Awathar - It was quite relaxed and natural. We’ve never really had any ”plans” of
anything, neither in the past or now so it was basically just someone that said
”should we do another record” and since more than other says ”yes” it also
happened.
You released a live recording in 2018, Live at Kraken, recorded in
Stockholm in 2017, what can you tell me about this live show?
It was a pretty cool evening, a lot of people and friends showed up. As
always, there was and never ending pouring stream of technical problems but you
don’t even get surprised by that anymore but some of them had a negative impact
of the show but overall it was good. Our friend Linus Nirbrandt recorded the
show and also mixed the EP.
How long did you work on Hinsides Vinde, Now that you’ve been
through the period of writing, rehearsing, and recording the album, what do you
think about it?
We worked on it for about a year I think and we’re very pleased with the
result. It turned out as the perfect mix of the other 5 full length-albums kind of.
A bit brutal, a bit melodic, a bit experimental and a bit spiritual. The
release that kind of completed the circle up until now, but that does not say
there’s more releases coming up, but for now it is very pleasing to us to have
done it.
The production is very powerful and it captures your distinctive
sound even after this 15-year-long break, was the intention to stay true to
your roots and to remain loyal to your old sound and style but with a modern
production?
We had some different ideas about it, one idea was that there’s really
no point of releasing something that does not sound awesome but at the same
time we’ve also always been against recording with click tracks etc because it
eliminates the swing and a bit of the vibe that MG has always been about. All
minds combined - I think the idea was to make it sound perfect but not polished
in the bad way. It had to have a soul and not just sounding like all the other
stuff that comes out that on a technical level might be cool but really lacks
of spirit.
Please tell us about the album title.
Its old Swedish meaning ”Wrath from a world beyond” which pretty much
summons up the record in a good way.
The artwork looks stunning, kind of weird when you look at it for
the first time, and I’d love to know more about it.
The cover is done by the legend on planet earth CG who’s also behind the
drum kit on two of the tracks on the record and our livedrummer. He’s also an
art director and worked on the cover for quite some time. The rest of the
artwork is done by the label I think and they really match together nicely.
The opening track “Fältherren” (The Warlord, if I´m not mistaken)
is the only track written in Swedish, tell us about the song and why is the
only song written in your mother tongue.
There’s no reason for this really, its just that these tracks where the
ones that made it all the way to the album. But there’s some instrumental
tracks with Swedish titles though (Just one, "Hinsides" - Chris).
You wrote the song “A Glimpse of the Sky” as a tribute to
Bathory. Please tell us about the song and about when and how this idea came up
in your mind
Bathory has always been a big influence and also one of the first ones.
This track seemed like a fine way to pay tribute to his legacy and art.
Where do you draw your inspiration for the lyrics? Are they the
same sources of inspiration as in the past or have they changed over the years?
They have changed in the same pace as we change as humans. Very early
lyrics might seem a bit childish for all metal band but they evolve and so they
does for us but still keep a core of thematics about darkness, death, life and
spiritualism so I guess it´s pretty much the same but in a more linguistic way.
Do you have plans to record a video clip? How would you like it to
be? can you name your favorite black metal video clip?
We dont really have any favorite black metal clips and that’s one of the
reasons we’ve not done any yet. I can not recall seeing one single BM video
that I liked and did not laugh when I saw it. There’s some live videos that’s
cool though, like some Marduk-stuff and Morbid Angel but mostly its really an
art that does not really fits the video-format unless you have the same budget
as a major Warner Brothers feature and we don’t.
You are now in the ranks of Season of Mist and the label will reissue your
first four albums on digipak and gatefold LP. Can you give us details about the
extra content of this special reissues?
Ehum no I can’t. Sorry about this but I really don’t know. But yes, it
was included in the deal that they’re re-releasing the older records and that’s
great for the people who wants them, we get quite a lot of requests for that so
it seemed like a good thing. We also get a lot of requests for cassettes which
seems odd to me but I guess its a new thing out there to get old records on
cassette? Like a nostalgia-thing?
Tusen År Har Gått… and Return fire had a huge impact in the scene
and were acclaimed by fans and the press when they were released. Nowadays they
have great significance in the history of black metal. What are your memories
concerning those recordings, especially concerning Tusen År Har Gått…
Draakh Kimera - We were quite young when recording "Tusen..." so we didn´t
have that much experience in studio recording. When we walked in to Unisound
and Dan Swanö saw us, he must have thought that this would not work at all,
besides we had only five days (!) to record the whole album. But we were
prepared and we nailed it i 4 days so Swanö had one day to finish the mixing.
Then of course, we could never imagine that this album would have that impact
on the scene as it had.
Which bands do you feel have helped influence mork
gryning music most in the beginning and over the years?
Awathar - Oh, that’s quite a lot of them. It the same story as for everybody in
the scene I guess, starting with Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura, Bathory,
Destruction, Sodom etc, moving into death metal and black metal and beyond. I
guess MG has always had different influences aswell like a lot of classical
music, film scores, expertmental stuff and also a lot of electronically music
which you can hear in our music. But if I was to name just a few for my own
sake that’s been huge to me it would be Merciful Fate, King Diamond, Slayer,
Carcass & Morbid Angel. Nowdays I listen to a lot of Berghain-stuff, jazz
& old school UK drum n bass but also some BM. But it is very varied and
we’re obviously not the ”the most metal-metalheads” around but we’ve never
aimed to be and that’s the biggest reason our music sounds just the way it
does.
Did you play any cover tunes in your early days?
Yes we did, on Return Fire there’s a Slayer cover (yeah! Necrophiliac, the intro of that cover version is sooo cool - Chris) and we also recorded a
Venom-song for some compilation that’s out there somewhere.
What were your reasons for dissolving the band in 2005?
Just a lack of time and interest at that point. Counting without those
two elements at hand would have made the music sound horrible so we thought it
was better the let the music out when it wanted to instead of forcing it. There’s no bigger betrayal than releasing shitty music and knowing it.
In my opinion it was good that social networks did not exist in
the early 90s, even without social networks the scene was quickly saturated
with an exaggerated amount of labels, bands, fanzines etc. But times have
changed and I suppose you try to see the use of these media in a positive way. How important are social networks to you? Is there something you miss a
lot about the scene in your early days?
Yes, it guess it is but that’s just missing youth I guess. Having a ”It
was better in the old days”-attitude is not our thing and does not help you in
any way I think. Of course nostalgia could be nice for a conversation but not really to
guide you. Me personally have the attitude to break up traditions and things
that are in a certain way just for the sake of it and instead trying to find
new ways of doing things. I don’t spend my days thinking of how cool things
where 20 years ago but rather move forward. I don’t spend much time on social
media but its out there so if you want to release music you have to use it
guess. But also, we needed a label we can trust so we can leave all that to
them and focus on the only thing that really matters to us - the music itself.
What would you submit as the proudest moment you've had in Mörk
Gryning thus far?
Haha, not sure. Its not something I do to be proud really. Its
something I do to stimulate my ears and brain. BUT it was pretty cool to mix
the Maelstrom Chaos-record together with Pytten back in 2003. He was an old
schooler for sure and I think our techniques worked together in a good way.
What is your opinion on the current black metal scene? Any
bands out there that you feel a particular affinity with?
Euhm no idea really. I think Mephorash and Funeral Mist is pretty dope (Funeral Mist rules! - Chris) but more than that its mostly old stuff. I guess there’s a big scene out there
but I don’t know much about it
Throughout your career, you already played quite some gigs, were
there any special ones for you?
I think the gig at ”Hell on earth” 2004 was pretty cool but also the
latest ones because we have such a great live-setup nowdays.
What do you think of black metal bands playing on cruise ships? If
you had the opportunity to play on a cruise ship to sing songs about death and
darkness surrounded by people wearing bikini and Bermuda shorts, would you play
there?
From what I know the black metal scene nowadays is Bermuda shorts and
gossip on the internet so I have quite a suspicious mind towards every gig but
they have actually proved me wrong all of them. But I’m not sure, I think I
would answer ”maybe” on that one.
What´s the strangest place and the most shocking place you have
been?
Staying a night at Pyttens house back in 2001 while his wife explained
he was a nudist. Such a cool dude though, I remember that session with joy.
What does de future hold for Mörk Gryning?
Everything and nothing. The future is our allied and enemy at the same
time as for everybody. BUT if we get to choose ourselves it will be some insane
live gigs for sure and at least 10 new out of this world-records.
Thanks you for your time, last words are yours…
Thanks alot!
