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We are honored to officially announce the very first interview of this site with enigmatic Norwegian drummer and lyricist: Bård Eithun a.k.a. Faust: Aborym, Blood Tsunami, SCUM and ex-Emperor.

Scarlet: How are you and what have you been up to recently?
 
Faust: I am fine, thank you. We did two shows the last two days with Blood Tsunami. One with fishing-death metallers Slogstorm up north in Norway and one with Mindgrinder yesterday at Notodden. It went well. Apart from that not much is happening.
 
Scarlet: What do you consider to be the most interesting/important musical trends that you are aware of now which may bring forth some interesting or unusual evolvement in metal/music?
 
Faust: I guess the mingling of people from different scenes within extreme music is a good thing. One example is my own band Scum of course! Anyway, I believe in development and progression and it would be pointless standing still on the same place forever. On the other side I am a little retro as well, clinging to the values from the the 70ties and 80ties and I like a lot of what music could offer back then.I take a little of both worlds but I realise we need progression as well.
 
Scarlet: Many feel that the most experimental, original and pioneering/progressive forms of metal are spawned out of the North - in Norway, Sweden/Scandinavia, do you agree with this for the most part or not?
 
Faust: Well, if we isolate it to black metal only, it might be right, although the pioneers within the genre came from countries like Sweden, England, Germany etc. I think there is a really creative scene for making metal music in Norway. I think a good moral of working was established in the days of Euronymous and it has remained intact till this day. I think a lot of ideas where started on back then which people are still building on. It is very good of course.
 
Scarlet: Music is potentially a powerful tool of communication and transformation, we know this from past history: the rock music of the 1960's and early 1970's fueled the momentum of activism of that era Do you believe that something that powerful (musically) is happening now or do you believe it will ever occur again?
 
Faust: Well, on a general level I think that music will always have the ability to be a powerful tool, but it is easy to see things in retrospect bigger as what they were percieved as when it actually took place. In a unknown number of years people will also hail the 90ties and the new millennium as well as a important era for different kinds of music. Anyway, we are too caught up in our time to see the importance of what we do.
 
Scarlet: Are you able to separate the music/art from the musician/artist?
In other words, can you listen to the music of someone you cannot stand personally or whose views ideologies are in direct opposition to your's?, most have alot of trouble doing this, I can do it but it's difficult, or is the music and musician inseparable and should be examined as one?
 
Faust: Not really, for example, I can`t stand listening to a band whose members I know and dislike. Actually, the less I know about the band, the more easy it is for me to get into it. It has also something to do with the band remaining in mystery, rather knowing their full personal background.
 
Scarlet: You have described drumming as 'primal/primordial' and primitive in past interviews, can you describe what 'the drummer's high' is like for you? when I listen to your drumming, it's very intense, hard to differentiate the drummer from the drumming so to speak. Do you go into your own little ecstatic state/world? is it a true trance state..do you lose awareness of the audience sometimes?
 
Faust: Well, I don`t really lose the awareness of the audience or such, because I am very focused on the job I am doing, but basically I portray drumming as being the machine, keeping the rhythmn of the band and making sure the band get through the songs. Most bands rely on their drummer and I think it is important to make it easy for the other musicians. Might sound pretentious but I still think it is right; being conscious on making the other members aware of where you are at any moment.
 
Scarlet: What does the word 'chaos' mean to you, as both Universal force and as a mindset ?
Would you say it is the state of ultimate freedom and detachment?
Is it possibly a state we need to return to because it is most natural to humans and not to be feared?
 
Faust: Doesn`t really mean that much too me, except being the nickname of the singer of my band, hehe. I don`t think chaos is the ultimate state of freedom and detachment. I think in state of chaos, most people won`t benefit from freedom or independence. Just look at what happened in New Orleans when the hurricane hit the city. Chaos alright, but not much of freedom or detachment.
 
Scarlet: Your 'orphic epigrams'....these mysterious pearls of wisdom you drop into interviews and also use in your lyrics are fascinating, do you write (or have you ever written) anything that we may not know about, like poetry under a pen name or anything like that...?
 
Faust: No, I never wrote anything serious really. Just the lyrics I have been doing plus the activities I did when helping out for magazines like Slayer and Descent, doing interviews with other bands and stuff. I like to write but don`t really have the patience of sitting down and thoroughly write something over a number of months. I need to finish things within a shorter amount of time.
 
Scarlet: Mr. Eithun, you stated this in an interview in 2001 with Slawek/Nahald.:
 "I believe that in the whole universe, space we are not alone as the human being and animal generations. There are a lot of educated people who have dedicated their life to search of alien creatures, we don’t have knowledge as they have, but I think the governments of many countries try to keep the secrets, mysteries and propaganda for rest of people would not know what is true or false. Because it could crush down the peace of mind and people could got afraid of their life and go in panic. "
 
Faust: Well, it is hard to say but I think it is very narrow-minded and narsisistic to think we are alone in the universe.
 
Scarlet: Have you ever had any experiences that you would describe as 'paranormal' and if so what were they ?
 
Faust: Not as far as I can remember. I am not a person that normally is very sensitive to these things anyway, so probably I wouldn`t notice anyway - haha.
 
Scarlet: In past interviews you have stated that your lyrics have been mainly about 'cultic activity, millenarism and the hyprocrisy of monotheism' , you also have a great reverence and respect for the earth, animals and the environment, will there be any future lyrics about the tragedy of disappearing or endangered species?
 
Faust: I always need to think about and developed other topics for the lyrics so there will always be lyrics dealing with subjects within what interests and inspires me. As for example endangered species. The new Zyklon is in the process of being recorded so you can see a developement on the new lyrics, as being more subjective and personal than the previous release.

Scarlet: Can you imagine life without music? even as a non-musician I can't imagine this (not being able to either listen to or play music would be bleak or even dance to music in our heads
and do you believe that this is maybe our way of connecting with the universe?

Faust: I could never imagine a life without music, no. For me it is very important. Connecting to the universe? Don`t know really. Everyone that put what he or she wants into it. Even though music is very important for me it isn`t necessarily that important for everyone else. Some people might have another way of measuring it, but anyway, music is what I compare things in my life with.

Scarlet: Do you believe that the 'music' of deep space are proof of a rhythmic musical Universe? referring to the space sounds recorded by The Voyager/other spacecraft and how important is music to human evolution?
 
> Faust: I haven`t really heard the music of the deep space nor do I have to much knowledge about it to really comment it properly. But I think it is beoynd any doubts that the universe is rhythmic, since it has the form of a very advanced clockwork.

Scarlet: Thank you so much for granting this interview Mr.Eithun,
is there any closing statement you would like to make here?

Faust: Thanks for the interview and interest. Keep up the good work and never bow down.