To begin with, could you reveal any interesting news from SHINING? Some time ago you’ve suspended band’s activity, but recently SHINING has been reactivated and new record is due to be released by Osmose. What was the reason of band’s suspension and comeback?
We are currently rehearsing the new material as we are to enter the studio in January for the recording of our fifth album and apart from that we have just played our first gigs and mobilise in order to perform more. SHINING was put to rest yet ressurected half a year later when John Doe gave me a call litterarly forcing me to reconsider my decision. You know, we had just spent 13 months in a fucking record-facility realizing the fourth album, at the same time living throughout an absolute misery having members leaving the band because of the trendemous negativity which surrounded us at that very stage, myself also suffering from lack of medication, family-problems, back-stabbing, going bankrupt as well as having half of the fucking album erased due to a ”mistake” while recording in the midst of it all. So, I guess in conclusion I just couldn’t handle the situation mentally, thus, putting this ill child of mine to rest.

From what I know, you weren’t satisfied with Avantgarde as far as promotion was concerned. Can you judge Osmose’s work till now? Recently, lots of bands left the French, who were accused of lack of interest in any promotional activities. What were the reasons in your case?
Yes, Avantgarde Music acted very poor when it came to promotional matters but from the very short time we’ve been on Osmose Productions things have been great promotion-wise, and in general with corespondence and so on. As far as I’ve understood many bands left Osmose Productions when they did a row of bad investments in signing bands and so forth, nevertheless, that does not bother me, as long as they work as promised and shown for the future with SHINING. We all do mistakes you know, and we will surely experience a bunch of them ourselves on Osmose’s bill nevertheless, from all I have wanted to have at a record label, Osmose Productions actually do provide, so all together, we are satisfied.

Last time you managed to gather a very interesting line-up with, for example, Hellhammer. What were the reasons that ended your co-operation? Distance, Hellhammer’s duties or what?
I ended the co-operation between SHINING and Hellhammer foremost because we decided with the rebirth that SHINING would become a solid liveact, something which would have been completely impossible with Hellhammer due to his other involvements. However, there is no bad blood the two of us inbetween, on the contrary really.

What’s the current line-up? Any well known people or just local musicians?
Well-known people? Well, that depends on how you look at it I think. Of course its still me writing all music and lyrics, doing vocals, piano and guitars. John Doe (of CRAFT) doing lead and solo guitars, Hallander (from a wierd ABRUPTUM-like band called TORTURA), Witt (of SPIRITUAL BEGGARS and FIREBIRD) doing the drums as well as Casado (of SILENCER) handling rhythm guitars on live occasions. Known or unknown does not matter, what matters is commitment as well as skills, and on that very plane I am fully satisfied as off todays lineup.

Have you ever played any live gigs? Have you experienced anything special?
We have now performed live but three times, one in Sweden and two in Norway and it worked out fairly good, though we need to progress live undoubtely but that will happen along with the more gigs we actually do perform.

I know that some preparations to SHINING European tour are taking place. What can we expect during your concerts? Your music is very depressive, melancholic and rather slow. Most of fans come to concerts so as to enjoy music full of blasts. Don’t you worry that during your concerts it will be quite difficult to recreate the aura that accompanies SHINING records?
We didn’t have a problem at all to recreate the atmosphere of SHINING during our shows, people were horrified and I believe they really didn’t expect a bunch of quite old people standing on stage without makeup or anything still convincing to be a bunch of fucking nutcases you know. I believe people who will come to see us will experience a TRUE band for once instead of a bunch of faggots trying to be evil under somekind of fake identity they really cannot stand behind once leaving the stage (and very seldom on stage as well for that matter). We are currently negotiating with various booking-agencies and organisators and it seems we’ll have a round of 20-25 more gigs to come this year, mainly in Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Holland, France and Belgium.

Your label, Selbstmord, is active again. What were the reasons of suspending and reactivating? On what principles do you cooperate with Vicious Rec? Do you look for any new bands that could strengthen your label?
Same as with SHINING really. During my absence I worked with Vicious Recordings, and still do today even though that very label is working extremelly slow and don’t have many releases to come you know. Selbstmord Services are planning to sign 2 more bands to fill the empty space, if we come across any that is, as for now we are working with VED BUENS ENDE, PUISSANCE, STRID, FUNERAL DIRGE, BLOODLINE, THESYRE, KROHM, SUDARIUM and EIKIND, if you are interested in knowing more off our releases and further information send 1 euro for subscription to our printed newsletter at: Selbstmord Services, Box 237, 301 06 Halmstad, Sweden.

Do you know any black metal bands from Poland? What do you think of them?
Not really, as I am not that interested in Black metal overall. Of course I know of all the old ones whom existed when I was younger such as GRAVELAND, BEHEMOTH etc. though, noone of them interested nor interest me musically back then or now. Of course, there is one band from Poland which I do enjoy, and thats yours! And that’s why we are discussing doing a split together, otherwise such plans would be rather pointless…

You admit that you are a misanthrope, which is not only a part of your image but rather a life stance. I wander if you ever have happy thoughts? Or you always experience negative emotions?
Of course I do have a share amount of positive moments in my life, otherwise I would be completely useless, not caring for any of my work and probably be dead by now as well. I hate life, in all its perverse forms and my intentions stretches as far as I spend basically 99% of my time on destroying it in every single angel possible.

I suspect you’re not a very sociable person. Nonetheless, do you have a small group of friends or do you spend your time alone?
I do posses social skills, if I didn’t, I would never be able to work amongst others nor perform in front of thousands of people, or answer interviews either for that matter (and all these things are a necessity, otherwise the entire purpose would be pointless). Though, I do not have many friends, two of them who I meet occasionaly but thats it. I try however not too spend too much time on my own as it oftenly result in way too dark reflexes you know, such as being locked up for weeks or even months in hospitals and so forth.

I know that apart from metal you like blues. For me, blues is a happy music about unimportant things like lost love, etc.. What’s about this music that it interests you so much?
Lost love is not an unimportant fact, long from it actually. Its not a matter for me but consider the fact that thousands and thousands of lives have been reduced by it, I glorify these things. Strong emotions you know, not things to play around with. Same as failed family-values and so forth, these very topics may all of them result in self-inflicted harm and death as well as other great things such as murder and war. How can you, if you now intend to support all the negative aspects of life, label such great sources of misery as unimportant? Blues, pop, rock, ambient whatever, I listen to a very broad list of alternatives as I find melancholy and darkness in them all, oftenly more oppressive than what could be found in metal really.

During the process of writing lyrics and music do you allow anybody to join you? Or is it solely restricted to your person as the band’s members are just tools to express the music?
I write all music and lyrics alone, apart from when we did the last album me and John Doe sat down during nighttime in the studio and composed a few things together. Though I don’t think such a happening will occur in the future. Sometimes however, the others might come up with a few ideas on how to rearrange various parts and so on, and as I am always interested in evolving in all ways possible I do listen to their ideas yet, as said, it is very seldom we use any of them.

Would you be satisfied if someone had committed a suicide under your music’s influence?
Of course.

There’s a lot of BURZUM spirit present in SHINING music. I must admit that your band is one of the few hordes that managed to create a similar atmosphere to that of Varg’s. Do you like all BURZUM albums or just the metal ones?
You really think that do you? I can agree if you would have given this very quote reflecting SHINING I and SHINING II where even I can feel the BURZUMish presence, nevertheless, I consider the two last albums to be very far distanced from BURZUM, music-wise. Yet, of course this is not a bad recognition though as I do apprecitate all BURZUM albums and admit they were of an huge influence in the past, just as with STRID, KENT and MANES.

Is SHINING your first band? In what other bands have you played?
I did have another band together with Phil A. Cirone (Bass 2001-2004) called INCINERATE and at a later stage VOORHEES, and I believe it was INCINERATE that later evolved into what SHINING is as off today. I am also the singer of FUNERAL DIRGE and DIABOLICUM, whereas I have released a EP with the first and are about to record the third album for the latter. I did play bass in JOYLESS for some time, and guitar in ONDSKAPT as well. All in all I am pretty much against having various bands at one and the same time, though as it is now SHINING is of course my main priority along with merely doing vocals for DIABOLICUM and FUNERAL DIRGE whom are bands that very seldomly, or even never, play live.

What is your opinion on the current Swedish black metal scene? It seems to be getting stronger and stronger due to bands like WATAIN, FUNERAL MIST and many more. Do you consider yourself as a part of the scene? Are you in touch with other bands or do you rather isolate yourself from them?
SHINING is not a part of any scene whatsoever, and neither do I care for any other bands around. Though, as I lived in Stockholm earlier I do have some contact with some of them as WATAIN, ONDSKAPT and a few others and I do understand that these very bands have put an extremelly good impact on the rest of this pathetic world, especially when they are all allied and even though it’s noone of my business and that I don’t care for them musically I do respect them as I am very well aware of their dedication and fanaticism.

What can you tell me about the fifth SHINING album? Is there anything new? Or would it be the good old SHINING?
The new album pretty much follows in the same vein as with the fourth yet, more aucoustic passages and classical instrumentation will occur. Lyricwise, this will be the most depressive and anxious album ever released!!! I like to consider the new album, now when preparing for its birth, as the absolute in our history.

Nearest Kvarforth’s musical plans?
Just doing loads of gigs and spreading our poison, recording the new DIABOLICUM album as well as hopefully recording something new with FUNERAL DIRGE. We’ll see, time will tell…

Thanks for your time! Last words for readers?
Thanks for the support, attend to our ceremonies once we rape Poland!