Meet Jonatan Berg, the multifaceted force behind Ephemeral Skies. Crafting intricate metal soundscapes, Jonatan orchestrates every aspect from songwriting to performance, joined by young talent Alva Gavander.
1. Can
you introduce the members of the band and outline their roles within the group?
Sure. So
basically I, Jonatan Berg, am the band. I do everything from songwriting and
lyrics to performing all the instruments and record them. Though guitars are my
main instrument.
2. How
did the idea for this project come about, and what led to the collaboration
between Jonatan Berg and Alva Gavander?
Well, I was
quite far into the recording process of this when I got the idea to have
someone join me on the vocals to bring one more dimension. An idea grew that it
could be a child guiding the story of the album through some ’voice acting’.
Alva’s family are friends of ours, and though she hadn’t any experience in
music recording or anything I just had a feeling that perhaps she could be able
to pull it off. When we started the recordings I just felt ”wooow, there is so
much musicality hiding in this little girl!”. And we started sharing ideas with
each other and she really brought that new dimension to it. She became an
important part of the ID on this whole project!
3. Who
or what are some of the primary influences on the band's musical style and
direction?
Regarding
the songwriting Michael Romeo of Symphony X has a big impact when I do this
kind of music. But I stay open to all that speaks to me to make my own sounds
and style as you can hear. The mixes of influences and the openness to styles
and. different arrangements are what ultimately forms the music of Ephemeral
Skies.
4. Have
you had any notable live performances or appearances at festivals, on radio, or
TV?
I have done
a fair share of that yeah, but that’s with other bands or projects. We’ll see
how Ephemeral Skies will develope and if I will be able to experience stuff
like that with this, but being a one man band, so far, it’s a bit challenging I
guess… But i dream of getting this to where i can have a full band of dedicated
members to bring this to the stages. It would fit so good for spectacular live
shows!
5. Are
there any standout quotes from reviews or feedback about the band that you'd
like to share?
Of course!
I love to read or hear what people think about my works. Alva has made a great
impression on people! ”Wow Alva really does the acting on a high level. 8 years
old really!?”, stuff like that I see a lot which is great fun for the both of
us.
And ”This
is so capturing, it’s like 3 songs in one, yet it all fits together. It’s like
a journey”. Which is basically what I
ment it to be, a journey through your inner self and what you are.
And
producer Oscar Björk from Heartifact studio says very kindly: "With
skilled musical performance and well-crafted arrangements, each song feels like
an immersive tale, drawing the listener into the adventure. It's metal music at
its finest!”
6. Where
was the album recorded, and who were the key players involved in its
production?
It was
recorded in my own studio ’Time Stand Still’ here in Sweden. All the
instruments and vocals. But I kept a close cooperation with Oscar at Heartifact
studio already from the start. I had decided to have him finish the mixing and
mastering, so to have a dialoque early into the process helped a lot to make
this come out the way I wanted.
7. Is
there a particular ethos or message behind your latest release, or any specific
musical styles or events that inspired it?
There are
indeed. These songs represent different stages in the search of your own being,
your soul, if you will. Alva guides the story in her acting of two voices
debating on whether to dare doing this exploration or not. The vocals then
reflects on those stages and diggin’ into life views and such. So perhaps not
really a message but a sojourn through the inner labyrinth of your being.
8. Can
you provide a brief overview of the themes explored in your songs or highlight
a couple of tracks from your latest project?
I guess I
touched the answers in the previous question but to yeah, I can mention some
important contents of these tracks.
The intro
of the first song ’Winds Of Time’ when Alva’s two voices are debating on
whether to ’get in there’ to deal with their inner self. We decided to do her
acting in Swedish to bring some mystic to the sounds. The Swedish phonetics
really helps in that aspects and also in combination with her young voice.
The last
line of ’Inside These Walls’ is:
”Sinnenas
inre har fångat min själ
Med
morgonens ljus föds ett nytt farväl”.
Which is
translated to:
”the inner
of the senses has captured my soul
With the
morning light a new farewell is born”.
I think
that closes the reflections on the album quite explanatory. Perhaps you could
find some similarities to the hinduism or buddhism in the life views there.
Atman, brahman, samsara, nirvana and so on…
9. Were
there any memorable or amusing incidents during the recording or production of
your EP that you'd like to share?
Well apart
from the almost spiritual states of mind I got in to, and the grace in that...
I’d say that for me it was just so many musical discoveries I made during this
process. I had to develope my singing a lot to cover the many different grounds
i wanted to express. And the arrangement and all around that. It’s more than
100 tracks on one song and I’m playing it all... so that was a big thing for
me. Apart from Alva’s vocals of course. And her contribution was probably the
number one highlight for me!
10. What
were some of the challenges you faced during the recording process, especially
considering the complexity of the arrangements?
One thing
was to really develope my structure in the studio and the programming in all
the equipment. It took years to get from writing the first song to record the
last parts of ’Inside These Walls’. I did many other things beside this
project, so I had to make a good structure to be able to know where I was and
what my ideas were the last time I sat down with this.
Also to get
in the right mood and really get the right feeling of the songs. It takes some
time to get in the ”zone” and can be hard to get back there when you’ve had a
break. But it’s also good to ger some distace to your work and come back with a
fresh view.
11.
Could you elaborate on the significance of featuring an 8-year-old guest
vocalist like Alva Gavander, and how her contributions impacted the music?
Sure! Great
question. When she joined I had come pretty far in the recording process. But
her additions was so good, it really went far beyond my expectations. She did
everything on one afternoon, without practicing before!
After
hearing her voice over the tracks, specially her acting, I got many new ideas.
So I re-arranged some segments to give her more space and a bigger role. If I’d
know how smooth the recordings would go on that day I would have prepared even
more for her to sing on!
12. Can
you share a personal quote from a band member about the release or the band
itself?
”This ain’t
for those seeking three-minute bubblegum rock tunes, this is something else. A
sojourn through the inner labyrinth of your being”
13. In
what ways do you believe your music stands out within the metal/prog/cinematic
genres?
I think the
Ephemeral Skies style has a mix of sounds and directions that I think has no
real equivalent. And I’ve really followed my own path with this, which I’m
really proud of. It’s me, myself and I down to the bone! That’s the best way to
make something unique I think so I did my very best from my heart and soul
here. It’s very guitar oriented ’cause that’s where I can express a story on
the widest levels. But I think the grooves, the horror sounds, epic soundscapes
and orchestral sections all the way from oboe and flutes down to slightly
distorted brass makes a melancholy, scary and at times angelic experience.
I guess I
don’t even have to mention Alva Gavander again, right? You just gotta hear it!
14.
Finally, what do you hope listeners take away from your music, and what are
your future plans for the band?
I really
hope my listeners will want to join the full experience, from first to last
song as the story is ment to be heard. And to leave with a lust to have more of
this.
That is my
hope, to get a good response from this, whether you’re from the music industry
or a devoted listener. That will help me to take this project even further. I
am full of ideas, just need to get things done in the right order and we’ll see
what is possible to finish. Anyway I can assure you there will be a lot of
activities on social media from the Ephemeral crypt, so follow me there! This
journey has just begun, so join the ride! <3
And thanks
for the interview. Interesting questions that got me to think deep into some
subjects. Take care, cheers!
Ephemeral Skies (@ephemeralskiesband) • Photos et vidéos Instagram
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