Interview Martin Williams

In this interview, Martin Williams discusses the inspiration behind his single "Soldat und Tod," blending classic Black Metal with cinematic influences, and his journey as a solo artist.

1. Congratulations on the release of your new single "Soldat und Tod"! Can you share the story behind this track? What inspired its creation?
The song title is actually taken from the title of the painting that inspired it - a random post in my Facebook feed one day - when I saw it I knew straight away that I had to compose a piece about this spectacle of Death guiding an Austrian soldier’s aim in the First World War.  It also struck me that as a painting by an official Austrian war artist, just how macabre and evil its portrayal of war is, how truthful it’s bizarre nightmare image appears.  The First World War feeds into the song throughout, the mechanisation of warfare in that conflict along with the relentless and repetitive assaults leading nowhere direct the arrangement and pulse of the music.  Without having seen that painting, I would not have composed this music.

2. Your music draws inspiration from a diverse range of sources, from classic Black Metal bands like Darkthrone to film scores and old paintings. How do you integrate these different influences into your atmospheric sound?
Those elements help me in their own distinct way, the classic Black Metal rawness of bands like Darkthorne influences my choice of instrument tones and recording style, film scores bring their sense of drama and emotion whilst old paintings trigger my imagination into creating a narrative for my songs.

3. The title "Soldat und Tod" translates to "Soldier and Death" in English. Can you delve into the thematic elements of the song? What message or emotions are you conveying through this piece?
People can be in a great and desperate struggle to destroy each other, whereas in contrast, Death, knows his result is guaranteed and for him is effortless so he can patiently wait and watch the spectacle of human suffering.  The core feeling through the song is of the the individual being subsumed by orchestrated destruction with Death as ones constant companion.

4. You’ve been on a solo journey since 2021. How has working alone shaped your music compared to being part of a band? Do you find it more liberating or challenging?
Interesting point, I feel that creative direction is wide open and on the other hand, it can be difficult to have a sense of perspective.  As a solo musician I am completely immersed in the songwriting and recording process which does result in needing to take time out so I can reapply myself with a fresh set of ears and some objectivity - that is the greatest challenge in solo work.  The reward is to go really in depth and explore where your direction leads, the music has control not you, you have to be able to let go and just go for it.

5. Hecate Studios seems to play a central role in your music production. Can you tell us about the recording process for "Soldat und Tod"? How did you achieve the specific sound and atmosphere in this track?
The core instruments I play, guitar and bass are all recorded through amp and cabs miked up through through analogue hardware preamps and compressors, the reason being that I find it far easier to operate hands on equipment whilst recording than switching fast between playing music and operating a computer.  A lot of time is spent recording multiple takes with subtle changes to the amp’s tone and then panning these takes across the stereo image, this creates a sound with a lot of subtle variations and the result has a reverb-like effect, even though they are dry recordings exactly as they sound in the studio.  For vocals my voice is routed through a guitar distortion pedal, again a simple hands on method. Keeping processing to a minimum is an important aspect of Black Metal for me, maintaining as direct a human connection between myself and the listener as is possible.  After the core instruments are recorded; synths, drums and sound effects are added to focus the forward direction of the music and to colour the mood and add further variety.  For the orchestral and supporting instrumentation on this track I took inspiration from Symphonic Metal greats Within Temptation who have some amazing keyboard and orchestration to be inspired by.

6. Atmospheric Black Metal often relies heavily on creating a mood or an emotional landscape. How do you approach songwriting to ensure that your music evokes the intended feelings in your listeners?
My main principle is to develop a basic, minimalist chord progression and use that as a base to explore subtle changes within the chords to create discord, unease and a sense of unsettling movement.  A sense of depth in the recordings is important - I keep the vocals pushed back in the distance with reverb and bring the instruments into and out of the foreground with a mixture of panning them across the stereo field or adding or removing reverb - sounds are kept on the move and that dynamic is important in evoking emotion, as is creating sense of conflict with dissonance.  I can go on about this forever, so I’ll stop and get started on the next track!
Your music has a reflective and solemn tone.

7. How do you see the relationship between your personal experiences and the music you create? Are there any life events that significantly influence your songwriting?
I spent 15 years at sea and that separation from society imbues a solitary, reflective perspective on life, looking at life from afar there was much time to reflect and think, those later two points definitely feed into my music as does the relentless motion of the sea.

8. The Black Metal genre has a rich history and a strong underground culture. How do you see your work contributing to or evolving within this genre? What do you hope to bring to the Black Metal community?
Thats a tough one, it’s difficult for me to have that objective perspective of my music and where it sits in the genre.  I suppose I’m working towards a Raw Atmospheric Black Metal sound, immersive and emotional whilst remaining tight, driven and immediate.  And for the Black Metal Community?  That at 46 you have a lifetime of stories to tell, so tell them in music, the best music - Black Metal!

9. Visual art, such as old paintings, influences your music. Have you ever considered collaborating with visual artists to create artwork that complements your music?
Absolutely, that would be a real privilege to produce collaborative pieces and, as you have mentioned it, I will look into that some more.  That could lead to some really interesting audio-visual creations - yes you’ve got me thinking now!

10. What can fans expect from you in the future? Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you're particularly excited about?
I don’t stop, I constantly compose new pieces and release new tracks monthly sometimes more frequently if they are Acoustic Black Metal.  Actually I have released another track already - ‘1892’ !

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Mühlsteinhorn - Atmospheric Black Metal by Martin Williams (youtube.com)

Musique | Martin Williams (bandcamp.com)