VIRUS

Black hole in the universe

VIRUS is a band that most of music fans would probably see as the successor of Norwegian alternative metal heroes VED BUENS ENDE. No wonder- the band was formed a few years ago by Carl Michael Eide who used to play in VBE. The debut album „Carheart” was released in 2003. Five years later another VIRUS' release hit the stores. It's called „The Black Flux” and featured 9 expressive and complex songs, not preoccupied with stylistical boundaries, pushing the whole genre more forward. The album met with an extremely well response from critics and fans, and was described as the most challenging effort of 2008. I could not find a better reason to get in touch with Carl and talk about things. During our conversation we focused primarily on „The Black Flux” content, but my main goal was to penetrate a bit that strange artistic world Czral lives in...

-This is actually the first talk with you guys for Metal Portal so I hope you will forgive me for not being able to avoid some clichees in this interview. OK, so let's start from scratch. Ekhm... how did you come up with idea to found VIRUS?
I wanted to make avant-garde metal/heavy-rock. Since we at some point stopped working with Ved Buens Ende, I wanted to do something in the same vein. After we released Written in Waters in 95, I was focusing only on my thrash metal bands, Aura Noir and Infernö, and they’re pretty straight forward in many ways, while the avant-garde thing is where one can be an „artist”, you know. Doing something kinda deeper.

-Finding a band's name is one of the hardest decisions that every new band will ever have to make and therefore one of the most important decisions as well. Naming this band just VIRUS wasn't probably the most original idea you had in mind. So, I guess there was a special reason behind that choice...
Well, we were not exactly trying to revolutionize anything by choosing this name. What’s unique and original lies within the music, and not in the name. In any case, I think the name Virus gives the right associations. We play infected music.

-The first demo tape was released back in 2001. What feelings do you have when listening to these songs now? Are you crying, laughing or maybe you are full of self- admiration?
I don’t like listening to any old release I’ve been a part of. It’s probably something to do with the fact that every time we’re finished with a recording, we immediately think of how we’re gonna do the next one better and different. When I hear old stuff, I feel like it’s something I’m finished with. But ofcourse, very old things like that demo can be funny to listen to.

-The debut album „Carheart” was released in 2003 and people immediately started to describe VIRUS a mighty successor of VED BUENS ENDE. I think there was some truth in that. „Carheart” reflects some ideas gathered on „Written In Waters”. How about your opinion?
Carheart was all over the place atmospherically. It was kinda crazy, but we wanted it that way back then. Also, I did’nt think of the band as a sucessor to VBE. It was more of a project, dealing with musical absurdities. But now, with VBE dead and buried for good, and The Black Flux containing material made for VBE in the years after Written..., to me this album is somewhat of a closure in regards to VBE.

-By the way, what is a current status of VED BUENS ENDE? As we all know, the band was reformed two years ago and splitted- up after several months. What went wrong?
We were at a point where it’d either work or fail, and it failed. It seems we have grown apart musically. If we’d continue, the album would have turned out very schizophrenic in all the wrong ways, and none of us would have been happy with the outcome.

-Go back to VIRUS. The second album of the band was released a few weeks ago. It means that your fans were forced to wait for it about five years or something. What was a reason for such a long break? I believe it had something to do with your unfortunate accident in 2005, right?
Yes, of course. That’s it really. I spent a couple of years in recovery.

-Fortunately you are back! I've been reading some reviews of your new effort and must say, most of them is extremely positive, almost enthusiastic! You've beaten many good bands so you must be really satisfied with the response for „The Black Flux”, mustn't you? If you've ever wanted to rule the world, now you can!
Ofcourse, that’s cool, but we’re not used to getting this kind of recognition, so we’re kinda overwhelmed as well. Album of the month all over the place! Over here in Norway, though, we drowned a bit in the releases of the new Enslaved and Satyricon albums, so „the black flux” hasn't gotten much attention here, I’m afraid. We’re happy anyway.

-„The Black Flux” is described as more focused, twisted, darker and hypnotic compared to „Carheart”. Where do you see the differences?
It’s more coherent. It really suits its title. It’s a black flux all the way from the cover to the bass. As I said, we wanted to make a dark album this time around, and not a „crazy” one. And since we did’nt care about money (we had used up our budget half way through the recording process), and worked with it until it felt right, it’s the most focused album any of us have ever done up to date.

-The album sounds very surreal, from the opening track till the last one. Was it your goal when you started writing on it, or it just came out that way naturally, just because surrealism has always been a nature of your art?
I’ve always wanted to make surreal music. I’ve been into the avant-garde in music since I was a kid. My cool aunt Elizabeth introduced me to The Residents when I was 10, and I bought „Into The Pandemonium” when I was 14 (it’s remained my favourite Celtic Frost album ever since), early VoiVod....you know, I guess it has alot to do with my influences, how my music turns out.

-Once you said after this bad accident you've become more ego than ever before. Does it also reflect your creative process for this album?
Both yes and no. I wanted to make an album after my accident and let myself loose, you know. Compose all the songs, and also be the „director”. But that does not mean that I’ve kept the others in the dark. We went on until it felt right for everybody.

-„The Black Flux” features various influences, from jazz, avantgarde rock and metal to ambient and trance music. I'm wondering, who's inspiring you in today's music world?
Recently I discovered Scott Walker. His latest works “the Drift”(‘06) and “Tilt”(‘95) has influenced me heavily. He used to be a classic crooner, but with age he’s grown darker and darker. He’s music cannot be explained, one just has to hear it.

-As far as I know you are deeply inspired by movies. Where does your fascination for this type of visual art come from? What kind of movies do you prefer? What are your favorite actors, directors?
The best film I’ve seen on this side of the millennium is “There will be blood”, with Daniel Day Lewis. The acting going on there is exceptional. I’m also fascinated by Tarkovsky. Recently I saw his film “Mirror”. Nice. Virus has a sort of filmatic feel, but I’m not a film-expert like a lot of people I know. Anyway, we like to have that kind of flow in our music. We’d like to make film-music some time.

-Go back to music. When I compare your first album with the second one, I feel there are many resemblances that you preserve in your music. Of course, "The Black Flux" is a very progressive album, although there are definitely some “common elements”. Which elements of VIRUS music are the most important for you?
The whole ensemble, really. As long as we stick together, the combination of the three of us playing these compositions will keep the Virus-vibe going on.

-State of flux means a state of uncertainty about what should be done... or something like that. What does the title "The Black Flux" mean?
Flux means ehhhh…floating, or a flux in the sea for example; a maelstrom…that’s what we put in to it anyway. Maybe like a black hole in the universe? Devouring everything. Anyway, it’s up to the listener to decide.