### Shining - Kvarforth

#### 25/05/07 || Global Domination

Dear reader, we present an interview with Mr. Kvarforth, who plays the role of vocalist and überleader of the Swedish suicide metallers Shining. Some questions are serious and some of them are as serious as I believe these guys are. I thought it would suck since fellas that take themselves too seriously and Global Domination usually don’t mix, I was expecting it to be an event akin to the Mike Poggione extravaganza. To my surprise, Mr. Kvarforth proved to be a sport going through most of my questions, even though he probably thought that I’m a fucken asshole. Tough luck, I’m a fucken asshole.

This interview was conducted by ex-staffer/cocksmoker Tiago Bonamigo.

Global Domination: The obvious questions first: “Halmstad”, your new album. What’s that one about? What makes it different from your previous effort in your opinion other than a different cover and different songs?

Kvarforth: It’s a rather natural progression from what we did on the last album, yet we have entered another dimension of sounds as this time we’ve had the possibility of adding an authentic cello as well as recording properly on a real piano instead of a cheesy synthesizer. In terms of lyrics, it just gets darker and darker, and this time around they were quite psychologically demanding to perform as they are more or less dealing with rather personal subjects of what I’ve been through the last couple of years which, trust me, if you had to spend a couple of hours inside my mind, you would fucking shit bricks.

How is Shining’s songwriting process? Do you need to get in the mood to started writing? If so, how?

This time I had everything done in my head and entered the studio with a bunch of really confused musicians who then were supposed to follow my lead and pretending to have a clue of what I was talking about. I seldom sit down with a guitar, just writing music, I like making everything up in my head instead, the entire album, and then work like a roadrunner on speed for a couple of months, well, this time, years.

What about that concert you got all angry, drank piss, kicked fans? What’s that all about? I think you should try taking this act to the streets. Metallers are not easily impressed, you know?

It was a mere ceremony we held, nothing more, and it wasn’t that extreme even though our beloved Aftonbladet newspaper tried getting it there, we have had shows that have been three times worse. I live my life and feed on violence, drugs, more violence and more drugs each fucking day, which is something I hardly think you are doing. Also, why the fuck should I try to impress a bunch of fucking mongoloids who know nothing more of life than getting drunk each weekend with their pathetic excuse of “friends”, discussing the latest Darkthrone record?

Tell us about that Ghoul thing. Why did you do it? It looked like a marketing scheme.

I left Halmstad about a year ago, after having lost both my biological family as well as the new one I was trying to build up the last 4 years. I headed for Norway, with the intentions of moving to Budapest, but somehow I got a job and went astray on the usage of alcohol, drugs and promiscuous sex for a period of half a year maybe. During this time I had absolutely no contact with either band, management or anyone else from my past, which of course resulted in speculations, speculations that went to an extreme when a mate of mine sent a letter to our management where he told them he assumed I had gone killed myself. However, he posted a statement concerning the situation, a statement where he never said I was dead, this is entirely made up by YOU, meaning lousy reporters and every single Black Metal kiddie with an access to a computer and some forum url’s. So, no, it was never a marketing scheme, rather a choice of either dying on the spot or moving on with my life somewhere else.

You started Shining at a quite young age. What led you to start writing music under the Shining banner and how you feel about that initial period?

I have ever since a kid admired the effect music have on people, the way it manages to help people out of problems, the way it manages to put people in trance-like stages if executed correctly. I had a will to reverse this manipulative method and use it for my very own, rather sadistic purpose. In conclusion, I was a pretty creative kid.

What do you think is Shining’s goal? How close to it are you?

The goal has since the very beginning been quite clear, don’t you think? The main purpose of Shining is being a weapon targeted directly at the listener, extracting and glorifying negativity in all its perverse forms. Shining is not, as many tend to believe, a mere suicide-ridden concept though I use both suicidal and self-destructive ideals in terms of force-feeding our fans, who gladly swallow thus, in the end creating a chain reaction where people hurt themselves and others. You can never get close enough as there are always more and more people coming that are open, ready if you will, to taste the bitter fruits of darkness.

Would you mind to share the last art piece (movie, book, music, game) that inspired you positively or negatively, and why?

I haven’t been watching that much movies lately, and I believe I won’t be able to see that much new stuff either as I currently have no place to live, thus staying with various friends of mine which certainly never ends up in watching any movies, but the last thing I saw, out of cheer fanaticism, on speed, was the entire 5 seasons of Six Feet Under, a series I really couldn’t believe existed considering I am a huge Twin Peaks fan, and I even think that Six Feet Under, in its entirety, tops that. I am constantly re-reading the bible, the Koran and also read alot about Jewish mysticism which in many ways have caught my interest lately.

So, I’ve read there is a DVD coming up. What can we expect from that?

The DVD will contain the entire Halmstad ceremony as well as excerpts from various gigs we’ve made throughout the years, newsclips and other things Shining-related. Stuff from television, a couple of promotional videos, tons of interviews and finally a two-hour long “road-movie” which will scary the living shit out of anyone pressing the play-button. All in all, me and Eivind Norbom, the producer, are putting together eight hours worth of material which will be presented on a two-disc DVD we’ll try having available next year. Yes I know it was said to be released after the summer, but there is a huge amount of work we need to put down into the final production.

I can’t avoid noticing some lyrics have a human touch to it rather than being 100% bleak. Do you want us to know that behind that ravaged carcass of your lies a heart?

I’ve been doing this for eleven years now and I know what works and what doesn’t. The key thing in forcing your ideals unto the listener and having them swallowing it sincerely is using reference to your own “well”-being, practice what preach you know. I am always diving deeper into the darkness I have been growing inside of me for such a long time now, trying to find the most humane parts I can, transcending them into my work, thus feeling quite a severe amount of pain, a pain I then can force on others.

Why the hell is the line up changing so much? Do you think that shifting people leads your music to different paths or are you pretty much the colonel and avoid interference like the plague?

As said, if you conjure fire, sometimes along the road you eventually get burnt. Shining has always been Kvarforth, Kvarforth is Shining, and as said countless times before, the others are mere tools I use in order to perfect my vision, anyone is replaceable. Many people that have gotten involved in the band throughout the years have all had a similar vision in the beginning, or at least pretended to, but I guess after a couple of years playing with the darkness, they wake up and realize it is not a joke, or any kind of game they are dealing with, and either they run or simply get swallowed by its eerie greatness.

You say you are an emissary of hatred towards mankind, but since you pretty much think mankind is hopeless, wouldn’t it be easier to wait for them to destroy themselves while you enjoy some Piña Colada somewhere else?

Oh, there is quite a huge potential in mankind, and I see it as my obligation to lead as many as possible my way. One man can actually be capable of hurting, raping, killing a bunch of others before they are either committed or ready to give themselves the same kind of treatment, oh yes, there is a huge potential. Without this potential of actually succeeding in what I am doing I would be useless, not worth a dime, yet I do succeed and I spend my each living minute on either expanding my community or experimenting with the death of this “moral” I was given at birth. Why spend 200 SEK on the latest Marduk album when you can donate that money, not much but everything counts, to a terror organization somewhere who have the possibility and dedication of doing what you, yourself, are dreaming off? There are possibilities and potential each way I look, to defeat the enemy one must become one with the enemy, even how disgusting it might feel, because there is a reward at the end of the road you know, and trust me, it’s worth striving for.

Have you every considered that your music might work as a form of stress release for some people, therefore leading them to avoid suicide and self harm? The diametrical opposite of what you wish for?

I believe that if you have had a certain amount of shit happening to you throughout your life, thus that you have gained somewhat of a life-experience you could find comfort in my work. But then again, I am not aiming towards the fan that knows that much about life as I focus on the fan that lives in ignorance, the one who has personal issues, the one who I can easily feed. I am thinking in numbers rather than quality as I leave that to my fellow allies who breed psychopaths and madmen, as my initial goal is to create a flock that I and the allied can control.

Did you ever wish and dream to do something related to Shining that is not possible due to technical or financial reasons?

Of course, thousand of things, but there’s not really any point in revealing my plans as someday we might have the financial backup to be able doing the things I’ve had in mind, thus, spoiling the fun!

What about Vicious Recordings? I’ve heard a certain Eikind, whose album you did not release, is pissed at you.

I never ran Vicious Recordings by my own and actually did quit due to my mental situation before the label was shut down, I did however help out selling the rights to these recordings we had on Vicious as well as the ones I had from my past label. Eikind was great, and we released an EP in but 1000 copies which were more or less used in promotional purpose, so we were putting money into a project we, in the end, couldn’t back up financially when things went downhill. If Eikind for any reason whatsoever is pissed because of this, well then, too bad, he got free promotion and has no obligations towards the label as the label is dead and buried by now, you know. I did however fuck up with one thing, that being not contacting him when everything fell, yet with the condition I had back then, I would never have been able too. Eikind can easily reach me if there’s anything he’d like to discuss.

Taking all the scars, tears and loathing for the human race: Isn’t Kvarforth just an attention whore?

I have more than 2000 scars running over my body, scars that have been cut not out of sadness or any kind of fucking self-pity, but along the very long process of denying my own flesh and mind. I never do such things out of pleasure either, I never cut, burn or violate myself to ease the pain, rather to multiply it. If that is what you consider being on a strive for attention, well, then that’s your problem, I know perfectly well what I am doing and what happens around me. What people might think is really not of any interest.

What do you think is the true function of interviews?

Promotion obviously, though I have to admit after having given something like 300 interviews, I’m not kidding, the last four weeks it kind of gets to you. Be it over phone, on radio, on television or as in this case, written, you get quite fucked up after a certain amount of time. Yet, it’s a necessity.

Could you suggest any suicide method for depressed readers considering it?

No, continue wasting your lives and drag your friends and family along.

The “denim or leather” question for the suicidal: razor blade or gunshot?

The “denim or leather” question for the wanna-be reporter: med eller utan ögonbindel?

Lemming or goat?

GD note: No reply.

Have you ever thought of asking Attila for that neat potato sack coat he wears? Can you see it starting a trend?

GD note: No reply.

Tell us something that would make Shining fans regret their devotion. C’mon, something strong. You’ve already said you like Coldplay in other interviews and it was a hell of a punch.

Our guitarist played with Bosson a few years back and our drummer earns extra cash touring this summer with Tomas Ledin, and I’m not kidding here either.