The Inquisition: 034.A Swarm Of The Sun

1. How did you came up with the name of the band?

Jakob: We used to have a horrible name, and now we don’t. I carried a notebook where I scribbled down words and combinations until the name appeared. It just fit.

2. Do you have a standard procedure of creating a song? Do you just jam around or is there a main riff and the track is build up on it?

Erik: It varies a bit between productions. We generally try to do things a bit different each time in order to not get stuck in the same patterns. For The Rifts, the essential tool was to write all the material on piano, which was something completely new for us. I believe it allowed us to create an album that’s more true to its concept, and much more of a whole than our previous albums.

3. What are your influences and what kind of music do you hear when you are at home?

Jakob: The past months have been almost completely devoted to our own album “The Rifts”. But I’m a sucker for atmospheric Norwegian stuff like Biosphere, Nest and Deathprod. During the writing process I’ve been listening to a lot of Anna von Hausswolff, Deaf Center and black metal, all of which probably influenced the result. Recently there’s been a lot of Year of no Light, Cult of Luna, Chelsea Wolfe and Pink Floyd. And when all else fails there’s always Mogwai and Labradford. And Logh. There’s so much music. Visually I’m always influenced by the photographer Sarah Moon. She’s a genius. There’s no one better.

4. Which is the one album you can't live without?

Jakob: Nine Inch Nails’ “The Downward Spiral” really defined me when I was growing up - I was 14 years old when it came out and I thought that I was the only one who really got it (obviously I wasn’t) - and I still hold it as one of the true greats. If I brought that one, Mogwai’s “Come On Die Young” and Low’s “Trust” to a deserted island I’d be satisfied. And the soundtrack to The Hours.
Erik: The soundtrack to The Fountain by Clint Mansell has been a favourite for very long now, so I’d pick that one. It always gets me in the best mood. “Frengers” by Mew is also a candidate.

5. What's the first record you've ever bought?

Jakob: Iron Maiden’s “A Real Live One”.
Erik: Alice Cooper’s “Constrictor”.

6. Name a band that you would like to share the stage or tour with?

Erik: Fellow countrymen Logh would definitely be something.

7. Did the internet and specially the blogs helped to spread your music around the world? Name a place (country) that you were surprised to know your music has reached to?

Erik: Absolutely. I believe blogs and communities are essential, but also social media. It always gets me in the best of moods when I stumble upon a forum thread or comment on a blog or social media that mentions us somehow. No matter which country, it’s always a surprise that we’ve manage to reach someone with our music, and the feedback we receive through this is what keeps us going. It means a lot.

8. Do you support the idea of Bandcamp where fans can decide the price or services like Spotify?

Erik: I support all new ways of thinking in terms of distribution and availability. Bandcamp and streaming, in general, has opened up so many possibilities for bands that otherwise would have been out of the spotlight. I’ve discovered so much good music myself over the past years that I most likely would have never heard otherwise.

9. Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

Erik: More music. We don’t have any plans of world domination or fame, but we do want to create more and better music, hopefully based on new interesting concepts. It’s what we love.

10. Is the artwork of an album important nowadays in the digital era?

Jakob: Definitely. And with digital distribution comes a whole new array of possibilities for visual presentation. There’s so much you can do, so many ways to expand the album as a concept. We’re still just scratching the surface.

11. What is your favorite album cover?

Jakob: From the top of my head I’d go for some early Sisters of Mercy. “Temple of Love” maybe?

12. It seems that a lot of people are turning on vinyl again. Why do you think that is and which is your preferable media format?

Erik: For a lot of music enthusiasts, listening to a vinyl album is a much different thing than the alternatives. It’s a physical format that does not just look amazing, it’s something that requires attention. I often hear things on vinyl that I haven’t heard before on other medias. If it’s a good production, it’s more clear and vivid. I do listen a lot to vinyl, but of course streaming is probably my most-used format since all music is easily accessible.

13. What's the most vivid story or moment as a band?

Erik: We aren’t really a band that are gonna tell a lot of stories about crashing hotel rooms. Our most vivid moments are all pretty much related to us writing and recording, and everything around that process. But if I were to pick one of the most recent one, I’d definitely say the recording of the church organ that we did for The Warden. That was absolutely a powerful experience.

A Swarm Of The Sun released today their new album "The Rifts". Go check it out: http://versionstudio.bandcamp.com/album/the-rifts

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