Bròn Interview

While thinking about the concept of this webzine, I always knew I would want to do interviews.  I enjoy doing them, no matter which end I am on, because it gives a deeper look inside some of my favorite music.  I decided that not every band can have an interview, so I will just have to pick my favorites.  Bròn quickly became one of my favorites and I had the pleasure to interview Krigeist about his project.  I am very glad I did because he gave me so much more detail on his debut demo (Reviewed here) and what kind of journey he was hoping to take the listener on!  Check it out!

Where does the name Bròn come from?

Bròn is a Scottish Gaelic word which can be translated as sorrow, grief or mourning.


Why did you decide to start this project?

It was started almost accidentally, with no clear intentions in mind other than creating black metal with a much more atmospheric and ethereal approach than the other projects I'm involved in. I had never used synths before (outside of some very brief passages in Belliciste), and I started to play around with some ideas which eventually evolved into Bròn. The band name and concepts came around after the music was complete and I had more of an understanding of what I had created.

You have just released your debut demo, Fògradh.  What does Fògradh mean and why did you pick it for the title of your demo?

Fògradh is again a Scottish Gaelic term. It means something like banishment or exile. I'm originally from New Zealand, but Scotland has been home for the past four years. During the recording process I received news that my visa had been unexpectedly curtailed meaning I had to leave the country quite abruptly, so that sparked the idea for the name. The lyrics don't pertain to that experience in anyway, but the title still relates strongly to the themes of the piece. That experience, the themes of the lyrics and the fact that it’s a Gaelic term all tied in and it just felt right.


Describe why you decided to make one, 28 minute track instead of splitting up the movements into their individual tracks? 

There was no conscious decision to do so. Once I began toying with ideas and writing, it became apparent it was going to be a fairly long piece. I did consider trying to find points to split it into multiple tracks, but it felt much more natural as a single piece. There are recurring ideas throughout the whole thing, and each section segues into the next, so splitting it into movements seemed unnecessary.



What were some of the emotions you were hoping to arouse from your listeners?

I suppose I would hope listeners would pick up on the emotions I was trying to capture in the writing and recording. The atmosphere I was hoping to capture covered a range of complex emotions, but primarily a feeling of nostalgia or yearning for something unknown. A feeling of loss or separation from something we can't recognize or easily define. This is explored lyrically through opposing concepts, like beauty and decay, tranquility and rage, triumph and despondence. Ultimately, as is similar with all of my output, the music aimed to express concepts and emotions not easily expressed or comprehended otherwise.



Describe the recording process of your demo.  Where? How? 

The recording process was fairly long as I didn't really have any idea of what I was doing with keys. I more or less had to learn the instrument as I recorded it, so there was a lot of trial and error. Keys and bass were recorded at home in evenings and on weekends. My drumming skills were far too limited for this project, and I didn't want any other musicians involved, so I used programmed drums. Programmed drums are something I usually despise, so I tried to make them as unobtrusive as possible. I think the result is adequate. Guitars and vocals were recorded in a tight time frame with my good friend GM (Barshasketh, Haar, Acatalepsy, Caecus), as he has a better knowledge and better equipment for recording. Layering was very important in the recording process. At all times there are 4 guitars and between 2 and 4 synth parts. Again this wasn't really a conscious decision, but I didn't feel I had achieved the atmosphere I wanted until all of those parts were in place.


What are some of your musical influences? 

My musical influences are hugely varied and everything I listen to comes into what I write in some way. While writing this demo specifically, I listened to a lot of synth-based music to try and get more of an understanding of how to utilize the instrument effectively. This ranged from BM bands like Evilfeast and Kataxu to darkwave groups like Lycia as well as synth based post-punk bands. Basically, I absorbed anything with synthesizers I heard around that time to try and figure it all out.

Non-musical ones? 

As with music, every aspect of my life goes into the music I create. I suppose this could possibly account for the varying moods in Fògradh. I think of all the projects I'm involved in, Bròn has been the most unconscious since the early Barshasketh demos. There was really no plan or specific influence, just a vague, undefined idea to create a certain atmosphere and convey certain emotions.



Finally, what is in store for Bròn in the future? 

I really can't say at this point whether the next release will be another demo, an album, another long piece or a collection of smaller movements. It's still a very new thing for me, and is still yet to be fully realized. I'm working on a few ideas at present, but I won't be settled permanently for some time and won't be in a position to record for a while. I guess it will just continue to grow and develop naturally.