MEET THE ARTIST: ALEX SVENSON (THEN COMES SILENCE) ABOUT "BLOOD"
Hello Alex. The last time we talk together, your album "Nyctophilia" was about to be released, a very dark album that is influenced by death and how our western society is trying to get rid of it. Now you come up with "Blood", that seems to me quite the opposite as blood means life, am i right?
Alex: Blood can have a lot of different symbolic meanings. It's the very essence of life and spilled blood can be dramatic because it symbolizes loss. Every album will grab a subject close to death and darkness. As so we did with "Nyctophilian" and "Blood".
Would you consider blood as the leitmotif of your new album?
In some way, yes.
At first you told us in the opener "The Dead Cry For No One"...
I don't believe the dead care that much for us. Egocentrism is a priveliged phenomenon for the living.
But "Flashing Pangs Of Love" is more connected to lust, love and pain. How close are they together in your opinion?
Lust and love are essential to life. Not that I actually practice hedonism, but I really don't mind if people revel and enjoy too much of everything in life. Just do it. It's probably good for you. Lust, love and pain are connected
With "Blood" the sound of Then Comes Silence is shaped with a strong connection to The Mission. Even your voice reminds me of Wayne Hussey sometimes. Would you say you already have found "your" sound or is it a constant journey?
Our sound is a constant journey. I don't want the next album to sound the same like this one. You will always hear it's Then Comes Silence, but albums are like chapters in life. It's a development and changes are inevitable.
But there are some sounds, that reminds me of the early post-punk-era: The percussive Intro of "Warm Like Blood" is almost identic with the one in "Bela Lugosi's Dead" of Bauhaus. Did you want to pay homage to this song with this quotation?
No, it's not an homage to Bauhaus. The rhythm has got a latin-ish influence and that's basically the foundation of the song. I would rather say that this song is more influenced by Roxy Music than Bauhaus actually.
Also the female voice in the refrain of "The Rest Will Follow" have a strong touch of Siouxsie & The Banshees. Also a little reference to this golden era of goth music?
I was amazed to hear Hanna Carlsson's voice. Yes, you can here a touch of Siouxie & The Banshees in it, but that's just a coinsidence. Hanna is using the same kind of energy to get that sound and it wasn't a bad thing at all that her voice resembled the voice of Siouxie Sioux.
The last song literally blew me away. "Mercury" is the perfect final of the album. What is this song about?
We live in a patriarchal structure that's pretty musty and stale. I have a difficult time accepting a society that doesn't take a stand for a healthy change. Did you know that if you google search "Misandrism" in English you will get about 69.500 hits, but the male equivalency of that contempt "Misogyny" gets more than 9.900.000 hits. I believe the future is female. The world would be a much a more constructive place without narrow-minded, priveliged, conservative old men holding the wheel.
The line "Extinction. Embrace The End" combined with your almost sacral sounds, the death becomes something less frightening, perhaps even liberating. Was this your intention?
Yes, you maybe have a point there. It could be liberating. I want that structure of male domination to resolve. Don't resist, just let it take you down. You will hopefully come out the other way with more knowledge and insight.
Many bands talk of their latest album as the best one. How about you? Which significance does "Blood" have for you?
No album is flawless. There's always some parts that you wished you would have done different or better, but that's the charm of recording music. I'm proud that we made the album this way as I am of all the other albums. "Blood" is pointing the direction for the next one. So let's open the eyes and see where we're heading now.
|| INTERVIEW: DANIEL DRESSLER | DATE: 10/30/17 | CONTACT >
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