How are you doing today?

Oh, it's Friday and I'm kind of tired after a long week, not to mention a bit hung over. There is a danger with seeing old friends – reminiscing about the past tends to involve a lot of beer. Thanks for asking.

How's the recording process going?

Good, although it is relative. There has been a lot of stress and things gone wrong that is just tedious and makes the process kinda frustrated at times, but overall it's been a good vibe. We are currently finishing up the vocals, and will soon be done with a shitload of extra layering, percussion and acoustics. This album's gonna be pretty multi-faceted. The studio we're using is a classic studio which hasn't been used by too many heavy bands, mainly pop and rock groups. Makes the sound become more unique and organic.

What are some changes your fans should expect on Origo? Are you keeping the noisy/ambient passages of the other releases?

The differences…well, it's hard to say. Origo is better. The production will be better, organic and clear. It is heavy and intense without being annoyingly ‘math’. It's melodic without being complacent. It is more emotionally intense without relating to the rather corny definitions of the word ‘emotional’. It is set in a very explicit minor key.

But that's all blabla. What i've learned from the last album is that you cannot tell people how they should regard your music. I think it is enough for me to say that it makes us turn ourselves inside out to squeeze every bit of our energy and emotional intentions into the recording. How other people will regard it is up to them.

A general change this time I guess lies in the fact that we consciously avoided Origo getting a conceptual feel, as was the case with Prey On Life. We have gotten oh-so tired of the tendency lately that a lot of albums are based on grand, pretentious concepts that just feel contrived. Origo is basically just a varied collection of songs, all related to each other in some way, but not bound by a certain structure or lyrical theme.

The mellow and ethereal passages have come to be a large part of what we are as a band, so they're definitely still there, along with more percussion and use of acoustic instruments to heighten the different elements. But making heavy music and involving mellow parts in the midst of the intensity isn't really a conscious decision from us. We usually build a song around a basic idea, and just kinda go with the flow of the song. Ambience should be included if needed, not only for the sake of anybody expecting it to appear in a Burst song. At the same time, there are some really straight forward songs too on this one.

Sorry if i'm ranting.

I'm hesitant to mention this, and feel free to leave this entirely blank or don't respond to it even, but has the death of Mieszko Talarczyk affected the members of Burst not only from a personal standpoint, but from a musician's standpoint?

Not for everybody in the band (I was basically the only one in Burst who knew Mieszko well), but I guess for me personally it has definitely affected the way I view my life, how I regard a band and what I do within ours. Not so strange, I guess. Loss like this can really have a profound effect on people, and I've had a lot of that this last year. It raises questions that surely are reflected in the feel of the lyrics.

Are there any consistent or reoccuring themes, lyrically, this time around?

As is the case with the music we make, I guess we try to avoid cliché or generic themes as much as we can. I have a strong affection for stark lyrics, so I really try to take it seriously, as does Jonas who writes the other half of Burst's lyrics. I want to be personal, but I don't want to rant about how dark my soul is or how I am so filled with angst or something like that. Those kinds of lyrics feel too self-contained and forced. I want lyrics not to say something specific, rather evoke some sort of feeling or personal impression with the reader/listener. I found that for my part, the lyrics I've written for Origo in a lot of ways are about trying to feel connection with something, about trying to find where you belong. Guess that's the best description I can give.

How is working with Fredrik Reinedahl? He's a good friend of the band, correct?

He is a very close friend of our band, and has been for ever. I would say that he is an integral part of what we are, working not only as a producer and a mixer for us, but helps with the administration part of Burst to some extent. He is a great guy to throw ideas at, and can give educated advise on the progression of the music - he probably knows Burst better than we do ourselves. A creative soul, who is not afraid of experimentation or trying new angles to the music he produces. He records and produces all kinds of bands, but with Burst it is more like a companion type relationship.

While this is a fairly typical question in any interview, what would you readily state as bands that've influenced Burst in a substantial way? I've read your influences range anywhere from Today is the Day, to The Doors, to Tragedy.

Oh, I don't know anymore. You know, I could go on and on about how disparate our tastes are, but I find it rather uninteresting. We have come to a stage in our personal growth where most anything is accepted, regardless of genre or period. We accept each other's eccentricities, and accept that all our personal inspirations will help progress the band further. But when it comes down to it, the only real inspiration is our shared idea of what we are as Burst. We all have a kind of outspoken sense of what we can do in Burst and what direction the music can take.

How did you end up with nearly everyone in the band contributing background vocals? Was it something incorporated into the music from the beginning, or is it more of a recent thing?

Experimenting with vocals just go along with our wish to evolve, it was never something we took a decision about. The reason for a lot of us being involved in the singing is that we each manage a certain style that the other's can't. Linus does the main screamed growl, Robert can sing clean vocals better than anybody, so he handles that, while I handle the dark growling easiest.

Origo is going to be a hell of a lot more diverse as far as vocals go, and we're really happy with that. Linus has evolved enormously, and has developed a much larger range. Robert sings like a greek god or something, and that is becoming a much larger part of our sound.

Do you find that the crowds that you draw are more oriented towards crust/hardcore or metal? Do you feel that you've gained some sort of acceptance in both circles?

We are in the fortunate position that we get a very mixed audience when we play. I mean, some tours we do, the package will be more or less oriented towards a certain scene, metal or hardcore or what have you, but there are always those brave few who defy genre limitations. We exist as a band within the context of the metal scene and the hardcore crowds as well as some post-rock (what a stupid fucking title) environments, and feel comfortable most everywhere. The important thing is to not let such things limit you as a band.

Do your older fans still regard you in the same light despite being on one of the bigger labels in metal?

Yeah, I guess, but I don't really know either. It's not like we ever had any D.I.Y. thing going, so if people have any issues with us releasing albums through a bigger label it doesn't really matter to us. It's not like we're cashing in like crazy or are endorsed by fucking Coke or something just because we're on Relapse.

How did your tour with Dillinger Escape Plan go?

Great, as usual I should say. We've been on tour with those guys so many times now it is almost ridiculous. In less than one year we've done three different tours with them, and every time we have a good time. They are a bunch of nice, grounded people who are, as you might know, a grim live band. Tight as fuck, intense as hell, and always pack a good crowd everywhere they go.

Are there any upcoming tours scheduled, and is there any hope that those of us in the U.S. will get the chance to see you guys perform?

We're sketching out some loose plans for the coming year of touring right now actually, and as far as we're concerned we aim to work even harder to try and hit many new countries this time. Being a European band, we will start with covering a lot of Europe first, but hope to manage the rest of the world too. We have been looking at going to North America in spring of 2006 after the release of the album, but nothing is set in stone yet. It will happen though, sooner or later, but when and who with is still just on the planning stadium.

How did you first get involved into heavier and more intense music?

God, how does anybody? I was into glam rock and stuff when I was a kid, then someone played me a bunch of punk which got me away from all the lipstick and fluff. Then I got a Metallica tape from someone, Slayer being the obvious next step, and then after a time in thrash I bought Entombed's Left Hand Path a year after it came out. Everything went from there, and since we lived in Smalltown, Sweden, kids from all genres kinda hung out together and we produced a very open minded music scene. Pop kids, death kids, hardcore kids, singer/songwriters, punks, all kinds of shit, merged. I think the reason I am still interested in hard music despite being involved in it for most of my life is because of being subjected to the whole spectrum from start. That way you don't get jaded about it after a while.

Do you have any other projects you're working on?

Not me personally, apart from me and a friend playing some dissonant black metal for ‘fun’ when we have some spare time. Apart from that i'd love to do some electronica project if I could be bothered to learn the right computer programs. Which I can't right now.

But Patrik and Jonas are involved in a flipped out transvestite band called The Kolony. It's crazy, great thrash metal with some seriously fucked up elements to it. Think Voivod covering Extreme Aggression by Kreator. Pretty Rad.

Robert has his own, serious project called Nerve. It's very unique, but imagine Tool being darker and more minor with larger structures. It's seriously great, and Robert sings chillingly good.

Although it doesn't specifically matter when it gets down to it, I'm curious if there any specific idealogies or belief systems that the members of Burst subscribe to.

I would say so, yes, even if it isn't conveyed directly in the music or lyrics. We are people, humans, and as such we will have values. In that way, I think you can relate most everything to politics or spirituality. But, no, we don't collectively or outspokenly support any political stance or creed. Organized religion can be very destructive, and as the political system of the world clearly shows us, it isn't easy for people to agree on a certain policy. Even democracy has its flaws, as most political branches.

However, we think it is important to care about the world and its inhabitants. But at the end of the day, we are a fucking rock band, not an institution. You may call me God if you like though.

Are there any recent bands that've impacted you significantly?

Recent? I take it you mean ‘contemporary’? Many, many, but at the same time very few. I am a lover of music, and I can become extremely passionate about it, but I am hard to please.

The latest Killing Joke is just amazing, and I loved the latest Interpol album called “Antics”. I still listen to Emperor on a weekly basis, and Boards of Canada remain in my top ten ever. Oh, and I've really gone back to Pink Floyd. Does that count?

Liam from Dillinger and I usually give each other tips about good electronic music, and he played me this band Telefon Tel Aviv a couple of months ago. Lush and melodic, but with fucked up beats all over it. Great shit.

The other guys in Burst would say something completely different, that is very important. This is my own trip.

Anything you'd care to add?

Well, thanks for making the first interview about ‘Origo’, it was real strange to talk about it to someone outside the group. Shit like this makes you realize that people will actually HEAR this thing! What a strange sensation. Heads up all you out there in headbanger-mosh-pit land, see you soon.

Thanks for taking the time to briefly discuss a few things with me. You've got a lot of people eagerly awaiting this new album, so it's great to get a little preview from the band themselves. I wish you all the best.