Interview Transcending Into the Unknown

In this interview, we explore the creative journey behind "Chronos," a genre-blending track by Transcending Into the Unknown, featuring insights on collaboration, musical evolution, and personal growth.

1. "Chronos" showcases a blend of various musical styles. How did each of your individual musical backgrounds influence the direction of this single?

Filip: I was the one of us who wrote the music to the rather mellow, laid back and calm opening section of Chronos. I believe that this section clearly shows my musical background and influences from bands like Pink Floyd and Marillion. The next heavy prog-rock/metal section was written in close co-operation with Robert and Stian, and this section is clearly showing more of their musical influences and inspirations. The final section is again a return to a more mellow and melodic atmosphere, where we all were allowed to show our personal playing and performing styles through our individual guitar solos.

2. The shift from the mellow opening to the heavy, prog-rock section in "Chronos" is quite striking. Can you walk us through the creative process behind structuring the song this way?

We love to surprise our listeners and thereby bring them along on a journey into the unknown. Chronos is indeed a very long tune, with 5:43 minutes, especially seen by today’s radio play standards. So, we figured out that it could help to keep the interest of the listeners throughout the whole tune by introducing a dramatic and dynamic shift midway.

  
3. Eva Halsetrønning Rambraut brings a beautiful contrast to the heavier parts of "Chronos." What inspired you to bring her into this project, and how did her vocal style shape the final sound?

The beauty of participating and working with TITU is that we are constantly looking for new musical ideas that can take us forward. This project really has no boundaries when it comes to musical styles. Filip and Eva are old bandmates from the 70’s, and she was an obvious choice when we figured out that we needed a clear, beautiful and tender female voice for the lead vocal in the opening section. Eva’s lead vocal is indeed creating such a beautiful contrast to the heavier parts, and her backing vocals in the choruses has also highly contributed to shape the final sound of Chronos.

4. Given that you all come from such different musical backgrounds, how do you manage to combine those styles without compromising your individual influences?

That is what’s so great about the TITU-project. There are no rules! We can all bring our own ideas and contributions to “the party”, and if it works then let’s do it! Until now at least 😊, it has been really easy to agree on what sounds great. None of us wants it to sound exactly like our own songs/music. What would be the point of that? It’s the amalgamation of our sounds that makes it great.

5. Eva, this is your first major collaboration in a while. What was it like stepping back into the studio for this project, and how did it feel to work with Filip again after all these years?

It's absolutely fantastic to be allowed to go back to the studio again, and to be able to work together with Filip, after all these years, is the dream job for me. Filip was a very good friend and colleague when we played together in the 70s and 80s, and we have had some occasional contact since then. He is an impressively good musician and very good at writing lyrics. I am also very impressed by his brother Robert and Filip's son Stian, and I feel that this is the ultimate collaboration for me.

6. The contrast between Eva’s clean vocals and Robert’s growling vocals is a highlight in "Chronos." How did you approach balancing these two very different vocal styles?

Robert: I was lucky enough to do my parts first. All credit here goes to Eva who made it work so perfectly together. I was blown away when I heard her vocals, and how it interacted with my growls and Filip’s vocals in the choruses.

7. As a family band, with a mix of generations and musical experiences, has this project helped you grow closer as musicians and family members? How has it strengthened your bond?

Robert: Music is such a personal thing. So even if we are typical men that never actually talk about feelings and stuff like that (ha ha…), I really feel that connecting through this musical collaboration has brought us closer together.

8. Stian, your guitar solos in the final section of "Chronos" bring a lot of personality to the track. How did you approach writing and performing these solos alongside your father and uncle?

My goal was to blend my own style and personality while staying true to the core melody. During the writing process, I experimented with different phrasings and tones until I found what felt right. Playing alongside my dad and uncle, and hearing their ideas, inspires me and makes the music feel even more personal.

9. With "Chronos," it seems like each of you was pushed to bring out your best performances. Can you share any moments during the recording process where you felt particularly challenged or inspired?

Filip: I really had to step out of my comfort zone when we recorded my guitar solos in the heavy part, as the chord progression and guitar riff in this part required me to use completely different notes and scales than I'm used to, in order to fit in. 

Robert: That is a good observation. I think it’s absolutely true that we all push ourselves a little extra to deliver the best performances we can when we are collaborating in TITU. I know I spent a lot more time and effort to write and play the solo in the last part of the song than I would have done for one of my own songs. I wouldn’t call it a “rivalry”, but in a good way I think we all want to impress the others with our contributions.

10. The lyrics of "Chronos" seem to explore themes of time and transformation. Can you share more about the lyrical inspiration behind the song and how it connects to the band’s journey?

Robert: The overall theme of the lyrics is basically that whatever you do, time will continue to pass, and your best bet is to accept that and make the best of it.

I know Filip had a vision of the song musically as 3 different parts, where the first symbolises an apparently perfect but false reality, while the heavy middle part totally tears this image apart to reveal the harsh truth. The final part is again containing a melancholic soul searching and finally an acceptance of reality.

Lyrically I tried to write something that connected with this.

Relating to the band's situation, I feel that we are in the third part now; realising that we will probably not become the world-famous rock stars that we dreamed about in our youth, but simultaneously being very satisfied to experience making the most out of our combined talent.

To me personally the lyrics are about getting old, embracing this and not giving a damn about how some parts of society seem to react to it. For some of us in the band this is somewhat of a cruel reality these days (ha ha...).

But I would like to think that anyone who experiences a situation where you’re forced to accomplish something, and just don’t have enough time to do it, can relate to the thematic here. Maybe you could simply say that it is about stress…

11. Your previous releases were praised for their unique blend of styles. Do you feel that your sound has evolved since those releases, and how does "Chronos" reflect that evolution?

Robert: The addition of Eva’s vocals introduced a new dimension to our sound. Really emphasising the contrast between the soft and delicate, and the raw power-parts of the song. 

As mentioned before, I also feel that our playing here is the best we have done so far. I’m really impressed with Filip and Stian’s parts, and it feels great to be a part of this collaboration.  

12. Looking ahead, how do you see your collaboration with Eva influencing future projects? Is there a possibility of working with other guest artists to further explore different musical directions?

Working with Eva was such a great and inspiring experience for us. We are constantly trying to develop our music further and her voice really added a new dimension to our sound. We will certainly continue our collaboration with her. Working and participating in TITU requires you to be open-minded and curious to explore new creative possibilities. Filip, Robert and Stian will always be the core of TITU, but we are of course open to collaborations with other musicians and artists on future releases.

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