Interview: Jørgen Sven Kirby (Sykelig Englen, Arboretum, Åpenbaring)

Apenbaring promo 192Jørgen is the sole member of Åpenbaring as well as dabbling with other bands. Åpenbaring’s self-titled EP was reviewed recently and we got the chance to follow this up with a few words with the man himself.

What inspired you to want to create music and be part of three musical projects?

I create music for many reasons, my own catharsis, to spread my message (more of us need to know as a collective humans are a cancer and we need to reduce population), I love nature so I write a lot about nature, I make a lot of music based usually on my current mental state. Sykelig Englen is my main output, but all of them are personal to me. Arboretum is the only non misanthropy/hate fueled one, it is more fueled by paganism and my Norwegian father (deceased)’s influence on me via heritage. I have 3 musical projects, because I have too many ideas for just one.

How old were you when you started to get into Metal and extreme Metal?

I got into metal around the age of 6 or 7 years old (bands like Dream Evil, Firewind, Children of Bodom, Dimmu Borgir, 1349, Mayhem, Iron Maiden and of course Black Sabbath). So I was pretty young, I started playing guitar at 8 years old (10 years now, 2016). I listen to a lot of non-metal stuff such as indie, ambient, trance, and even hip hop. But metal (especially black metal, dsbm and folk metal) is 85% of my audible input.

How did you become a member of the bands you are in?

Sykelig Englen I formed myself when I was 10 making nordic themed extreme metal, it remains and always will remain solo (but I do have live members, in fact Sykelig Englen is touring the UK this September). Åpenbaring, again, is solo, I made the whole EP in a day and released it that evening (the 16th March), I found it interesting to do something that wasn’t like outright metal. Arboretum I formed alone with the idea of creating folky melodic death metal, with a pagan and nature them, joined by me currently is Jack Bunn on Drums and Matt Dew on vocals.

What has influenced you musically and lyrically?

My music is influenced obviously by my music taste, but I create music based on my mood, my life experiences and just what comes naturally. My lyrics obviously contain a lot of topics like mental illness, grieving for lost relatives, a love of nature, paganism and also misanthropy because these are my personal experiences and beliefs. I believe art must be personal and have a meaning, otherwise why make it?

Have you encountered any difficulties being in three different bands?

Not really, Arboretum is still in the writing stage so we aren’t gigging, thus it cannot clash with touring with SE. Åpenbaring will not appear live. The only problem can be I need to make sure I can rehearse them all regularly while writing music for both. But I find writing and playing music is one of the few things I enjoy anyway.

Your band Sykelig Englen will be on tour soon, can you tell me more about the tour?

Sykelig Englen will be touring to promote the release of my debut full length “Hymns of the Dead” available via Mjølnir Records. It will be the first actual tour, the last show being the launch show for the album (on the 10th December). I do not want to reveal too much, but I personally (and the other also) will do everything to make sure the first tour, will be great one!

Are there any bands you would like to tour with?

I would love to tour with Shining a lot, I would like to tour with my friends in Psychonaut 4. And for Arboretum the dream would be to tour with Children of Bodom. But on the tour I’m playing gigs with some great bands, and very much look forward to that.

Final question, what are your plans for the future?

Well I am writing a second full length for Sykelig Englen (title and art will remain undisclosed for now) and of course have the tour coming up this year. Arboretum is writing an EP too, which we aim to record this year. AS for Åpenbaring, I do not yet know. All he projects have pages to follow for news though!

Åpenbaring: facebook | bandcamp

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