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Chronicles of Chaos speaks with Shamaatae, a.k.a.
Arckanum
by: Steve Hoeltzel
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Black metal's pre-eminent pagan praiser of Pan, solo Swede Shamaatae
esteems the forest's fearsome force. His most recent release,
_Kostogher_, combines blasting, straight-ahead black metal with grim
backwoods atmospheres, producing impressive results.(See my review in CoC #21.) It's the second in a planned four-album forest epic, which will be supplemented by a book, as well as a reportedly more ambient side project, Tassemarkers Vaeruld. Intrigued by all this timberland terror, I faxed the forest to find out more.
CoC: Compared to your debut, _Kostogher_ has a much grimmer and more primitive production, which (I feel) greatly enhances the overall power of the music. How did you change your approach to the production process for this recording?
Shamaatae: The only difference between the two albums is the change of studio. _Fran Marder_ was recorded in Abyss Studio, where I got the clean and "trendish" black metal sound, which I didn't and still do not like.
Beware my third LP, _Kampen_, and face the primitiveness and the grim demons from Kaos.
CoC: Do you think that the sound of _Kostogher_ is the best sound for Arckanum? Or could your sound become even more raw and
ferocious on future releases?
S: No, I don't think _Kostogher_ is the best sound of Arckanum. No
sound is the best for Arckanum: I am a living and revolving cosmos of
Kaos. I can't stay as one and in one way - I am several, and my demons
and I are the tentacles of Pan. We make rawer and rawer creations
for each day to come.
CoC: It is said that you performed some kind of ritual in the studio
during the recording of _Kostogher_. Is this true? In general, how
does ritual relate to your musical art? Do you think of the music
itself as a kind of rite? Are you especially interested in the rites of
any particular tradition, or in rites of your own creation, or perhaps
both?
S: Yes, I performed a ritual in the studio during the recording of
the intro, or the introduction of the track "Skoghens Minnen V
Ekks". The ritual is performed by us: the forest and its creatures and
me. I have only used it once and it seems to fulfill its purpose.
CoC: Is Arckanum a one-man project by your own choice, or by
necessity?
S: Both. My inner and instinct took in place. [The fax is illegible at
this point, so "took in" may not be what Shamaatae actually wrote.
Can't tell. -- Steve]
CoC: Many (indeed, most) bands who play a style of music similar to
your own proclaim allegiance to Satan, whereas the works of
Arckanum are inspired by, and dedicated to, the great god Pan. Do you
see any important differences between Satanic sources of inspiration
and your own brand of nature-centered mysticism? Do
you see any important similarities?
S: Yes, I see important similarities. There are a lot of thoughts and
ways of living in Satanism that I strongly agree with. But I have my
own religion, and I stay with it, and I am faithful strongly to Pan. As
a Satanist, you worship yourself and count your ego first, to be strong and not to be wounded. I live by nature, and we agree.
_Kostogher_, musically and thematically?
Continue with interview
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