V:28 live at Fedtebrød

Posted on Jan 2, 2006

by Anders

V:28 a band I have heard mentioned around the internet for quite a while, at first I did check out a track of their website, though that didn't really catch me. Earlier (sometime in the spring, ugh) their year their label Vendlus Records sent me the band's first album "NonAnthropogenic", I used quite some time on it, but again it didn't really catch me and I forgot about the band for a while. Then I saw the band play live in late October here in my hometown Aalborg, and it was there they caught onto me, and since then I've been able to understand and enjoy the music a lot. And there is quite an interesting concept and theme behind the band's albums, though I'll not tell to much here, I'd rather let Kristoffer Oustad explain it all to you, so read what he has to say...

 

Hi there, how are things in Norway as we speak?

Hi folks! It's Christmas, so it’s pretty hectic around here right now. I guess it's the same situation all over the world?! Besides that life is great!

Will you please start off by introducing yourself and tell us why you are part of V:28 and what the music means to you?

I'm Kristoffer, the composer and founder (together with Eddie) of V:28. Back in 2002 Eddie (vocals and rhythm guitar) and myself (lead guitar and programming) played together in another band called VOID. Due to different reasons that band was disbanded, so we decided to move on and start working in another direction. We wanted to take introduce more electronic elements into the music and we became comfortable with a more industrial and mechanical sound. As I'm the composer and the "boss" in the band I use a lot of time to work with it, and over the years it has meant more and more to me. Recently I feel our work has shown off much better than before, and that means a lot to me. But our main goal is to make the music we like, and whenever we get positive feedback we take that as a huge compliment.

A small introduction of your partners in crime together with a bit of what they bring to the band, will be great as well!

Like I said, Eddie and I started the band together. He's a great musician to work with, and we have a great communication when we play... no words are needed! We're telepathic, hehe! He's also involved in another band called Ancestral Legacy, but their style (gothic/doom/death) is quite different from the sound of V:28. After we recorded our first album, "NonAnthropogenic", Atle joined the band as a full time bass player. He's also a great musician to work with! He’s probably more skilled on any instrument than Eddie and myself together, haha! But the most important qualities I see in the rest of the squadron, is that we're great friends, and we have a lot of fun whenever we rehearse or play gigs!

When and how did you get the initial idea for V:28?

It's kind of hard to say, but I've always had a certain fascination for strange doomsday prophecies. I've also been listening to metal for a while and these themes are quite common within the scene. However, I wanted to see it all for a different perspective, and try to go inside and beyond what happens on the battlefield when the Earth is in flames. There are already too many bands that have described that battle, so I see no point in that... and at the same time I think the metaphysical and mental aspects are much more interesting.
So when we came to the point where we decided to record our first album, we thought very much on how we wanted things. And in the end I think we made a good choice by going for a concept dealing with the deconstruction and transformation of the Earth, spanning over three albums (and 28 tracks in total). So far it's been like a journey, a journey that we all know the end of...

When did you write the first music for the band, and when did you figure out the direction of the music and lyrical themes?

The first track that ended up as a V:28 track was 'Purity', which I started on back in 2001. I can't remember exactly when we decided to go for the concept we now are working with, but I guess it was right after Eddie and I started V:28 in 2002. That's also when we decided to go for the musical direction we did... It's been a long process, and we're still crossing barriers and expanding our horizons both musically and lyrically.

What would you like to accomplish with the band and your music?

First of all I make music that I like myself, and I see it just as a big bonus that I've been given the opportunity to release my music and that there seems to be a market for it.

How is the songwriting in the band working, do you all work together or do you write the music?

So far I've been writing all the music, and it's been working very well that way. Eddie is the main composer in the other band he's involved in, so I guess it's kind of a relief for him to not having that pressure in both bands.

How are you arranging the music, at rehearsals and how much do Eddie and Atle have to say about the final outcome?

We do some arrangements together, but basically I arrange it before I present the music for them. If they have any ideas on how to improve the song we go through that together, and we all decide what the best version is. As for the vocal arrangements Eddie and I arrange them together... after all, he’s the one that has to scream out all those words, hehe!

What is the idea and philosophy behind the band?

Hmm... The idea behind V:28 basically to make good music, and we want to put it in a bigger context by working with a certain concept. There's no political, philosophical or religious messages... just death and destruction!

How did the idea of making 3 albums and then stop there come to life?

I guess it was just a result of massive brainstorming. We don't have any plans for what happens after the third album, so I guess we all just have to wait and see. Right now we focus on promoting the "SoulSaviour" album, and I've also started to work on material for the third album.

Do you have a concept laid down concerning the 3 albums, which you are/have been following step by step?

There's no "step-by-step" recipe for the concept. It's evolving all the time, and I think that's the best/only way to do it right. If we would have had all the guidelines from the first point, I think it would have felt like working under a kind of dictatorship. It could also have resulted in a less interesting product, as I think the motivation and inspiration would have decreased over the years we have been working with it.

Is it decided 100% that V:28 will be laid to rest after the release of the third album?

More like 28%, haha! We'll see...

You are working on the third album, how are far are you with it?

Not far really. I have some ideas, and I've recorded some of them... Getting started is always a slow process, and the inspiration varies from time to time. On the other hand, we don't have any time pressure, so it feels great to use the time we need to get the result we're looking for.

Do you have some good news as songtitles, albumtitle, workingtitle, release date and so forth?

Sorry, nothing to report there... The only thing I can say, is that is seems to evolve in the right direction, so I think we all have something great to look forward to!

What can we expect of the coming album and which direction will it head towards compared to the 2 first albums?

It's kind of hard to tell, as I've only written small part of some songs, and the whole process of making an album is a long process, so things can change all the way. However I think we'll continue from where we left with the last album, and just take things further... Our main focus is to make great music, and not repeat ourselves.

What are you expecting from the 3rd album?

I expect it to be a kind of conclusion of the trilogy, and also have strong links to the previous albums, but at the same time be quite different and be able to be looked upon as a separate album.

How were the 2 first albums "NonAnthropogenic" and "SoulSaviour" received?

They've both been received very good actually! We're always a bit curious when we receive the first reviews and feedback from fans. It’s really a great reward to get good feedback from fans and the press, and I think it motivates to write more and better music in the future.

Do you have any idea of how big your fanbase is, and have you received a lot of comments on your work so far?

I have no idea on how big it is, but it seems like it's getting bigger! That's really great, and we keep getting good feedback on our work. I think if we could get the opportunity to play more gigs abroad that would help a lot, because playing live is really a great way to promote the band and get in touch with the audience.

How do you feel about the 2 albums nowadays, are they still as strong as when they were fresh?

Actually I'm 100% satisfied with how the two first albums turned out. The way they turned out is exactly, or even better, than how we wanted them to be.

Are there things you would like to change about them now, if you could go back in time?

I see no point in thinking about things that could have been done differently in the past etc... We used a lot of time with the material before we recorded it, and I think that was a very smart move.

If you had to pick out 2 tracks from each album, which 2 would you choose as your faves and why exactly those 4?

Mmm... kind of a hard question, as it varies quite often, and all the tracks have their own mission on the albums. However I think that 'Zero Nothing' and 'Soldier Of The Neverending War' are my favorites from the "NonAnthropogenic" album. From the "SoulSaviour" album my favorites are 'Solid Structure Unknown' and 'Infected By Life'...

The album names of the 2 first albums are put together by 2 words, why have you chosen to do it like that and what do the 2 album titles symbolize for you?

I guess it was just a coincidence the first time we choose a title for the album, but we thought it was kind of cool to keep it that way for the next albums as well. "NonAnthropogenic" means something like "not made/caused by humans", and represents that artificial intelligence is taking over the role humanity has had for ages. We've become slaves of the machines... and they start the war against the human race. It has very strong links to some of the story behind the Terminator films. "SoulSaviour" represents something for the humans to believe in, something they hope will save them... That might be everything from a nuclear bomb to religion (now that's pretty close to reality, when you think of it, isn't it?).

Let's take a look on the lyrical side of the band, who writes the lyrics?

So far I've written all the lyrics. I think there's a strong bond between the musical and lyrical aspects of a song, and I like to work both elements at the same time to make it like "one unit".

Where is the inspiration for the lyrics found?

I've always had a fascination for all kinds of doomsday prophecies, so the main concept is based upon my own version of these prophecies. Besides from that foundation I get inspiration from everything I see and experience in my daily life, and I try to place certain events into the prophecy. The news on TV and the fact that we have our rehearsal place in an abandoned industrial area is also a goldmine of inspiration!

Which lyrical themes do you touch and do you have a message you would like to get out to the listeners of your music?

I try to write about different themes for each song. There's no message that I want to share with the listener... they need to figure out what to do with their life themselves. There's too many bands writing childish lyrics about how much they hate the society etc, but in V:28 I don't want to take any political stand.

What does a good lyric has to contain for you, and which of your lyrics do you find the best and most saying?

Good question! For me there are no rules for what that differs good lyrics from bad lyrics. Some of my favorite bands only use a phrase or two as lyrics, and it can be way more effective than telling a long and boring story about a lonely knight who has fought thousands of battles etc... I really like all the lyrics, as they're all so different, but I think the lyrics on 'Soldier Of The Neverending War', 'Unleash The Energy' and 'A Prophecy Written In Uranium' are some of the best lyrics I’ve written.

How important is the lyrical side of V:28 compared to the music?

Both the lyrics and music are vital elements to put the whole track together, but I think the music has a more important role. As I see it the lyrics/vocals are an important instrument as well, and the lyrics has to be carefully written to fit the track.

Where is the inspiration for the music found?

I guess some of inspiration for the music comes from the same sources as the lyrics, but the most important inspiration is all the music I've been listening to over the years. I listen to different kinds of music, and they all have made an impact on me somehow, but when I compose music for V:28 I just try to put together all the elements I feel fit into that particular song, and take it from there...

The music is a blend of death metal, thrash, industrial, disco and so forth, isn't it a hard job to compile it all to the final quite hard-hitting result?

For me that's the way I make music. But yeah, sometimes it's quite hard to get the result I'm looking for, but I'm quite stubborn when it comes to making music, so I don't give up until I get it like I want it.

How much time do you usually use on making a track from the initial riff/idea to the final raw product?

It can take from just a couple of days till half a year or so. Like I said, I don't give in until I'm completely satisfied with the result. Normally I work with a couple of tracks at the same time, and normally I use about 4 months or so to complete them... But having the freedom to use as much time I want before I have to "give away" the product is really important to me, so being an underground band with no time pressure has it advantages too, hehe!

Isn't it hard to make music within the boundaries the "concept" of V:28 allows you to do?

Well, the concept is quite wide, and we’re continuously modifying it to make it adapt to the music and vice versa. But sometimes it can be quite hard, but I choose to take this as a challenge instead of as a barrier.

Can you dig up 3 bands and 3 songs that have meant a lot to you, your way of thinking music and the sound of V:28?

Metallica 'Disposable Heros' (Master Of Puppets), Swans 'The Sound' (Soundtracks For The Blind) and Emperor 'Inno A Satana' (In The Nightside Eclipse) are three bands and 3 tracks that really have made a huge impact on me. I'm not sure you can see any obvious similarities the music I make and these bands and tracks, but nonetheless, they've meant a lot to me over the years.

What do you see as the most important features in a song?

I guess the overall feeling or atmosphere is what I see as the most important feature in a song. It's a result over every instrumentation and the touch the unique artist puts on his or her work.

Which song outside V:28 regi do you wish you had written?

Megaptera 'Shadow Land'... simply a perfect industrial track!

Where are the spoken samples you have used on the albums from?

It's taken from various films, computer games and documentaries. I can't remember all of them, and I think the listening experience will be better if I don't share the sources...

What do such samples in your opinion add to the final outcome and atmosphere?

Sometimes it can give the track a new dimension and underline a certain part or lyrical theme. I chose the samples very carefully, and I think it's important that they fit into the concept in one or another way.

Let's take a look on the cover artwork of the albums, both have bleak landscapes with a big billboard on them, with 2 different images, what do you want to tell with that and how did you come up with the idea of it?

It's supposed to illustrate aspects of what humanity is, and has done to put themselves to an end. Each billboard kind of sums up the main themes of the albums. I think it's very important to have cover artwork that goes hand in hand with the music and lyrical themes. Why we ended up with that particular artwork is hard to tell... I guess it was just a result of massive brainstorming.

Can you give us a sneak-preview on what will be featured on the billboard of the third album?

We haven't started to work with it yet, but it will definitely have a focus on the end of the world and the end of our existence. What we need to sort out, is the way we want to visualize it... there's a bunch of ways to do it, and we want the cover artwork to be unique as well, so it might take a while before we get a result we're completely satisfied with.

Do you look forward to get the next album out and to get the trilogy ended?

Yeah! I really look forward to get the third album finished. Not that I don't like to work under the concept, but it's always a great feeling to finish off work that’s been going on for a great period of time. And it's always interesting to see how the tracks and the other work turn out!

Have it been tough to keep it all on track, according to the initial idea with the 3 albums?

Not really. I think the fact that we can use as much time as we want to complete the work has been really important to keep us focused and motivated to do the best job we can all the way. If we had a schedule for when the different albums should be out, I think there would have been much more stress, and the probably the result wouldn't have had the same quality over it.

You have so far played a few live shows, how has your music been received in live situations?

Yeah, we've done a few live shows over the years, and our first gig was as support for Enslaved. That was a very unique thing for us, as we're all great fans of them. I think we’ve earned more and more credit over the years, and we've become more professional at what we're doing. When we started some people was really sceptic about the drum machine, but nowadays it seems like people have become more comfortable with it.

Do you enjoy playing live?

Yes! Playing live is a great way to present the music for the fans and new listeners.

Is it something you'd like do more and do you have some gigs lined up as we speak?

Yeah, definitely! Playing live is a really great experience and there are no gigs that are the same, and that's what's so cool about it! We'd love to play more live, but with the budget we have right now, it's hard to get abroad and play, and I think we need to go as a support act for a bigger band.

What has been the best gig so far and what has been the most strange?

The best gig was the release party for the "SoulSaviour" album in our hometown, Arendal in May 2005. The crowd was just amazing, and playing in our home town is just something special. As for the strangest gig, there's no doubt about that, it's definitely the gig at Fedtebrød in Denmark. There wasn't anything negative about it, but it was just so different from anything else we've done. The place looked as if the time had stopped in the late sixties, but the personnel was just superb and very friendly... it was also our first gig abroad, so that was pretty special too!

How do you look upon the future of V:28?

I'm really optimistic, and recently we've been getting more and more attention, which I choose to interpret as there's an increasing interest for V:28.

And last, what does the band name V:28 cover over, are there more to it, than the previous name VOID and the 28 tracks on the 3 albums?

When we called ourselves VOID we had a different vocalist. Unfortunately he was involved in a car accident, and he had to quit the band. Eddie and I decided to continue, but we wanted to do some things differently. Due to the fact that there was a bunch of other bands calling them VOID, made us change the band name... As we decided to go for a more mechanical and industrial direction, we wanted a band name that could fit that style. If you take the numbers O, I and D are in the alphabet and add them together you get 28. Initially there's nothing more to it than that... but after we got that name we decided to make more out of it, like having a concept spanning over 28 tracks etc...

Will you share your 5 all time favourite albums with the readers of Nocturnal Horde?

It's a hard pick, and I expect I cannot include the V:28 albums, haha! Ok, here it goes:

Swans - Soundtrack For The Blind
Metallica - Master Of Puppets
Emperor - Prometheus
Deutsch Nepal - Benevolence
Samael - Passage

I could go on forever, but 5 is still 5...

Thanks a ton for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to add it now!

I really hope people will take time check out our work! We have a website at www.v28.com that's being updated quite often with news etc... There's also some free mp3s there! Thanks for your interest and time!