Avant-Garde Darkness – An Interview With Fjoergyn


FjoergynAvant-garde/experimental metal outfit Fjoergyn is arguably one of Germany’s best kept metal secrets Frontman Stephan L clears the shroud of mystery to Ghost Cult in an attempt at making the band seem not quite such an enigma and to reveal the details of latest album Monument Ende.

The band is about to release a new album, entitled Monument Ende. What can you tell us about it?

I think ME is a real dark record. The music is what you’ve come to expect from Fjoergyn, but the album has a very avant-garde and experimental edge to it. We spent ages on finding the right atmosphere for the album and working on our songs. I’m very happy with the results.

The previous three records were part of an over arching concept. How does this work for Monument Ende?

We still have plenty to ideas for a possible sequel to that concept, but it’s the question of if we’re going to continue with that. It also implies that you have to go on with a specific musical direction and as a band we like to keep all options open. The ideas we have so far are very avant-garde in spirit, so they may not really work in a musical concept.

How did the writing and recording sessions go for the new album compared to previous experiences?

The writing process took forever. We composed a record worth of song two years ago, but we didn’t like the results, so we decided to re-work the song material again. This time around the whole process took three months. All the recordings took place at the AllOrange Studios. Usually I compose our music to the orchestrations, but this time around I wrote the metal parts first and fit the orchestrational parts afterwards. It was really inspirational and I personally love the results.

Fjoergyn recently played at the Ragnaroek and Niflheim festivals. How were those experiences for you?

The organisers behind Ragnaroek and Niflheim festivals are good friends of mine and I love working with them. Overall it was a great experience, but unfortunately we had some problems with the sound on Niflheim. Many sound engineers don’t seem to grasp the kind of sound we need in order to support the symphonic elements in our music. We had a great time and especially at the after parties which were in true rock n’roll fashion.

What inspires you as a musician and person when it comes down to writing lyrics and music?

I get inspired by a lot of different things. I just have to look out of my window and I get inspired. For Monument Ende destructive human behaviour and human psyche provided all the inspiration I needed. Just open a newspaper and words simply spill on a page.

The vast majority of Fjoergyn songs are sung in German. What’s the reason to write predominantly in your own language?

There are several reasons for that. I’m an avid reader of German poetry and I read mainly books in my own language. I can express myself in German in ways that aren’t possible in the English language. We have a very high standard for our lyrics and I don’t want to compromise that by singing and writing in a language which I don’t feel really comfortable with.

Fjoergyn is often labelled as a folk metal band, but your music draws from a far wider field of influences. How do you see things?

Our first record was inspired by bands like Falkenbach and Empyrium and apparently using traditional instruments like flutes and kettledrums automatically equals playing folk or pagan metal nowadays. I really loath the fact that many people label Fjoergyn as a folk or pagan metal band. I really hate that stigma, because we are neither. It’s hard for me to label our own music and I don’t see any merit in actually doing that.

Fjoergyn is signed to relatively small label, namely Trollzorn. Do you guys have the ambition to be picked up by a bigger label and tour more outside Germany as well?

Of course we don’t mind playing our music across the world, but we’re not really interested in some major label deal. Playing in Fjoergyn is a passion for everyone playing in the band and it’s purely meant as an outlet for our creativity. We all have regular jobs and we cannot write and record an album within a couple of months without compromising the quality of our music and art. Complete creative freedom is an absolute necessity for us and that’s not something you can easily gain when you’re signed to a bigger record label. We’re planning to play some more gigs this year and perhaps we’ll play outside Germany as well. We’ll see.

Raymond Westland

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