Η Sylvaine στο Museum Of Past Affections : Interview In English

 

1. Hello Kathrine , we are so glad to have you at the Museum Of Past Affections today , how are you ? First we would like to give us a small introduction about Sylvaine for those who may not know the band

- Hello there Museum of Past Affections and thank you so very much for having me! Sylvaine is my solo project that I started back in 2013/2014, which I have released 4 albums and 1 EP for, and I’m just about to release my second EP entitled “Eg Er Framand” now in March. I am the only composer and lyricist in this project, which I have chosen due to a wish of keeping the music as personal as possible and not having to compromise the artistic visions of anything related to this outlet. My music is known for being rather on the melodic and atmospheric side, with lots of lush layers of vocals, guitars and synthesizers, yet with a strong duality between opposite forces within the musical expression, such as light vs dark, ugly vs. beautiful, melodic vs. rhythmic, wall-of-sound vs completely stripped-down, heavy vs. light etc. Sylvaine is my audio diary so to speak, allowing me to process my innermost thoughts, wonders and sentiments, and communicate them out to the world in a way that hopefully can help me heal myself, while also comforting others along the way.

2. Sylvaine manages to combine many genres at the same time and I think this is what makes the band stand out, I also read in another interview of yours that you don't define your music as Black Metal, I got a little carried away with the introduction but my question is what genre would you say how do you play and what is your opinion about the black metal & metal scene in general ?

- Thank you very much for that. As a listener of music, I am extremely open when it comes to genres, which I think is probably reflected in my own art as well, since I take in a lot of inspiration from many different sources. When it comes to genres, I’ve never been so big on slapping labels on to different types of music, as I find that it sort of tries to limit something that is abstract in its nature. So it feels a bit besides the point somehow. That being said, I usually let listeners decide what they want to call my music, and I have seen all kinds of names used to describe it from black metal, to ambient rock, to blackgaze, to post rock, to post metal, to dark folk, to alternative rock, to atmospheric metal and so forth. There is no doubt that the metal scene has embraced my music, which I am very grateful for, as it is a nice scene to be a part of with very loyal and dedicated fans, but it’s true that I myself never put my music into the metal category. I do use some elements within my musical landscapes that are mostly found in the metal scene, so I suppose this is why my music was taken in by the metal crowd so easily, despite it being rather melodic in nature. The metal scene is a special beast, with lots of fantastic, inspired music and lovely people, yet we can’t deny it has a little bit of a rocky history, with gender inequality, problematic political views and a somewhat narrow mindedness in some listeners, which has obviously not been the best for the development of the scene. I think it is opening up more and more

though, which I believe is a very good thing for the creative output of these genres.

3. How difficult is it for a woman to be in such a male-dominated scene and what advice would you give to a girl who is now starting her band or project ?

- There’s no denying that metal is a heavily male- dominated sphere still, even if I do see this changing bit by bit, which I think is high time. I would advise any girls or women who feel like they belong in this scene to just do their thing and express themselves as they feel is right for them and use the sexism that you most likely will be met with at some point in your career as a female musician as fuel for your own creativity. People’s ignorance and prejudices is not your responsibility, and you just have to focus on working hard within your art, to shape your craft in the way that feels true to who you are and not let the outside world interfere with that.

4. When you're not composing music, what do you like to listen to in your free time?

 – I am very open when it comes to music and take pleasure in listening to a wide range of stylistic expressions as already mentioned, though a big favorite of mine is minimalistic music/minimalistic piano music/choir or vocal ensembles and/or soundtracks. I absolutely adore artists such as Philip Glass, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Goldmund, Library Tapes, Cristopher Young, Arvo Pärt, Ludovico Einaudi, Jami Sieber, Brian McBride, Slow Meadow, Greg Haines, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ben Lukas Boysen to name a few… I’ve also been in a shoegazy period lately, listening a lot to Drab Majesty, Slowdive, M83, Cocteau Twins, DIIV, Sigur Rós, Rope Sect. Probably in search for a bit of light during these dark, winter days up North. Lastly, I’ve been listening to a lot of Zeal & Ardor these past weeks too. Such an amazing band, I’ll forever be grateful to have shared the stage with them back in 2022 across North America.

5. You have played 2 times in Greece, did you liked the country & are you thinking coming back for new shows ?

– Greece is definitely a beautiful country, full of amazing nature, architecture, culture and of course food, haha. I actually just announced a very special show that I will be doing in Athens on April 18th , where I will play my first ever headlining show as a solo-artist on stage. It will be a very special night, filled with heartfelt emotions and an intimate set made up of reworked versions of the songs from my previous releases, as well as some tracks from my new EP.

6. Αnd last question from me so we can move on to Nastazia's questions, we saw that you released the first single of your new EP, what can the fans expect from the new release?

– This EP is dedicated to my Norwegian folk musical roots, with 3 traditional folk music pieces and 3 pieces I have composed myself, inspired by the melodic language and sentiment of the traditional Norwegian folk music. It is very different from my previous releases, yet feels to me like the natural next step after “Nova”, in terms of sound and the emotions/meaning behind the record.

7. Hello from me too, Kathrine! As a follower of you on Instagram, I see that you frequently post paintings of your favorite artists on your stories. If the notes you compose and play could be transformed into colors and in that way your music could be transformed into a painting or the work of a painter, what would it be and why?

- That is a very good question! I think it would be to hard to narrow it down to only one painting, but my music would probably be translated into something that holds an element of both dark and light, with an ethereal touch to it. It would either be an illustration by someone like Arthur Rackham, John Bauer, Edmund Dulac or Kay Nielsen or Harry Clarke, Aubrey Beardsley or John Austen for the darker moments in my music. It could also be an impressionist painting by Claude Monet, perhaps a piece by Yoshitaka Amano or maybe even an art nouveau piece made by Alphone Mucha. That is a tough one to answer!

8. You are from Norway and many artists from Scandinavian countries get very inspired from the mystical nature of the north when they compose music. Do you get inspired by nature when you create music? How does nature affect you in general as a person?

– Nature has always been a hugely important part of my life and an endless source of inspiration and beauty to me. Growing up in Norway, nature has such a big place in our lives over here, as we are surrounded by it pretty much anywhere we go. Even living in Oslo, I am right next to a massive forest, as well as a lake, which is absolutely fantastic being the capital of the country. Nature quickly became a safe haven to me, a place where I like to seek out to reconnect with myself and sort of shut out all of the impulses of the modern-day world. I tried living without direct connection with nature for some years, and found myself in a rather unhappy, ungrounded state. Nature is one of the greatest gifts we get to experience while in this life.

9. Your music has such a magical feeling! Is there a music scale you consider very magical that you love using for your music or you generally love to listen to?

– I do have a special love for Dorian mode, as I find the raised sixth step of the scale

to bring forth such a magical, elven sort of feel. My compositional process is rather

on the spontaneous side though, so I’m not sure I ever went into a writing process

thinking that I should be using a specific scale or anything like that. In the end, music

equals emotion, which will always be my main focus when composing.

10. I find your music very cinematic! Is there any film director whose aesthetics and work speak to your heart and for whom you would love to write a soundtrack?

- Writing a soundtrack one day would be an absolute dream, or at least have some of my music featured in a film. I think music has the power to inject heaps of emotion into a visual instance, which is a very fascinating relationship. Cinema is definitely something that has inspired me a lot thru the years, and if I had to mention one director, I think it would have to be Hayao Miyazaki. His animated movies are so very touching and always makes you reflect and think on life, if you bother to go beyond the sweet surface. His work definitely speaks to my heart, but I’m not sure my music would pair well with what he does, so in terms of a director where I think my music could actually lend itself, maybe someone like Denis Villeneuve. Arrival is one of my favorite movies of all time.

11. When I listen to your music, I feel a strange yet beautiful sentiment as if I am in a dream and reconnect with a deep part of myself. Could you describe to us some unique feelings you experience when you create music?

- I suppose music is one of the means that I have to truly reconnect with my core and the soul part of myself, that allows me to go beyond the confinements of this human existence. Music makes me feel more than any other art form in this life, both when I am creating it myself and when I listen to it, and I’m always in awe of how alive it can make you feel too. Music is like an echo from another place beyond our plane. Music is like the language of our soul.

12. Kathrine, we would like to thank you again for the honor to do this interview for Museum Of Past Affections, you have our love and we wish you all the best !!!

- Thank you so very much for having me ,  it has been a great pleasure. I hope these

words find all of the readers out there well and really hope to see you again in Greece

very soon!

Ναστάζια Ισσούκη & Μιχαήλ-Άγγελος Διακογεωργίου για το MOPA-Music Webzine