Interview: Blut Aus Nord
My work as a composer is directly tied to the cosmos — I can’t fully explain how, but the connection is absolutely undeniable. I believe we all have the ability to nurture this bond that links us, in a deeply intimate way, to that vast “elsewhere”.
If there has been one band who could be said to have defined black metal’s outer reaches, it would likely be Blut Aus Nord. They have, across three decades and far too many releases to list, carved a convoluted and spiralling path through the cosmos with works that have fascinated, and occasionally confounded, the loyal few who follow them. Despite this astonishing body of work, they remain elusive, largely eschewing interviews and choosing to remain anonymous, thus letting their art speak for itself. With the release of their 16th full-length Ethereal Horizons rapidly approaching, though, David Bowes were fortunate enough to pick the mind of the band’s continual driving force Vindsval to discuss life, the universe and art.
E&D: First off, a massive thank you for giving us your time and for the incredible body of art that you have created over the years. What were your aims in the composition and construction of Ethereal Horizons?
Vindsval: With Ethereal Horizons, the aim was to create a work that is both profound and luminous — an album meant to be experienced as a long journey, allowing the listener to step outside the world for a while. That’s what I personally look for when I listen to music: something capable of taking me far away. I hope this album will have that same effect on those who dive into it.
It was composed with that intention in mind. The pieces are highly progressive, and everything was arranged meticulously so that the different sections flow together with perfect smoothness. The same goes for the structure of the record as a whole — the tracklist was designed to follow a specific dynamic.
We also paid particular attention to the album’s overall artwork. Together with our partner, Maciej Kamuda, we created a visual universe in which he produced beautiful illustrations for each track in the album booklet.
Ethereal Horizons is a long journey…
E&D: Although your sound has continued to shift and evolve over your career, there does appear to be some small commonalities in tone and structure from Ultima Thulée through to now. Do you yourself feel like there is a common thread that runs throughout your work?
Vindsval: Yes, Blut Aus Nord has always operated on a balance that is essential to any form of harmony. Our albums are built around the control of contrasts — darkness and light continually feed one another, and the band’s entire discography is shaped by this mastery of contrast. Even an album as tremendously bleak as MoRT ultimately exists only thanks to a few almost celestial measures that rise in the heart of ‘Chapter V’, before falling back and allowing a shroud of darkness to cover the rest of the record. Contrast reveals, balance preserves: remove one and everything fades; remove the other and everything collapses.
E&D: You have often worked with the idea of multi-album series, such as 777 and Memoria Vetusta. At what point do you determine that a concept or theme will warrant multiple releases, or where a new work might be considered an extension of an existing series?
Vindsval: In reality, the only true trilogy is 777, which was conceived from the start to be divided into three parts, all composed during a period entirely dedicated to that project. It’s very different for Memoria Vetusta or Disharmonium, for example, which are closer to stylistic exercises — ways of returning to a specific aesthetic or musical approach.
Working on Memoria Vetusta is absolutely fascinating: it is focused exclusively on riffing, and the writing process is complex and extremely long. Disharmonium, on the other hand, stems from different impulses — it is a work centred on sound itself. Few people realized it, but there are no riffs in the strict sense on Undreamable Abysses: what listeners perceive as rhythm guitars are actually two fretless basses. They form the foundation of the album, while the guitars only carry the leads. It is an exercise in sonic experimentation aimed at recreating an initial vision imagined beforehand.
I would be very surprised if there were no new Memoria Vetusta opus one day, but nothing can be guaranteed at this point. The idea must arise from a genuine desire — or a need — to return to a very specific aesthetic. The same goes for Disharmonium… and ultimately for everything else as well.
E&D: In the past you have spoken of the cosmos being an inspiration for much, if not all, of your music but I was curious as to how you view this. Are you talking of your own perception of the cosmos or do you see it as an entity in and of itself?
Vindsval: How could one not be inspired by the infinity that unfolds before us every night, by these scales of magnitude that utterly surpass us, and by all the questions, hopes, and fears they awaken within us? Gazing at the night sky silences the noise of the world; I need that calm and that sense of peace. My work as a composer is directly tied to the cosmos — I can’t fully explain how, but the connection is absolutely undeniable. I believe we all have the ability to nurture this bond that links us, in a deeply intimate way, to that vast “elsewhere”.
E&D: You also stated that you view your work as being separate from ideas of history and ideology. Is this purely a matter of personal preference or do you see this as an advantage over art which may have been created from a theological or ideological basis?
Vindsval: This is a very personal vision, but based on my long experience as a composer, I believe that Art should carry those who encounter it far away from the world. From what I have experienced over all these years, the artist does not create — he shares. Art is one of the delicate threads that allows this essential link connecting us to the sacred to continue existing; it keeps open the passage between the visible and the invisible, between matter and spirit.
If you incorporate human, historical, or political concepts, you completely leave that sphere to do something else — and this is by no means a criticism. Everyone is free to do what they want, and I obviously respect that — but then you are creating ideology, proselytism, propaganda, and it is no longer Art. For me, the notion of the “engaged artist” is therefore an oxymoron.
Art is the negation of the ego; it is pure emotion. It is somewhat like the difference between religion and faith: a system on one side, the intimate, personal experience on the other.
E&D: In the time since Nahab you have worked on several other projects, namely Eitrin and Ershetu. They, as well as Yerûšelem, are all such distinctive works that have been fascinating to follow alongside Blut Aus Nord. What is the current status of these projects and how do you perceive your role within them in relation to Blut Aus Nord?
Vindsval: My level of involvement varies depending on the project. For example, I am the main composer in Eitrin, but I don’t write anything for Ershetu. I simply record all the guitar parts composed beforehand by Sacr, lay down my vocals, and mix the albums once everything is ready — I am just a performer on that project.
In the case of Eitrin, I don’t handle the vocal parts at all. Marion writes her own vocal lines, her lyrics, and records her vocals, while Dehn Sora has complete freedom to propose other arrangements. It’s actually quite enjoyable not to have the central role on every project; it’s both relaxing and very enriching, especially since all these people are exceptionally talented.
E&D: What were your thoughts on your involvement with, and the work you created as part of, the Order of Outer Sounds?
Vindsval: I really enjoyed this experience — composing almost clandestinely for people who had made the effort to join a sort of circle of initiates. It had a very particular flavour, reminiscent of the esoteric circles of the 20th century. Working on short, unique formats is very stimulating for a composer. I would have loved to further develop this concept, but it requires an enormous amount of time and energy.
E&D: I’m also curious as to your decision to do this interview. As I said, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity but you had previously said that you wouldn’t be doing this moving forward. Was this a change of heart of was it due to the nature of Ethereal Horizons itself?
Vindsval: In fact, Blut Aus Nord has never given many interviews. There have always been long periods of media absence, followed by returns driven solely by a simple desire to connect a little with the people who listen to our music. It had been a very long time since I had spoken publicly, and I felt it was time to do so with the release of this album. There is no particular reason other than this desire to share a bit with our fans. I also think it’s necessary nowadays to speak out from time to time, to prevent others from speaking for you on social media.
E&D: Artwork, music and lyrics all seem to play a part in each Blut Aus Nord but has the degree of importance that you place on each component shifted in the course of your career?
Vindsval: Yes, insofar as we now have much greater means to bring our ideas to fruition. Debemur Morti, which I consider today to be the best label in the world, is a fantastic partner that consistently does everything to allow us to fully realize our vision. We are fortunate today to work with incredibly talented artists who take our music to an entirely new dimension.
It is essential to offer works of total art to give your music the best chance to express everything it has to offer. The more care you put into all the extra-musical aspects, the more immersive the experience becomes.
This is even more true today with the competition from platforms that offer a discounted, degraded listening experience — streaming is a misstep. If you love an album, get it, out of respect for yourself and for the artist. That is why we work on every detail of our albums: to preserve that intimate relationship between a work and its listener
E&D: You’ve spoken of your past love for artists like Iron Maiden, Death and Bathory but outside of the metal sphere, where do your interests lie? I’m hearing a lot of classical and prog-rock structuring within Ethereal Horizons – is that accurate or am I just reaching?
Vindsval: You’re right about prog-rock — I listen to a lot of ’70s bands that played this kind of music, and indeed, Ethereal Horizons, in its approach and aesthetic, can easily be seen as a more extreme interpretation of the progressive music from that incredibly rich period. I’m not very drawn to classical music, however, and rarely listen to it.
On the other hand, I am a great lover of jazz. Lately, I’ve been immersed in the new UK scene, which is full of incredibly talented artists who incorporate elements from hip hop, electronic music, and drum ’n’ bass into a resolutely and radically jazz approach. You have to listen to Yussef Dayes, Moses Boyd, Alfa Mist, Nubiyan Twist, Yussef Kamaal, etc. This scene is bubbling with creativity.
E&D: Do occultism and mysticism still hold much interest for you? For example, do they still play a part in composition or in your everyday life?
Vindsval: I would rather speak of spirituality — something that seems essential to Life itself. To overlook this dimension of human existence is inconceivable to me. And yes, it plays a predominant role when it comes to Art: it is what animates it, inspires it, and initiates it. Creating means silencing the ego enough to be able to receive what is transmitted to you, and then share it — it is, by its very nature, profoundly mystical. I willingly compare a work session to a prayer or meditation.
E&D: I feel like atonality, repetition and irregular time signatures have always been part of your sound to varying degrees but in recent releases these have become much better entwined with your own take on melody/harmony. Has there been a conscious shift in how you balance these elements or is it a natural result of developing as a songwriter?
Vindsval: I think it has become something very natural, an element that has developed over the years and across our albums since The Mystical Beast of Rebellion. Today, it’s simply one tool among many at our disposal, but working with dissonance, atonality, micro-intervals, or asymmetrical time signatures is never an end in itself. These are compositional elements that must serve the music — the music should never be at the service of any kind of technical or theoretical demonstration, otherwise it turns into mere display or performance.
E&D: Given how prolific you are as a musician, from the outside it sometimes feels like you are the kind of person who lives to work/create. Can you ever see this changing?
Vindsval: No, it’s something that has been a constant part of my life since my adolescence. I started composing music very young, as soon as I had a guitar in my hands, and today it’s my profession — I’ve never stopped. I work every day; you have to be consistent to be prolific, and like anything, it requires discipline.
It’s endless: the more you create, the more new ideas you have. It’s a virtuous circle that must be maintained daily. I always have at least three or four projects on the back burner; some will never be completed, but that’s part of the process. I clearly won’t have enough time in a lifetime to bring to fruition everything I still have in mind — and everything I haven’t even imagined yet.
