Interview mit Ludvig Swärd von Forndom

Hello Ludvig! Thank you very much for taking the time. Let’s start right away. Let’s assume people don’t know your project FORNDOM yet – how would you describe the music of FORNDOM?
Hello there! Just my pleasure! I would most likely describe it as ambient folkmusic with a touch of contemporary classical influences. Perhaps some people would argue it lies closer to contemporary classical than folk music, but even though the sound might be classical, I would argue that the fundamental parts has a greater resemblance with folk music, even if the majority of the instruments are of the classical world.

How did you get into music in the first place?
Music has been a great part of my family for as long as I can remember. Both my grandfathers were great musicians within Jazz and folk while my father played the Cello and my mother sang in a choir. So I would say it came naturally. I grew up listening mostly to classical music at first, through my father. During my childhood I came across metal music when I was around 7-8 and gothic and darkwave when I was a bit older.

But the great metal inspiration came when I in 7th grade was about to do a school project on satanism and got recommended by my teacher to have a look at the Norwegian church burnings Mayhem and the Count. Ofcourse there was no return after I heard Burzum for the first time and it together with many other older Black metal bands – came to dominate my musical preferences for the rest of my teenage years. The classical music was always there at the side though.

If I am informed correctly, you are also a photographer. How did that influence the music of FORNDOM? Why don’t you tell us a bit about the early days of this project…
Yes, it is also how the music of Forndom started in the first place. I started taking pictures of my surroundings and shared them in a page called Tumblr where you could build your own little corner, or website, looking just like you wanted it. I came across another profile having music on their page which truly made the content so much more atmospheric. I remember being around 17-18 at the time and often went into that very page just because of the atmosphere and inspiration it gave. Some year later I was at this Black metal festival called Arosian Black mass and as I heard the music of Draugurinn I got deeply inspired and felt that this was the path I wanted to take for my own music. During my gymnasium time I got to learn to use macs for music production, so I started to save for some money and bought a second-hand mac and got started.

I just used a cheap usb microphone for everything on the first EP Flykt and for the next release Dauðra Dura I was recording everything with a SM57 however back to photography all of my photos was taken with an old cellphone at at first, later exchanged with my first DSLR a canon 60D. However, over the years Tumblr started to go down due to being sold to various companies and it quickly lost its old touch leading to that many, including myself, left the platform. Although Ive still kept it, as a small nostalgic window to the past. Lately my gear was also updated with yet another Canon, making me able to shoot videography with ease which in many ways has taken over my focus due to its ability to be combined with the music.

You just released your new album „Moþir“ a few weeks ago. Congratulations on being named album of the month at Metal1.info. How satisfied are you with your new work and what feedback have you received so far?
Haha, I guess I am not alone in that I am always very tired of my own work just before the release. Nevertheless I would never release something that is not good enough. Im very self critical and one of those who can sit for hours listening to the same part making minor changes that no one will ever care about or even retake recordings since I decide that they are not good enough. But even though I spend so many hours thinking about the tiniest details there is always something that you will not be fully satisfied about in the end you just have to give it up and hand it in. Luckily no one has yet commented on a mistake that was done by the mastering stage and that has been bothering me quite a bit so I will leave it unsaid for the moment. Overall, Im rather satisfied with the work though and feel happy for all the positive reviews and comments it has got so far.

What are the things that inspire FORNDOM’s music? I can imagine that with a country as beautiful as Sweden, inspiration is right on the doorstep…
It all depends on the album but in general I would say that it is life, death and everything in between seen through the perspective of the old Norse religion. Thus some of the lyrics can be personal, but seen or expressed from a perspective that might be different from the modern one. Nature inspires, but I think you are left with much hollowness if everything you describe is from nature rather I would say that many things that is personal, is also mirrored in within nature, and in many other levels.

Just take interpretation of old religious texts and how many different meanings they can have depending on the perspective you put upon it. The same thing also goes for old Norse religion and the sources connected to it where scholars yet to this day can argue for the meaning behind different things constantly changing depending on the perspective the scholar put upon it. Rather than nature alone I would rather say that my inspiration for the last two albums have been relations of different kind the relationship between father and son, as well as that of mother and son. But also the general understanding of male and female attributes. The last album was only the second of a planned trilogy though and the family themed titles are yet to continue.

Creating music is getting easier and easier. With a few clicks, you can now generate a lot of things on the computer that used to have to be composed and recorded by hand. What do you think about the use of artificial intelligence in music?
It completely depends since AI will only be able to create out of other references, I do not feel that very threatened by it. AI will surely be able to make music and some might even like what they hear but it will never be original since it needs to understand what it is doing and can only do so by also understanding the commands it is given. But speaking about a few clicks I do have to admit that I feel rather disgusted by the fact that so many people use computers to adjust their voice such as pitch correction or autotune. Not least since it is always audible. In that case I rather appreciate someone singing with mistakes for in those mistakes are also the person and the character. But adjusting it to sound in pitch only results in sounding more like a robot. People today tend to want everything to go quick but one have to let things take time if one can sing fundamentally, one does not get better by pitch correcting it but rather by more practice.

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Tell us a bit about the songwriting and recording of „Moþir“. How does the creation of a FORNDOM album work?
I usually start the thought process for the new album as soon as the other one is released. Even though there have been years between the releases does not mean that it is not happening anything with it. Out of the thoughts I might have I then look for ways to divide the fundamental theme into minor themes and songs. Out of those parts I then look for inspiration to come by and usually it does when you least expect it, in everyday life, due to something personal, or a book, movie or game you played.

Just a small feeling and that very feeling also comes with a melody that is later played within my mind almost like a speech in a tongue that is only expressed in melodies. Usually a number of these songs are composed on piano or whatever instrument that I recorded the idea for often recorded with my phone, just to have a small memory or demo of the idea itself. After a couple of months I usually start to wind things up and have a closer look in the ideas that I have and which songs that fits the very best together usually there can be more than 30 songs that has been composed throughout that entire period but it is of the greatest importance that they actually fit together and are able to create a red line the theme of the album.

I then start the recordingprocess, recording the fundamental bass and drums first, later continuing with the other instruments. The lyrics are usually written and recorded towards the very end of that process. At times, due to the final pitch of the song and what has been the best for the voice, some songs are recorded from scratch again. Then awaits a month of mixing everything together. This has also been a process that has become easier, but also harder. Easier since I over the years have got better experience, tools and understanding of how to fix certain issues but also harded since I have started to include more and more classical instruments, and even though there are thousands of guides and videos on how to mix a metal album, the same cannot be said for music with classical instruments.

All in all you just have to gain experience of listening to the instruments live and in other recordings to get a deeper understanding of where they should be in a mix. But ofcourse that can sometimes be even more complicated by the fact that sometimes you might want a certain instrument to be louder or more quiet than it actually is. Another factor is also that you want the instruments to sound natural, and even though you might have set up a mix that might be perfect, it might all falter in the master, as things tend to be more squeezed and hyped than they were originally intended.

On „Moþir“ you relied more on traditional instruments. What special features are there to consider when you record almost only acoustic instruments?
Like I mentioned a bit with the previous question, there is a far greater dynamic, and at times, and not least when you have a great deal of instruments playing, you want to preserve that dynamic, yet make everything fairly pleasant to listen to, without any greater need to change the audio gain. But adding too much compression will also make everything sound horrible, so it is all down to the tiny details, trying to preserve everything as it is. Another thing is of course the space which can make an instrument sound completely different. Microphones and how you place them is yet another important factor.

You have some guests on your new album. Who are these people who supported you during the creation process of „Moþir“?
Yes, well even if there are many who have been working on this album if you cut it down to each and every instrument, there are two people that has been especially appreciated Thomas von Wachenfeldt and Janne Posti both being labelmates at Nordvis. Thomas has a PhD in musicology and is considered one of the foremost folk violinists in Sweden. Even if the majority of the melodies were already composed and meant to sound in a specific way he added loads of additive voices and embellishments making it even better some of these are hidden in the background, but the more one listens to the album, the more Im sure the listener will hear these and find them just as amusing as the main melody. Not least am I impressed of how lovely he played the solo in the end of Tunridor where I just sent him a small example of the notes played on piano, but he absolutely made it to his own, adding layers in a way that only one truly experienced in the Scandinavian folk music can do.

Janne is perhaps more known with his metal project Häxkapell which I highly recommend for everybody into metal. But he is also a highly schooled and talented bass singer. It might not come to a surprise that I have a weak spot for bass sounds in general. But unfortunately I was not blessed with a deeper bass voice on my own. Surely it can go deep, and I often sing a bass octave on my own within my songs, but that is yet nothing compared to the low register that can be reached by Janne. Equal to Thomas, Janne was also adding loads of harmonies to the main part, making it sounds especially full, not least in a song such as Urd. Gladely, the cooperation with both of these are to be continued.

Do you compose their arrangements yourself in advance, or does something like that happen spontaneously?
I usually write the fundamental melody but always leave space for them to add their own mark. Ofcourse I always have the final say, and if there is anything that I do not like I can simply just chose not to add it. But in the same time, I would not leave them open hands if I would not trust them to make it better. But ofcourse I usually tell a lot about how I want it before the recording is about to start equally to how a director would tell an actor. I tell about the story behind the song, the emotions and sound that I am looking for and this I do simply to make it be more expressive and honest. The music should go beyond the simple notes; the more they know of what the song and the notes they perform are about to say – the better.

While I was preparing the review for „Moþir“, I also looked at the few lyrics of the songs. I interpret the lyrics as a kind of „cycle of life“, with everything we feel in it. Anxiety, sadness, fear, hope. All connected by a deep spirituality towards nature. What would you describe the lyrics on your new album as being about?
I like to start my album dark, equally to how Tacitus described the Germanic tradition of starting a date with the arrival of nightfall rather than by the first rays of sunlight (which was the roman standard). It was just how Faþir started and the equal idea was there for this one. They both also sing about a curse in the first case for that of a criminal, and in the latter case for evil women and how one uses the dark god and worship towards it, for aid.

The second song Urd, does indeed contain a lot of anxiety, sadness and fear, but also a strong feeling of safety, of letting go of these fears and to give yourself to fate itself, and everything that comes with it. I quite recently discovered that my own believes, moral and philosophy of life and Norse religion in fact have many similarities with Stoic thoughts, and not least those of Marcus Aurelius. Having the fear of bad things is natural though, but I also believe that giving yourself to fate is a very giving solution of being able to cope with even the hardest of situations, not least when you are able to see everything from different perspectives, and that even the most heavy fate can bring something good with it.

The third song is probably the most sorrowful song composed so far and is greatly inspired by the Beowulf nemesis Grendel and his mother. An interesting part to this story is that we are only introduced to Grendels mother with that very name thus we can also expect that it carried many norms of what it meant to be a mother and woman back then. It is a false interpretation that there was a complete gender equality in Scandinavia during the viking age rather the roles were very strict. But should however the family lose their male members, the act of vengeance often fell upon the woman which can also be seen in the myth of Skadi and how she was determined for revenge after her fathers death.

Disar is yet another song that speaks towards divine beings of fate – showing much of what is also highlighted on Urd, but perhaps in a more celebrating and cheerful matter. It is a song that welcomes life and death for what it is, a rebirth into the world beyond ours, where we get to meet all the loved and lost ones once more.

The final song tells the story of madness, trust and love in the form of Harbard and Signe a name which it was close of having before finally changing it towards the end. It is a Romeo-and-Juliet-like story with slight differences that tells of a couple that fell under conditions that made it impossible for them to be together. They promise to love eachother towards the end, and give oneself to death if the other one should fall. They are both captured and Harbard taken away to be hanged, while Signe is locked up within her tower. But in order to test the words of Signe, Harbard asks the guards to hang his cape at first, and upon the sight of this, Signe believes it is her beloved that has faced death so she sets fire to the tower, burning herself and taking her maids of honour with her. Upon the sight of the burning tower, Harbard can die with pleasure, knowing that their love was real and honest.

All your lyrics are written in your native language. How do you feel about other languages? Would it be conceivable to hear English lyrics on FORNDOM?
Haha, well I doubt there will ever be a change to that. To me, Swedish is the natural way of expressing myself and will always be the chosen format. Surely Swedish is a highly developed language and does no longer sound the same as it did a thousand years ago. But for me it is also important that it is highlighted for what it is and that words of old are not completely forgotten. Thus I try to keep it as old as possible, using as many old words and expressions as I see fit. Perhaps it would be closer to something old norse to sing in old norse, but even though Ive studied the language, I would never say that I feel as comfortable expressing myself in that one as much as Swedish. I am also a person who try to rhyme on every single line to keep up the flow which also demands that you know the language, its rhytm and what suits.

Many, maybe even all artistic processes are also influenced by our environment. The world is in turmoil right now. Be it in relation to climate change, the rise of the political right or the growing selfishness in society itself. How do you perceive this difficult global situation?
I would see myself more as a neutral observer when it comes to this. It is true that our society has changed, and most likely to the worse when it comes to the wellbeing of the people. But I also think it is because we have created societies where there is lesser need for the individual. People in western societies are individualistic and mostly care for themselves and keeps a blind eye toward the problems around them as long as it does not affect them directly. But equal to what I have said previously, I also believe that there is something good with the bad, and I think that even if the world might seem dark, we must not forget the brightness that has come lately too.

We live in a society with so much information, and sadly it is more than often the bad news that gets the largest space and gets to take place in the general conversation and spotlight. And to return to what I said earlier I guess we can see a similarity to this if we start talking about the nature and weather in general we all remember that time when the weather was horrible and put us in a special situation, but we seldomly remember all the other days when the weather was perfect, and not yet to speak about all the grey days in between.

With other words I believe that we humans are more likely to memorize all the negativity, but if we raise our eyes towards the past, it becomes clear that there has always been problems in life for everybody, and even though they have changed their carachter, they have always been there. We live in interesting times indeed, but I will not be one to say that these are the worst or darkest times of all. But equal to Egil Skallagrimsson I welcome whatever darkness to come, as it will always be inspiration for the Skald.

What does the future of FORNDOM look like? Are there any tour plans or other projects coming up?
No tours are in mind, but a few single concerts. Best way to keep a track of these is to head over to forndom.com where I always try to keep the rituals list up to date with confirmed upcoming concert. For the rest of the year I plan to release a couple of singles own versions of traditional Swedish songs. But I will also start to prepare and compose for the upcoming album as I have a very clear vision of its theme and content. And hopefully the wait for that one will not be as long as it was.

Thank you very much for the nice interview Ludvig. Finally, here is our Metal1 brainstorming:
ABBA: Even if I seldomly listen to ABBA myself, I hold them in high regards as one of the most important Swedish acts in history. Not least do they stand for a time when popular music was still real, genuine and made by real musicians, compared to whatever it has turned to today.
Favorite instrument: The voice
Movie Scores: I literally grew up listening to loads of John Williams and other movie composers as it came naturally due to my fathers interest in classical music. Lately I have found myself to truly appreciate the more minimalistic and expressive soundscapes of Robin Carolan who wrote the score for both of Robert Eggers last movies.
Last bought CD/Vinyl: The last album that I bought was one of my favourite metal albums but which I never had in physical format or vinyl Storm of the lights bane by Dissection.
FORNDOM in five years: Will continue as it always has and always will, hopefully with further interesting cooperations and guests and a new album out that captures the theme of brotherhood and war, through life and darkness.

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Publiziert am 24. Januar 2025 von Philipp Sorger