current issue: interviews with botanist, merkaba, bound by entrails

current issue:
interviews with botanist, merkaba, bound by
entrails, skagos, and jute gyte
reviews of many things
live report of a sutkeh hexen performance
next issue early winter 2013
BLACK METAL OF THE AMERICAS
VOL III
november 19, 2012
there has been a long silence on our end,
for which we apologize for. at no point
did our dedication to this project fail,
but this summer was a time of tremendous
upheaval and as a result, some things have
taken slightly longer than normal. we hope
that this expanded volume assuages any
harsh feelings. five interviews, reviews
of many things, and more photographs from
the esteemed patrick. 2012 has been a
banner year for our genre of choice, and we
are excited to see what happens next year.
our next issue will hopefully be out in
early 2013.
if you have any suggestions or comments,
please reach out to us at
[email protected]
previous issues can be found at
blackmetaloftheamericas.bigcartel.com/
hail,
ed.&Patrick.
a brief note on accreditation:
all of the full page photographs are
courtesy of patrick, except for the cover
image for the botanist interview. that
image is courtesy of otrebor. all of the
smaller pictures were taken by ed.
other genres, being more guided to a performance-art aspect, I feel that Black Metal
exists completely on the fulcrum of this Shamanistic counter-culture. In its worst
expression, you see the complete failure to transgress typified in so many of the
aforementioned Metal atrocities. In its most realized, you’ll find the Shamanic Black
Metal Atavism of a band like Fauna, or the taboo-transcendence of Crash Worship.
This topic can be explored in more depth than I could ever present here, in the
essay “The Magical and the Marginal” by Scrott Schroder, to be published in the
upcoming Issue III of Amarantos Magazine.
In January, you mentioned a number of possible future projects for Skagos, including
two new full-lengths, a seven-inch of folk songs, and an audio-visual exploration of
the "mythic journey from the Primordial Seas to our inhabitance of Seaside
cultures". Are those all still in the works? What is in the general future for Skagos?
You've mentioned that all future releases will be self-released, will they all have
physical manifestations?
These are all still in this works, yes, but as I have previously mentioned, the
ability for us to share space and bring them in to being has been greatly hindered by
the immense distance between us, physically. I cannot speculate on a completion
date, or that all of these projects will reflect, entirely, their initially projected
manifestation. However, we do still intend to bring all of them through the veil and
in to the living world.
The general future for Skagos is largely unclear, but what is without doubt is
that we will be hard-pressed to find time to work on the project as a pair. We do
intend to try and hold the reins on our physical output in an intention of connecting
as deeply with the project as possible. This most certainly speaks toward physical
releases, providing that funds grant us this possibility.
To be more direct, the original 7” maybe turn in to a split 12” with a certain
unmentionable project that we’re very excited to work with. The project “Coastal”
is looking like it will be taken on by my personal project, Corvus. The upcoming full
lengths will pass in to being when it is their time.
topic to discuss and it would be hopeless for me to try and fledge out a complete
analysis in the space provided within this interview. Regardless, I can try to
approximate a few pivotal points to hopefully allow the reader to connect further
dots.
On one hand, it is very true that heavy metal in general uses the baggage of our
culture to an effect of empowerment. While it can be argued that this is a way of
exemplifying the profoundly unhealthy and insane parts of our culture and displaying
it un-obscured to the mainstream that prefers not to acknowledge it, I don’t feel
that this theory holds any water. Obscured our not, the effects and damage of
misogyny, racism, colonialism, ecological eradication and economical pillaging, etc.,
are unquestionably present. When they do not permeate the direct consciousness
and understanding of a person, they manifest in symptoms of tension, holding in the
body, thwarted mental development, constriction and judgment of one’s
experience… The “exemplification” brought forward by racist black metal, carnageobsessed death metal, misogynistic heavy metal, so on and so forth, is only affirming
and strengthening the pathology of modern life.
You also mentioned a really powerful point in your original question. In
harnessing these powers, the victims of them do not turn some table and find
themselves standing above their oppression. On the contrary, they embody them,
internalize them, and project them furthermore unto anyone vulnerable enough to
listen, which is, unfortunately, most people in our culture.
However, there is another angle to this issue, and I would argue it to be the
most profound in understanding how this force is most often recycling in a vortex of
pathology. As has been explored by many anthropologists and human-ecologists,
there seems to be an inherent behavour in human societies to showcase and engage
in whatever taboos exist within the culture, always on a spiritual level. This is vividly
displayed in the manifestation of the Shaman; one who engages the Otherwold; the
tie between that-which-we do-not-understand and Us, who can only be someonewho-is-not-like-Us. It must be painfully relatable to the social outcast who finds
solace in black metal to comprehend the place of the Shaman. In Scott Schroders
words, “it is thoroughly modern and thoroughly ancient.” These figures, without fail,
make efforts to remove themselves from the status quo, be it a village in Siberia of
13 individuals, or an ancient Civilization on the fringes of Europe. They live apart
from the group; crossdressing and otherwise vulgar-presentation is more or less
standard; they violate customs and traditions with violence and mockery; they take
whatever course of action that directly defies and invalidates that of “the people.”
All the while, in constant interaction with the world unseen. They are the magical,
and they are the marginal- truly the “weirdos” of every society, holding a pivotal
foundation to our understanding and lack thereof, of experience as a human animal.
This engagement of the Otherworld, lying directly on the fringe of every-day-life
is, I believe, precisely rekindled by dramatic ritual performances in any marginal
genre of music or other presented art-form. While it seems to thrive most purely in
this issue is dedicated to the memory of
anne marie blair
may your rest be cool and kind
of industrial civilization does not usher in the “end of the world” as many
“humanistic” (speciesist) speculators may suggest, even if it does usher in the
exingence of our species.
In a recent interview with
HSS(http://www.hammersmashedsound.com/2012/08/interview-with-ray-hawesof-skagos.html), you mentioned that Skagos has moved away from ideology to a
more personal expression. This seems to be a strong shift, and I was wondering if
you could discuss the events or choices that lead to it?
It will be difficult to discuss, but I can attempt to paint the picture regardless. It
will have to come from my perspective, not Isaac’s, as that is all I can speak to.
Also seeing that I’m the main conceptual and lyrical contributor to the project.
When first starting the project I was very focused on an agenda, of sorts, to
encourage and indoctrinate our listeners with the dismal and heartbreaking
observations and experiences that I had as I slowly found myself opening to the
reality of the current human condition. This unfolding in my life eventually led
further into a course of ideological action that eventually became the buildingblocks and framework of my life. I was living in communal anarchist houses and
squats, playing with the band Iskra full-time, attending rallies and actions. Relatively
speaking, this course of action being the main thrust in my life shriveled in to
meaninglessness very quickly.
I no longer had any interest in pushing an ideology on a listener. It became much
more important to me to relive and express the timeless myths and stories our
species, the reverence of a landbase, the struggles found both universally and
intimately in our lives. In short, the underlying currents beneath the veneer of
ideology, being the reality of experience.
It was at this time that I realized, regardless of my intention; this was what
Skagos was all along. To follow the thematic output of Skagos is to follow my
experience as a human being, and will continue to be as such, so long as I remain
honest. It is a lot more of an omnipotent reality than any choice I could ever make.
Heavy metal, and black metal both have their roots in strong power fantasies, the
idea of control expressed by those who feel they have little or none. Violence, the
occult, death, these things been used as distancing tools to aid the creation of an
outsider culture, a culture that still carries much of the baggage of the
mainstream(misogyny, racism, and so forth). This foundation of the fetishization of
power seems at odds with your notions of Cascadia, and indeed, much of the
writings of the anarcho-primistivist movement. Can you talk about this
contradiction?
As seems to be my response to most of these questions, this really is a huge
combat stagnation?
This reclusive nature is only partially intentional. While we do put effort toward
opening space for a certain level of mystique, interpretation and suspense
surrounding the project, it must also be realized that working as a band has been
very difficult during these past few years. We have, most often, been living on
opposite ends of the North American continent, working on projects other than
Skagos. This insularity is thusly a repercussion of this situation, rather than an
intention put in to motion by the band. However, with this said, we do often need to
consciously remove our thoughts from the outlying world and its expectations to
pursue the creation of Skagos in the most honest way possible. In its most refined
definition, Skagos is the title given to the collaborative creation of music between
Isaac and myself, no more or less. For this process of creation to unfold towards the
most honest outcome possible, outlying pressures must be cast aside as, ultimately,
meaningless to our journey as musicians and human animals.
As for stagnation, I never find any need to combat such a situation. Our minds
are constantly brimming with more ideas than we can ever hope to bring to life,
especially given the limited time we have to work together. At this time, we see no
end to Skagos’ output, perhaps simply because we can’t keep up ourselves, perhaps
because the torrent of life flowing through cannot possibly dry out.
Your work seems to oscillate between images of hope, and powerfully bleak symbols.
Unextinguished ancient fires exist in the same space as a shattered Ouroboros, or a
barren womb. Rain is both a cleansing and a clearing. What role does hope play in
Skagos? Do you think there is a future for humanity, or are we locked on a course of
self-destruction?
This is a very complicated question, and I must start but assuring readers that I do
not, by any stretch, plan on answering it with anything remotely resembling totality.
The most fundamentally truthful thing I can say to you is that I have no way of
knowing, but I will attempt to answer in some more transparent detail.
Admittedly, hope is the main thematic shift in the progression of Skagos. While
our earlier releases were to some degree birthed of and wrought with existential
nihilism and the misanthropy of disillusioned, western-youth, our recent work has
focused much more heavily on the innate gifts and assurances or the human animal,
and the nourishing lifeblood of the living, thriving, sane world or flora, fauna and all
Others that surround us, those seen and unseen. While we live within the illusion of
a shattered ouroboros, the womb of human fruition seeming to have gone barren, it
is the unextinguished fire of our primordial souls that shatters the illusion, affirms
fertility of our existential womb, and mends the cyclic ouroboros.
While there is certainly a future for humanity, I cannot be the one to tell you
what it is; nor can anyone. I think that the main point to absorb is that the collapse
Darkness in Solitude:
An interview with
Bound by Entrails
I(ed.) used to live in Alaska, and during that time I had
a radio show on KRNN at midnight on Saturday night. About
halfway through my tenure, I decided to research the
Alaskan black metal scene. What is Alaska if not
America's Norway, I thought, and was disappointed by the
complete dearth of interesting sounds. The one exception
was Bound by Entrails. I lost track of them for a bit,
but they stamped their name back on the map with their
most recent release “The Stars Bode You Farewell.” The
album is a frenzied slab of progressive black metal with
thoughtful ornamental keyboard flourishes. The entire
band was happy to respond to our questions, and we, as
always, are thankful for their time and candor.
Bound by Entrails started as a solo project in Iowa by
Brett, and he's been the only constant member throughout
the band's run, correct? Was there a point where the
project ceased to be a singular person's musical vision
and became more of a group project?
Brett: I’m sure that I probably had a chip on my shoulder
when BbE Alaska started. But I quickly shed that once we
started writing new music and we were no longer just
playing the Iowa songs. As soon as we started writing
“The Oath…The Burden” we became a joint effort.
Billy: At first I was just so happy to be a part of a
band that aligned with my musical tastes that I wanted to
just add what I could without taking much of a creative
role. That changed over time, especially as members came
and went and I felt more comfortable experimenting with
new sounds/instruments since I could see Brett and Jeremy
(former guitarist) were branching out significantly in
their own right.
as a project that has spanned multiple states, can you
speak to the different influences of the Iowan countryside
and the Alaskan mountains?
Brett: There really is no BM influence in Iowa,
geographically speaking. The influence there was the
yearning for something more. In Alaska, it’s right there.
Billy: Nature has always been a huge inspiration to me,
and that was certainly an impetus to explore bands and
subgenres that naturally “fit” the landscape I grew up
with.
Tyler: What would NOT be inspirational about the Alaskan
wilderness? Especially considering that living in a city
like Anchorage, or where I live in Palmer, getting out to
the wilderness is less than 5 miles away for great hiking!
Lyrically I doubt it played into it, but it’s fun to think
that the more epic side of BBE, musically, was due to the
Alaskan surroundings!
there's a clear Nordic influence on your music, from your
name to the obvious affection for second wave black metal.
where does this influence come from for you? is there a
heritage aspect for you, or simply an
appreciation/interest?
Brett: I’m an American, first and foremost. I don’t
think that a person has to be from a part of the world in
order to relate to their beliefs and mythologies.
However, I do have roots in Germany and Northern Europe
(as well as everywhere else in the world!). There have
been members in the past who obsessed over their ancestral
roots and used it as a focal point to their music but as
for the three of us, it has never been a huge influence.
All in all, the Nordic influence for me came from an
appreciation of the culture, the mythology and the strong
sense of tradition.
Billy: An interest in metal definitely came before a love
of Norse mythology and culture for me, but it quickly
lyrics. Various gods of war seem to be the most prevalent reference, Ares, Ahriman,
and so on. Can you speak to the usage of multiple pantheons in your work? Is
polytheism tied to your leanings towards anarcho-primitivism?
To start, I believe that it may be a small miscommunication to announce that we
have any sort of reoccurring theme of glorifying or exemplifying war-Gods. It is true
that we have referenced Ares in one song, however the scope of these references
within our lyrical presentations are, in fact, meant to be approached as a topic of
grandeur. In our reference of Ares, it is by no means an allegiance to the godfigure
itself, but rather an invitation to contemplate the entire ethnogenesis of such a
figure of violent, desecrating warfare.
Furthermore, references to Ahriman have been paired with reference to Ahura
Mazda, and in this intention we differ from previous godfigure references. The
figures of Zarathustrian origin have been written of in great detail by both Rudolph
Steiner, as well as Fredy Perlman, and in the wake of their thoughts we are
compelled to engage the dichotomy of the two -- one, the flame of consumption that
illuminates naught, the other being the elucidating, brilliant flame of deepest inner
truth. (It should be noted at this point that these two writers, while conveying a
similar theological analysis, should not be seen as contemporaries of one another.) It
is under the mantle of these two Flames that we unearth our analysis presented in
Anarchic, comprising lyrically of the struggles and metamorphosis to be found in the
repression and thwarting of élan vital.
To answer the main thrust of this question: Yes, the engagement of a pantheistic
worldview is definitely in congruence with what some might call an anarchoprimitivism sentiment (though we do not identify Skagos under the shadow of this
banner.) I believe that one of the most fundamental shortcomings of observations
and analysis’s coming from within the lens of modern civilization is the monotheistic
pursuit of penultimate “truth.” This also extends to the most frequent critiques
pushed on authors critical of industrial civilization. The world exists within a number
of confounding and often contradicting truths, and it is from a pantheistic lens that
this can be most openly experienced. It is a coexisting truth that while we argue for
the complete and utter downfall of global infrastructure, you are indeed reading this
on industrially produced paper, printed on by a computer, and originally typed out
on another computer. This interview was only manifested through usage of email
correspondence, and yet, within we advocate atavism and industrial collapse. This is
not hypocrisy. These are all truths, being composite components of a larger,
unknowable reality that monotheism cannot comprehend, manifesting and
decomposing in every given moment.
Skagos has been seemingly fairly reclusive over the past couple of years, a tendency
not uncommon among black metal musicians. Do you feel that a large degree of
insularity is required to produce your music in an honest fashion? How do you
The obvious main thrust of Skagos is black metal, but there have been nods and
incorporations from many other disparate genres. It's rare to find this kind of
unorthodoxy in most forms of metal, why do you think black metal has this sort of
malleability?
First and foremost, this question must be addressed on a sonic level. Black
Metal has developed to include a vast array of stylistic nuances that seem to have
naturally developed, on a certain level, simply because the sounds lends itself so
comfortably to such re-contextualizing. While it is easy to imagine Trash Metal with
a brutish, punk-inspired nature, it is much more difficult to picture a cohesive
impression of dark, cascading, atmospheric thrash metal. It is with similar ease that
we can pull forth many examples of filthy, discordant death metal, however a band
like Liturgy could not develop within the genre. And yet, all of these examples
manifest within the totality that we call Black Metal, and so many more. And all of
this with such unstoppable ease and intention, like a river opening itself to infinity
from the canyon to the delta.
Another aspect of the equation can be chalked down to those interested in Black
Metal, and more importantly, experimentation therein. When an individual has found
their self, by whatever means, connecting to the soundscape presented in even the
most orthodox forms of Black Metal, they are aligning themselves within the cultural
periphery. While we do often see people get rather aggressively stuck within a kind
of subcultural materialism, I find that it is becoming more and more frequent for
listeners and musicians (admittedly, often one in the same persons) to follow the
impulses that brought them to Black Metal to whatever reaches they can. Of course,
this process can apply on the contrary to individuals finding themselves within the
realm of all different experimental and peripheral music getting lost in the pallets and
realms of Black Metal.
The accumulative effect of the former points can lead us to a third, being the
overall ripeness for Black Metal to transgress definition and find itself within a
perpetual state of reinvention. While previous forms of heavy metal have, arguably,
stayed within rather precise and intentional musical and thematic presentations,
Black Metal seemed to slide very quickly into an affirmation of vastness and limitless
exploration.
However, at the end of it all, we can only speculate as to likely suspects for this
development. As monoculture slows devours everything, we see those ensnared
within its bile keen to develop an endless complexity within, and in a strange
paradox this is simultaneously the most basic and most complex explanation. The
universe is in constant expansion from every point at once, growing infinitely more
complex. Black Metal is not exempt.
This sort of recontextualization seems to apply to your use of mythology as well,
with references to Greek, Persian and other ancient belief systems scattering your
became a legitimate interest in its own right, independent
of the music. I started taking Norwegian lessons partly
just to read Windir lyric sheets in early high school.
Tyler: The Nordic myths were certainly a source of
inspiration for the initial beginnings of the band (the
name referring to the punishment of Loki for Baldur's
death, for example), as we all have interests in the Eddas
and the various Nordic myths. As far as heritage goes,
that never crossed my mind as a source of influence for
the band. None of us are worried about or obsessing about
where we come from. That being said, in recent times I
myself have started becoming more interested in ancestral
roots, as curiosity is getting more to me the older I get.
Although I'm pretty certain there’s no Scandinavian blood
in my family tree. Not much is known on my dad's side
(except most likely German, among other things), but my
mom's family traces back to Scotland and other parts of
the British Isles. I guess if there is Pagan ancestors,
it'd be closer to the Anglo-Saxons than Scandinavian
Vikings.
in previous interviews, you've mentioned that playing live
in Alaska was a strange thing because you were often
lumped in with various other bands that fell under the
wide umbrella of "metal". Alaska seems like such an
obvious place to compose black metal, do you have any
thoughts on why you were the only active band to do so?
Brett: As an outsider (not originally from AK), I think
that people were too scared to be in a BM band because
they were afraid of being accepted into the Alaska music
scene. A large part of the AK metal scene is extremely
incestuous and the musical influences run about as deep as
a toilet. Most bands who do not fit into the constrains
of a certain style live a short life. But we were very
persistent, and we came onto the AK music scene at a time
where the fans were bored with what was there. But, the
novelty of black metal wore off after a few years and our
show turnout was reduced to only the fans who actually
liked us (which was fine with us!). Once we made the move
out of the all-ages audience and started playing at the
adult venues, it was better.
Billy: Extreme metal is a relatively
we’re a relatively small place. With
isolated population, I’m glad we have
all. As in anything, the trends will
small subculture and
such a small
a metal scene at
always dominate.
So it’s not surprising that more bands are going to have
more of a –core aesthetic or sound.
Most people aren’t going to get into metal with a black
metal album when they go to the mall with their first
pocket change, they’re going to buy whatever’s on the
front rack. More power to ‘em though, live active bands
are always a good thing.
Tyler: Alaska tends to be behind the times musically
speaking than the lower 48. Everyone loves big time thrash
bands and the younger crowd nowadays are more into Hot
Topic melodic death and core bands. Sure it gets old, but
as detached as Alaska is, I think a lot of people up here
just accepted what we could get in stores, and chose not
to rummage around in the underground. Playing with core
bands got old, and really spelled our death live on the
latter days of the band's existence when the kids got more
into breakdowns than blast beats when core really took
hold, but we still had a lot of respect among the other
bands. And when the lineup was right, it was cool. You had
a mix of death thrash, us, core, groove type DM, and even
more progressive ambient type metal.
existing in Alaska can feel tremendously isolating. did
you ever feel like your location was limiting the
progression of the band? did bound by entrails ever tour?
Tyler: Never toured out of state, no. We did get to play
outside of Anchorage, which was neat. We actually opened
up for Mose Giganticus before they signed to Relapse which
was definitely a highlight for us! Musically I don't think
it limited our progression. We didn't play live all that
much in the last couple years we were active up here,
which really helped us I think. The bands that play shows
all the time end up writing songs that sounds like the
last three songs they just wrote. They're just so swamped
with shows that progression comes slower. Truth be told, I
think if we had a super heavy show schedule we probably
would not have ended up with an album like this. The more
progressive songs on that album were written when we
really didn't have hardly any shows and a shuffling of
members that just kept us in the studio.
Brett: I do believe that living in Alaska hindered some
of the progression in some ways, and helped in others.
The hindrance was trying to find able musicians to be part
of the band, both live and studio (and holding on to them
for any amount of time.) We couldn’t find a bassist for
our first 2 ½ years until Mark moved up from Pennsylvania.
sound is our chosen vessel for the underlying
spiritual expression, in much the same way as Lao
Tse describes, “the material brings usefulness, the
immaterial brings essence.”
What does the future hold for Merkaba? In your
interview with You Ain't No Picasso, you mentioned a
split with Panopticon. Is this still on the table?
Can we expect a new full length soon?
Our next major project is a rerelease on Pagan
Flames Productions (paganflames.com) of our sold-out
full length, Bones of the Sacred Forest- we have
added an unreleased track, remixed the whole album,
and are very happy with the resulting sound. We are
also gearing up for another recording session, which
will hopefully provide material for new splits,
possibly with Panopticon, maybe another split with
Wheels Within Wheels, though we haven’t yet
solidified any commitments at the moment. A new full
length is in the works, and though we have not yet
developed a timetable for this project, we hope it
will emerge soon. Thanks for all the support and
great interview questions!
Peace to all
-Merkaba
We went through 3 lead guitarists in 4+ years. The time I
had to spend teaching all of them how to play our songs
was a huge waste. But as Tyler mentioned, I think our
progress was also helped by the fact that we weren’t show
obsessed.
what is your composition process like? do you have a
lyrical concept in mind when you're writing the music, or
are the lyrics written to fit the music?
Billy: The composition process for me varied quite a bit.
I especially liked how songs on this album would take on a
whole new meaning and sound as the parts came together…the
half-finished product was about the most inspiring aspect
of songwriting to me and a lot of my favorite parts on the
album are the result of everyone else turning my
preconceptions of the finished work on their head. When I
heard Brett add a new harmony or Chris or Tyler’s
contributions, they were rarely what I pictured and it
inspired me to experiment with new sounds and instruments.
I wrote my small portion of the lyrics after the music was
recorded. The meter and the feel of the song is really
useful for inspiration and fine-tuning a broad lyrical
concept.
Tyler: music comes first. And as complex as a lot of the
songs seem to be, the basic skeletal structures of the
songs actually came together pretty fast, always did.
how do you think "the stars bode you farewell" fits into
the current landscape of American black metal? are there
any current examples of American black metal you admire or
would consider influences?
Brett: I’m not really sure how we fit in to the scope of
USBM. I think we have a pretty original sound compared to
the rest of the USBM. I’m not sure if will we ever be
regarded as an influential or inspiring band in the US
scene, though I would like it if we did become that. I
honestly don’t actively listen to many USBM bands, so I
can’t say that there are any particular bands that
influenced us.
Billy: I definitely like some USBM and I think it
inevitably informs my musical taste. Bands like Absu,
Woe, Agalloch, Sacrament ov Impurity and the more
“American” sound that has developed a la WITTR, Krallice,
Liturgy, even Deafheaven..I like them all but I wouldn’t
say our music has more in common with them vs bands
overseas.
Tyler: I personally don't think we sound like any other
USBM band. But if you wanted to make some sort of parallel
between bands, we'd probably be closer to a Nachtmystium.
Atmospherically we could be in line with WITTR. I like
bands like WITTR, Krallice, Oakhelm, and more obscure
bands like Sacrament Ov Impurity from Mt Vernon,
Washington and Kommandant, from the Chicago area, but I
wouldn’t say that they are an influence. European bands
hold a stronger influence to me personally. It certainly
comes out that way in our most recent album!
"the stars bode you farewell" is technically a posthumous
release. what is next for the members of bound by
entrails? what prompted the move to Madison, and the
decision to disband?
Brett: When I moved to Alaska, it was never intended to
be a permanent relocation. In fact, I was originally
going to be there for only 1 year, which turned into 4+!
I always live out my dreams, and living in Alaska was one
of them. Another of them was to raise a family in
Madison. My wife and I getting the gears in motion and
rooting our careers. I suppose it is time for us to grow
up! As far as disbanding…even though BbE was born in the
Midwest, it was raised in Alaska and that is where it
belongs. So, I decided that it was best to leave it
there.
Since moving to Wisconsin, I have gotten involved
in a new musical project with the first BbE drummer Jesse
Stika, and another gentleman. It is called The Fire
Sermon.
Billy: I am finishing recording accordion/vocals for an
8-piece folk project called “Witchbear” this fall,
enjoying the summer before I have to enjoy the winter. I
just graduated from college this spring, now I’m working
in a genetics laboratory and I plan to go to medical
school.
Tyler: Billy and I are trying to get our schedules to
line up and kick around some ideas, but it’s nothing
serious at this point in time. This past year and a half
I've been playing with a surf rock band called Bottle Caps
For Dollars. Definitely a big change of pace, but so much
fun. Pretty big gigs already and we're recording soon. All
of us in that band have our different influences, and we
all get to let it shine. When was the last time you heard
a surf rock band use double kick flourishes or even get to
drop a blast beat in a song live?
What is your relationship to the Concentric Drone
Cult?
We are the DroneCult! Concentric DroneCult is a
collective of about a dozen meditative drone and
metal musicians and artists. It is not a record
label, though adherents frequently collaborate on
small-run, handmade music releases. It is not a
performing ensemble, though members regularly work
together to produce multimedia art and music
presentations. The project initially grew from the
multidimensional folds of Lexington drone wizards,
Everyone Lives Everyone Wins, but now encompasses a
wider circle of contributors, channeling energy
through the website:
concentricdronecult.blogspot.com
There seems to be a rise of sort of spiritualistic
black metal, groups that play black metal in a
ritualistic fashion separated from the traditional
tropes of Satanism or misanthropy. As a seeming
member of this very loose group of bands, can you
talk about your relationship with black metal? Is it
a spiritual activity for you?
Absolutely, Merkaba is a spiritual activity for us,
which we engage with full meditative intentions. A
spiritual awareness is the foundation- through
contemplative meditation we become aware that the
distinctions between individual parts of a system
are flawed concepts, and that in truth the systemthe universe- is a unified whole. Then the ceremony
of black metal performance enters- we
ritualistically layer blasting drum rhythms and
droning, amplified strings to generate an ambience,
overwhelming waves of vibratory experience in which
the listener may lose the sense of ego- this is
essential. When Merkaba collectively focuses our
psychic energy, we strive to express a metaphysicalenergetic head space into which we draw the
audience; this is the ultimate goal of the band- to
express a meditation to which others may connect
and, in doing so, realize the interconnectivity of
all existence. Ritualistic creation of black metal
In our opinion, musical expression- of any style- is
deeper than politics, but you’re right- the genre/
label of ‘black metal’ has unfortunately been
adopted by a part of the fascist subculture. Perhaps
it is because hatred, a cornerstone of fascist
ideology, is a passionate emotion, and black metal
is a passionate style of music, so we can perceive
why the fascist music scene has happened to embrace
the sound. At the same time, Merkaba is lucidly
anti-fascist, and we have no connection to that
hate-fueled music scene. Our personal anarchist/
communist politics are more of a lifestyle than an
ideology, and these beliefs are expressed most
strongly in how we interact within our community
(both human and non-human!). This in turn becomes an
underlying theme within our music, because our
musical expression reflects our energy. Some of our
lyrics focus on red-anarchist concepts, but more
often communism serves as a foundation for a larger
community-awareness: a spiritual identification with
the ecological community, of which we are all a
part.
Congratulations on your inclusion in Boomslang Fest.
How did that come about? Being the only black metal
band playing a fest headlined by Jeff Mangum has got
to be an interesting thing
Merkaba had recently begun rehearsing again, and a
comrade who was helping to plan the fest invited us
to play for our return-from-hiatus performance. The
amazing diversity of the music shared during the
annual Boomslang Fest flows from the dedication of
festival organizers, who are fans of many various
genres. We didn’t actually play the same venue as
Jeff Mangum, rather we were offered a spot in the
heavy metal showcase, and performed in between
Weedeater and St. Vitus. Overall the show was a
powerful experience for us and a fun way for the
band and crowd to reimmerse our minds after a yearlong black metal drought.
I know I was in the back room of a bar in Chicago, but
all I could see was the mist, and shadows cast by the
one source of light emanating from the stage area. It
was an unsettling environment, made more so by the
slowly circular drone. As the music grew louder, it
began to take on the characteristics of the last radio
tuned to the last radio station in the world. A
station dedicated to ushering this world into the black
night with the howls of their mutated staff the only
accompaniment. Shrieks and howls would appear and
vanish just as quickly, as would furious passages of
guitar. The vicious speed of these attacks, the way
they stabbed and faded kept everyone at rapt attention.
I could not tell you a thing about the people who made
that music on that humid August night. I could not
tell you a thing about the people I stood next to. All
I have are memories of that fog, and the howling
issuing from it. A truly haunting performance.
awareness of human interconnectivity with all of
life and all of existence. Understanding this selfsame identity of the human mind with the whole of
the universe is a sacred trend in human history,
which continues to be celebrated to this day. On the
opposite side, there are powerful human forces which
are leading the vanguard in destroying the natural
systems of the world- eradicating biodiversity,
polluting air, water, and land- in pursuit of a
profit motive, based on hoarding physical things for
oneself at the expense of the other. This tragic
tradition stems from the historical rejection of
human-universe interconnectedness, for when people
believe they are separate and distinct from a
landscape, they take without limit, they reap but
they do not sow. We may observe the horrendous
effect this mode of human thought and subsequent
action has had on the natural systems of the worldone need only stand in a clear cut forest or on a
mountaintop removal mining site to feel the
bottomless depths of this sorrow. In the same way,
drawing distinctions between people- us vs. themtears a rift in one’s ability to see all humankind
as a unified family (a fundamental truth), and from
this rift we lose respect for the lives of others,
which likewise leads to terrible deeds. These two
opposite expressions of human ingenuity- spiritual
awakening and acceptance of all, vs. the ego-fueled
march of technological dominance over a delineated
world- have both been developing for millennia, and
this dichotomy continues to exist today at the core
of the human condition. This is where the Merkaba
comes in, connecting all together- the good and the
bad- within a metaphysical frame of existence. The
fundamental interconnectedness of each piece of
perceived reality is apparent and undeniable. Since
our music explores both sides of the human duality,
both the grief and the celebration, we felt that
Merkaba was an appropriate title for the project.
In that same interview, you mentioned that anarchist
communism plays a big part in both your music and
your lives. Why express those opinions through a
music that has had so many ties with fascism?
there? Is Kentucky the next California?
Haha, I don’t know if I would go so far as to say
Kentucky is alike to California, but there are
indeed some amazing musical projects coming out the
bluegrass state at the moment. Of course Panopticon
has paved the way for so many groups, both within
and outside of Kentucky, reigniting the scene with
music of intense fiery passion. Wheels Within Wheels
rides the edge of black metal and numerous other
heavy ambient styles, bringing together a variety of
sounds for extreme effect. Kentucky-based label Husk
Records has been releasing some raw yet heavy black
metal recordings, and we were recently introduced to
the music of Kentucky-native Sapthuran. Not only
black metal, though: some heavy, crushingly slow
metal is also breeding, manifested as Below, They
Yearn for What They Fear, and Seidr. Kentucky, which
has been historically referred to as ‘the dark and
bloody ground,’ is an appropriate setting for heavy
metal music- it is a land rich with both vibrant
cultural traditions and also a painful history of
industrial abuse. The mountains of eastern Kentucky
are especially psychically potent- the Appalachian
mountains are one of the oldest mountain ranges on
the planet, and the forests of this region are one
of the most biodiverse habitats in the world.
How does the concept of a merkaba tie into your
band? You've explained it in a previous
interview(http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/2011/07/25
/an-afternoon-with-merkaba/) as a grid that all
living things possess, made up of
electromagnetic/metaphysical energy. It seems a very
positive image for a band with song titles like
"Lament" and "Eyes Lose Focus..." What was the
thought process behind choosing that name?
This is a great question- it squarely addresses a
powerful dichotomy that the band seeks to embrace.
One major aspect of the modern human experience is
the simultaneity of celebration and mourning- all
around us there is a burgeoning psycho-spiritual
awareness among a diversity of people- growing
It is difficult to summarize the work of Otrebor, as
tossed off descriptions like “dulcimer-based black
metal” belay the complexity and thoughtful nature of
his project Botanist. There is no gimmickry on
display, but instead a deeply considered approach to
making complex and layered music, with a nuanced and
wry mythology incorporated into the lyrics. This
thoughtfulness extended to his answers to our
questions, which were answered in exacting detail.
We thank him for his time, and his thoughts.
the botanist is an interesting character, as he
exists to create the downfall of his own species.
he's been promised a sort of elevation to the plant
hive-mind when his task is completed, when the
Budding Dawn has been realized. this Faustian riff
is intriguing to me, because it implies an
aggression and impatience within the Chlorophyllic
Continuum that one doesn't traditionally associate
with flora. Can you talk a bit more about the nature
of the collaboration between the botanist and the
continuum? what makes their collusion possible,
while the rest of humanity is painted as a scourge?
or is this collusion the product of a fevered mind?
Otrebor: What indeed is going on in the universe of
Botanist? Is Azalea a veritable entity, or merely
the reflection of schizophrenia? Is the Verdant
Realm
an actual place, or a state of mind? The truth is
not intended to be explicit and it is up to you to
form your own perceptions. That reality will then
become true for you.
Your correlation between the Chlorophyllic Continnum
and the story of Faust is interesting and valid.
Like in Goethe’s story, the main character in
Botanist is promised a better, transcendental
existence should he comply with the wishes of a
demonic entity, Azalea. The nuance intended, though,
is that the transcendence in Botanist’s would-be
afterlife is sublime: After witnessing the end of
mankind, all that will be left is the humanity of
The Botanist, who must also be erased according to
Azalea’s plan. Rather than be reduced to dust, The
Botanist is promised a place within the energetic
continuum that ties all flora together -essentially, The Botanist’s final reward is to
become a plant himself. The intended sublimity, the
contrast between the Faustian one, is that the final
reward is not an eternity of servitude, but rather a
throwing off of the limitations of flesh and the
mundane realities of human existence; to become part
of a collective entity that exists not as thinking,
tumultuous individuals, but as an eternal,
harmonious whole – a kind of perpetual state of
floral enlightenment bliss. In contrast to Faust’s,
the period of suffering and servitude is now, it is
limited, and what that experience is like is
reflected in the music of Botanist.
is there an ending in place for the story of the
botanist, a termination point for this project, or
do you see Botanist as an open-ended project?
The intention is to make each Botanist full-length
remarkably different from what came before it.
“I/II” will never be made again, as neither will
“III,” and so on. These progressions have come to be
called “antitheses” or “inversions,” and there is a
series of inversions planned through nine fulllength albums, which, if the plan remains, would
make the tenth full-length the final one. That final
number may change depending on if inspiration for
further exploration arises between now and the years
that it will take to record these albums, but I
quite like
the image, at least, of Botanist “X” being the final
chapter. For sure, the title and thematic end for
the final album (whenever that may be) is clear,
although the sonic presentation is not.
Along
which
being
allow
the way, a number of EPs are also planned,
will not necessarily adhere to the rule of
inversions of what came before. I want to
myself the opportunity to write and record
shows that were offered to us: since band members
were performing in other various projects at the
time, we were able to easily book shows, thus we
quickly became regularly active with performing and
writing new material. In January of 2011, we put
together (with our brother Jay Brafford at the
recording helm) a full-length album, Bones of the
Sacred Forest, which we self-released in May. Summer
of 2011, we self-recorded our side of the split with
Wheels Within Wheels, and then promptly went on a
year-long hiatus as band members traveled across the
continent. As of September 2012, we returned with a
successful reunion show and are now focused on
releasing a remix of our full length (out soon on
Pagan Flames Productions) and recording new
material.
You recently released a split with Wheels Within
Wheels. How does a split by two Kentucky black metal
bands get released by a San Fransisco based
label(Flenser Records)? Can you talk about the
recording for that session?
Austin (Panopticon) and Crow (Wheels Within Wheels)
introduced us to Jonathan at Flenser, they were
connected from working together on past projects.
When Seidr and Merkaba played a show together in
Louisville, Crow and Merkaba decided to exchange
recordings for a split. Flenser offered to release
the material on cassette, and we were honored to
accept. The recording session was conducted over the
period of a week, within the energy of our practice
space- the basement of the house where we lived.
Merkaba recorded and mixed the track ourselves,
which was a challenging yet fun experience- the
sound of this session is definitely more washy and
lo-fi than the full length; we succeeded in
capturing the resonant energy of the space, and were
very happy with the result.
Speaking of, it seems that Kentucky has developed a
fairly fertile black metal population, as you,
Panopticon, and Wheels Within Wheels all hail from
that area. Is there a burgeoning scene happening out
Black as Coal: Kentucky's Merkaba
Speaks
Those of you have read the last two volumes of
the zine will no doubt know how we feel about
Kentucky’s ‘Panopticon’. You can probably guess
how thrilled we were when we found out about
another excellent, up and coming atmospheric
black metal from the region. It doesn't hurt
that they came fully endorsed by the man behind
Panopticon, Austin Lundr. If one were to take
the more beautiful parts from the
‘Panopticon/Wheels Within Wheels’ split and
weld it to some of the lyrical conceits of
Liturgy, you have a ballpark idea of Merkaba's
output. Of course, it'd be foolish to say the
band is content to sail into the post-rock
sunset as the intense conclusion to ‘Eyes Lose
Focus…’ can attest. Thanks are due to the
entire band, who answered these questions
collaboratively.
Would you mind starting with a brief overview of the
genesis/history of Merkaba?
Chad(percussion) and
Garrett(bass) began
jamming summer of 2010,
focused on trance
meditation through
experiments with black
metal rhythms and sounds.
Soon thereafter,
Nick(guitar) was invited
to play music together,
and a month later we
played our first show, a
live radio broadcast. We
released our ‘Continuum’
demo and began playing
material in a vein that would please me to explore
again, and making shorter, non-Roman numeral-ed
recordings would allow for that indulgence. However,
knowing how I have a hard time doing the same thing
twice, even the EPs that have been completed or are
in the works have something distinct about how they
were approached, though those distinctions are more
like variations of the progressions in the fulllength albums.
in your opinion, is humanity entirely apart from the
natural order presently? can the two be reconciled?
In botany, you will come across plants qualified as
“invasive,” meaning that the species’ nature is to
take over the environment where it exists in an
over-reaching, generally detrimental way... (which
often times seems to be as a result of human
bungling, poor research and hastiness in introducing
foreign plants into areas they don’t belong, and
then leaving it to Nature to pick up the pieces.)
One of my favorite examples of this is the
introduction of Pampas Grass (Cortaderia Selloana)
into the ecosystems of Northern California. Pampas
Grass, which is a lovely plant, of course belongs in
the plains of Argentina, where it’s an important,
sustainable part of the ecosystem. But it looked
nice so idiots brought it here to decorate the sides
of highways and their gardens, for example. It was
only after the point of no return that it was
discovered that Pampas Grass is essentially a giant,
beautiful, nasty, tough-as-nails weed. Once you
plant it, you can’t get rid of it, even if you dig
out all the roots, because it’s extremely resilient
and even the smallest bit of it can cause a whole
new, badass plant to grow again. What’s more, the
specie tends to be what’s known as a “runner,” which
means its nature is to propagate and multiply from
the spot where it’s planted, and quickly. The only
reliable way people found to rid themselves of the
plant was to burn it, which has led to people
accidentally burning their houses down in their
efforts. What a bunch of assholes.
Fauna of course can also be deemed as “invasive,”
and again, myriad examples of species’ extinctions
have been documented by, again, mankind’s profound
bumbling by introducing creatures where they didn’t
belong and then wondering where it all went wrong.
Again.
No matter how much we people are disgusted by
“invasive” species of “vermin,” be in roaches, rats,
weeds, locusts or whatever you want, there is not a
specie that is so invasive as humans, whose
intrinsic nature is to over-reach and over-consume
-- devouring and destroying the natural space that
they occupy until it is ruined, at which point a new
space is needed.
To come to an answer to your question, The
Botanist’s answer is no. Humankind cannot help its
overwhelming nature of careless, mindless
consumption any more than puppies’ propensity to
chew up and destroy everything in your home, or
goats’ nature to mindlessly devour everything in a
field until there is nothing left to eat, which
leads to the starvation of the devourers. It’s just
what humans do, except humanity’s version is far
beyond the scope of a few destroyed slippers,
ravaged furniture or barren fields. Down to the most
primal level, humans are, as a whole, careless
consumers. The big problem is our ability to destroy
is exponentially greater than any other specie, and
likely more than every other specie combined.
Compounding this problem is the sheer amount of
humans around. The overwhelming root of the problems
widespread throughout the world, and that even
includes the issues within human society, is that
there are too many people, which is exacerbated by
people’s nature in general is to be greedy and
destructive. The destruction of the environment, the
lack of space in cities, the lack of opportunities,
the dwindling of resources, the increasing division
two and half minutes, the song slows down a bit for
you to hear the drums before roaring right back into
that din. ‘A rose tinted veil;’ emulates the ambient
fog that VC did so well, while ‘Evelyn’ is all
tolling bells. This is a very promising album from
the so-called “Cartographer”, which will no doubt
piss off a bunch of people and enrapture others.
Note: A few other releases have been
released(including a two-hour ambient journey) since
this album all at name your own price, definitely
check them out. -Patrick
Cara Neir / Ramlord – Split, Broken Limb Recordings,
2012
Cara Neir still refuse any allegiance to any one
genre and are still the better for it. They have
managed to be both more melodic & harsh, with the
songs juxtaposing emotions, tempos, & mood. If
anything, this split just shows off how special this
mercurial band truly is. Ramlord from New Hampshire
combine the more melodic strains of Enslaved with
the melodic portions of Converge to create something
that reeks of... fun, something that blackened,
crusty sludge bands are not normally known for, but
Ramlord really seem to enjoy what they do. It's also
worth nothing that Cara Neir have also released a
great grindcore record called Sublimation Therapy EP
and a split w Horseback / Njiqahdda / Venowl on the
fantastic boutique label Handmade Birds, so be sure
to check those out! -Patrick
Xothist – S/T – Bleak Environment, 2011
Opening with a off-kilter and deliberately paced
guitar solo, Xothist quickly distances his debut
from the pack of howling and buzzing one-man black
metal bands releasing tapes. This band from
Colorado manages to be both hair-raising(the drums
that shift from grindy blasts to punky stomp-beats,
the guitars that whirl around your speakers, the
white noise screams) and hair-raising(the quiet, the
hum, the space). Pretty sure this is out of print,
but maybe you can pick it up on the rebound. - ed.
Menace Ruine – Alight in Ashes, Profound Lore, 2012
With their latest release Menace Ruine seemed to
have completed their transformation into a kind of
Ambient Black Metal The Moon Lay Hidden beneath a
Cloud. Like that band was, MR is fascinated with
European medievalism, ritual, and clerical chants.
The album opens with ‘Set Water to Flames’, and
Geneviève Beaulieu's vocals are more confident,
beautiful, & strident than they have ever been in
the past. The group can easily invoke the timeless
beauty & sorrow of Dead Can Dance or the isolated,
frigid loneliness of Xasthur. The latter of which is
most evident in the utterly hypnotic dirge of ‘Burnt
Offerings’. More often than not, the songs blend
those two reference points to create something that
is stoically noble, beguiling and yes, even
downright ethereal. -Patrick
Ash Borer – Cold of Ages, Profound Lore, 2012
Let it be known that Two Thousand and Twelve was the
year that black metal bands stepped up their game en
masse. Ash Borer perhaps made the most staggering
leap with their full-length ‘Cold of Ages’. This
release shows the band expanding their music out
into the outer reaches of the universe. In fact, the
intro to ‘Descended Lamentations’ does a fine job of
conjuring the sheer terror and beauty that space
holds. From there the band precedes to melt your
face off with its own brand of intensity. As if
that wasn't enough, Jessica Way of Worm Ouroboros
lends her voice for this album. Even her talent can
barely escape the black hole that Ash Borer on this
album. -Patrick
Queen of Heathens – Ethereality, Self Released, 2012
This was perhaps the best black metal joke of the
year, as it was released under the guise of a brand
new Velvet Caccoon album. The music on the other
hand came as no joke, this one person Ambient Black
metal band based in Florida traffics in a similar
kind of bliss-y buzz that is arguably even more
fucked up and weird. The first track ‘Where the sun
light enters’ starts with a industrial din for about
between rich and poor, the increasing complication
of basic life, is all due to there being too many
fucking people. Whenever I see some news source
lamenting how some place has a too-high death rate
vs. birth rate, I laugh. The entire world
should be so lucky. Or what? Should the human
population continue to climb into the tens of
billions, with not enough room for the people that
exist as it is? As it was 10 years ago? Twenty years
ago?
When there is an overpopulation of a specie, when
there are too many trees in a forest, nature
corrects it, be it via plague, swarms, floods,
fires, etc... This is the same for plants, animals
and humans alike. When left to its own devices,
Nature makes the best balance possible. However,
mankind, under the guise of progress,
humanitarianism, ego, compassion, morals, and so on,
tries to save every human being and eradicate all
diseases. Compassion is a good thing, good morals
are to be applauded over bad ones, and I would want
help for me and my loved ones if I were in trouble,
but I have to wonder: If we eradicate all diseases,
if we become immortal, then who will die, and how
will that impact the planet and the quality of life
for every living entity?
The good news in all of this is humanity is not so
powerfully destructive that it can break the planet
for good. Even if humanity ruins it all, if every
resource is consumed, and every living thing in the
world is killed, it is only temporary, as Nature
will bounce back eventually and new life will spring
up (as we’ve seen in the aftermaths of natural /
man-made disasters, most recently the oil spill in
the Gulf of Mexico)... whether that includes
humanity or not. That is the notion of The Budding
Dawn -- one of hope, of a greater sense of peace and
harmony and balance. In that sense, yes, The
Botanist would tell you humanity and the natural
order can be reconciled.
some of your ideas seem close to anarchoprimitivism, with a more apocalyptic bent. has that
movement of philosophy influenced this project at
all?
Not at all. All views in Botanist are as a result of
the way he and I see the world.
There is something I’d like to say about the term
“anarchist.” I generally think people’s notions of
what that means are incorrect. I think that people
at large believe “anarchy” is supposed to mean an
existence “without rules.” If we’re going by the
roots of the word, I strongly disagree. If “mon”
(solo) “arch” (ruler) means “one ruler,” and
different prefixes qualify the ruler -- like “patri”
(father), “olig” (a group), “matri” (mother), et al
-- and the “y” is the existence of such, than
“anarchy” -- “an” (not, none), “arch” (ruler) -would be the state of having no ruler... not no
rules!
Of course the inherent contradiction of living in a
society with no rules is problematic! It’s
impossible. I think that got twisted around by
idiots who distorted the core meaning of the word,
which originally arose from criticism of a system in
which one person ruled unquestionably over everyone
else. Now people at large associate “anarchy” with a
bunch of hooligan punks with no concept or interest
in deodorant, running around spray-painting red As
with circles around them, and generally causing
mayhem. I highly doubt that’s what people like
Pierre Joseph Proudhon had in mind.
While you can have existence without a defined
ruler, you cannot have life without rules, even in
an “anarchy,” and Nature is the perfect example.
Nature very much has a highly stringent set of
rules. So even if you threw off the shackles of
human society and lived alone, you would still very
much have to adhere to a highly rigid set of rules
whose breaking would often result in brutal
REVIEWS
Vacuus – S/T II, fallow field, 2012
From the metallic screech that opens this tape, to
the last bitter squall of guitar noise, the little
needle on my tape player never left the red. The
second release from this Chicago-based horde is just
as vitriol filled as their first, and just as hard
to find. I'd been looking for about three months
before I happened across a copy in a local record
store. Vacuus(Latin for “empty”) is another lo-fi
black metal band with a heavy punk influence, but
the sheer hatred evident in the vocals and the
memorable riffs make this a release you'll want to
seek out. -ed.
Crusader No Remorse – S/T, unknown, 2011
God, fucking remember Crusader: No Remorse? That
was the first time a video game made me feel
terrible. I set someone on fire, and the resulting
shrieks made my twelve year old heart shrink. I had
done something terrible. Crusader No Remorse the
band is a exultant affair, however. Martial
drumming underscores a buzzing and fervently secondwave style of black metal. DON YOUR GAUNTLETS LOAD
THE FLAMETHROWER. - ed.
Torture Chain – Time is But A Doorway to the
Incinerator, Eternal Summer, 2012
Do not be afraid of the groove, friends. I realize
tension and anxiety are important musical cues for
most black metal, but there are times where a good
old head-banging is needed. The cover of this tape
seems to indicate some kind of mysterious guy black
metal is ahead, but instead, Torture Chain brings a
ripping good time filled with flaying guitar solos,
brain-piercing riffs, and attack-dog drumming. This
is one 24 minute long track that swings by in an
instant, and leaves you reaching for the rewind
button.
-ed.
consequences. I argue that in an anarcho-primitivist
existence, there very much is a ruler, and that
ruler is Nature itself.
there seems to be a bit of an arch sensibility
behind some of your presentation. I'm thinking
particularly of song titles like "rhodendoom", or
the transposition of Faustian/Satanic imagery to a
secular ideology. Is this meant as a sly critique
of po-faced environmentalist black metal bands, or
just a playful riff on metal's bombastic
sensibilities?
Yes to all your questions. While Botanist is a
serious project, it is not above me allowing myself
to be amused.
you've said that the first two albums were written
in an way that allowed for spontaneity. There
appears to be a shift to more structured song
writing on the
third. Is this accurate, and if so, what prompted
that shift?
It’s partially accurate that there is less
spontaneity and more structured songwriting on
“III,” but then again, it isn’t. It is in the sense
that most of the material on “I/II” was made with
the starting point of drum tracks recorded to a
specific tempo, with a few rhythmic ideas -- call
them “drum riffs” -- in mind, and allowing for
whatever else to happen, and with the intention of
making the songs largely grindcore track length. The
most intentionally structured track was “A Rose From
the Dead,” but even those drums were recorded to no
particular music in mind.
“III” was also the approach of writing songs to drum
tracks. As stated in the liner notes, the drums for
“III” were recorded in 2008 for a doom project that
never materialized. Instead of throwing away a
great-sounding recording session, it was used for
Botanist. So the non-drum parts had to be made to
conform to the recorded drums. In that sense, it
isn’t different at all.
I think the perception of the tracks being more
structured is in part an illusion that is partially
attributable to the songs’ lengths. Really, it’s the
same kind of stuff on “III” that is on “I/II,” but
the music, the compositions, the changes on “III”
stick around longer, they take their time. They
breathe more. But that’s inherently the nature of
the approach. It isn’t better or worse. On top of
the structures, there’s a remarkable difference in
sound treatment and in recording technique, as well
as some added instruments and vocal approaches to
give the music more depth.
you have mentioned that Arvo Part is a big influence
on you. there are many examples in extreme music
that owe a great deal not only to Part, but other
modern composers as well. Besides the movements and
intensity, do you see any connections between the
two? why does it seem like this influence is
fairly new?
Every album I’ve ever heard, even to the smallest
degree, has been an influence on the music I’ve been
a part of. That scope of influence ranges from
giving ideas of what to do, to giving insight on
what absolutely not to do. I can’t speak for others’
appreciation, but I can say that of the work of Pärt
that has resonated with me the most, it is simple,
powerfully emotional pieces like “Fratres.” It goes
to show that a well-written and paced melody,
repeated over and over with variations, can go a
long way -- a lot longer way than an ultra-complex
piece with tons of theoretically genius compositions
and twiddling all over the place, it would seem. My
Naxos release of “Fratres,” made up of many versions
of the same piece, is one of the favorite albums in
my collection.
Pieces like that reinforce the value of doing simple
things well. Doing the complicated well is also a
Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Anglo-Saxon poetry. Jan
Swafford's biography of Brahms was a big influence when I
was writing Verstiegenheit, as were The Road and Infinite
Jest.
where do you see jute gyte headed next? you've stated that
playing live is not something you have a whole lot of
interest in, and you seem content to self-release. will
this continue to be a project completely under your
control, or do you have interest in utilizing the support
of a larger label in the future?
I will release my sixth black metal album near the end of
this year. With Impermanence and Isolation it forms a
loose trilogy and is a sort of conclusion or summing up of
that period of my black metal work. Beyond that I am
working on black metal material of a different sort than
anything I have previously released. I have no interest in
playing my music live. I have no problem self-releasing my
material on CD and digitally, but I would be happy to work
with labels on other formats like cassettes and vinyl.
plastic/concrete constructions, and "twisted girders and
ash and silhouettes cast on ruined temples". What spurred
this shift in focus and theme?
The lyrics to Young Eagle are meant to be read as an
ironic depiction of the essential nihilism of religious
belief and the likelihood of religious believers causing
some apocalyptic event. Verstiegenheit is also a lyrical
depiction of a ruined, wasted world, though the tone is
more straightforward. The lyrical tone changed because I
was weary of resorting to irony as I did in both Young
Eagle and Old Ways, which is lyrically a sort of satire on
the warlust and useless traditionalism that are common
black metal aesthetics. In terms of theme, I wanted to
move on from addressing war and apocalypse. David Foster
Wallace said irony's function was "ground-clearing", and
this is how both it and the apocalyptic war imagery served
me on those two albums. I'm now trying to discuss things
like mortality, suffering, identity & change, and the
essential loneliness of individual existence in a
relatively straightforward way. These issues are often on
my mind and I try to be frank about them – the recent
album titles are not subtle. It is maybe an irony that
these lyrics are largely collages of other authors' work.
The album "impermanence" was inspired by a number of poets
and novelists, from edward thomas to fyodor dostoyevsky.
can you talk more about the authors that inspire you? are
these authors only an influence on your lyrics, or do
these songs attempt to reflect similar artistic themes
through their musical composition as well? if there is an
influence on the musical portion, could you talk about the
process of attempting to convert the written word to an
aural equivalent?
The music always comes before the lyrics, both in
importance and in chronology. For me as a listener, lyrics
(and other extramusical concerns like album art and band
photos) do not matter very much. As an artist, though, I
try hard to create good lyrics, something which I find
much more difficult than writing music. As I said above,
my lyrics are largely collaged from various sources. I
match the lyrics to the instrumentals I've recorded based
on their general mood. (Impermanence is a departure from
this in that two songs use full poems for their lyrics).
The sources are many and varied. A short list of favorites
would include David Foster Wallace, Cormac McCarthy,
Michel Houellebecq, David Markson, Robert Aickman, Edward
Thomas, Alun Lewis, Kim Stanley Robinson, Neal Stephenson,
skill, but for sure doing the simple well is far
preferable than doing something complicated badly.
If works like Arvo Pärt’s “Fratres” are any
indication, sometimes, when done well, the simple is
better than the complicated... and the Natural world
is the perfect reflection of that: It can seem
aesthetically simple if one wants to view it
casually, or impossibly complicated if
one looks at the workings of what makes up its
initial simplicity.
it seems like you're creating material at a
staggering rate, even allowing for the long time
between the creation and release of the first double
album. can you talk about the process of creation
for this project in general? i imagine you do a
tremendous amount of research.
If your point of reference is bands who wait till
the last minute and write their lyrics in the studio
right before recording their songs, then, yes,
Botanist is tremendously researched.
As you’ve read in previous interviews, Botanist was
started to allow me to produce material at my own
pace, without the obstacles that being in projects
with other people can present. And I do work fast
and intensely. I do so because of the innate need to
do so, to create, to express -- and what feeds that
need is a sort of paranoid version of “seize the
day.” I’m afraid that although I don’t think you can
use up creativity by creating, extraneous life
circumstances can cause it to disappear on you
without warning. My art scholar friend Laura Faya
once said that what an artist should be doing is
creating art. Constantly. Sitting around for that
art to be presented to the public, or allowing
“proper space” between creations based on someone
else’s preferences of how things should be is total
bullshit.
I’ve also been quite marked by an interview I once
read with Max Cavalera. It was during a time long
after he’d left Sepultura, after he had made some
Soulfly albums, but before Cavalera Conspiracy. I’ll
make no bones about it, Soulfly (or anything else
the man has been a part of since Sepultura) is
awful, and even when he was still in Sepultura,
almost anything after Arise is really not very good
at all. In the interview, he essentially said that
even if he wanted to, he could never write another
“Beneath the Remains,” which represents Sepultura,
and the man’s focused creativity, at its peak. I
took it to mean he’d changed too much as a person,
as an artist. I remember thinking at the time, “man,
if only he and Sepultura hunkered down and wrote
thirty songs instead of 10, or whatever, we’d have
three times as much best-era Sepultura!” Of course
it doesn’t necessarily work in such a simple way,
but the core value of “create as soon as you can,
while the iron is hot” was an important life lesson
that I applied to my own life as an artist. Since I
started recording Botanist in 2009, I’ve made almost
six full-length records (at the time of this
writing, July, 2012) and a few EPs. Some of the
records, like “I/II,” which from recorded beginnings
to mastered end took seven months, and others, like
“VI,” will have taken 2+ years to finish. I end up
making something like a little more than two fulllength albums worth of material a year, which is
possible because I’m always working on some creative
aspect of the records.
To be fair, one-man projects have a greater time
luxury to go about things this way. After all, on
top of not having to discuss/approve creative
direction with anyone else, there are no band
practices, no shows and no tours -- none of the
things essential to most bands that take time away
from, and contribute to burnout of writing new
material.
The bad side to having albums stockpiled is that
what the public hears as “the new Botanist album” is
in fact old and done to me. (Case in point: “III”
was completed about a year and a half before it was
chromaticism in metal music, twelve-tone technique is a
natural part of a compositional toolset.
the usage of unusual time signatures adds a churning sense
of urgency to "isolation". "These shifting forms and
structures" offer no expected ground for the listener,
avoiding the traditional blasting of black metal and the
quiet meandering of more recent cascadian movements. can
you talk about their usage in your compositions? is this
another example of modern classical music influence?
I simply find unusual time signatures more interesting to
listen to and to play. As a compositional tool they are
useful for subverting a listener's expectations and
manipulating their sense of time, especially if the meters
change frequently or if polyrhythms are involved.
Polyrhythms can also help accentuate individual
instruments in complex arrangements. They are useful to me
as a player because I find recording guitar tracks very
tedious and having to pay attention to meters keeps me
interested.
there is a lot of vitriol directed towards the concept of
nostalgia on "isolation". especially as of late, with tv
shows like mad men, and political parties promising to
protect useless and archaic institutions, it seems like
america is caught in a trap of nostalgia, unable to
progress without idolizing the "golden days". where there
specific targets behind this vehemence, or is it a more
general disgust?
There do seem to be trends towards longing for a fictive,
revisionist past that I think are irresponsible and
destructive. I interpret some of this as the the death
throes of moribund centralized institutions in government,
commerce, and culture - large organizations desperate to
retain control and so making appeals to "tradition". In my
albums Isolation and Impermanence I have tried to
commingle bitterness towards this false nostalgia with the
genuine melancholy of an individual's ruminations on their
own past and mortality.
it seems like humanity is mostly absent from your recent
songs(aside from a occasional narrative "I"), and the
works of humanity are even less frequently mentioned.
builders and hammers are mentioned in "meaninglessness and
waste," and battleships appear in "emblem of fertile blood
and death". this is in stark contrast to the more
expressly nihilistic lyrical content of Young Eagle, which
described "porcine crowds" being forced into
The earlier Electronic stuff sounds like it was more
influenced by Dark Ambient, I can even hear Pan Sonic a
few times. 'Volpane' seems to go toward a Boards of
Canada/Mouse on Mars type of sound, though there are
moments that are Autechre like. Can you delve into this
evolution?
Some of my earlier releases have been more directly
inspired by (dark) ambient, industrial, IDM, etc.
Beginning with the latter half of Communicants and
continuing with Volplane I have been concerned with
exploring the question of identity and change through
music. I generally attempt this by setting up several
layers of ostinati which are individually subjected to
gradual manipulation on temporal (i.e. each layer
modulating tempo and/or meter independently), timbral,
tonal, and environmental (shifting reverb/delay/spatial
modeling) levels. The end result is that the pieces end in
a much different place than they began despite their onepart (AAAAA...) forms. The music shares timbral qualities
with old Warp Records IDM, video game music, and academic
electronic music, all of which I adore, but it usually
doesn't sound much like the early minimalism from which
the basic idea of gradually-modified ostinati is derived.
on your most recent album, "isolation", one of the
songs(the irreality of the past) is composed using the
twelve tone technique, as popularized by a number of
classical composers in the 1950's, including igor
stravinksy. you also reference brahms in "a wind upon the
open fields". these influences seem almost to be at odds,
the riot-inducing non-traditionalism of stravinksy and the
romantic formulistic work of brahms. can you elucidate on
these seemingly contradictory references?
It's true that Stravinsky adopted serial procedures in the
1950s, but twelve-tone music originated with Schoenberg in
the in the 1920s, and Schoenberg's work is very much in
the Romantic tradition. If you view the history of Western
music as the gradual expanding of the tonal palette, the
emancipation of dissonance represented by twelve-tone
technique is the successor to, or formalization of,
romantic music's foregoing of functional harmony for
expressive effect. I don't see a contradiction, nor do I
believe that it would matter if there was one, any more
than it concerns me to like both Brahms and Bolt Thrower.
I have used tone rows in other black metal songs for
certain sections, but "The Irreality of the Past" is the
first time I've generated all material from a single row
and its transformations. Given the high level of
released, and practically started more than four
years before that. By the time “IV” and “V” are
released, two years will have passed since their
actual completion. And that’s without any further
delays.) But that’s ok. I believe one of the most
important concepts to come to terms with as an
artist whose work is disseminated is that once you
present it to the public, that work ceases, on some
weird but important level, to be entirely yours. It
starts on some unreal but veritable level to be
anyone’s who listens to it. This becomes more and
more the case with each person that has a profound
emotional reaction to your art. That was a most
important lesson learned from local metal legend
John Gossard, of Weakling, Asunder, Dispirit, etc...
It’s a major reason why when I get questions like
your first one, regarding what is going on in the
story of Botanist, I make it purposefully open-ended
-- it’s up to your interpretation. Simply, *I* have
a very clear perception of what is going on in
Botanist, of what it means to me, of what it says
about me and how I view the world. Just as how that
unique experience is mine, anyone who consumes the
albums’ experience is theirs, and it is my intention
to let that be different... because its very nature
is that it will be anyway.
The waiting game could be worse, though. Like
another friend pointed out, at least Botanist
doesn’t have to tour on albums that are years old
while new material waits in the wings...
it's been said that the next botanist album is going
to focus on mandrakes. while an actual plant, the
mandrake is also supposedly created by copulation
between (usually a dead) man and earth, and screams
when uprooted. i'm not sure you could make up a
better story to write a black metal album about. can
you talk a little bit about the direction the fourth
album is heading? how often do you come across plant
myths that are just perfect for your purposes?
The title for the next full-length album is “IV:
Mandragora.” The bulk of the album is a concept work
based on the alchemical process of creating a
mandrake, which is applied to the Botanist universe.
Although there are twists and nuances, the basic
premise has Azalea telling The Botanist he must
raise an army of mandrakes in order to help wipe
clean the earth of humanity. It’s definitely the
most violent and visceral content yet written for
this project.
Up until the time of this writing, “IV” is my
favorite personal work. M.S. Waldron is again on
board for the visual art creation, and Flenser will
be releasing it. What I can promise is, like every
Botanist full-length preceding and succeeding it, it
will sound notably different. I believe the
progression in sound is at least as impactful
as the one from “I/II” to “III.” While there are
important slow passages on the album, the doom
experiment is over. “IV” is far leaner, meaner, and
has the best flow perhaps of anything I’ve written
yet.
There for sure are enough plant myths to sustain
Botanist albums till the end. They don’t even have
to be myths to be mythicised. One example of this
are plants like Aizoaceae Lithops, a genera of
succulent that disguises itself as stones. That
would be a good concept for an EP some day.
I also passively allow for the expansion of
something of a pantheon of botanical gods, like
Azalea. Another one that has been presented on
Botanist.nu is Arctopoides, described as “The
Sanicle Prince. Invisible godlike entity whose
passing can only be measured by the plants known as
the Footsteps of Spring, which grow out of the
ground where he has trodden on his everlasting
journey. With each step, the behemoth Arctopoides
heals the land he comes in contact with.”
Arctopoides will be the subject of material I intend
to record this year, which means it will be released
in 2014 or later. There are a few other entities
Looking at the output of Adam Kalmbach, it is hard to
imagine that it is all the work of one man. This year
alone, he has ratcheted up five releases so far, only two
of which could be considered black metal. Andreyev's
"Lazarus" is a harsh noise album while Volplane &
Witzelsucht are electronic/ambient explorations. One
might be forgiven for assuming that a person who produces
music at such a prodigious rate might be merely vomiting
forth repetitious ideas. Not so! With Jute Gyte, the
music is so incredibly dense that it demands repeated
listens so you may pick up on different layers during
each listening experience. Adam Kalmbach/Jute Gyte was
incredibly kind to take time out of his busy schedule to
talk to us. This interview was conducted earlier in the
year, so his most recent black metal album “Senescence”
is not discussed.
you use the name jute gyte for all of your music, ranging
from blistering black metal to power electronics, to more
ambient works. did you always plan to explore multiple
genres with only one moniker, or did your interests
change as the project evolved?
I always intended to release music in multiple genres as
Jute Gyte. Different genres present different
opportunities for the expression of a single musical
"personality" – just as Varese is Varese whether he's
writing for a solo flute, percussion ensemble, or
orchestra, I'm still me regardless of whether I'm using
feedback loops or playing guitar. I choose a genre based
on how suitable it is to a given musical idea, but the
ideas all stem from the same source and generally have
more similarities than differences.
when you first began jute gyte, you released an album a
year. however, for the past three years your output has
expanded by a large margin. can you explain this
proliferation?
The "recorded on" dates for the albums tell the tale. For
a long time I created music without releasing it, or while
releasing it at a slow pace. I am now attempting to reduce
the backlog of finished, unreleased material by releasing
albums more frequently. I sometimes hear comments
suggesting that by releasing so much music I display a
lack of quality control, but I don't think this is
accurate: at least half the music I create never sees
release.
that may become part of the pantheon, but their
forms have not yet become fully clear.
this is a question we've asked other bands, but i'm
intrigued to hear your answer: why is sunny
california such a breeding ground for powerful and
interesting black metal? You've previously discussed
the early influence of your mother's garden, but can
you speak a bit about the current influence of your
environment?
Beware the tales of sunny California. Unprepared
tourists innumerable get had by San Francisco every
year. We’re in full July Summer swing here in SF,
which is cold and gray. As a good San Franciscan
kid, never, ever going outside without a sweater
handy was a tough habit to break when being anywhere
else in the world during the summer months.
Like I’ve said in a previous interview, the notion
of a “scene” as a bunch of people in contact,
feeding off each other, gets largely romanticized by
outsiders dreaming in. I can tell you for sure
that’s the case here.
Beyond the notion of a scene of people, I can attest
that California’s diversity of natural beauty is a
major personal inspiration. The mountains of
Yosemite, the endless horizon of the Pacific Ocean,
the Pacific Coastline around Big Sur... even running
around in Golden Gate Park and taking the time to
appreciate the beauty of the plants growing there,
or observing the tree canopies in the Presidio or on
Mt. Sutro are greatly centering.
what are you listening to these days?
About as much stuff I’m not so into as stuff I am.
This is mostly because I’m culling my music (and
music gear) collection for items I don’t want
anymore, in order to use the proceeds of the sales
towards something that will be another in a line of
big game-changers for Botanist. If/when I do get it,
its impact won’t be felt till 2014, probably, as
whatever I record with it this year will take that
long to get to the public. But when it does, it will
be awesome.
As far as stuff I have listened to lately that I’ve
been stoked on, Pan-Thy-Monium’s “Khaooos and KonFus-Ion,” Harold Budd’s “The Pavillion of Dreams”
and “In the Mist,” Hilliard Ensemble’s “Baltic
Voices 2,” Lost Horizon’s “As a Flame to the Ground
Beneath,” and Acid Bath’s “When the Kite String
Pops” are standouts.
Some of my favorite bands I discovered in 2011 were
Ghost (retro-now heavy metal whose songs just get
better the more I know them... and seeing them live
makes it even more great), Midnight Odyssey (best
bedroom fantasy celestial ambient pajama metal
ever), Aurvandil (best freezing beautiful soothing
black metal to come along since Coldworld), and
Eldrig (super lightspeed major-key epicness, like a
power metal band playing black metal, with keyboards
that sound like getting a bunch of coins in the old
Sonic the Hedgehog games... and I love getting
coins), all of whom rock my world.
any final thoughts? upcoming releases from Botanist
our readers should be aware of?
I’m often reading a number of misunderstandings
about the “Allies” disk that should be cleared up.
1) The “Allies” songs are not covers of Botanist
songs. Yes, I did describe them as “like covers from
an alternate universe,” but the key words are
“alternate universe,” meaning “not this one,”
meaning they are original songs. 2) The drums on
“Allies” are not the same drum tracks from “III,”
they are from the same sessions, which is not the
same thing. Like, you will not hear the beats from
Ophidian Forest’s “Cordyceps” anywhere on “Doom in
Bloom.” As I stated in Meat Mead Metal, there was
something like two hours of drums from that 2008
recording session, and a combination of not wanting
to write two hours of material + friends saying they
wanted to write material to the doomy drums I had
recorded led to “Allies.”
The next big chapter in Botanist will be “IV:
Mandragora,” slated to be released early 2013 on The
Flenser. It’s my favorite Botanist album, but if you
ask Jon Flenser, he’ll tell you “V” is even better