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An Interview with Erlend of Essence of Mind
Posted: Sunday, July 20, 2008
By: Vlad McNeally

"We met each other for the first time three or four years ago at a festival or something like that in Oslo," recounts Essence of Mind's Erlend on meeting his partner in crime, Kyrre. Formed through this chance meeting in spring 2006, the duo quickly jumped from experimenting with a variety of sounds to establishing a hard-hitting confrontational sound which has had many drawing comparisons between Essence of Mind and the legacy of their fellow countrymen in Icon of Coil and—even more so—Combichrist.

Still, they shirk away from being labeled as being part of Combichrist's catch-phrase genre, TBM. "We just make the music we want, and some may call it that, but we don't try to fit a genre, we just do what we like to do,' declares Erlend with confidence. Regardless of comparisons, jumping from demo to debut in less than a year is impressive, and reason enough for ReGen to catch up with Erlend to find out what makes their formula tick and where they plan to take it next.

How did you come to choose 'Essence of Mind' as your moniker?

Erlend: Well, the name Essence Of Mind was something I came up with when I was trying to find a suitable band name. I think it fits both our music and lyrics; a lot of our lyrics are about human thoughts, actions and emotions, so to us, it does describes the music we make.

How have the reactions been to your debut, Insurrection, thus far? Are there any standout comments you've received so far, be they positive or humorously negative?

Erlend: We have got a lot of great reactions so far, so we're happy. It seems like the overall sound of the album is being appreciated, so that's great! Of course, everyone can't like everything, so it can't fit into everyone's tastes.

How did you come upon using the title Insurrection? Does this theme of rebellion tie in at all with the subject of 'Original Poser'?

Erlend: We came up with the title when trying to describe our songs; most of them are about how we need to react in our daily life. It can be the struggle with ourselves regarding thoughts and emotions or a shout in the faces of all the selfish and intolerant people around, as well as the world we live in, with so much shit going on everyday. 'Original Poser' could be interpreted as a story about people who tries to be someone they're not. People who desperately wants to 'be somebody.'

Lyrically, Insurrection is rather confrontational, for example, your exposé on expired rock stars, 'Dead Heroes.' What brought on this piece? Does its message apply to yourselves?

Erlend: Our society has an unhealthy and morbid fascination with death, which extends far beyond the fan favourite du jour. Of course, it's more obvious when it comes to public figures. I do not want to die young, and I do not take any pleasure in knowing that if I should pass on under unnatural circumstances that I'd end up on the front of the tabloids and have people I barely know falling over themselves to talk about my saintly features.

Other tracks seem quite personal, from the vitriol of 'Piss Artist' and 'Fake' to the self-destructive 'Wasted.' Is there a story behind these pieces?

Erlend: Yes, you're right, especially about 'Piss Artist' and 'Wasted.' 'Fake' is more about backstabbing people who just talk shit and try to hurt you without daring to actually confront you! 'Wasted' deals with our more destructive thoughts, the need to get away from inner pain or loneliness, that need to go out and just try to forget about everything for a moment. It's something a lot of people, ourselves included, have been through.

'Piss Artist' has another story behind it, though. It is actually about meeting a drunk, and instead of just walking away, I stopped and listened to what he had to say. Through his ramblings, it was possible to catch a glimpse of who he must have been. A lot of people lead a less shielded life than the rest of us and seem to lack someone to tell their story. They may seem scary or be completely incoherent, but they are humans, and therefore they have something to say.

Both of you were involved in music before Essence of Mind. What were those projects, and how did they influence your writing for Insurrection?

Erlend: When I was a kid, I played guitar, violin, and sang a lot. My musical interests just evolved over the years, and eventually I became interested in electronic music, so after a while, I started to experiment with electronic music on my own. Kyrre has played in different hard rock and metal bands for years. So we both have done different stuff in the past, some of which may have helped shape Insurrection.

Outside your own work, who would you cite as your biggest musical influence?

Erlend:That's a difficult question. We both like a lot of different stuff, and we pick up on other things we like here and there. If I had to say someone specifically, I would say either Apoptygma Berzerk or Marilyn Manson. I have been listening a lot to them for years, especially when I was younger.

How do you feel about the current state of the electro/industrial scene, and where do you see Essence of Mind fitting in with it?

Erlend: Well, it's OK, I guess. It could be better, could be worse, but it all comes down to the music that's being released. We think that we have to try to evolve and look forward. There's been a lot of great stuff throughout the years, but it's important to bring the music a step forward and be creative. Hopefully, that will keep the interest up, and maybe even make more people interested in this kind of music. For a while now, it's seemed like 'endzeit' was the sub-genre most people were into. Naturally, the trend is now turning more toward the more melodic and dynamic. Actually, we don't know where we fit in; we just do our thing and are happy with that!

You've mentioned that there's quite a rock influence within your music. Do you feel it's important to emphasize that facet within your work?

Erlend: Yes, absolutely! There will be even more of this in the future. We like the idea to mix a lot of styles together and try to make something unique.

Speaking of rock, I hear Kyrre's quite the guitar maestro. Any chance we'll get to hear some of that talent within future Essence of Mind recordings or live shows?

Erlend: We have already tried out live guitar in rehearsals, and it fits pretty well with some of our songs. We'll probably be using guitar in the future, both live and in studio, though we're not sure when. It's a matter of doing it right or not at all.

Your debut gig was opening for Combichrist in your home town. How was that experience?

Erlend: It was great! As it was our debut, we were a little nervous, but it all went very well! It was great to play for such a big audience and get our music out live for the first time. The Combichrist guys were really nice, as well!

Now that the album's done, what are your future plans for Essence of Mind?

Erlend: Of course we want to play live as much as possible! We already have a lot of ideas for upcoming releases which are already in progress. We will try to evolve musically, and experiment even more with sounds and styles!