Phil Elverum je pod psevdonimom Mount Eerie pred kratkim izdal Clear Moon (recenzijo si lahko preberete TU), ki, kot prejšnji Wind's Poem, dobiva neverjetne odzive medijev in poslušalstva. Delikatna mešanica lo-fija, indie folka in black metala je rezultat enkratnega uma, ki ga RockLine poskuša razumeti in razodeti v tem eksluzivnem intervjuju.
RockLine: Za začetek – kako se počutiš zdaj, ko je Clear Moon zunaj že nekaj časa, ko ima že cela dva meseca svoj prav magičen učinek na njegove poslušalce in po vseh res pozitivnih odzivih?
Phil: Počutim se odlično. Resnično sem zadovoljen z albumom in zato sem še toliko bolj vesel, ko je všeč tudi drugim.
RockLine: Clear Moon je, tako nekako kot Wind's Poem, zelo zanimiva in delikatna mešanica indie folka in atmosferičnega black metala. Kako ti je uspelo priti do takšnega specifičnega zvoka? Kdo vse je vplival nate pri pisanju Wind's Poem in Clear Moon?
Phil: V bistvu nikoli ne razmišljam o glasbi na takšen način, nikoli ne razmišljam o stilih, ki naj bi jih poskušal posnemati. Začnem recimo z neko zelo surovo in osnovno idejo o tem, kako naj bi nek koncept zvenel, in potem delam proti tej ideji z vsem, kar imam na voljo. Drugače pa niti sam ne vem, kako sem prišel do takšnega zvoka. Ideje o takšnem zvoku so se preprosto pojavile v moji glavi. V nekaterih primerih sicer slišim nekaj, kar bi želel posnemati, ampak vzamem le majhne detajle iz dotične stvari. Nekaj glasbe, ki sem jo poslušal med pisanjem in snemanjem Wind's Poem in Clear Moon: Xasthur, Cocteau Twins, Menace Ruine, Leviathan, Sunn O))), My Bloody Valentine, Red House Painters, Julee Cruise, This Mortal Coil, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z itd.
RockLine: Ocean Roar bo nekakšni drugi del koncepta, katerega prvi del je Clear Moon. Kaj mi lahko poveš o tem?
Phil: Gre za albumski par. Povezava med njima je sicer kar nekako abstraktna, ampak zagotovo gresta skupaj. Po mojem je sama povezava nekaj, kar morajo ljudje sami začutiti. Na splošno sta obe o isti ideji, le da je ta ideja drugače artikulirana – z drugimi besedami in toni. Clear Moon je krhek in tavajoč, Ocean Roar pa je bučen.
RockLine: Če prav razumem, si vedno izvajal svoje skladbe pod imenom Mount Eerie kot one-man bend. Si kdaj pomislil na sestavo benda, s katerim bi reproduciral zvoke Wind's Poem-a in Clear Moon-a?
Phil: Skozi leta sem imel kar nekaj različnih sestav bendov. Po svetu sem imel s celotnim bendom turnejo za Wind's Poem v 2009/2010. Za te nove skladbe imam sedaj popolnoma drugačen bend, s katerim se bom kmalu odpravil na turnejo. Všeč mi je, če je izvedba skladb v živo vedno nekako nova, da se vedno spreminja.
RockLine: Bil sem na tvojem koncertu na letošnjem All Tomorrow's Parties festivalu, ki ga je kuriral Jeff Mangum. Imaš kakšne posebna doživetje s tega dogodka?
Phil: Če sem iskren, mi veliki festivali niso ravno zelo ljubi. Morda še najmanj od vseh alternativ za koncert. Gre za zelo težko atmosfero, takšno, v kateri se težko sprostiš, kjer se težko soočaš z umetnostjo na splošno. Za nekatere bende je seveda takšno okolje popolno. Sam sem navajen na bolj mirne koncerte, kjer se ljudje lahko popolnoma umirijo in so kakšno minuto celo pozorni na moje čudne ideje.
RockLine: Koga oz. kaj bi lahko označil za svoje največje vplive?
Phil: Poleg že omenjenih bendov še Eric's Trip, pesnika Cold Mountain in Gary Snyder, režiser Terrence Malick ter umetnika Theodor Kittelsen in Harald Sohlberg.
RockLine: Nekako moram vprašati – morda veš, kje je Slovenija? Kakšna možnost, da se ustaviš tu na kateri izmed svojih turnej?
Phil: Ja, seveda vem, kje je. Leta 2000 sem igral bobne v Ilirski Bistrici z Old Time Relijun. Dejansko je zadnja stran albuma »the Glow pt. 2«, tisti s tistimi strehami v zeleni svetlobi, slikano prav v Ilirski Bistrici. Resnično sem užival tam, zelo mi je bilo všeč. Prav tako sem se vozil skozi Ljubljano na turneji leta 2010, ampak žal takrat nismo imeli koncerta v Sloveniji. Zelo rad bi nekoč igral tudi pri vas.
RockLine: Clear Moon in Ocean Roar sta končana. Kaj zdaj?
Phil: No ja, nista ravno končana. Zdaj je moje vsakdanje življenje sestavljeno iz oblikovanja naslovnic, urejanja plošč, pakiranja, obiskovanja pošte, pošiljanja takšnih in drugačnih pošiljk, delanja intervjujej itd. Prav tako se dogovarjam za turnejo in vadim z bendom. Delo, ki pride po snemanju albuma, je dejansko težje kot tisto prej, vsaj za operacijo, ki vključuje le enega človeka, kot je to v mojem primeru.
RockLine: Bi morda rad še kaj dodal?
Phil: Hmm, ne morem se spomniti ničesar. Hvala za intervju!
RockLine: Hvala tudi tebi!
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With Phil Elverum about Mount Eerie and his music while listening to rap and black metal (2012)
Phil Elverum has, as Mount Eerie, just recently released Clear Moon (review), which is, as its predecessor, getting extremely positive feedback from the media and from its listeners. Such a delicate mixture of lo-fi, indie folk and black metal can only be created by a wonderful mind, which is being dissected right here and now, exclusively by RockLine.
RockLine: To start off – how are you feeling with Clear Moon being out for a while, having its magical effect on its listeners for around 2 months now and receiving extremely positive feedback?
Phil: I feel great about it. I am very happy with the record and so it's just extra gratifying to have other people like it too.
RockLine: Clear Moon is, not unlike Wind’s Poem, a very intriguing and delicate mixture of indie folk and atmospheric black metal. How did you come across such a sound? What were your main influences for Wind’s Poem and Clear Moon?
Phil: I don't usually think about music in that way, about what styles of music I'm trying to emulate. I start with an idea for a very basic raw tone in my mind and I work towards that idea with whatever tools I have. As for how I came across it, I don't know the answer. The ideas for these sounds just come into my head. In some cases I do hear something and I am directly trying to copy it, but usually I"m trying to take small parts from each thing. Some of the music I was listening to while making those records are Xasthur, Cocteau Twins, Menace Ruine, Leviathan, Sunn O))), My Bloody Valentine, Red House Painters, Julee Cruise, This Mortal Coil, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, etc.
RockLine: Ocean Roar is going to be some kind of a second part of the concept with Clear Moon being the first part. What can you tell us about that?
Phil: They are a pair of records. The link between them is kind of abstract, but they go together. The connection is something for people to feel themselves I guess. In general, they are about the same idea, but they are just articulating the same idea with different words and tones. Clear Moon is soft and drifting, Ocean Roar is a roar.
RockLine: As far as I understand, you’ve always played your songs as Mount Eerie live as a one-man band. Have you ever considered having a backing band to reproduce the sounds created on Wind’s Poem and Clear Moon?
Phil: I have had many different bands over the years. I toured the world with a band for Wind's Poem in 2009/2010. Now I have a different band for these new songs and we're going on tour soon. I like to keep the live version always changing.
RockLine: I’ve seen you at this year’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in England, which was curated by Jeff Mangum. Have you any special experiences from that particular show?
Phil: Honestly, large festivals are not my favorite experience. Maybe they are my least favorite experience actually. It is a very difficult atmosphere to relax and take in music/art in any significant way. It's just too overwhelming. But for other kinds of bands it seems perfect. I am accustomed to mellower shows where it's possible for people to calm down and pay attention to my weird idea for a minute.
RockLine: What would you say are your main influences in general?
Phil: Alongside with the aforementioned bands: Eric's Trip, Cold Mountain (poet), Gary Snyder (poet), Terrence Malick (movies), Theodor Kittelsen (art), Harald Sohlberg (art).
RockLine: I have to ask – do you know where Slovenia is? Any chance of you stopping here on one of your next European tours?
Phil: Yes, of course. I have played in Ilirska Bistrica back in 2000 when I played the drums in Old Time Relijun. Actually the back cover to my record "the Glow pt. 2", the rooftops in green light, that is taken there. I loved it there. I have also driven through Ljubljana with the Mount Eerie band in 2010, but we didn't have a show unfortunately. I would love to play there.
RockLine: Clear Moon and Ocean Roar are finished. What now?
Phil: They aren't really finished. Now my life every day is cutting and folding booklets, assembling records, packing orders, going to the post office, sending shipments, doing interviews, etc.. Plus, I'm booking the tours and having rehearsals for the band to play all these songs. The work that comes after the album is recorded is much greater than actually making the music, at least for a one-man operation like me.
RockLine: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Phil: I can't think of anything. Thanks for the interview!
RockLine: Thank you!
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