Blistering.com: Where do you see this album in the evolution of Katatonia? In terms of darkness, it ranks up there with Discouraged Ones...
Nyström: I feel I can't be the judge of this. All I know is that it ranks up there as our newest album ha-ha! If it's our darkest or our best? I happily leave that decision for the fans to discuss, but I'm really fucking happy with it, actually more happy than I was when many of our other releases came out. I guess that could be because of the heavy load of effort and labor that went into coming this far.
Blistering.com: At this point in your career, the fact that Katatonia refuses to stagnate is truly a testament to how you’ve become inimitable leaders at what you do. Would you say that embracing progression has both saved and driven the band over the years?
Nyström: Most definitely. When you have nothing more to say, nothing more to add, but just keep repeating your sorry old self, isn't it time to call it quits? If you're not motivated and happy and comfortable being where you are and what you do but still keep rehashing shit, you will drift apart, seeking new opportunities shimmering like jewels in the dark distance, or you leave the music scene entirely and never return. Katatonia have always had unfinished business and goals to reach and I think that's a good reason, if any, why we we're still around and perhaps also avoided all the mess with members coming and going. We've had the same line-up intact for ten years now.
Blistering.com: On the same token, do you ever question where to go next, and fear that there may be a roadblock impeding further progress? Do you think that, if you ever feel that Katatonia is repeating itself, that drastic measures may need to be taken?
Nyström: Yes, this worries me a bit thinking back on how I felt earlier this year and the state it got me in, but I'm hoping that if there's a roadblock ahead, the first thing we'll do is to take off on a sideways route and try to cross ahead from a different angle, but still keeping our focus on getting back on there and if the main road ends, I guess we'll drive ahead off-road as long as the vehicle has power. This is starting to sound more like James Bond car chase script now, doesn't it?
Blistering.com: Regarding the intense emotional reactions your fans have to your music…how do you deal with such a rapturous reception? How does the fact that you’re writing life-changing music affect you, as well as your songwriting? Obviously, Katatonia makes music for itself and no one else, but are you glad your fan base has grown and changed WITH you?
Nyström: Of course. We had harsh words spewed upon us on many occasions back in the 90's. First the classic - the demo was better and more true than the debut album! Then of course the second album was mediocre and boring and wasn't at all a "part 2" of the debut that people craved. Then when we went through the transition between growls and clean vocals on the third album we got to be an official wall of spit, but we shielded ourselves from everyone outside our camp until we noticed the very same bunch of people now considered the mediocre and boring second album to be our classic and then later the dreadful third album with clean "sell out" vocals would actually to be considered the true identity and justified style for Katatonia. The last couple of years we haven't had any real hating, so I wonder what we're doing wrong, ha-ha! It could almost seem like we've listened to people.
Blistering.com: How would you describe the personal dynamic between yourself and Jonas, both with how you compose and perform within the band? Is there something unspoken and special with someone with whom you’ve written for so long?
Nyström: We're not very similar personality wise, but we're very like-minded on a few important things such as sharing a vision for music and art for Katatonia. It's almost like different political parties allied in the government with different agendas and work methods, but with the same ultimate goal in mind. We complement each other's weaknesses and allow for ideas to be born that wouldn't come naturally on our own. I think these days, we're also more open to let each person have his way particularly in one's own song rather than tearing it apart. You gotta trust the end result if there is a firm belief behind it and also respect the feelings and the message behind the creation, but it ain't always rays of sunshine. It's very easy to feel trampled on and conflicts arise along the way, but I think the day I don't feel offended anymore is the day my heart ain't in it either.
Blistering.com: Clearly, you gentlemen in Katatonia aren’t morose, moping motherfuckers 24 hours of the day. However, evoking gloom, shade and the occasional miserable, choking darkness has been something your band has excelled in since day one. From where do you feel this wellspring of “positive negative energy” erupts, and does tapping into this side of yourselves ever become challenging or draining for you?
Nyström: It seems it flows steadily from our personalities and preferences. Why? No fucking idea! It's just the way we are as humans and how we got here. As time grows by and life goes on in this world, the wellspring is continuously restored with negative energy and the cause for eruption is mandatory. But as you said, this is not a self-chosen fate or something we strive for, it's nothing glamorous, cool or fun about choking in darkness. It's more about the urge and survival to get away from it, to climb up from the bottom. Katatonia ended up being the artistic tool in the process. It's constant, it doesn't have a deadline and it's like the weather, unpredictable.
Blistering.com: Continuing on this, how do you feel that the band’s way of expressing this side has changed from the very literal way of black/doom you expressed in the early days, versus the subtle layering of Slowdive/Cure influences into this heavy guitar mix? Do you think the face of Katatonia has remained pretty much the same, regardless of whether it wears corpse paint or not?
Nyström: I think the primitive message of expressing dark feelings is still the exact same. It was there from the beginning and is there today, but we've learned to use a wider and more rich language to express the greyscale spectrum of that darkness. We have more tools and ethics today that we master and utilize. Our discography is like life itself, you see someone change and grow older, the face is familiar, but so different, wiser but bitter. Katatonia perfected.
Blistering.com: Do you see further experimentation in the future with the loops and drum patterns found here on this album? Or, inversely, do you think Katatonia would ever take the “regress to progress” avenue and re-filter in any of those early techniques and influences?
Nyström: We won't go back too far. Some things just had their time and place as a part of the past, i.e. exchanging the clean vocals for growls is something you won't see happening again, but I see it possible and maybe necessary to make more unorthodox lengths and progressive song arrangements again. I also don't see a problem with both going more aggressive and exploring riff-based metal and taking the best parts of that, but right now, the atmospheric sound picture is what sticks closest to my heart. It doesn't have to me mellow ballads just because it's atmospheric, it can be the anthem to your very funeral.
Blistering.com: Despite the compilation collections you’ve released, there are still a number of nuggets from Katatonia’s career which remain, correct? Do you think any of this material might see the light of day sometime? To my knowledge, I don’t think songs like “Untrue” or the early rehearsal material have been properly distributed, have they?
Nyström: Nothing of value here. Buried by time and dust.
Blistering.com: Do you feel that the United States has especially opened up to what Katatonia is doing, and are you at all surprised that the States has embraced what you do? Do you plan on returning here soon on tour to support this record?
Nyström: Yes, we've been talking about ideal time schedules and touring bills lately for North America, but nothing's been confirmed yet, but be assured, we will be over there at least twice promoting this album either as a support or headliners. Touring the United States has actually been really smooth and rewarding and we're eager to reap the seeds we've sown. On our last tour we even had a satellite wi-fi modem on the bus so we could stay internet connected 24/7, that really made a month seem like a week, it was like a piece of Sweden was out on 8 wheels rolling through the country. Home sweet tour bus!
