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Interview with Niklas Sundin of Dark
Tranquillity
By Sam Thomas - April 2010 |
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Dark
Tranquillity, originators (or at least co-originators)
of the Gothenburg sound, and still going strong have
just produced a new album, “We are the Void”. I’ve been
an admirer of their great music and (probably) the best
lyrics in the business for many years now, so it was a
personal treat when L4M caught up with guitarist Niklas
Sundin somewhere on tour in the US, and asked him a few
questions about the new album, touring and poker...
You recently celebrated 20 years as a band. What’s the
secret of your longevity?
Lots of yoghurt, long nature walks and a hearty cocktail
of colourful pills every morning.
How do you feel the band has evolved over that period of
time?
We've had our different phases I guess, starting out
with basic thrash/death that was pretty basic due to our
musical limitations at the time. From that one, we spent
a few years adding complexity to the songs before going
to something completely different with "Projector".
After that, it has mostly been about refining the songwriting skills.
Gothenburg sound: Do you love it or hate it when you are
described in that way? And why?
I used to dislike it a lot, but these days I don't care
that much, and I've understood that it's a tag we're
stuck with for the rest of our career. It's not a
negative thing in itself, and I guess most bands would
have been happy for having something like that
associated with the band, but to me it's just another
term coined by lazy journalism. |
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We are the Void is a great album, very catchy, very much
in keeping with your more recent back catalogue. How
would you describe it?
It's hard to analyze your own music, and it's usually
down to individual impressions. I actually think that
the album as a whole is considerably less catchy than
"Fiction" or "Character" and that it's pretty different
than those albums, but I've seen that a lot of people
think otherwise. To me, "We are the void" is darker and
more diverse.
I particularly love the “The Fatalist” – it’s got such
perfect timing, where the vocals kick in and then
disappear again. What’s your favourite track and why?
Thanks! Not sure about fave songs; it usually takes a
while before one can have any idea of that. "The
fatalist" turned out pretty well, but I'm partial
towards "Arkhangelsk" and "Iridium" at the moment.
Do the rest of the band have the same favourite, or do
you all like different tracks?
We have very different tastes, so I'm sure that you'd
get a different reply from each of us. We can agree on
the stuff that everyone thinks is "pretty good", but if
one absolutely loves a song/riff, the chances are high
that someone else in the band doesn't like it at all.
And which track from the new album do you most look
forward to playing live?
I think "Iridium" will be a big challenge to play live,
but if we actually pull it off, it'll be massive.
Otherwise, "Dream Oblivion" is already proving itself to
be a really good live song.
How does the creative process work? When do you decide
to go into the studio – do you plan first, or just go in
and see what happens?
We always have the material 100% finished when entering
the studio. All the creative work is finished beforehand
during rehearsals, so we're not one of those bands that
likes to improvise or "see what happens" in the studio.
An album recording means enough stress and pressure
anyway, and we want to have all the music completed
beforehand so that we can focus on the actual playing.
We spend a lot of time in the rehearsal room trying
different riffs out and arranging them into proper
songs.
Are you all equally involved in the creative process, or
is there a definite leader?
Everyone contributes to some degree and is contributing
to the arrangements, but I'd say that Martin Henriksson
is the main guy and the musical engine.
You’ve actually had a line-up change for the first time
in quite a while for this album, bringing in Daniel
Antonsson on bass. How did that come about, and how is
it having someone else in the band after so long? How
does it work with him being the “new boy”, but it being
his studio that you’re recording the drums in? Does that
make things a bit awkward?
Awkward? Why is that? No offence, but I seriously can't
see how that would be weird. It's great that we're able
to record in two studios owned by band members; we have
more time and less pressure. As for the bassist change
itself, our previous four stringer Michael Nicklasson
simple grew tired of the touring life, and we all
decided that it'd be best for all parties if we found
someone else for the job. |
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It’s been a while since you’ve released any new material
(2007 in fact). Why was that, and what have you been
doing in the meantime as a band?
We've never been the fastest of songwriters, and the
touring cycle for "Fiction" was far more extensive than
on past albums, so most of the time was spent on live
shows and just having our regular lives at home. The
song writing process for "We are the Void" started in
late 2008 and took about a year. We always say that we
should try to start working on new music a bit more
quickly after each album, but it tends to take its time
nevertheless.
Does it get more difficult to release an album after a
certain period of time?
Maybe you tend to set your goals higher and higher for
ever album, but on the whole there's no huge difference.
Every recording has a certain degree of pressure and
stress and self doubt. If anything, the actual recording
process gets easier the more experience you have. Also,
the advance in recording technology has helped a bit as
well.
What’s it like touring with people that you’ve known for
so long? (After all, you’ve been together for longer
than most marriages...)
It's good of course. On this tour we have our own bus
with just us and our crew, which is awesome. Nothing
against sharing with other bands, but you tend to get
very edgy and antisocial after having lived in what's
essentially a submarine on wheels for a few weeks, and
then it's great to be surrounded by people you know very
well.
Do you ever play poker with the guys on tour? Or would
that be too risky, given that Martin Henriksson and Martin
Brändström are
quite keen players?
Ha ha, no, I'm not really a gambler and never really got
into playing cards at all. I make it a point of playing
one game of roulette - betting on black of course -
every time we're in Las Vegas, but that's how far I'd
go. But the Martins take every chance of visiting
casinos on tour, sometimes with great results, sometimes
not.
How do you manage to balance the requirements of being
in a band with running your graphic design business?
It's very flexible since I'm a freelancer and can do
exactly what I want with my time. I'm actually having a
break from the design activities right now because of
the hectic band schedule, but usually I bring the laptop
on the road I can manage to get some work there if
needed.
Not to mention your “other” band, Laethora. Is it a very
different experience to play in a melodic metal band
such as Dark Tranquillity, and then switch to violent
death/grind?
It's very different, but that's the whole point of
having a side project. D.T. is more structured whereas
Laethora is more chaotic and intense, and I enjoy
playing both styles. The new Laethora album will be
released in early May, and I'm very much looking forward
to it.
Many thanks for your time. Is there anything else you’d
like to add?
Thanks for the interview!
Dark Tranquillity links:
www.darktranquillity.com
www.myspace.com/dtofficial
www.youtube.com/dtofficial |
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