The Second Moon is the new star in the Norwegian Black Metal scene. This one man project can be compared to Bal Sagoth. But The Second Moon are more symphonic and extreme than Bal Sagoth. The debut MCD (released on Oskorei Prod.) has caused some raised eyebrows in our office and we caught up with it’s founder Kjell Svalastog Matheussen for an update on life on the second moon.



1. Congratulations with your brilliant debut MCD. When and where did you start The Second Moon ??

Thanks. I started The Second Moon in the spring 1997 in the small town I lived in at that time, Porsgrunn in Telemark. I used some weeks to make a demo to show that I can make black-metal, so that maybe some record-companies would be interested.

2. Please tell us what you did before you started the project.

Its not much to talk about. I had made two demos, but not with the name "The Second Moon". The music on those two demos were quite industrial, extremely fast, and very strange. Those are the best work of mine, but the response on the music was so terrible bad, that I felt I had to "commersialize" myself. I have also played in some small "project-bands" before "The Second Moon".

3. I have heard/read that you are from Rauland; the center of Norwegian Folk Music and Norwegian Culture in general. How much has this place and Norwegian Folk Music/Culture in general influenced you and your music ?

Well, my first 8 years, I lived in the very very north of Norway, namely Finnmark. And the next 11 years I lived in Rauland. Both places are extremely cold and has a wild nature. But I doubt the fact that I have grown up in cold and wild places has inspired my music very much. After all, I have never made music outside of a house, thats not practical at all, and I don't see the point of doing it either. But of course, I have spent a lot of time in the mountains and in the woods. And this has maybe made me more relaxed, making it easier for me to concentrate on the music when I'm composing. And yes, you are right, Rauland is some kind of center of Norwegian Folk Music. And as I really don't like that music, I suppose my music is very "unfolkish".

4. Please give us an insight into your MCD. For example the recording, the writing process, the concept and the featured tracks.

The MCD is the result of one and a half years work. Its naturally for me to use a lot, and I mean A LOT, of different voices playing at once. This will hopefully make the music more interesting for the listener. Unfortunately, many of the voices are nearly lost in the mix because of bad planning in the recording process. The CD is digitally mastered twice, so the sound would have been much clearer if I had only mastered it once. And that’s entirely my own fault.
What I have done to record the music, is to sequence all the synth-voices into a computer, take a dat-tape into a studio, and there put on vocals and guitars, making a pretty descent result before I mastered it on a computer at home. When doing nearly everything myself, I get the sound I want, and thats important for me. Also, I can't blame anyone but myself if something is not as good as I wanted it to be, means that I know better what to do different the next time.
When I write music, I make a lot of synth and guitar-riffs, choosing the best of them, putting them together in songs. Then I build new themes on the songs, splitting up the songs in new ones, add new themes to the splitted songs, etc. So, track 2,3,4, and 6 on the MCD are in fact made from one "base"-song. The five other songs on the MCD are made from scratch the normal way.
What I wanted to achieve with the music, is to make music that is very complicated and intricate compared to "normal" black-metal, but at the same time enjoyable to hear on. Also, I wanted the music to be intense without destroying the sound. I have tried to do that by, for instance, mixing the guitars very low.

5. Please tell us more about the lyrics.

The lyrics are terrible, and that’s why I haven't printed them in the cover. I have tried to make some sort of psychological absurd lyrics, but they are just plain stupid.

6. Did you get any help from other musicians to record this MCD or was it a pure solo- project ?

Its nearly a pure solo-project, yes. Torbjørn Akkarhaugen (owner of "Akkarhaugen Soundstudio" and former member of "Thou Shalt Suffer") was the technician and co-producer of the recording of the vocals and guitars. And a friend of mine, Øyvind W. Andersen, helped me a little bit with the lyrics, but that's all the help I have got.

7. Your CD is a blend of Black Metal and everything else. Is this a sound you wanted from the beginning or was it a coincidence ? Any bands you are influenced by ?

Yes, I would say that the sound on the finished result is a kind of sound I wanted. It's a mix between Black Metal and the music-style on my two first demos.
My influences are of course the good old 80's metal. King Diamond, Kreator, Nuclear Assault, Wasp, Kiss, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, etc. etc. Thats the music I listened to when growing up. I also has to mention a Norwegian band called "Knutsen & Ludvigsen", which has inspired me a lot. Late Beatles (Revolver, Sgt. Peppers Hart Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, and "The White Album") are also important. But of course, I would never have made black-metal without the inspiration I got when Emperor released their first split-CD with Enslaved. They really set the standard with that one. I remember shaking first time I heard that album. Darkthrone are also a group I feel great influence by.

8. What would you label your music as ??

Have no idea.

9. You released your album on the new Norwegian Black/Death Metal label Oskorei Productions. How did you get in touch with them ? How has the cooperation been so far ??

I got in touch with Lars/Oskorei Productions when I sent him my demo for review in his magazine "Oskorei Mag". He didn't like that demo very much, but found it good enough to include one of the songs from it on his forthcoming compilation-tape "Trollskogen", as he saw some potentional in it (I think). We have exchanged letters for one and a half year now, and about a year ago I sent him a rehearsal-tape of my new work, which he enjoyed a lot more than the demo. And eventually, we agreed to release the finished work on his label. The cooperation has been excellent, I have nothing to complain about, and he also does a very good job on promoting the MCD in the underground.

10. What is your political, religious and philosophical views ?

I believe that people can do what they want as long as they don't hurt others to much. And no, I am not religious. If there exist a God, he must for certain be a mad scientist in another dimension or something, and Satan must be his evil wife. My philosophical views on the world is that the world is philosophisticated.

11. I guess you are planning a full album. Are you going to stay on Oskorei or are you going to sign on one of the bigger labels ? What are your plans for 1999 ?

No, I actually don't have any plan on a full album right now. Maybe I will start working on something in a couple of months, but right now I work on my entrance examination for the composition study on The Norwegian State Academy of Music. Also, I do make some music for a band I am playing in right now, so "The Second Moon" has to wait a bit. But if (probably when) the full album comes, I don't have anything against releasing it on Oskorei Productions at this time. But again, if some very big record-company sends me a golden tagged contract, I will most probably sign it.

12. Do you have a merchandise list ??? From what address can you be contacted ??

No sorry, there are unfortunately no merchandise articles with The Second Moon logo on.

Anyway, Oskorei Productions has a (for now) small mail-order where people can buy music from the metal-underground, as for instance "The Second Moon". The address to Oskorei Productions is:

Oskorei Productions
PB. 241
5260 Indre Arna
Norway

My personal address can be found at the TSM-homepage:


The Second Moon


I must congratulate you to be the first one to make an interview with me !