Interview with Void Cruiser

How did Void Cruiser come together as a band?
The original lineup we had was established based on friendships, kinship, and previous experiences some of us had before in other bands.

What inspired the development of your sound, which combines elements of 90s grunge, heavy rock, desert rock, post-metal, and shoegaze?
Well, all the stuff we’ve heard through the years. Each one of us has his own taste in music and arts and we bring all our own things together. The result is something which pleases us all and what we think is the sound of Void Cruiser.

What influences have played a role in shaping your music over the years?
Life experiences, the good and bad ones as well as movies, music, games, art, and nature.

Can you tell us about the creative process behind Call of the Void?
Usually, one member has either a riff or a more fully deliberated song draft. Then he shows it to the others or makes a demo out of it and sends it to others. Then we start to play it as a band and always this process modifies the original version quite a lot, making it sound like Void Cruiser.

How has the addition of a new member affected your songwriting and recording process?
Recording maybe not so much, but more heavily on songwriting. Antti (the newest member) has brought a lot to the table in that matter.

What themes and emotions do you explore in your music and lyrics?
Loss, betrayal, sadness, and anger, but also hope, empowerment, and beauty.

From your point of view, what role do psychedelics play in expanding human consciousness and altering the perception of reality?
Well, apparently they can be of great help in for example dealing with personal trauma. They don’t really have any role in our music.

Do psychedelic experiences have inherent value, or is their value solely dependent on the interpretation and integration of those experiences into one’s life?
Very difficult question and depends a lot on the perspective, but considerations of values, in general, are pretty subjective and based on interpretation.

To what extent do psychedelic experiences challenge our understanding of the nature of existence and the relationship between mind, body, and the external world?
To some.

How does the loud, aggressive sound of heavy rock music impact our emotional and psychological states, and what does this say about the relationship between sound and human experience?
Playing or listening to this kind of music, like many other music genres too, gives you great ways to get deeper into your feelings and deal with them. So sometimes it can help you to find out what’s really in there. Sometimes it can just be a brief moment which gives you a chance to take a breath and it takes you to a different state of mind in this stressful everyday life.

In what ways does the psychedelic aspect of heavy rock music challenge traditional notions of reality and identity, and what philosophical implications does this have for our understanding of the self and the world around us?
Psychedelic music might serve as an elevating mechanism for escapist experiences, such as losing oneself to music and rhythm. Still, the initiation of such events might require a chemical switch to be flicked. In philosophical terms, one might say that this strengthens the idea of relativist ontology.

What role do you see music playing in society, especially during challenging times?
Playing music is one of the most important things in life, especially during challenging times. It’s like breathing, it’s necessary. Otherwise, you are dead.

And like for us, this band really is an important thing. We don’t get any money from it. (It just gets our money.) Somebody might say it’s our hobby, but actually, it’s a bigger thing!

How do you approach live performances?
We tend to experiment a bit every now and then, playing alternative versions of some of our own songs and maybe some rearranged covers.

What’s next for Void Cruiser?
We’re composing the fourth album with many songs already coming up nicely.