Interview with Hulder done on 1-19-21

 

1.Hails please introduce yourself to the readers?

Hulder is the moniker that I operate under. 

 

2.When did you first discover black metal and who were the first bands that caught your attention?Are their any current bands that you have been listening to? 

I discovered Black Metal as a young teenager. The first experience that I had with extreme music was when I purchased a copy of Iron Maiden’s “Killers” at a street market in my hometown at 11 years old. The dark imagery and morbid implication was fascinating to me. A few years later I was introduced to some of the classics of Norwegian and Finnish Black Metal and it became clear that my fascination with extreme music had only just begun.

3.When did you first become interested in writing and playing music?Are you self taught or did you take lessons when first starting out?

This has always been a part of me. The prospect of simply listening to music has never been something that I have felt satisfied with. Creating one’s own music or art is as simple as obtaining an instrument and putting in the time to learn. I am self taught.

4.What are some of the instruments that you currently play?Are their any instruments that you would like to learn to play one?

I do not have a count of the “number of instruments that I can currently play”. If something can be manipulated into melody then I am confident that I can play it. All of the instrumentation on the upcoming album was performed by me except for the drums. This is on account of the fact that I am not currently capable of creating the atmosphere that I would like this instrument to have and programming a drum machine is incredibly tedious (ie my first demo).

5.Hulder was started back in 2018 when did you first get the idea to start this project?Are you satisfied with how everything has gone with the band so far?

The idea of Hulder has been something that I had initially thought of years ago. Initially, the prospect of a full band was toyed with but I ended up finding that it is more interesting for me to have full stylistic control of the atmosphere and sound. The “Ascending The Raven Stone” demo tape was recorded in early 2018 after having made the move to the Pacific Northwest. I was not well acquainted with people in the area and thus my time was mainly spent writing music in the isolation of my home. The freedom of creation that this afforded me has become my new norm.

6.I believe Hulder is a one woman band when you started this band did you plan to work alone or would you like to find new musicians to work with?

My plan was to create the initial recordings by myself so as to ensure that the music and visuals were exactly as I would want them to be. The prospect of enlisting others to perform has always been something that I have considered but with the current state of the world, it does not seem to be on the near horizon. Hulder will remain my own as I do not want the creative input of others.

7.What do you feel is the easiest and hardest thing about being the only member of the band?If you had the opportunity to work with any musicans are their any musicians that you would like to work with?

Being the lone member of a band is an ideal situation, as far as I am concerned. There are definitely some musicians that I would like to enlist for some session work down the road or for a collaboration but I am not currently pursuing those avenues.

8. you also handle the vocal duties for the band when did you first start screaming and growling?Do you do anything to keep your throat and voice healthy?

I started doing vocals in bands a number of years ago and I do not adhere to any regular regimen in order to help this process. In my youth, I received some brief operatic training. That training is likely to be of help to me now.

9.Godslatering:Hymns Of A forlon Peasantry is the debut release how long did  it take you to write the music for the debut full-length?How long does it usually take you to complete one song?

With the exception of “Purgations of Bodily Corruptions”, the album was written and recorded between January and July of 2020. Each composition will take on a completely different process and therefore the timeline is ever-changing. Some will begin as compositions on the keys as where others may begin as a simple vocal melody in my head. A number of the songs on the album were brought to a state of near-completion on the same day that the writing process began.

10.Where do you draw inspiration for the lyrics and what are some subjects written about on the debut release?

Lyrical content is drawn from many different sources. As I generally find myself reading historical recountings of battles and whatnot, it was inevitable that those themes would find their way into my creation. Additionally, many of the album’s lyrics were written from the perspective of the downtrodden common-people. Mystical themes of evil and self-reliance are also a large portion of my creative force.

Godslastering:Hymns Of A forlon Peasantry does the band have any past releases or merchandise currently available?If yes what is availible and where can the readers purchase it?

Most things can be purchased from me directly by way of the website and merchandise can be purchased from the companies listed below.

www.hulder-official.com
HULDER - holymountainprinting
Iron Bonehead Productions

Hulder recently made a video for the song Upon Frigid Winds. What gave you the idea to create a music video? Are you satisfied with how everything turned out?

Creating a music video is something that is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. This craft seems to have been lost over the last few decades and I think that this is unfortunate. The video for “Upon Frigid Winds” turned out exactly how I had imagined. Thanks to the videography provided by Liana Rakijian, the atmosphere and imagery crafted worked in perfect tandem with the song.