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Rating: Hakon Adalsteinsson is one of the most talented and truly significant songwriters and musicians of the psychedelic revival Made In Europe in recent years.
Icelandic and currently residing in Berlin (but as we will discover in the interview text, with a past connection with the city of Rome as well), Hakon has been in the scene for almost twenty years, but his discographic production and his activities have certainly intensified in recent years. In parallel with his studies in film and screenwriting, already a member of the fundamental Singapore Sling, Adalsteinsson has developed his two main projects in parallel, The Third Sound and Gunman & The Holy Ghost.
The first, in particular, seems to be his most defined project to date and perhaps the one that is receiving the best feedback, after the positive reviews of "Gospels Of Degeneration" (Fuzz Club Records, 2016) and the release of the latest album last May, "All Tomorrow's Shadows" also on Fuzz Club.
Contextualized within the neo-psychedelic scene, as can be discerned from listening to his music and his musical and compositional attitudes (but also from what he himself affirms in this interview), Hakon is actually inspired by various musical genres. He did not want to name anyone specific, but I think I can safely say that he has combined that garage fury and shoegaze pushed to the maximum of its noise power in a model adapted to his writing, and that has certain dark settings that can recall the wave, but reinterpreted according to a psychedelic perspective that attributes a broader hue to them.
A collaborator of Anton Newcombe (who released on A Recordings both the debut album of Gunman & The Holy Ghost and of The Third Sound), Hakon has variously shared the stage with the leader of the BJM on several occasions and in particular during the tour with Tess Parks, and since last spring, he can be considered as an actual new member of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, with whom he has just been on tour in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand.
Currently on tour to promote his new album ("All Tomorrow's Shadows", Fuzz Club Records, 2018), Hakon kindly agreed to participate in an email interview, which I present in both Italian and English.
A pleasant chat in which he tells us about The Third Sound, "All Tomorrow's Shadows," Brian Jonestown Massacre, Iceland, and mostly about himself, and which I now propose wishing you a good reading.
Enjoy.
1. Hi Hakon. I'm glad you accepted to do this interview, thank you so much. I know you're now on tour with Third Sound to promote your new album, "All Tomorrow's Shadows," released last May on Fuzz Club Records. How is the tour going, and what is the audience's reaction? It seems the new album is receiving great feedback. Do you think this could open a new phase in the group's history?
H. Hi Emiliano, the pleasure is all mine. The audience is responding very well to both the album and the live shows. I think we've found a good way to present the new songs live, and we've also reworked older songs, and everything seems to be clicking. The addition of a new drummer who is very talented and immediately fit perfectly into the group (Fredrik Sunesen) is also helping a lot. I'm not sure if this can be defined as a new phase for the group, but we're in a great moment.
2. Speaking of the album, I have made some observations starting from the title "All Tomorrow's Shadows." I particularly thought of some songs like "Photographs," the track that preceded the album release and which you made with the collaboration of Anton Newcombe (there's also a beautiful video directed by Jean De Oliveira and featuring Estelle Moughton) which seems to confirm the general orientation of the content in a reworking of images from past life. I wouldn't talk so much about nostalgia, though, but instead, a certain melancholy not expressed with anger or fatalism but with dignity and true "elegance." Sorry for the long introduction, but I wanted to know your thoughts on these observations and if there is actually a particular concept developed within the album. What can you tell me instead about the process that led to the creation of the album? Did you work alone on all the songs (music and lyrics)?
H. Actually, I wouldn't say there's a particular concept developed in the album, but several ideas ended up being linked together. The imagery of the past can undoubtedly be considered among these contents, and perhaps, to go even further, I'd say one of the main concepts could be trying to accept the fact that sometimes things have a natural end, and there's simply nothing to be done about it, even though it can seem painful.
But I think there are also references to certain threats and uncertainties regarding the future, to which the album title is also dedicated.
From a musical point of view, there are also references to the past, but not to a single specific genre. We've always referenced various musical genres, and our work is always about seeking the elements we like and that suit the sound we intend to give to the piece—this includes the sound of the drums, the bass line, a riff, practically every aspect of the sound. I've never been good at following rules or trying to stay within specific genre parameters; there's always a mix of different ideas and sounds.
Regarding this album, I recorded half of the songs as demos at home alone, and the other half are songs that Robin Hughes (guitar) and I wrote together. Then we worked a bit on the demos together before presenting them to the rest of the group (Fredrik, drums, and Antonio D'Orazio, bass) who then contributed to the arrangements. Robin and I then took care of the mixing. I wrote all the lyrics, except for "Photographs," which was written by Anton Newcombe.
3. How was it to work with Anton? "Photographs" isn't the first occasion in which you've collaborated, right? You have an album with A Recordings published as Gunman & The Holy Ghost, and if I'm not mistaken, you've also contributed to the creation of some parts of the last BJM album (Editor’s note: "Something Else"). What can you tell me about the tour with the Brian Jonestown Massacre? You still have a lot of dates scheduled, but how has the experience gone up to this point? This is both regarding the emotional aspect, but also if you think you've learned something from this experience. I'm curious to know how you interacted with Anton and Rick (Editor's note: Ricky Maymi) for the guitar parts.
H. Collaborating with Anton for "Photographs" worked out perfectly. It was the last song Robin and I had worked on, but we felt a bit stuck, not knowing how to work on the vocal parts, so when I wrote to Anton about the BJM tour, I thought to send him the demo and ask if he might come up with something. After two or three hours, he contacted me and had already written the lyrics, recorded the vocal parts, and added a riff. He pushed the song towards an execution that was exactly what I expected from the collaboration.
Yes, we've worked together several times in the past. He released my first LPs as both Third Sound and Gunman & The Holy Ghost. I've worked with him on some soundtracks and played on some BJM recordings, and I played with him and Tess Parks live. He has also played with Third Sound on some occasions, and that might happen again in the near future.
The tour with the BJM was tough because it was very long, but it was also really fun, and I made a lot of new friends and met fantastic people, which was simply amazing.
I think Anton and Rick and I complete each other well as guitarists, and surely over time, things will only get better. Rick helped me a lot at the beginning of the tour by showing me some things I hadn't thought about regarding the rhythm guitar parts; this was very important for me and made things easier.
4. Can I ask you about your relationship with Italy? I mean, I read somewhere that the Third Sound project began while you were in Rome, Italy, is that true? How did things go? Were you in Rome for this reason, or was it a coincidence? In any case, would you say there is a common thread among all your works that connects the beginning of your journey with the point you've reached today? What would you consider as your main inspirations when you started?
H. No, I wasn't in Rome to work on my music. I had been to Prague that winter to study film and screenwriting and had thought about taking a break from music aside from a few concerts I did at the time with Singapore Sling. I had an Italian girlfriend back then, and after staying in Prague, we decided to move to her hometown, Rome. It wasn't long before I bought an acoustic guitar and started writing songs, many of which ended up on the first Third Sound and Gunman records. Rome is a beautiful city with plenty of interesting things, but it was difficult finding the right people to work with, and I didn't like how things were progressing. Eventually, I got in touch with a guy who helped me record the album, and some friends (Francesco D'Onofrio and Raniero B) helped me finish the first Third Sound album. I had friends in Berlin, and it had always given me great vibes every time I was there, so I decided to move and work on my music full-time. I left Italy shortly after, although a lot of bands now releasing on Fuzz Club are coming out from there. Maybe if I had stayed there a bit longer, things might have been different, who knows.
There certainly is a common thread through all my albums, of course, for me for sure, but I'm not sure if this applies to others. In any case, there are always new contents I encounter along the way. As I mentioned earlier, I really like a lot of bands and artists that I find greatly inspiring, so I don't feel like naming anyone specifically.
5. Why are there so many people who are so excited about Iceland nowadays? I'm serious. Do you think this happens because it has a certain distance from the rest of Europe and the fact that being an island, it appears to many as a remote and thus ideal place to live? What do you think? You are a young guy and a musician, an artist, and you grew up in Iceland but now live in Berlin. Do you think you needed to leave Iceland to grow both as a musician and as a person? I'm sure that Iceland is a fantastic place to live, and I'm definitely not saying it's a "dud," but was it necessary for you to "experiment" in a different context?
H. You know, to be honest, I'm not sure there are a lot of people who are really excited about actually living in Iceland, but interest in it has definitely increased in recent years. I think the fact that it's so remote and geographically different from most places in Europe is one of the main attractions, but there are also other reasons, of course. Music has certainly helped place Iceland at the center of attention on the geographical map since the early 2000s, and then events like the volcanic eruption that stopped all flights in the northern hemisphere a few years ago were major news worldwide.
There are both negative and positive aspects of tourism in Iceland, the negative ones certainly have to do with the government, the city of Reykjavik, and tourism activity itself. Reykjavik is becoming a kind of large hotel with shopping stores and dystopian airbnbs, and many people can no longer live in such a situation.
For me, it was certainly very beneficial to leave and live in other places. I am inspired by life in big cities and in a situation right now that allows me to do what I want and concentrate on my artistic activities.
All the best.
Cheers.
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