Welcome to this exclusive interview with Slutavverkning, the avant-garde band known for their unique fusion of proletarian noise-rock and unhinged acid-jazz. In this conversation, we delve into the band's origins, the impact of key members on their sound, and their latest release, "Levande Charader." We also explore their artistic and socio-political perspectives, offering a glimpse into the future of Slutavverkning's groundbreaking sound.
1. Can you tell us about the origins of Slutavverkning and
how you came up with the band's unique blend of proletarian noise-rock and
unhinged acid-jazz?
Pelle: I’m listening to lots of different genres, and wanted to start a project
that did something new and interesting, something I never heard before. The
first EP was just Marcus on drums with me playing guitar, bass and doing the
vocals. I knew George Kentros, a very talented American avant-garde violinist,
so we invited him and he added some really unusual layers to the songs, which I
loved. Then I wanted to try the same with saxophones. I’ve been a big fan of
Per Texas Johansson since the early 90s so when I met him at my workplace, I
asked if he would be down to play some crazy freeform stuff on the punk
songs I’m writing. I was surprised and awestruck when he said yes! I also felt
uncomfortable with the vocals, so I showed some of the new riffs I’ve recorded
to Jon, a close friend and colleague. He took the files home and sent them back
only a few hours later, with some incredibly strange, improvised vocal
freak-outs. Upon first listen, I knew that this is it! The new sound I’ve been
looking for! With those jazzy saxophones and Jon’s unhinged vocals… It was
everything - and even more -, than I was aiming for.
2. Your trilogy of EPs, "Music of Labour and Sorrow I-III," garnered
a lot of attention. How did Per Texas Johansson’s involvement shape your sound?
Pelle: We just brainstormed for a bit, tried a few different things, and when
we found out that his baritone sax blends perfectly with my guitar tone, I told
him to take it from there. He has a very unique, “naturally weird” musical
approach, so I never wanted to tell him what notes to play. He had completely
free range, and later on we kept this same approach with Isak.
3. The addition of Per Wiberg on bass and Isak Hedtjärn on saxophone and
clarinet seems to have pushed your sound even further. How did these new
members influence the evolution of Slutavverkning's music?
Pelle: Once we felt that we’re ready to try and perform this outlandish thing
on stage, it was obvious we’ll need a good bass player. Mr. Wiberg is an old
friend of mine and he’s such a solid, groovy bass player… At least 10 times
better than me. So it felt like hitting the jackpot when he said he’s
interested! Later on, once we started working on the album, Per Texas was
already committed to other jobs. He did record some amazing guest saxophones,
and maybe will do a comeback someday. But Jon knew Isak - who plays with Per
Texas in Fire! Orchestra -, and reached out to him to take over the sax for
this LP. Isak is a whole new level of crazy. He brought in even more odd,
freeform stuff, including his clarinet which added some unexpectedly spooky and
uncomfortable layers to the songs. Such a free spirit and such an incredible
musician… I’m really proud to have these guys in the band!
4. "Levande Charader" is your debut full-length album. How does it
build upon the themes and sonic explorations of your previous work?
Pelle: Some of that came naturally once Per and Isak joined, it was their input
that opened up new possibilities. But I feel the biggest change in sound came
when Marcus started experimenting with the drums. He worked hard on trying to
find a brand new approach to rhythm and style that is completely unexpected in
punk and metal. In heavy, aggressive music drums can often take the lead and
overpower everything else. But Marcus wanted to leave space for every other
instrument to shine. The first time I’ve heard what he’s trying to do, I got so
excited, I couldn’t stop yelling at him to do even less and less! Fortunately
he was a good sport about it, haha.
5. As the guitarist who is also responsible for mixing and mastering, how do
you balance the intricate textures of acid-jazz with the raw energy of noise-rock
in your production process?
Pelle: I’m primarily a keyboard player, thats where I’ve learnt all the theory.
This makes me feel a bit more free in my approach to guitar, as it used to be
sort of a “hobby instrument”. When I’m listening to music, I can’t ever stop
picking up interesting notes, layers and tones. Jazz is an endless well of
inspiration for that. I usually do a lot of thinking on how to use those things
in my songwriting before I grab my guitar. But when that happens, I try to play
all my rigid ideas with sort of a raw punk energy, let everything loose. But as
far as riffs and song-structures go, I rely heavily on theory instead of just
conjuring up crazy noise on the instrument.
6. Marcus, could you share some insights into the rhythmic complexities you
bring to Slutavverkning's music, especially when navigating the shifting
dynamics between different genres?
Marcus: When we recorded the EPs, I was able to turn off and allow myself to
just be in the moment. With Levande Charader, I wanted to try something new,
which initially involved much more thinking. I tried to play more “muffled”,
lose the cymbals and hi-hat, make the snare less piercing… This freed up my
right arm to use parts of the drum kit I usually forget about. I did this to
find the most stripped-down beats that fit the riff, and also to create a
challenge for myself. So I basically modified my whole approach to the drums
for this record, and the hardest part was to get used to that. Everything is
music to me and I like to play by feel, I don’t like to think when I play.
7. Per Wiberg, coming from bands like Opeth and Candlemass, how does your
background in metal influence your approach to bass playing in Slutavverkning's
jazz-infused context?
Per: I don’t think those bands have affected my playing in Slutavverkning
at all actually. It’s a different mindset to play this type of music, as it
relies on different qualities. I’ve always listened a lot to punk rock,
hardcore, noise rock and free jazz so that would be the music where I draw
inspiration from for Slutavverkning.
8. Could you share some details about the recording process of "Levande
Charader"? How did the fresh lineup affect the studio dynamics and the
final outcome?
Pelle: We recorded mostly during lockdown, so we basically been sending files
and riffing on each others ideas back-and-forth. It was great, it let us try
out more strange ideas that we could have afford in an expansive studio. We
were able be more experimental than ever before.
9. As a band with a strong anticapitalist spirit, how do you feel your music serves as a vehicle for expressing your socio-political viewpoints?
Pelle: I think it’s the other way around. Our viewpoint does not necessarily need to be fully clear for taking the music in, but we need to have strong feelings and a “communal inner fire” in order to write powerful songs. Hopefully nobody needs to understand our lyrics - or know anything about our political leanings - to feel the emotions we’re trying to get through. Music is more universal and less square than politics. But I have one thing to say about capitalism… If it will collapse soon, we might end up playing lounge music. But until it’s alive and well, we won’t stop yelling at it in our own weird words! Haha.
10. Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Slutavverkning's future? How do you envision your sound evolving from here?
Pelle: We’ll be releasing a small bonus EP at the end of the month, with some alternative takes and remixes. Just to fully wrap up this current chapter, and show our appreciation to all who purchased the album. We are also working on a brand new EP right now, under the code name ”Garbage/Trash”. All I can say right now, its gonna be brutal!
https://slutavverkning.bandcamp.com/
Slutavverkning (@slutavverkningmusik) • Instagram photos and videos
https://soundcloud.com/slutavverkning
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