other people Black metal is sort of a spiritual experience of sorts.  Do you agree and with that statement in mind how does one achieve a state of mind conducive to creating black metal?  What sorts of moods are required for you to create and how do you usually get the atmosphere within yourself set to the right frame of mind?

Yes I agree… I have to be in a certain mood in order to create what I want…but it can be on different levels.. Sometimes I can be in a really dark and bad mood when I create music.. Then the songs mainly end up aggressive.. like Granatsjokk….its hard to get in a certain mood.. it just happens.. comes naturally.. of course one can focus on things one knows sets you in different  moods, but for me that does not work…sometimes I can sit in a bar with lots of people and suddenly a riff pop ups in my head for no reason… I wrote the song “Til Satan” in a hotel in New York waiting for my luggage.. so it can be anywhere …

But if I should point out the best mood for me to be in when creating black metal it has to be a dark, focused and searching one… As I mentioned earlier I get these visions in my head as I write a song.. it sort of takes me mental places… You can easily hear when bands write music that they do not have a genuine feeling for what they do.. or comprehension you might say.. Black metal is indeed a spiritual way of expressing one self … and I guess there are  a lot of people that will never comprehend that… but then again it’s not for everyone to be a part of…

I have read that you think the world is overpopulated.  How do we deal with this Human infestation and is there any sort of mass extermination you would like to see?  What would be the preferred method to use for that?

Well obviously there are too many people in this world.. and most of them even do not know how to take care of themselves … you see them every day on the street,, junkies, beggars , whores and other creatures of “Gods” magnificent creation..  I think the world has its own way to take care of these things, but it also is a sort of inspiration to see them….

There are so many wars and other stuff going on these days,, just look at Iraq, sure that’s the true manifestation of insanity and stupidity… so I take it mankind will never learn and continue to kill each other, so I say; keep it up

What Other bands do you play in why all the different outlets for your creative talents?  It seems that so many musicians are involved with other projects.  Do you feel it saps their creative talents too early?

Right now I only play in one other band, and it is more a project… the one consisting of me and Mannevond (Koldbrann)… maybe it will turn in to a proper band one day, but or now we are to busy with Ljå and Koldbrann. Dirge Rep (Gorgoroth/Orcustus) only write the Lyrics for the Ep we are recording these days… and Vold has a band called Lydia Laska.. Personally I have never been a fan of playing in lots of different bands, it just takes away my focus, especially if the music is the same genre.. that makes me choose if this song is for Ljå or for my other project… im more comfortable with putting 100% focus in to one band…

Im not sure if it saps the creativity, I guess for some it adds creativity, but for others it drains the source… Black metal must also be the nr. 1 genre where the same people plays in different bands.. I remember back in 92, then everybody played with everybody.. Samoth for instance; Emperor,Satyricon,Burzum,Gorgoroth etc.. even if some just were session. but I guess he only gained creativity from it. So I guess it’s different from person to person

You have stated in other interviews that basically you are “Stuck in the past” circa 92 when it comes to playing, creating and listening to black metal.  What albums and bands from that period had the most impact on you as a musician?  Does it make you sort of proud and privileged to be from a scene that made such a tremendous impact on the scene?

Well lets see… the 10 albums I appreciate the most and that have infected me are these:

Bathory; Under the sign of the black mark

Marduk; Those of the unlight

Kvist; For kunsten maa vi evig vike

Gehenna; Seen through the veils of darkness

Immortal; Pure Holocaust

Samael; Worship Him

Gorgoroth;Pentagram

Darkthrone;A blaze in the northern sky

Satyricon; Dark medieval times

Beherit; Drawing down the moon

All these albums should be in any black metal fan’s collection..

Yes I absolutely feel privileged to have been able to be a part of the Norwegian black metal scene in the beginning of the 90`s… The atmosphere surrounding us those days were very special and impossible to comprehend for those that never were a part of it. Even to this day I get chills when I think of it.. and I have restored that feeling from the days when we walked to the rehearse place shared by Neetzach and Gehenna.. Something one can never get back, but only keep in mind.. I think everybody that were a part of the scene back then knows exactly the feeling I am talking about… So all the albums I listed above helps me preserve all this…

I know it hasn’t been too terribly long since Til Avsky for Livet came out but when can we expect a new album?  Have you written any material for it?

Well because of the geographic situation with me living in Oslo and the others in Stavanger things tends to take time… but I have written some new songs and we have started talking about a new release, but I have no idea when it will be…Til Avsky for livet still draws a lot of intention and now there are the vinyl versions of both albums

Coming. And as I said before there will be a official cd version of Vedderbaug…

Any Last Words before we start the extermination?

Thanx for an interesting interview and for supporting our work Brad!

Ciekals