The self-titled debut EP of Norwegian solo musician C.L. and his project RÛR was a strong entrance that should have appealed to fans of Mare Cognitum’s spacey atmospheric black metal. With the re-release as a full-length-album (including one more track) on Northern Silence in mind, we talked to C.L. about his vision for the project, the necessity of an own artistic identity and his not so obvious musical inspirations.
RÛR is your solo project with which you play atmospheric black metal since 2017. What was the trigger or the goal that led you to found this project?
I’m not exactly sure what the trigger was. I’ve been a fan of melodic and moody/atmospheric (black) metal for so long, and I guess I finally wanted to create something myself. The idea had been there for a long time, but I never got around doing it until last year, obviously. A friend of mine (Daagh, you should check out his newly released EP) had a project going, maybe that sparked my enthusiasm enough to get going myself.
As far as I know some of the material for your songs has already been existing over ten years ago. Why did you choose to use it just now?
Yes, quite a few of the riffs dates back to 2003 when I had a short lived project with a friend of mine. I think we actually recorded like ten songs or something, but we never did anything with the recordings and now they are lost forever, I guess. I remembered some of the riffs and when I tweaked them a little they fit the vision I had for RÛR perfectly.
Is RÛR your first musical project or did you otherwise already gather some experience before?
No, I have been in several bands throughout the years, and I’m still in a band today. The thing with RÛR was that I wanted to do everything myself. Do exactly what I wanted to, musically, sound-wise, image/art-direction, concept, everything. A long sought after ego-trip, so to say.
What is in your opinion the most difficult aspect of being a solo musician?
I don’t know. To be perfectly honest, it’s a lot easier this way (laughs). No „arguing“ over riffs or ideas, and I manage to do everything much faster on my own. No time schedules have to match or anything like that. It’s simply easier in all aspects, I guess!
What is the meaning behind the name RÛR?
Maybe a disappointing answer, but I simply liked the way it looked (yes looked, not sounded)! It doesn’t mean anything.
As inspirations for your music, your label cites Paysage d’Hiver, Dissection and Mare Cognitum. I think, especially the last one is quite notable. Do you think so too?
Yes I have to agree. Out of those three RÛR sounds most like Mare Cognitum, but that does not mean it’s my main inspiration, I must stress. Even though my music does not sound like Paysage d’Hiver, I’m very much inspired by it. When I started recording the first song it was a bit more along the lines of Paysage d’Hiver, but as things went along I changed a bit of the style and sound. Incorporating more melodies and variety in the riffs and rhythms and so on. Caladan Brood is another band that inspired me alot, but my music does not sound like them. Inspirations can be many things, a band does not necessarily need to sound like its inspirations. I’m just as much inspired by my dreams and my own fantasy. I guess you can say I often get inspired by the mood the bands that inspire me put me in rather than the actual music itself, if you know what I mean? Somewhat (very) hard to explain (laughs).
In which way does your music set itself apart from that of your musical role models? And do you think that it is important to have an own musical identity?
I try not to sound like any other bands, but in this day and age that is quite difficult without going all avantgarde and weird. Not that it matters a lot either, in my opinion. In the end it’s all about what I want to make for my own pleasure, but I do try not to copy others or sound too similar. I grab some ideas here and there and mix it together into something I like personally. To be honest I don’t think it is that important to have an own musical identity as in an „unique“ identity. Don’t try to be different for the sake of being different. Do as you please. Everyone will add something of their own somehow anyway.
The songs of your self-titled debut are simply named after roman numbers. Is there a certain reason for that?
I had some working titles, but I thought they all sounded cheesy and I just never came around to sit down and make titles I would have been happy with. Kind of a rushed thing, to be honest.
What is „RÛR“ lyrically about?
The album is all about a solemn journey through a strange world. Over desert plains and through vast forests, towards the highest of the mountain peaks in the distance. The most important aspect being that it is totally devoid of other humans or even traces of humans. The protagonist is totally alone in this world. In the end the traveller, which might be the listener, reaches the top of the peak and proceeds to ascend to the dark abyss above him/her (listen to the last four minutes of the last song!). The journey might be interpreted literally or metaphorically and what exactly is going on is up to the listener to decide. The lyrics will not be printed in the CD though, as I was never satisfied with them in the end. The concept is what I wanted and I’m satisfied with it, but the writing and phrasing and so on, not so much. Also they are in Norwegian.
The album was already released in 2017, now there’s a re-release via Northern Silence that includes a fourth track. How did it come to this?
I had no plans at all with RÛR when I began making and recording the songs. When I finished the first three songs I figured I could at least upload them to Bandcamp and Youtube, because why not? Black Metal Promotion on Youtube was kind enough to upload it for me and he put me in touch with Northern Silence Productions. The fourth track was half finished or something at the time and finishing it and adding it to the physical release simply seemed like the obvious option.
I feel like the record is getting increasingly darker towards the end – especially the last track. Is that on purpose and if so, why?
I guess I was in a slightly different state of mind at the time I wrote it compared to the other songs. Also as I said earlier, the concept gets slightly darker at the end of the story.
The artwork was also changed for the re-release. For what reason?
We (myself and Torsten of NSP) went a little back and forth concerning the album art. I tried making the layout myself, but I found out I basically suck when it comes to editing-software and color formats, file types and whatnot. Torsten had an idea with the layout, making the artwork unveil itself when you fold out the digipack, and we went for it.
You also produced the record on your own, didn’t you? It sounds quite accomplished for an underground solo release. Did you teach yourself all the techniques on your own?
Yes. Simply trying and failing all the way until it sounded somewhere near my vision.
What, in your opinion, is the biggest advantage of re-releasing the album on a label that would not have been possible if you did it by yourself?
I would never have released it on my own, that’s for sure. That is because I wouldn’t have embarked on such a project: pressing CDs or vinyls, promoting, packing, shipping…No way. The biggest advantage is of course that a label, NSP in this case, has a lot of contacts and ways of promoting already. They, contrary to myself, know what to do!
Do you also intend to release the following album on Northern Silence?
That is the plan, yes.
You don’t plan to play your music live with session musicians, do you? Do you even consider getting on stage to perform as RÛR?
No. It is, and will be, a solo project only by all means. Also by experience I know how much work it is getting a band up and going and I don’t have the needed time on my hands even if I wanted to.
How do you want to continue with RÛR? What do you plan in general for this project?
My general plan is that I will continue making the music I personlly like. No specific plans. I will find out along the way as it unfolds.
Following our own little tradition here at Metal1.info, I’d like to end our interview with a short brainstorming:
Low-fi: The first thing that comes to mind is the old rehearsal tapes from one of my bands. They sound awesome.
Spirit – matter: In this case I say matter, because what is spirit? Spirit for me is something supernatural and thus bogus.
3 minutes songs: Definitely too short.
Stephen Hawking: „Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder what makes the universe exist. Be curious.“. RIP.
Extraterrestrial life: No doubt about it.
RÛR in five years: The third album is „just around the corner“, but it will have to wait another year because I cannot decide on the cover art.
Thank you once more for your answers. If there’s still something that you’d like to say to our readers, you may do so at this point:
Thanks a lot for showing interest! Hope my answers are understandable and not too long and corny.
5. April 2018 Stephan Rajchl