Kim Carlsson

Lifelover, Hypothermia, Kall, Consider Suicide, Horns Emerging

‘Onwards to

eternity…’

picture by Isa Dykhoff

GT: First of all, congratulations on the recent successful show in London with Lifelover, Hypothermia, and Kall. I was deeply disappointed not being able to attend but I have heard a lot of positive feedback. How was it for you? It must have been exhausting to play three sets in one night.

KC: It was a small venue that was a bit hard to navigate through with all the people so it became a bit stressful between the sets indeed. But all the other pressure of doing several performance is something that I welcome and I think we delivered some pretty solid performances, although we will always make sure that we surpass it the next time we are in the UK!

In some other interview you mentioned your plan to move to the house in the woods and put together a little studio for live recordings. How are you getting on with that?

That is in progress, but right now, due to rehearsing and recording with Kall, some of my equipment is at our rehearsal/studio place. But after I’ve gotten my old label and distribution back on its feet again I will try to get a little intimate studio set up next year where interested individuals can come to for their projects. I got a collaboration set up with our previous guitarist who has the education and intuition to get a good sound out of the recordings that we can make there.

Is nature your main source of inspiration for writing music? What is so inspiring in ‘the sounds of nature’?

There is something very meditative about walking through the woods and feel the embrace of silence. It sings a very special song. I’m doing my best to follow its steps.

After those several shows which you have done with Lifelover recently, what are you planning to do with the band? Was it just to celebrate the 10th anniversary or do you have something else in mind?

For various reasons there isn’t really anything that we can do with the band, so I’m merely doing my responsibility that was agreed since many years that each anniversary would be something special, and after the superior Prophecy Fest, I can damn proudly say that we did deliver that promise to our friend! Now we focus on our other activities, onwards to eternity!

picture by Isa Dykhoff

Where do you think Lifelover would be now if B was still with us?

We were working on the next album and had plans with most festivals and organizers worldwide for various tours, so there would certainly be some things being quite different and people would complain about our new album not sounding like the previous ones instead of badmouthing and threatening someone who the band wouldn’t have existed without.

And what about Hypothermia? Over the years you have gathered a rather impressive discography. Where do you see it in, let’s say, 5 years time?

All that I have been working on the last years with Hypothermia is about the next four albums that are coming out one after another over the course of upcoming years. Each connected in every aspect and enforcing the experience of the other as a soundtrack to a long wandering to and through a ritual. Somewhere inbetween all that work, if not afterwards, there will be a few very exclusive live rituals that will capture the essence of all that work and something more beyond it. That is what is going to happen.

After an excellent first Kall album I am in good hope for new material. Any updates on the working progress? What is your plan with Kall, what would you like to achieve with this project? Also, do you want to do more experiments with saxophone?

We are currently working hard on our second album which is massive to the extent that we have to strike some songs from it for it to even fit on a disc! Our saxophonist has exceeded all our expectations and graduated from a guest to full-time member of our somber constellation.

Why did you decide to release your debut Kall album independently?

No one else showed interest until after we did it. So it was a spark needed to kindle a fire.

What’s happening with the other projects of yours? Any news on Horns Emerging? And are you planning to resurrect Kyla or is it a closed subject?

Horns Emerging is for the moment out of my hands as the label want vocalists on it and I can only wait until the chosen vocalists for it are able to deliver their part of the recordings before I can continue the work on the second and third album which has been composed and conceptualized since the first song was shared. For now I focus on my solo project and other bands, past projects are no more.

Just to finish it off, I know you always emphasise that you don’t listen to too much music yourself, but if you were to recommend something that got your attention recently, what would it be?

It would be bad for my own label to disclose such information before any press releases are made. So for those interested in what I think deserves your time and ears, keep your eyes at the online presence pages that are related to Hypothermia and you will see… and hear…

Thanks a lot for you time! And I hope to see you soon with Kall or Hypothermia.