As many of you will know Halindir is the Danish musical genius that composes the beautiful melodies for our videos. We were certainly blessed when we found him and he allowed us to not only use his vast library of works, but also compose original pieces for us! His composition for “Land, Children and Community”, still ranks as my favourite video/music combinations of ours to date.
As he is such an integral part of Mimir’s brunnr, we have gotten to know him very well. It has been a pleasure too, as his character is as beautiful as his music. We often get questions about Halindirs’ compositions, so we could think of no better way to answer some of these questions than by doing a little post “interview” style, and from it allow you to get to know a bit more about the Halindir we have come to love.
As is the standard for such interviews, I guess there is no better place to start than the beginning, so where did your passion for music come from? Do you remember listening to a certain song as a child, or was it something that developed a little later in your teens?
As a child I didn’t have much of an interest in music, I didn’t listen to it very often. In my teens most of my friends were getting into metal and the like and through them I discovered Burzum and Summoning which I thought both had very unique and distinct sounds and styles and feels to them that resonated with me. There wasn’t very much in the vein of Summoning around to be found, and when their songs began growing stale from repetition, I got my hands on a music program with the idea that “if I can’t find it, I’ll make it myself” which for a good few years was far from a success, but I ended up having a lot of fun making music, learning to play and compose. It became a passionate hobby.
Whilst I can certainly see some influences from bands like Summoning in your music to my untrained ears at least, your compositions seem a little more hopeful and bright. Was this a conscious change or did it just come naturally?
It was a conscious choice as much as it was in my ability and muse to do so. At some point between the album Europa and The Nine Realms,I realized that the effect music has on ones mind and soul, made it too irresponsible to compose music that would depress or put despair in the minds of my people or encourage self-pity unless there’s a good reason to .
You say that you began to feel the power that music has over the soul, which led to a conscious change in your musical direction, and earlier you said that you had a lot of fun creating music. Did this “epiphany” make you see your music in a more serious light, that it had the power to become a positive force in the modern world?
Definitely, though the interpretation of my instrumentals are ultimately up to the listener, I think music can act as an augmenter of thoughts or words (Halindir’s collaboration with Mimir’s Brunnr I’d point to as a great example of this) but the real kicker is that it can induce or change moods and that on its own is very powerful.
I would certainly agree with its ability to enhance words and ideas. As you highlight though, musical compositions and the arts in general do always lend themselves open to interpretation, and are augmenters of not just words but feelings. I guess it would good to know how you see your music, that is how you interpret your own creations? For example your latest album is titled “conquer your despair” and the opening track has the words “Do you think you are in charge right now”, which could be interpreted in many ways.
Most of my pieces are born from what I see in my people, what I sense and feel in them, how they stir me; how they were, how they are, what I wish they were and how I want them to be. That is why there is hope, love and sometimes a hint of wistfulness in them. A Halindir piece tends to start out with a mental image, like a breeze on the heath, grazing cows and heather near Vesterhavet, and from there the melodies seep out and whether it remains about the breeze or the grazing cows, in the end is never easy to tell, but the emotion these images stirs in me is what I hold on to, to complete the track.
As for Conquer Your Despair, Buubdurub (a side project to Halindir) is more about the quick whim and raw unpolished emotion and experimentation. They are usually started and finished on the same day (and keep me from prematurely resorting to irl-fedposting :^)) The songs on this album were not originally intended to fit together in an album, but all of the songs, I think, share something in common which is brought together with the words “Conquer Your Despair” and its opening sentence. My music is generally a result of what I can’t express with words, so explaining how I interpret it is a bit tricky
Your answer kind of reminds me of some word play I have been looking into regarding the Fehu poems. Folk Fylki (land) and Fylgja, to name just three words involved, and without derailing the conversation with some esoteric thoughts, essentially represent blood, soil and the divine all wrapped together in a strong sense of belonging, or to be bound too. Few also know that the word Genius comes to us via a similar concept to that of the old Norse Fylgja, the “Genius” essentially being seen as some divine aspect of man.
I am at the moment working on a project that will explore the “origin” and true power of the arts. Through my research thus far it seems that the arts have somewhat defined the Northern European. Iron age hill forts for example almost seem to grow out of the land, and given your description of your music, and how they sound to my ears at least, would you think it fair to say the same about your music?
On this note, I find your compositions far more in keeping with our ancient musical styles. Although I do enjoy modern “northern/Viking” folk compositions, from bands like Wardruna, they are not really in keeping with traditional music from the period. Your music on the other hand sounds like a more genuine evolution of this sound. I was wondering if this was deliberate on your part, or just something that came through some blood memory?
On one hand I make heavy use of electronic instruments and sounds in my music, which on the surface might not seem to fit that description. But on the other hand – and I think this answers your second question as well – wherever my “style” or way of composing comes from, be it blood memory or subtle influences I can’t pinpoint, I dare say it does feel organic and natural; like the north European hillfort being built into and being part of the land rather than being built in contrast to the land or even purging it. I think I can agree that I manage to keep a synergy between the “old” and “new” without coming off too pretentious :^) (I do like the idea of my musical abilities and talent originating in blood memories, as my family in current and past generations have had a good few musicians)
Of course it is not my place to say, but I certainly wouldn’t bet against it coming through some ancestral source, such are the images and feeling’s it conjures in the listener. So, before we leave the interview is there anything you wish to express, that my rather amateurish interview skills did not unearth that you think listeners to your music would appreciate or find interesting?
We have a lot of creative talent in our sphere, this “on the right” for a lack of a better term. There is incredible potential in that. But collaboration across fields or mediums seems very rare and I think that is a shame.
For example, where my music lacks words, Mimir’s Brunnr provides a narrative that my music can channel through and elevate, and vice versa the writing, oration and tailored visuals of Mimir’s Brunnr adds new dimensions to it. Like a fugue each part on their own for what it is, works, but put together in unison it becomes so much more. I think what I’m trying to get at, is that we will do better and achieve more, if we work in packs rather than as lone wolves. With that said, ask yourself “Who, if not I?”
Halindir’s music is now available for download here on the Mimir’s Brunnr website as well as free to listen to over on his Youtube channel.