The Total Sound Of The Undergound

Lelahel Metal

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! 

jonatanberg.com

Ephemeral Skies (@ephemeralskiesband) • Photos et vidéos Instagram

(21) EphemeralSkies - YouTube

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