All Interviews
Sturmgeist
Cornelius
Posted on Aug 24, 2005
by Anders
I was quite excited when I first heard about Sturmgeist, the solo project of Cornelius Von Jackhelln of Solefald. When I first heard the album, I got a bit surprised, thrashy black metal influenced industrial metal, quite catchy, but still strange. Though after some listens the album started to settle and grow, and I became very fond of it. I recently got hold of Cornelius and he answered all my curious questions about the start of the band, his influences, the future of Sturmgeist and much more.
You are a man with many coals in the fire, what keeps you going and what are your motivation for making music, writing etc…?
To say it in a pompous but very Sturmgeist kind of way; I consider the world to be a place of strife, where words and meaning are my best weapons. Freedom has always been my prime motivation, I think; I mean, freedom to create, to think and say what I want. To begin with, my creative work was mostly meant as a way of expressing myself, and fulfilling myself. This is how one starts out in all genres, I believe; moving up and away from such an amateur attitude necessarily implies thinking about who your audience is and what they want from you. I am sure this sounds awkward when I say it, as my other band Solefald has a reputation for being anything but accessible. But it is quite obvious that every musician has to think through his attitude to his audience, whether he wants to give them what they want, or simply flaunt them. Paradoxically enough, with the autonomy we have developed in Solefald, we have been fortunate to host an audience that actually expects to surprise them. What some people think of as arrogance might just be the reason why Solefald are still around. But, this is a Sturmgeist interview!
Where do you find inspiration for your different doings?
Over the last years, my travels have been numerous, although mostly in Europe. My main inspiration sounds just as boring as it is effective: Work! It is by writing more that I write better. It is by playing and writing more music that I become more conscious of what I want to communicate, and how. Admittedly, I miss my life in Paris, where lived until October last year. Having a home means that it is easier to feed oneself with culture. Right now I live as a nomad, so my input very much comes from the people I meet, the stories they tell. Also landscapes and the local history of the places I am in, inspire me. At the moment I am in Veliko Turnovo in Bulgaria (working on the Eastern Block!), and I promise you, I have never seen anything like it! People are driving Hummers and Mercedes Benz cars as big as houses here, side by side with Trabants and Volgas! Seeing the enormous economic differences between the people here is problematic. I might write something about it.
When and how did you get the idea for making Sturmgeist?
Your countryman Lars Lolk (I presume I am writing for a Danish audience) has his part of the responsibility for Sturmgeist! He hit my weak spot when he reviewed Solefald's album "In Harmonia Universali", claiming that my guitar playing was the weakest element in the album, and that Lazare "clearly is the most talented of the two". Lazare is certainly an extremely talented person that I am proud to play with, but nevertheless I decided it was time to fly the Germanic flag, and show that there is also someone else in the band! That being said, I developed the concept for Sturmgeist in the autumn of 2002, long before the release of "In Harmonia Universali". Lolk's review came long after, it was the kind of kick behind I needed to get started. We both had a good laugh when he reviewed the first Sturmgeist album "Meister Mephisto". He gave it 5 out of 6 stars in his Antenna magazine, claiming the album to be better than that of Age of Silence! This is a funny story, I think, as the Cornelius album he asked for seemed to satisfy! The first motivation for Sturmgeist, however, was the urge to explore the musical and lyrical possibilities of the Germanic cultures. I have written and said much about this elsewhere.
What do you want to accomplish with Sturmgeist?
I want the people out there to go bananas to our Germanic grimness! I have been recruiting musicians to the project, so the next record will be work of a band, not just of myself. We have new songs that I feel confident about, including a surprise that will kick butt!
Your debut album "Meister Mephisto" has been out on the streets for a while now, how has it been received?
"Meister Mephisto" has been quite well received, globally speaking, with reviews ranging from excellent to awful! I find it interesting to see why some reviewers love the album, and why someone hate it. The Germanic concept has intrigued many listeners, it seems, while the industrial component is what causes debate and diversity of opinion. I am mostly happy about the reviews I have got, as a surprising number of reviewers actually seem to understand exactly what I want to say. Writing songs with an ironic twist, and having a Jägermeister parody on the front cover is not something obvious for many members of the Metal audience! I think the Solefald audience has been receptive to Sturmgeist; they are used to seriousness being accompanied by humour and irony, and vice versa. Despite the cover and the 'Master Hunter' song, of course there are also many dead serious moments on "Meister Mephisto". The songs many reviewers complain about, the 'Walpurgisnacht' movements, are actually my favourites on the album. Nothing new there. The Terrorizer reviewer (James Hinchley, I think) even came up with a term for Sturmgeist: "Jackboot chic". He hit the nail on the head!
How do you feel about the album?
I am very proud of it, as it was my first solo effort. The other night I came home from a party, rather drunk. When I woke up the morning after, I realized I had been lying on the floor before going to sleep, listening to 'Army Of Odin' and 'Master Hunter', belching out the lyrics and banging my head! This might, and should, make you smile; but it means that I still appreciate the album. What I like the best about "Meister Mephisto" is the atmospheres, and the songs. Terje Refsnes said that I wrote Pop songs in a Metal format. I think he is right about that - maybe except for the songs that count in on more than eight minutes...
How did you get influenced to write the music on the Sturmgeist album?
By living a month in Weimar, in Germany. That lovely little town has had a lasting impression on me.
The album displays a wide variety of industrial metal melted together with thrashy metal and black metalish elements, how did it turn out like that?
The album was supposed to be recorded with a drummer. When we came to the studio, we found out that was not such a good idea. So I had to program everything myself, some of it under Terje Refsnes' guidance. Had it really worked out with the drummer, the album would have been almost without synthesizers, and much grimmer. The songs were in the thrash and black metal style from the outset; the industrial element came about in the studio.
Which bands and albums have meant a lot to you personally and for your musically writing style?
AC/DC were and probably still are my all-time favourite band. I have some 25-30 AC/DC items in my collection (not much for a fanatic, but still), and am looking for more. AC/DC plays classic, ball-breaking rock'n'roll, and I believe that is something every Metal guitarist can learn a lot from. As you know, I am not a solo guitarist, I go for rhythm and rather straight riffs that kill. Slayer has had a monumental impact on me; and of course, Norwegian black metal. That genre sort of marked my birth as a musician, it gave me an aesthetic to work in and against. I guess those three references say a lot. Some albums I like are "For Those About to Rock", AC/DC; "Burzum", Burzum; "Master Of Puppets", Metallica; "Ravishing Grimness", Darkthrone; "Angel Dust", Faith No More; "Seasons In The Abyss", Slayer; "Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", Mayhem; "Weltherrschaft", Mezzerschmitt. This is a rather random selection, and many of the albums are old, as you can see. This stems from the time when my mind was more receptive to new music.
Which lyrical themes do you touch on "Meister Mephisto"?
Goethe's cult of Nature, Germanic legend, Viking battle, modern warfare and rock'n'roll party culture.
Usually you write some very interesting lyrics, so it'll be great if you would go through the album and tell a bit about each lyric and the ideas behind them!
Ragnarok: A poem about the end of the world, from my poetry book "Yggdraliv".
Shock And Awe: A song about the invasion of Iraq. It turned out in favour of the victims of the bombings when I wrote it, as I felt bad about the civilians involved. Still, the songs aim at capturing some of the tremor et stupor of such a massive military operation.
Erlkönig: One of Goethe's most famous ballads, sung and whispered in a dark forest ambience. A father rides with his young son through the forest, and the son is killed by an elf.
Army Of Odin (Hafrsfjord): Battle action from Hafrsfjord!
Master Hunter: A hymn to Jägermeister. I write about a giant cat in Schwarzwald, who hunts down hunters, and force-feed them Jägermeister!
Rattenfänger: This tells about the Rat Chaser, who seduces women and sing for gold!
Grimmer Than Ugly: A Western song, with epic landscapes and men who would kill for brandy or gold!
Walpurgisnacht: I love this song cycle. It talks about the pagan Druids celebrating the Night of Spring, with a mock attack on a Christian village. There is nothing more German on "Meister Mephisto" than these songs.
Do you ever feel a pressure on you, due to your creative involvement in as many things as you are in involved in?
No, very seldom. I like what I am doing, thus I spend a lot of time on it.
How do you cope with a lot of people always demanding and expecting you to deliver state of the art material no matter what?
I feel good about it. It reminds me that my position is nothing I can take for granted, and that they actually do take me and my work seriously.
Why did you choose to call the band Sturmgeist and why the title "Meister Mephisto", what are your thoughts behind it?
I love the sound of the Sturmgeist name. It means "Stormspirit", and implies passion, action, expansion and creativity. I want the music to be an assault on the listener, both musically and emotionally. In much ancient philosophy, divinity, mind, breath and wind are etymologically related concepts. "Meister Mephisto" is a title you just can't contradict - that is how it is! I wanted this album to be made according to the book, respecting the musical and lyrical craft.
Is Sturmgeist a "real" band, will we see more music from it, or is this it?
As said, Sturmgeist is now a band, and we will record our second album in October this year.
Now when I have you, can you give us an update on the upcoming Solefald album, we've already heard it will be Viking metal, but can you offer more details at this point?
The journalists who have already heard the album seemed to love it, but they said it was a total failure as viking metal! By that, they mean that it simply sounds like Solefald, and not like Enslaved. And they are right about that. I think this might be a relief for our fans, that we still are recognisable, musically speaking! But many things are different though. Be assured of one thing: MANOWAR PLAY - SOLEFALD KILL!
Will you share your 5 all time favourite Scandinavian albums with us all?
Burzum - Burzum
Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness
King Diamond - The Eye
Darkthrone - Soulside Journey
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
Thanks a lot for conducting this interview with me, if you have anything to add, feel free to do it now!
Thank you for your interest in Sturmgeist. I hope to play in Denmark sometime soon!
To say it in a pompous but very Sturmgeist kind of way; I consider the world to be a place of strife, where words and meaning are my best weapons. Freedom has always been my prime motivation, I think; I mean, freedom to create, to think and say what I want. To begin with, my creative work was mostly meant as a way of expressing myself, and fulfilling myself. This is how one starts out in all genres, I believe; moving up and away from such an amateur attitude necessarily implies thinking about who your audience is and what they want from you. I am sure this sounds awkward when I say it, as my other band Solefald has a reputation for being anything but accessible. But it is quite obvious that every musician has to think through his attitude to his audience, whether he wants to give them what they want, or simply flaunt them. Paradoxically enough, with the autonomy we have developed in Solefald, we have been fortunate to host an audience that actually expects to surprise them. What some people think of as arrogance might just be the reason why Solefald are still around. But, this is a Sturmgeist interview!
Where do you find inspiration for your different doings?
Over the last years, my travels have been numerous, although mostly in Europe. My main inspiration sounds just as boring as it is effective: Work! It is by writing more that I write better. It is by playing and writing more music that I become more conscious of what I want to communicate, and how. Admittedly, I miss my life in Paris, where lived until October last year. Having a home means that it is easier to feed oneself with culture. Right now I live as a nomad, so my input very much comes from the people I meet, the stories they tell. Also landscapes and the local history of the places I am in, inspire me. At the moment I am in Veliko Turnovo in Bulgaria (working on the Eastern Block!), and I promise you, I have never seen anything like it! People are driving Hummers and Mercedes Benz cars as big as houses here, side by side with Trabants and Volgas! Seeing the enormous economic differences between the people here is problematic. I might write something about it.
When and how did you get the idea for making Sturmgeist?
Your countryman Lars Lolk (I presume I am writing for a Danish audience) has his part of the responsibility for Sturmgeist! He hit my weak spot when he reviewed Solefald's album "In Harmonia Universali", claiming that my guitar playing was the weakest element in the album, and that Lazare "clearly is the most talented of the two". Lazare is certainly an extremely talented person that I am proud to play with, but nevertheless I decided it was time to fly the Germanic flag, and show that there is also someone else in the band! That being said, I developed the concept for Sturmgeist in the autumn of 2002, long before the release of "In Harmonia Universali". Lolk's review came long after, it was the kind of kick behind I needed to get started. We both had a good laugh when he reviewed the first Sturmgeist album "Meister Mephisto". He gave it 5 out of 6 stars in his Antenna magazine, claiming the album to be better than that of Age of Silence! This is a funny story, I think, as the Cornelius album he asked for seemed to satisfy! The first motivation for Sturmgeist, however, was the urge to explore the musical and lyrical possibilities of the Germanic cultures. I have written and said much about this elsewhere.
What do you want to accomplish with Sturmgeist?
I want the people out there to go bananas to our Germanic grimness! I have been recruiting musicians to the project, so the next record will be work of a band, not just of myself. We have new songs that I feel confident about, including a surprise that will kick butt!
Your debut album "Meister Mephisto" has been out on the streets for a while now, how has it been received?
"Meister Mephisto" has been quite well received, globally speaking, with reviews ranging from excellent to awful! I find it interesting to see why some reviewers love the album, and why someone hate it. The Germanic concept has intrigued many listeners, it seems, while the industrial component is what causes debate and diversity of opinion. I am mostly happy about the reviews I have got, as a surprising number of reviewers actually seem to understand exactly what I want to say. Writing songs with an ironic twist, and having a Jägermeister parody on the front cover is not something obvious for many members of the Metal audience! I think the Solefald audience has been receptive to Sturmgeist; they are used to seriousness being accompanied by humour and irony, and vice versa. Despite the cover and the 'Master Hunter' song, of course there are also many dead serious moments on "Meister Mephisto". The songs many reviewers complain about, the 'Walpurgisnacht' movements, are actually my favourites on the album. Nothing new there. The Terrorizer reviewer (James Hinchley, I think) even came up with a term for Sturmgeist: "Jackboot chic". He hit the nail on the head!
How do you feel about the album?
I am very proud of it, as it was my first solo effort. The other night I came home from a party, rather drunk. When I woke up the morning after, I realized I had been lying on the floor before going to sleep, listening to 'Army Of Odin' and 'Master Hunter', belching out the lyrics and banging my head! This might, and should, make you smile; but it means that I still appreciate the album. What I like the best about "Meister Mephisto" is the atmospheres, and the songs. Terje Refsnes said that I wrote Pop songs in a Metal format. I think he is right about that - maybe except for the songs that count in on more than eight minutes...
How did you get influenced to write the music on the Sturmgeist album?
By living a month in Weimar, in Germany. That lovely little town has had a lasting impression on me.
The album displays a wide variety of industrial metal melted together with thrashy metal and black metalish elements, how did it turn out like that?
The album was supposed to be recorded with a drummer. When we came to the studio, we found out that was not such a good idea. So I had to program everything myself, some of it under Terje Refsnes' guidance. Had it really worked out with the drummer, the album would have been almost without synthesizers, and much grimmer. The songs were in the thrash and black metal style from the outset; the industrial element came about in the studio.
Which bands and albums have meant a lot to you personally and for your musically writing style?
AC/DC were and probably still are my all-time favourite band. I have some 25-30 AC/DC items in my collection (not much for a fanatic, but still), and am looking for more. AC/DC plays classic, ball-breaking rock'n'roll, and I believe that is something every Metal guitarist can learn a lot from. As you know, I am not a solo guitarist, I go for rhythm and rather straight riffs that kill. Slayer has had a monumental impact on me; and of course, Norwegian black metal. That genre sort of marked my birth as a musician, it gave me an aesthetic to work in and against. I guess those three references say a lot. Some albums I like are "For Those About to Rock", AC/DC; "Burzum", Burzum; "Master Of Puppets", Metallica; "Ravishing Grimness", Darkthrone; "Angel Dust", Faith No More; "Seasons In The Abyss", Slayer; "Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", Mayhem; "Weltherrschaft", Mezzerschmitt. This is a rather random selection, and many of the albums are old, as you can see. This stems from the time when my mind was more receptive to new music.
Which lyrical themes do you touch on "Meister Mephisto"?
Goethe's cult of Nature, Germanic legend, Viking battle, modern warfare and rock'n'roll party culture.
Usually you write some very interesting lyrics, so it'll be great if you would go through the album and tell a bit about each lyric and the ideas behind them!
Ragnarok: A poem about the end of the world, from my poetry book "Yggdraliv".
Shock And Awe: A song about the invasion of Iraq. It turned out in favour of the victims of the bombings when I wrote it, as I felt bad about the civilians involved. Still, the songs aim at capturing some of the tremor et stupor of such a massive military operation.
Erlkönig: One of Goethe's most famous ballads, sung and whispered in a dark forest ambience. A father rides with his young son through the forest, and the son is killed by an elf.
Army Of Odin (Hafrsfjord): Battle action from Hafrsfjord!
Master Hunter: A hymn to Jägermeister. I write about a giant cat in Schwarzwald, who hunts down hunters, and force-feed them Jägermeister!
Rattenfänger: This tells about the Rat Chaser, who seduces women and sing for gold!
Grimmer Than Ugly: A Western song, with epic landscapes and men who would kill for brandy or gold!
Walpurgisnacht: I love this song cycle. It talks about the pagan Druids celebrating the Night of Spring, with a mock attack on a Christian village. There is nothing more German on "Meister Mephisto" than these songs.
Do you ever feel a pressure on you, due to your creative involvement in as many things as you are in involved in?
No, very seldom. I like what I am doing, thus I spend a lot of time on it.
How do you cope with a lot of people always demanding and expecting you to deliver state of the art material no matter what?
I feel good about it. It reminds me that my position is nothing I can take for granted, and that they actually do take me and my work seriously.
Why did you choose to call the band Sturmgeist and why the title "Meister Mephisto", what are your thoughts behind it?
I love the sound of the Sturmgeist name. It means "Stormspirit", and implies passion, action, expansion and creativity. I want the music to be an assault on the listener, both musically and emotionally. In much ancient philosophy, divinity, mind, breath and wind are etymologically related concepts. "Meister Mephisto" is a title you just can't contradict - that is how it is! I wanted this album to be made according to the book, respecting the musical and lyrical craft.
Is Sturmgeist a "real" band, will we see more music from it, or is this it?
As said, Sturmgeist is now a band, and we will record our second album in October this year.
Now when I have you, can you give us an update on the upcoming Solefald album, we've already heard it will be Viking metal, but can you offer more details at this point?
The journalists who have already heard the album seemed to love it, but they said it was a total failure as viking metal! By that, they mean that it simply sounds like Solefald, and not like Enslaved. And they are right about that. I think this might be a relief for our fans, that we still are recognisable, musically speaking! But many things are different though. Be assured of one thing: MANOWAR PLAY - SOLEFALD KILL!
Will you share your 5 all time favourite Scandinavian albums with us all?
Burzum - Burzum
Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness
King Diamond - The Eye
Darkthrone - Soulside Journey
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
Thanks a lot for conducting this interview with me, if you have anything to add, feel free to do it now!
Thank you for your interest in Sturmgeist. I hope to play in Denmark sometime soon!
Sturmgeist website
Back
All content Copyright 1999-2006 Nocturnalhorde.com. Powered By...
