Thisquietarmy - Polychrome nebulae for guitar

Isn't it strange for someone like you to have released only one album this year?

What role did the guitar play on the record, especially compared with other works where it was front and centre, like your collaborations with Aidan?

I don't think it follows the same path as the Aidan collaborations at all, except for the fact that, like Hex Mountains, they're centred on improvisation. In general, I never change my set-up depending on the record, because I never have a final idea in mind when I record. I always use the same guitar and the same pedals, and the same ones from start to finish of an album, at least as far as Thisquietarmy is concerned, since it's always been centred on drones and improvisation. So it's natural that there are similarities across all the works where I play guitar, but that's just a shape all the tracks tend to take on during the post-recording process.

At the same time, Hex Mountains also marks a kind of new direction, a mix of sludge and drone. Where does that come from?

All my previous work was, broadly speaking, solo albums, untouched by outside influences. This is the first time I've opened up Thisquietarmy's doors to collaborators who bring their own input: there's definitely the influence of the drummer and the vocalists, because when you play with other people the dynamics of your sound change, along with the way you play. I had a kind of inner debate about whether Hex Mountains could really be a Thisquietarmy record, because this project has always been 100% mine, but then I realised it could never have been just anything I wanted anyway, and if there was one thing I needed, it was bringing in new ideas to get past the limitations of being a one-man band.

Besides, after recently sharing stages and tours with heavy bands like Caspian, Year Of No Light and Nadja, and having opened in the past for the likes of Russian Circles, Deafheaven and Maserati, I felt the urge to make an "epic" record, one that would include elements of black metal, doom, dark ambient and post-rock that were already partly present in Thisquietarmy's sound. The drums gave a decisive hand in adding some extra muscle, while the use of voice in the ambient parts added that funereal, occult tone that balanced everything out.

Is the album's atmosphere tied — through the cover as well as the title — to a kind of natural imagery?

I was interested in a classic artwork that could visually represent the sonic elements present on the record: mountains describe something bigger than life, and the curse speaks to the bewitched, ritual element. Natural landscapes can be linked to black metal and post-rock as classic visual symbols, just as fog connects to an ambient feel, and mysterious, threatening clouds to a mystical sentiment. I gathered those photos while I was touring around Europe, which shows how the road has become an important part of my life and a source of inspiration.

Do you intend to keep going in the direction of Hex Mountains, or to keep more dimensions present in each of your future works?

That's the question I'm trying to ask myself, but there won't be any answer until I actually start recording something new. In a way, Hex Mountains still suffers from the limitations of being a one-man band: the repetitive drum machines and guitar drones are elements I've been using for a while now. I feel like I've made enough records in that direction, and it's not easy to find new ideas without renewing your instruments and techniques. As far as I'm concerned, Resurgence marks the end of a chapter either way. I have quite a few ideas about what I'd like to do in terms of sound and structure, some coming from what I already did on Hex Mountains and others completely different. But some of them are definitely too ambitious to develop on my own. Having opened my doors to various collaborators is, I think, the one constant I definitely want to keep, but that doesn't mean I couldn't make solo or pure ambient records again in the future.

Speaking of instrumentation: what did you use on Hex Mountains, and how much has it changed compared to the past?

I only used guitars and effects, and as usual there's not a single moment on the record without guitar. Anyone who can't find a trace of it somewhere is probably being fooled by a pedal. That's exactly why I still think it's a Thisquietarmy album through and through, stylistically speaking. Then there was Scotty Rooney's drums, Dorian Williamson's bass and mine on one track, and the processed vocals of Émilie Bresson & Jeanne Peluard. Jeanne also played some processed brass, but it's pretty hard to identify, to the point that I'm not even sure it made it onto the record. I recorded everything in different spaces using whatever was available in each one, for instance Vox AC30s, Ampeg SVTs or PA systems, also varying the microphones and recording techniques. I normally record almost everything at home with preamps or my little Traynor, and sometimes I add synths to it.

Going back seriously to the first question: did it really take you longer to finish Hex Mountains compared to your previous work?

As far as the recording goes, it took less time, since it was made up of sessions lasting 2-3 days each. But when it comes to what to do with those recordings — how to piece them together, analyse them, edit them, mix them and blend the various instruments — I think it took longer to reach the point where I could call it a finished record.

What's it like releasing music through several labels? And what determines your choice of putting out an album with one rather than another?

I like working with different labels, because it lets me gain experience in different environments. That said, in two years Denovali has put out three new records and three remasters of my work, and I don't think any other label could have ever done as much. That, together with the fact that I'm often touring in Europe and especially in Germany, effectively makes it my main label — and one that's keen on continuing to release my work, for that matter. I also often get involved in collaborations or splits with other musicians who already have their own idea about which label should put the record out, and in those cases I love being able to work with new outfits, sometimes small ones from other countries. I also like putting out hand-made 7"s or cassettes through my own micro-label, Thisquietarmy Records.

Does a label's sonic identity affect the way you approach the work you'll produce for it?

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