1. Who are you, what do you do, and what has been capturing your interest the most these days?
I'm Joakim I play guitar in Svarta Havet and mostly the genocide in Gaza as well as the increased militarisation of my own country and the war in our own region has been on my mind. As far as music goes the new Chat Pile record is pretty awesome and as far as life in general I'm trying to remember to enjoy the good moments and build community with my friends.
2. Could you introduce Svarta Havet to our readers? Where are you based and who’s in the band?
We are a bleak hardcore band with some metal influences that tries to keep ecology and politics at the forefront of our message. We all live in Turku and have been active in the local punk & hardcore scene for a long time. Our current line-up is Lotta on vocals, Anders on baśs, me (Joakim) on guitar and Jara on drums.
3. When and how did you guys get together — and how did you manage to convince Jara, formerly of Reverend Bizarre, to play at more than 20 BPM? Isn't Jara afraid of being charged with speeding by the traditional doom police?
We started playing in 2018 because we knew each other from before and all wanted to try something new. Lotta had only done clean singing before but was keen to start screaming because she loves hardcore music. When our previous drummer Markus had to quit because of health reasons Jara was a natural fit as we already knew each other from the local scene. Convincing her to play fast wasn't a problem as she had already done some pretty fast d-beat with straight edge band Raivoraittius but she really brought some doom vibes to the new record and the new songs for sure.
4. Your latest album Månen ska lysa din väg (The moon shall light your path) is entirely in Swedish. Do you find it more natural to express your thoughts in Swedish rather than Finnish or English or is there any special reason for that? Is it common for Finnish people to speak and sing in Swedish — or is choosing it for your lyrics a more personal or artistic decision?
Three of us speak Swedish as out native language including Lotta who does most of the lyrics so it was quite a natural choice. There are a lot of Swedish speaking Finns especially along the western coast of Finland. Lotta's lyrics are quite poetic so I think she wanted to use her native language to express herself.
5. The lyrics and visuals of the new album strongly evoke the woods, nature, and a sense of escape from the city. Do you live in the city, looking for an escape into nature, or have you already found peace in the Finnish countryside?
Most of us are trapped in the cityscape but half of the band (including Lotta) escapes out into the archipelago for the summer months. Not seeing or hearing a car or visiting a supermarket for a couple of months means it is quite a culture shock to be back in the consumer carnival of the city. So maybe that is reflected in some of the themes.
6. Finland is known as the land of a thousand lakes — do you find comfort in being close to water and taking saunas, or do you feel more at home in the forests? Or a bit of both?
Most of us grew up close to the sea so it definitely has a big role as inspiration and comfort. Personally I never feel as calm as when I'm out on the sea cliffs or in a boat heading towards some peaceful island. But wandering the forest is also a big part of what inspires us. Saunas are a community thing here, nothing builds closeness as taking a sauna together.
7. Speaking of saunas — are you familiar with the Finnish horror film Sauna? I really enjoyed its haunting mood and atmosphere, and I feel like it shares a similar vibe with Månen ska lysa din väg. What did you think of the film, and are there any Finnish movies you’d personally recommend?
Unfortunately I haven't seen that movie but now that I looked it up I definitely have to give it a watch. I love the Kaurismäki films as much as everyone else but that is hardly surprising. Kauas pilvet karkaavat being a personal favorite. I would also recommend Hytti no. 6, based on the novel by Rosa Liksom.
8. Svarta Havet is often labeled as a post-black metal band, which usually implies a wide range of extreme music influences orbiting around a black metal core. Would you agree with this description, and could you share some of your key influences?
I would agree we have a very wide range of influences. Everything from Oathbreaker, that you can hear pretty clearly, to Totalt Jävla Mörker and even some noise rock influences. I think we share a lot of sensibilities with Liturgy, Agriculture and Ashenspire as well as Dawn Ray’d.
9. Some bands with broader influences find it hard to fit neatly into a sub-genre or scene. What’s your experience with this — do you feel like you belong somewhere, and what kind of sub-culture or scene feels most like home to you?
I think because of our background and politics we feel most at home in the punk and hardcore scene even if our music has gone more into metal territory. I would like to think that we are a pretty active part of our local scene and try to do what we can to keep it going strong.
10. You've released the album on the US label Prosthetic Records — how did that collaboration come about? Did you consider other labels as well, perhaps even the legendary Svart Records? Do you see any particular benefits in releasing your music through a US label — such as reaching a North American audience or even the possibility of touring there in the future?
I don't think having a specifically North American label has any real benefits with the way music is distributed nowadays, beyond maybe reaching that audience a bit better. It was more about finding a partner that shared our politics and aesthetics and since Prosthetic had released some of our favorite records (Vile Creature & Dawn Ray’d) it was a pretty natural fit. They also let us have complete creative freedom with everything so we had a really good feeling about signing with them.
11. What has the feedback on Månen ska lysa din väg been like so far, and how far do you plan to take it with the upcoming shows?
People seem to like it and the reviews have generally been positive so that is nice. But mostly we live for the live shows so we hope this will translate into more shows and tours. We're already booking a European tour for October and hope some festivals will want to book us as well next year after we've finished recording the next record.
12. What’s your attitude towards vices—do you keep them under control? Any interesting stories from a life of a Finlandia post black metal band you’d like to share?
I think we are pretty ok at keeping the vices to an acceptable level of fun and still handling our shit. Maybe it helps having one sober member at all times, but yeah playing in Olecko outside on a beach in the freezing wind was only possible due to the excellent quality of the local vodka and amazing homemade wine. Truly a great night even if I broke my glasses and it felt like my fingers would freeze off. Memorable hospitality overall in Poland is our experience.
13. Have you ever played in Slovakia, or are you familiar with any Slovak (or Czech) bands? What would make you consider coming here for a show?
We have yet to come to Slovakia, would absolutely love to. Any local promoters hit us up! We are coming to your neighborhood in October (Poland & Czech) so hopefully we can stop somewhere in Slovakia too.
Unfortunately we are pretty much completely out of the loop when it comes to Slovak bands, you gotta give us some tips on what to check out.
14. Be honest — is the song Avgrunden secretly a tribute to the legendary Slovak d-beat band Avgrund who did the infamous 7" split with Japan’s Disprove in ‘97?
Wow! This was a blast! Any band that has a song called “Döda dom rika” (kill the rich) deserves a tribute. So maybe we subconsciously made one.
15. Which album, album cover, book and music video have impressed you the most recently?
I really enjoyed reading Ottessa Moshfegh’s My year of rest and relaxation and am looking forward to the new Sunniva record. Great people, great music.
16. Is there someone on the scene with whom you’d like to read an interview on Jablká ďaleko od stromu?
Sunniva as mentioned before and would love to hear from Grave Hex as well.
17. What’s one last piece of advice you’d like to leave for our readers?
Even in the darkest times the moon will light your way. Stay organized, stay hopeful.
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Links:
https://www.instagram.com/svartahavetband/
https://svartahavet.bandcamp.com/album/m-nen-ska-lysa-din-v-g
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1. Kto si, čo robíš a čo ťa v poslednej dobe najviac zamestnáva?
Volám sa Joakim a hrám na gitaru v kapele Svarta Havet. Najviac mi momentálne leží v hlave genocída v Gaze a zvyšujúca sa militarizácia mojej vlastnej krajiny a vojna v našom regióne. Čo sa týka hudby, nový album Chat Pile je skvelý. A v osobnom živote sa snažím nezabúdať na to, že si treba užívať dobré momenty a budovať komunitu s priateľmi.
2. Môžeš našim čitateľom predstaviť Svarta Havet? Odkiaľ ste a kto tvorí kapelu?
Sme temná hardcore kapela s metalovými vplyvmi, ktorá sa snaží klásť dôraz na ekológiu a politiku. Všetci žijeme v Turku a dlhodobo sme aktívni v miestnej punk/hardcore scéne. Aktuálne zloženie je: Lotta (spev), Anders (basgitara), ja (Joakim – gitara) a Jara (bicie).
3. Kedy a ako ste sa dali dokopy – a ako sa vám podarilo presvedčiť Jaru, bývalú členku Reverend Bizarre, aby hrala rýchlejšie ako 20 BPM? Nebojí sa obvinenia z rýchlostného priestupku od doomovej polície?
Začali sme hrať v roku 2018 – poznali sme sa už predtým a všetci sme chceli vyskúšať niečo nové. Lotta dovtedy spievala čisto, ale veľmi chcela začať kričať, lebo miluje hardcore. Keď musel náš predchádzajúci bubeník Markus kvôli zdraviu skončiť, Jara bola prirodzenou voľbou – už sme sa poznali z lokálnej scény. Presviedčať ju hrať rýchlo vôbec nebolo treba – predtým hrala rýchly d-beat v straight edge kapele Raivoraittius. A na novom albume nám zas priniesla doomovú atmosféru.
4. Váš najnovší album Månen ska lysa din väg (Nech ti mesiac svieti na cestu) je celý po švédsky. Je pre vás prirodzenejšie vyjadrovať sa po švédsky než po fínsky alebo anglicky? Je u Fínov bežné spievať po švédsky, alebo je to skôr osobné či umelecké rozhodnutie?
Traja z nás máme švédčinu ako materinský jazyk, vrátane Lotty, ktorá píše väčšinu textov – takže to bola prirodzená voľba. Na západnom pobreží Fínska žije veľa švédsky hovoriacich Fínov. Lotta píše dosť poeticky a chcela sa vyjadriť v jazyku, ktorý cíti najbližšie.
5. Texty a vizuál nového albumu evokujú lesy, prírodu a útek z mesta. Žijete v meste a hľadáte únik do prírody – alebo ste už našli pokoj na fínskom vidieku?
Väčšina z nás je uväznená v mestskom prostredí, ale polovica kapely (vrátane Lotty) v lete uteká do súostrovia. Nemať kontakt s autami či supermarketmi celé mesiace je kultúrny šok – a možno práve to sa odráža aj v témach albumu.
6. Fínsko je známe ako krajina tisícich jazier – cítite sa viac doma pri vode a v saune, alebo v lesoch? Alebo trochu z oboch?
Väčšina z nás vyrastala pri mori, takže má v našich životoch dôležitú úlohu. Osobne som najpokojnejší, keď som na morských útesoch alebo na lodi smerujúcej na nejaký tichý ostrov. Ale aj lesy nás inšpirujú. Sauna je tu kolektívna záležitosť – nič nezblíži ľudí viac ako spoločná sauna.
7. Keď už spomíname saunu – poznáš fínsky horor Sauna? Mne sa veľmi páčila jeho atmosféra a cítil som podobnú náladu ako na vašom albume.
Žiaľ, ten film som ešte nevidel, ale po tom, čo som si ho vyhľadal online, si ho určite pustím. Kaurismäkiho filmy mám rád ako väčšina ľudí – najmä Kauas pilvet karkaavat. Odporúčam aj Hytti no. 6, podľa knihy Rosy Liksom.
8. Svarta Havet bývajú označovaní ako post-black metalová kapela – čo znamená široké spektrum extrémnej hudby okolo blackmetalového jadra. Súhlasíš s týmto označením? Ktoré kapely vás ovplyvnili?
Určite máme široké spektrum vplyvov – od Oathbreaker (ktorí sú zreteľní) cez Totalt Jävla Mörker až po noise rock. Myslím, že máme blízko ku kapelám ako Liturgy, Agriculture, Ashenspire či Dawn Ray’d.
9. Niektoré kapely s takto širokým záberom sa ťažko zmestia do jednej scény. Ako to máte vy? Máte pocit, že niekam patríte?
Vzhľadom na naše pozadie a politiku sa cítime najviac doma v punk/hardcore scéne, aj keď naša hudba smeruje viac k metalu. Snažíme sa byť aktívnou súčasťou miestnej scény a podporovať ju.
10. Váš album vyšiel pod americkým labelom Prosthetic Records – ako vznikla táto spolupráca? Zvažovali ste aj iné vydavateľstvá, napríklad legendárne Svart Records? Vnímate výhodu vydania albumu v USA – napríklad kvôli publiku či možnému turné?
V dnešnej dobe to už nehrá takú rolu, kde je label – možno trochu pri oslovení publika. Pre nás bolo dôležité nájsť partnera, ktorý zdieľa naše hodnoty. Prosthetic vydali skvelé veci (Vile Creature, Dawn Ray’d), a dali nám úplnú slobodu, takže sme mali z toho dobrý pocit.
11. Ako sa zatiaľ stretol Månen ska lysa din väg s publikom? A aké máte plány do budúcna?
Ohlasy sú pozitívne, čo je super – ale my žijeme hlavne pre koncerty. Už plánujeme európske turné na október a dúfame, že sa pridajú aj festivaly budúci rok po nahratí ďalšieho albumu.
photo: Jaakko Ojanperä
12. Ako to máte s nerestami – viete sa ovládať? A máte nejaké zábavné historky zo života post-black metalovej kapely vo Fínsku?
S
nerestami to máme pod kontrolou – pomáha aj to, že vždy máme jedného
abstinenta. Spomínam si na koncert v Olecku (Poľsko) na pláži vo vetre –
dalo sa to prežiť len vďaka výbornej miestnej vodke a domácemu vínu.
Skvelý večer, aj keď som si zlomil okuliare a skoro mi omrzli prsty.
Poľsko = skvelá pohostinnosť.
13. Hrali ste niekedy na Slovensku? Poznáte nejaké slovenské (alebo české) kapely? Čo by vás sem prilákalo?
Na Slovensku sme ešte nehrali, ale veľmi by sme chceli. Ak má niekto záujem – ozvite sa! V októbri hráme v Poľsku a Česku, takže by sme sa radi zastavili aj u vás. Slovenské kapely žiaľ veľmi nepoznáme – dajte nám tipy!
14. Úprimne – je vaša skladba Avgrunden tajnou poctou legende slovenského d-beatu Avgrund, ktorí mali v ’97 splitko s japonskými Disprove?
Wow! To je paráda! Každá kapela, ktorá má song Döda dom rika (zabite bohatých), si zaslúži poctu – možno sme to podvedome spravili.
15. Ktorý album, obal, knihu a videoklip ťa naposledy najviac oslovil?
Veľmi sa mi páčila kniha My Year of Rest and Relaxation od Ottessy Moshfegh a teším sa na nový album Sunniva – skvelí ľudia, skvelá hudba.
16. Je niekto zo scény, koho by si rád videl v rozhovore na Jablká ďaleko od stromu?
Určite spomínaná Sunniva a veľmi rád by som si prečítal aj rozhovor s Grave Hex.
17. Aký posledný odkaz by si chcel zanechať našim čitateľom?
Aj v tých najtemnejších časoch ti mesiac ukáže cestu. Organizujte sa, nestrácajte nádej.
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