In this interview, we explore the creative journey behind "Chronos," a genre-blending track by Transcending Into the Unknown, featuring insights on collaboration, musical evolution, and personal growth.
1.
"Chronos" showcases a blend of various musical styles. How did each
of your individual musical backgrounds influence the direction of this single?
Filip: I
was the one of us who wrote the music to the rather mellow, laid back and calm
opening section of Chronos. I believe that this section clearly shows my
musical background and influences from bands like Pink Floyd and Marillion. The
next heavy prog-rock/metal section was written in close co-operation with
Robert and Stian, and this section is clearly showing more of their musical
influences and inspirations. The final section is again a return to a more
mellow and melodic atmosphere, where we all were allowed to show our personal
playing and performing styles through our individual guitar solos.
2. The shift from the mellow opening to the heavy, prog-rock section in
"Chronos" is quite striking. Can you walk us through the creative
process behind structuring the song this way?
We love to
surprise our listeners and thereby bring them along on a journey into the
unknown. Chronos is indeed a very long tune, with 5:43 minutes, especially seen
by today’s radio play standards. So, we figured out that it could help to keep
the interest of the listeners throughout the whole tune by introducing a
dramatic and dynamic shift midway.
3. Eva Halsetrønning Rambraut brings a beautiful contrast to the heavier
parts of "Chronos." What inspired you to bring her into this project,
and how did her vocal style shape the final sound?
The beauty of participating and working with TITU is that we are constantly looking for new musical ideas that can take us forward. This project really has no boundaries when it comes to musical styles. Filip and Eva are old bandmates from the 70’s, and she was an obvious choice when we figured out that we needed a clear, beautiful and tender female voice for the lead vocal in the opening section. Eva’s lead vocal is indeed creating such a beautiful contrast to the heavier parts, and her backing vocals in the choruses has also highly contributed to shape the final sound of Chronos.
4. Given that you all come from such different musical backgrounds, how do
you manage to combine those styles without compromising your individual
influences?
That is
what’s so great about the TITU-project. There are no rules! We can all bring
our own ideas and contributions to “the party”, and if it works then let’s do
it! Until now at least 😊, it has been really easy to
agree on what sounds great. None of us wants it to sound exactly like our own
songs/music. What would be the point of that? It’s the amalgamation of our
sounds that makes it great.
5. Eva, this is your first major collaboration in a while. What was it like stepping back into the studio for this project, and how did it feel to work with Filip again after all these years?
It's
absolutely fantastic to be allowed to go back to the studio again, and to be
able to work together with Filip, after all these years, is the dream job for
me. Filip was a very good friend and colleague when we played together in the
70s and 80s, and we have had some occasional contact since then. He is an
impressively good musician and very good at writing lyrics. I am also very
impressed by his brother Robert and Filip's son Stian, and I feel that this is
the ultimate collaboration for me.
6. The contrast between Eva’s clean vocals and Robert’s growling vocals is a
highlight in "Chronos." How did you approach balancing these two very
different vocal styles?
Robert: I
was lucky enough to do my parts first. All credit here goes to Eva who made it
work so perfectly together. I was blown away when I heard her vocals, and how
it interacted with my growls and Filip’s vocals in the choruses.
7. As a family band, with a mix of generations and musical experiences, has
this project helped you grow closer as musicians and family members? How has it
strengthened your bond?
Robert:
Music is such a personal thing. So even if we are typical men that never
actually talk about feelings and stuff like that (ha ha…), I really feel that
connecting through this musical collaboration has brought us closer together.
8. Stian, your guitar solos in the final section of "Chronos"
bring a lot of personality to the track. How did you approach writing and
performing these solos alongside your father and uncle?
My goal was
to blend my own style and personality while staying true to the core melody.
During the writing process, I experimented with different phrasings and tones
until I found what felt right. Playing alongside my dad and uncle, and hearing
their ideas, inspires me and makes the music feel even more personal.
9. With "Chronos," it seems like each of you was pushed to bring out your best performances. Can you share any moments during the recording process where you felt particularly challenged or inspired?
Filip: I
really had to step out of my comfort zone when we recorded my guitar solos in
the heavy part, as the chord progression and guitar riff in this part required
me to use completely different notes and scales than I'm used to, in order to
fit in.
Robert:
That is a good observation. I think it’s absolutely true that we all push
ourselves a little extra to deliver the best performances we can when we are
collaborating in TITU. I know I spent a lot more time and effort to write and
play the solo in the last part of the song than I would have done for one of my
own songs. I wouldn’t call it a “rivalry”, but in a good way I think we all
want to impress the others with our contributions.
10. The lyrics of "Chronos" seem to explore themes of time and
transformation. Can you share more about the lyrical inspiration behind the
song and how it connects to the band’s journey?
Robert: The
overall theme of the lyrics is basically that whatever you do, time will
continue to pass, and your best bet is to accept that and make the best of it.
I know
Filip had a vision of the song musically as 3 different parts, where the first
symbolises an apparently perfect but false reality, while the heavy middle part
totally tears this image apart to reveal the harsh truth. The final part is
again containing a melancholic soul searching and finally an acceptance of
reality.
Lyrically I
tried to write something that connected with this.
Relating to
the band's situation, I feel that we are in the third part now; realising that
we will probably not become the world-famous rock stars that we dreamed about
in our youth, but simultaneously being very satisfied to experience making the
most out of our combined talent.
To me
personally the lyrics are about getting old, embracing this and not giving a
damn about how some parts of society seem to react to it. For some of us in the
band this is somewhat of a cruel reality these days (ha ha...).
But I would
like to think that anyone who experiences a situation where you’re forced to
accomplish something, and just don’t have enough time to do it, can relate to
the thematic here. Maybe you could simply say that it is about stress…
11. Your previous releases were praised for their unique blend of styles. Do
you feel that your sound has evolved since those releases, and how does
"Chronos" reflect that evolution?
Robert: The
addition of Eva’s vocals introduced a new dimension to our sound. Really
emphasising the contrast between the soft and delicate, and the raw power-parts
of the song.
As
mentioned before, I also feel that our playing here is the best we have done so
far. I’m really impressed with Filip and Stian’s parts, and it feels great to
be a part of this collaboration.
12. Looking ahead, how do you see your collaboration with Eva influencing
future projects? Is there a possibility of working with other guest artists to
further explore different musical directions?
Working with Eva was such a great and inspiring experience for us. We are constantly trying to develop our music further and her voice really added a new dimension to our sound. We will certainly continue our collaboration with her. Working and participating in TITU requires you to be open-minded and curious to explore new creative possibilities. Filip, Robert and Stian will always be the core of TITU, but we are of course open to collaborations with other musicians and artists on future releases.
Transcending Into the Unknown | Facebook
Transcending Into the Unknown (@intotheunknown_2023) • Photos et vidéos Instagram
Post a Comment