Interview – Dimenzion:Psychosphere

Enjoy this “cold apocalyptic interview” with Norwegian Industrial Metallers Dimenzion:Psychosphere, where they talk about their career, the importance of the message in their music, the Industrial Metal scene in Norway, among other cool stuff.

The Headbanging Moose: Let’s start by talking about the band and your brand new album, the excellent Collapse. Can you tell us who Dimenzion:Psychosphere are, your history, goals and plans for the future? Also, how was the creative process for the new album and how did it differ from your previous releases?

Dimenzion:Psychosphere: About us first. We are five guys who’ve been playing together for quite a while, and for many years it was kind of a side project, since most of us had other bands with higher priority. But around 2010 we decided to put more time and effort into Dimenzion, first of all because we all felt this was the band closest to our hearts, and second, because we had more time. So we started working on our first full-length album DNA Phantom Effect, which was finished and released early 2012. Unfortunately we are not very good at promotion, so the album didn’t get the attention we hoped for, and we didn’t get very far. Hopefully will those who like Collapse check out DNA too, cos we still think it’s a great album. As far as the creative process goes, it has always been the same, but this time we had way more material to choose from, which made it easier to shape the concept and feeling of Collapse.

THM: As mentioned in the review of the album, songs like The Machine and Slaves deal with important issues our society is facing nowadays which can lead to some serious consequences in a not-so-distant future, maybe even to the apocalypse. However, despite all that negativity emanating from the lyrics, your music is very melodic and pleasant to listen to. How do you guys work on that balance between “good” and “evil” in your music?

D:P: It all comes naturally really. We like to work with different moods and styles. Though I think when it comes to the important issues you mention, they’re all pretty provoking. So the feelings about it ranges from anger, to sadness and to plain apathy sometimes, and the music is shaped thereafter. We are still angry even if we’re not screaming or growling all the time, and there are enough bands out there who do that already. Harmonies make everything more powerful if not overdone I believe.

THM: Your “cold apocalyptic metal” sounds perfect for being part of the soundtrack of futuristic movies such as The Terminator, Blade Runner or The Matrix. I’m pretty sure you’re all huge fans of that type of movie and you probably get inspired by those (and many others) when composing new material. What else, besides futuristic movies, inspires the band to create music? Are there any specific books, movie genres or any other sources of information the band likes to go to for having some insights and fomenting your creativity?

D:P: The sound effects, the music and the dystopic feeling of those movies and others like them inspire us, yes. But lots come from documentaries, history, books and of course by watching/reading the news. The world is becoming a police state, with surveillance and new laws made to make us “safer”, which when you think about it, is just a way of limiting our rights and freedom. And it all makes you wanna fuck some shit up, which comes out musically instead of physically in our case.

THM: What about your code names and apparel, which seem to be inspired by bands such as Slipknot and video games like Call of Duty? Could you tell us something about how Dimenzion:Psychosphere decided to add those elements to the band, the original inspiration for that, and what they represent today to all of you?

D:P:  We have always tried to add something extra to our shows, and the all over black uniforms remove the focus on us as individuals, just leaving it to be this unit that is the show. The names came recently to fit the whole concept, by not drawing attention to who we are, but to the whole concept. Not inspired by anything particular, it just felt right to do.

THM: Collapse is your first release signed to a record label. How is it to be working with a record label for the first time in your career, and what can you tell us about your relationship with Crime Records?

D:P: It’s great to have someone to back us up with the promotion and stuff, since as we mentioned, we’re not so good at that. Our relationship with Crime started over a year ago when they heard the DNA album. And they pretty much followed the entire process up to the finishing of Collapse, and signed us even before the final mix. We liked their attitude, so we didn’t even bother to send anything to other labels either.

Album Review – Dimenzion:Psychosphere / Collapse (2014)

THM: How is the Industrial Metal scene in Norway, a country known for being the cradle of Black Metal? Do you face any issues sharing your space with Black Metal bands and/or bands from any other music genres there, or is it a very peaceful and even productive coexistence?

D:P: The industrial metal scene in Norway is very small, especially compared to black metal.

We haven’t had any issues sharing stage with black metal bands or any other bands, so I guess you could say it’s a pretty peaceful coexistence. We know several people who play black metal, and all of them have a pretty open mind when it comes to music.

THM: Who are your main influences in music? Which bands and artists helped define what Dimenzion:Psychosphere are today, and which bands would you love to have a “dream tour” together?

D:P: It might be a cliché, but we get our influences from nearly all styles of music (with some exceptions). From all eras too. So naming bands is maybe not so “us” I think. It would have to be a very long list then. A dream tour… Meshuggah perhaps. Devin Townsend, Entombed. Someone not so far from us musically.

THM: What bands and artists are part of your playlist in your free time, when you’re not with Dimenzion: Psychosphere? Do you have any new or underground bands you would like to recommend us?

D:P: I guess we have our different favourites within the band, so like the previous answer, all kinds of music. We can recommend some bands we work with now and then. Deafmazjiin, Ground Zero System and Among Gods. All from Southern Norway.

THM: How about your current tour plans, especially now that Collapse is fresh out in the market? Which countries are you planning on visiting, how do you choose your setlist, and can your fans expect from your live performances? And are you going to play any dates in North America in 2014, especially in Canada, or is the focus going to be solely in Europe this year?

D:P: We have no tour plans at the moment, but that is something we’re going to start working on as soon as collapse is out. Unfortunately we don’t have a management/ booking agency yet, so that’s probably going to be our next goal. We love doing live shows, so if someone invites us to come to Canada (or any other country) we’d be more than happy to come. I think if you like our albums you’re going to love what we do live.

The setlist we pretty much make before every show, depending on how much time we have. We do try to mix old stuff with new stuff, but I guess lately the majority of songs come from the Collapse and DNA Phantom Effect albums.

THM: Thank you for the interview, or I should say “takk for intervjuet”. Do you have any final words for your fans in Norway, Canada and all over the world?

D:P: First of all thank you for giving D:P some attention and we hope that the readers will check out our music. If you want to get the latest news from Dimenzion:Psychosphere you can join us on Facebook or check us out at dimenzionpsychosphere.com.

Links
Dimenzion: Psychosphere Official Website | Facebook