Hello! What still resonates with you from Hesse’s Im Nebel, and how does it surface in Hypocrisis?
Michael: Hi! It’s a powerful metaphor that remains relevant to the themes we explore. While it’s not as melancholic as in the original, I think it conveys a more obscure atmosphere in our case.
How have lineup changes altered your idea of what Im Nebel is – or should be?
Michael: The sonic impact is huge. Each member of the band adds their own character to the music, but the core idea remains unchanged.
What kept you going through the long, often stalled path to this album?
Michael: Support from the people who believe in what we do, along with the feedback we have received over the years, has helped us move forward. It was a very challenging years of work on this album, but the dedication of the guys and our strong belief that we can say more and say it differently kept us going.
Did you storyboard any tracks visually while composing?
Michael: Unfortunately, I don’t have much talent in the visual arts. Instead of drawing, I prefer to express the theme through words.
Revisiting old material – was it more about preserving or rewriting history?
Michael: It’s really about preservation. I recently listened to the very first demos of Hypocrisis. They don’t differ much in terms of tempo, dynamics, or structure. If we were to do album differently, it wouldn’t make much sense.
When does perfectionism become a problem for you in the studio?
Michael: We never had the chance to make the record perfect in our eyes. Perhaps perfection itself doesn’t exist. The challenge arises when I feel that the next record will be worse than our previous work. For this reason, we made three attempts to record the drums for Hypocrisis in different studios, and only the final attempt, played by Nikoloz, was successful. There were many reasons for this, but luckily, spending a lot of time learning about audio recording/production helped, and this will no longer be a problem for us.
What’s being exposed, or concealed, in the idea behind Hypocrisis?
Michael: It can be likened to a morality play that examines the duality inherent in human nature. It portrays two contrasting sides of a coin, representing the different structures within humanity. Each playing its own distinct role in shaping behavior and perception. Album highlights the complex and often conflicting facets of morality, identity, and societal norms.
Do your lyrics aim to tell, suggest, or obscure?
Michael: Lyrics aim to suggest, inviting listeners to interpret and find their own meaning within the words
Is your music spiritual in any way, or is it more psychological?
Michael: I would say is more abstract.
Do you feel part of the black metal lineage, or something outside of it?
Michael: Extreme music genres, including black metal, have a significant sonic influence on our music. However, we don’t explore any religious themes. I’m not entirely sure, but since our music remains somewhat extreme, we might be related to these genres.
Can creative conflict be useful, or do you avoid it?
Michael: It can be useful only in one case, when the counterargument is clear and does not drag the artistic view in a different, non-related direction. We often discuss what should be changed or possibly done differently.
What does live performance mean to you now, ritual, release, something else?
Michael: Performing live is always a memorable experience. To me, it is a dialogue and a shared space that transcend into an atmosphere of music.
What’s the one idea you’ve refused to compromise on?
Michael: The most important thing is not to change the direction, as the sound was historically created from the very beginning. Our music is not limited to the use of different scales or genre elements. However, radically changing it just because someone prefers punk rock or another genre is not acceptable. Our band is not a pop music artist aiming to follow trends.
Is Im Nebel growing older with you, or restarting each time?
Michael: The way we see things from year-to-year changes, of course. Fortunately, we have many new ideas to explore. Different shapes, different moods. I would say we evolve. We’re far from retirement.
If Hypocrisis were found in a future ruin, what would it say about you?
Michael: I hope this doesn’t happen and they will not think we expected the fall after listening to the last song, hahaha.
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