Can you give a brief introduction to Seventh Harmonic?
C: Seventh Harmonic is an all-female project marrying electronic and symphonic elements with the intention of creating beauty.
What is beauty for you?
C: Broadly speaking, anything that communicates a sense of purity, wonder or eternity; I see this most in the power and majesty of nature. But it can be anything that lifts you out of the humdrum into an appreciation of and gratitude for the moment, or aids you in transcending it.
A-M: Beauty for me is when something is true, genuine and spontaneous; less manipulated and motivated. It can be either bright or dark, just as long as it reflects something real.
You founded Seventh Harmonic 10 years ago, what were your original plans and goals, have they changed over the years?
C: My original aim really was both to create music that led on from music which inspired me, and also that which wove together different influences (as with my primary inspiration, Dead Can Dance). With strings and classical sounds as a base, I wanted to be experimental and try as many things as possible and be as creative as I could with what was to hand. This led to some interesting sonic experiments and while it was great fun to be so creatively unfettered, the consequence of that was that it was very hard to market as the music didn’t fit into an easy pigeonhole. So the wisdom of hindsight has meant that that the music will focus on developing its symphonic heart, and the all-encompassing sound we strove towards in the past will become bigger and better with the involvement of a full band. And now we have the confidence to aim high!
Would you ever consider to change things in order to make it easier to sell?
C: No, because once you consciously do something like that, in my opinion, you are diluting it; and the whole thing becomes tainted with cynicism. You hear music which is made to sell and often it is evident that there is little or no genuine heart or inspiration in it. I would try to make Seventh Harmonic easier to market, because those are the rules of the game and you have to play along with them to some extent otherwise you just end up shouting into the void; but there is no question of compromising the sound for sales. Something like remixes are obvious exceptions though - we've had tracks remixed in the past, and found it really interesting and inspiring.
C: As the project had been dormant for some years, my original intentions were simply to release an archive of old material for free and quietly let it go, but fate had other ideas… I had nearly finished this task, and took a trip to Sweden to visit Ia and Peter from Arcana. While I was there I got chatting to Ann-Mari about this project and she simply offered to sing for Seventh Harmonic pretty much there and then. At the time I had no intention of starting it up again, but this was a magical opportunity that I couldn’t possibly refuse. It turned out that the night she had offered was 10 years to the day that our first singer Fionna had joined and crystallized the band for the first time.
When you look back at 10 years of Seventh Harmonic, what were the highlights for you?
C: It is quite amazing really to look back – I have worked with people who have been enormous influences, and I would never have dreamt this would happen in the beginning. There’s nothing like the feeling of having written a song that you are happy with, and that feeling comes back again when singers of the amazing calibre that I've worked with add their vocals to it. But aside from that, I would say the main highlight has been the people I have met along the way – people who supported the band by either promoting us or coming to the gigs, or getting in touch to communicate their appreciation…all those people feed back into the energy of the project in these ways. As a band we had a lot of bad fortune along the way, so this meant even more and encouraged me not to give up.
In terms of events though, I would have to say the last gig we did in Belgium was absolutely fantastic in every possible sense, and I feel certain that the gigs coming up will be wonderful experiences with the new line up, new songs and the new sense of direction. I hope it is possible to pick up from where we left off in that respect.
Your music makes me very often think in images, when you create it, do you think in images as well or in music?
C: I don’t think at all, I think many musicians would say writing is quite an unconscious process for them! But I am happy that you say that, as that is definitely what I want to create in the listener, a world where we can let the subconscious in. I do find when I am writing that often my dreams start replaying before my eyes – I usually forget them immediately upon waking, so the visions are awakened for me as well!
Also, there has always been an interest in writing music for film; and there will be a much stronger visual element to the project than before, such as videos to accompany new songs and stage visuals. I want to try and bring that element of the music out more now - we started by having gorgeous unique artwork for each of archive tracks, and will progress in even more exciting new directions in the coming year.
How would you describe your music yourself?
C: I have heard so many different descriptions of it from others, I am wary about being too prescriptive about it myself. At the moment I would simply say it was primarily strong neo-classically inspired melodies with Eastern influences, but really that is only the beginning. For anyone that hasn’t heard us, our music has a similar ethno-symphonic feel to that of bands like Dead Can Dance, but also draws on influences as diverse as Aphex Twin and Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra...I’ve always been interested in bringing an element of the unexpected to my compositions
Throughout the years you have worked with many great singers, how do you get them interested in a collaboration and how do you keep them involved?
C: Actually, things tended to evolve naturally and in almost every instance singers approached us and asked to be involved. As I was able to be prolific with song writing, it was occasionally the case that I’d be working with several singers at the same time on different songs, as the last album (‘Promise of Sacrifice’) demonstrated. We were also fortunate that the singers we worked with were so gifted and adaptable, which enabled us to incorporate an extraordinary amount of influences across our recorded output. We got a great response for doing something so different, and that meant that we were not short of offers from people who liked the ever-changing and flexible nature of the project...singers really could pick and choose the songs that suited them.
C: Actually on each of our official albums it was a traditional band set-up centred around one vocalist, but those people left due to various other commitments so in the beginning it was more by circumstance than design. But also I would say that it has definitely worked out for the best - of those three very different releases, each singer was perfect for the album they were on to the extent that I couldn’t imagine that they could have sounded better with anyone else singing on them. Other singers (such as Daemonia Nymphe and Louisa John-Krol) offered to guest on the tracks, so it was more of an organic development. As a composer I draw on so many diverse influences and inspirations, that it is more suitable for both creative flow and the fact that I play a number of different instruments to work with lots of different people and types of music. Before forming Seventh Harmonic I played in many other bands of many different genres, and I think it keeps things fresh and interesting.
In 2004 you put Seventh Harmonic into hibernation, why did you this and what did you do in this period of time?
C: Very boring, I’m afraid – I had been working full time on Seventh Harmonic for a few years, was financially poor at the end of it, and my employability in the real world needed attention. So I had a full-time proper job, and was also studying part-time for an MSc to do the job I wanted – there was no time for music, or anything else!
Was it hard to start Seventh Harmonic again or were you full of ideas?
C: I won’t deny that I was apprehensive, mainly for my own ability to write songs as good as I had done in the past once again. It was hard on a technical level also as all my old equipment no longer worked, so I've started from scratch with all new gear – although this has unleashed all sorts of exciting new musical opportunities and meant that I can work with rich new sounds for a new start. The main thing that it is hard to adjust to is the fact that formerly I could work on music all hours of the day and night, now I have a job and responsibilities and it is less easy to fit into the creative mindspace on cue in the time I have. But this is something I think can be really positive as well, in that it forces me again to work in a new way, and approach the processes of creating music differently, which is all good for my development as a composer. The new tracks I have written have gone down very well with the rest of the band; and hearing what Ann-Mari has done to the old tracks and her unique vocal and lyrical style have inspired me further.
At this moment Ann-Mari Thim (Arcana) is the singer of Seventh Harmonic, how did the two of you meet and what does she add to Seventh Harmonic?
C: I also play bass in Sol Invictus, and in Autumn 2008 we played a gig with Arcana. I was very thrilled about this, as they are one of my favourite bands - if you read older interviews you will see they are mentioned as an influence quite frequently! I and Peter from Arcana are also fans of Sol Invictus, so you can imagine it was a real love-in backstage and needless to say, we became good friends on this night and kept in touch. Ia invited us over to Sweden to celebrate her birthday in summer 2009, I got chatting to Ann-Mari at her party, and the rest is history :)
As for what Ann-Mari adds, she is an incredibly powerful and gifted singer; bringing a flawless classical vocal style, versatility, and imagination which perfectly compliments the large symphonic sound I want to create. I am really enjoying being able to write songs specifically for her vocals - we have built up a good collaborative rapport and friendship, and it feels like the band now has a solid creative core which I'm really happy about.
A-M: Seventh Harmonic is already bringing me inspiration and great friendship. I only have good things to say about our collaboration and I cannot wait until we perform live together this summer. I hope to be able to bring Seventh Harmonic vocals that can adorn the ethereal tunes in the best way possible and contribute with strong vocal melodies.
Ann-Mari, can you introduce yourself to the people who don’t know you already?
A-M: I guess I’m an energetic person, who loves to keep busy with as much as I possibly can. I’m pretty driving by nature and always up for a good adventure. At the same time I can also be very impatient and I hate wasting my time. If things don’t go as I plan I can get quite frustrated and I have to remind myself that at least I have learnt something from it. I love to stay awake during the nocturnal hours but since I have a day time job I have to find a good balance for how to spend my hours. I often spend most of my time in the studio during the weekends though, in which the time stands still. I love that feeling of being outside of time and space and just focus on the music, preferably with a good drink at hand. ;)
A-M: Music is a part of who I am and always has been. I started taking ballet classes when I was 5 years old and started singing with the local church choir at the age of 7. During school I performed in the school music shows and when I hit the teen ages I also started singing in a band with some friends of mine. The band was called Chain of Pain and the music dark electro and that is how it all started… ;) Today I sing with several bands and I guest perform with other and I have tried a variety of different genres. I just want to try everything; the only thing holding me back is the lack of time.
At what point did you decide you wanted to be a singer, and was it hard to become one, what have you done to reach the status you now have?
A-M: I never really made an active decision about becoming a singer; it has just always been a part of me. I can’t help it or chose not to sing, it comes naturally anytime anywhere. Sometimes I catch myself singing out loud in the office where work and not many things make me as happy as a jamming session together with friends. I started taking vocal classes when I was around 20 and I have been ever since in various forums. If something has been hard over the years, it has been trying to live up to my own expectations as a vocalist when it comes to techniques and performances. I have to remind myself sometimes to relax and have fun and stop trying to be such a perfectionist. But I guess that the perfectionist in me walks hand in hand with my inner driving force and ambitions and that is what has brought me further as a vocalist. That and also the fact that I have many great musicians as close friends, who make fantastic music for me to sing to and have helped me develop as a singer and as a person.
Did you made any goals for yourself and have they changed over the years?
A-M: My goals have never been really firm; they are pretty dynamic and can change from one day to the next. I don’t ever think that I will feel like I have reached my goals completely, since they keep advancing over time. I’d rather consider them steppingstones to a future inner satisfaction, whenever that may occur.
In what projects / bands do you participate at this moment? What makes you decide whether you will work on another project or not?
A-M: Foremost I work with Arcana and Seventh Harmonic but as I am full of energy I like keeping myself busy. :) On the side of these bands I sing in a project called Veil of Blue, which I founded together with Mikael Lindblom from Subluna a few years back. The music is melancholic and dreamy pop rock and we are right now working on new material we are aiming on presenting during the year. We also hope to be able to start to perform live soon as well.
Another project I am involved in is VoidWork, in which I work with Xavier from Belgium. The music is haunting and horror inspired dark ambient and I enjoy working with it, since I have always loved horror movies and the eerie music in them. It's a little girl’s dream come true, haha!
I recently started another band with a good friend of mine and brilliant guitarist Cristian Ellingsen. The music is atmospheric metal and right now we are experimenting with the sound and the structure of the newly written songs. I really love to sing to heavy music so I am looking forward to rehearsing for future gigs with a full line up. Cristian and I actually have another music project together as well; some kind of acoustic dark folk with lyrics focusing on mythology and ancient folklore. Mattias Borgh from Arcana has been helping us with drums on some recordings.
On the side of this I have two more projects rolling (not yet to speak of though) and I am also working with a couple of tracks for Tábor Radosti from the Czech Republic next album. I met the guys when I performed in Prague with Arcana last year and really enjoyed their music and visual concept.
So far you released newer version of older songs with Ann-Mari on vocals, did you had the feeling they were not ready yet or missing something? Why choose this path instead of releasing new songs?
C: This was for a couple of reasons - one was purely practical, and I have already alluded to in that it took time to get hold of and set up new equipment to write new songs with. The second was mainly for the benefit of people who have followed our music from the beginning – they like these songs, and if we were keeping the name and the ethos of the project it would not make sense to jettison all these strong songs from the past. Neither of us felt comfortable using lyrics and vocal melodies from the old singers, and so Ann-Mari has been reshaping these; and while I did not think they were missing anything in the past, now I have heard what she has done to them I think they are absolutely phenomenal and stronger than ever.
A-M: What I have done is that I have used my own lyrics and reworked the vocals from scratch on the old songs. I have tried to avoid listening to the old versions with vocals and have instead been focusing on the instrumental versions given to me by Caroline; this not to subconsciously copy the old vocals as I am trying to put my own touch on the songs. It has been really fun reworking these songs but to be honest I do prefer to work with the new songs, since I feel some inner pressure not to copy the old vocals and to make something interesting out of already established songs. It can be pretty tricky.
www.seventhharmonic.bandcamp.com
www.myspace.com/seventhharmonic