The Obelisk Questionnaire: Darkplace
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Darkplace
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I define this project as an art project. After 5 years of Music theory and audio technology studies, together with a lifetime in the music business it all came to a halt. I just couldn’t bear to make another album let alone release it. Releasing an album is sometimes the same as killing it. Before an album is released it can be whatever you want and the possibilities of success are limitless. But when you release it, it’s all there in the views and listens. There is no mystery in releasing music anymore. you can see exactly how it’s going, so can everyone else. This is when I turned to painting. To be able to create again without ambition, hopes and dreams. I wanted nothing with my painting, it was just an outlet… But then it became more. One year after making my first painting I got accepted into an art school. I went there during the pandemic and it was lovely. This is when the idea for this project was born.
Describe your first musical memory.
My first musical memory is “Eye of the tiger”. My mother and father were not at all music listeners but I was old enough to figure out how to turn a cassette on, and I found a cassette with only this song on. And I played it on repeat. Back then, repeat meant you listened, then rewind, then listened again.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
This is a tough one. It is usually not the epic “party” moments that are the best and long lasting ones. One memory comes to mind. I was at my first music festival in Sweden with a camp-site and all.
I was 18 and I remember I just met a new person and the sun was setting. The whole forest where the festival was held shined golden red and Air was playing in the distant main scene. They played their song “Sexy Boy”. And usually when you hear a song you love you kinda waste a bit of time running towards the concert trying to get as far in as possible. Not this time. It was just so beautiful being this far away, seeing the whole spectrum of the festival and having a moment.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
I don’t even know if I have any firmly held beliefs, I have values and opinions but a belief is something else. I try to be open but at the same time I am very closed in a sense. I know this is a none answer but yeah finding it hard to come up with a firmly held belief that then also got tested. A belief most likely gets disproven if tested because a belief needs to be believed and therefore have no proof.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Progression is needed to keep it interesting. One of the coolest things is when you can age together with an artist you love. A decade later neither you nor the artists are at the same place as you were but it can still be a perfect match.
How do you define success?
I used to count the streams and views. And count the crowd and number of shows played. Now I think I try to own my “success” by measuring things I can control. With this album, my success is that I actually finished it. I made the album and I animated the whole album and it took me 2,5 years of hard work but I did it. My goals are local. Like with my oil painting, my only goal is that I want to paint a 1000 paintings before I die. They don’t have to sell or be admired by anyone else. Just… 1000 oil paintings.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I was there, in the early years of the internet, where horrible videos were on rotten.com etc. Maybe it’s all still there but yeah, I saw some stuff there I wish I hadn’t.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I would like to make an animated movie, with dialogue and all. Same style as the music videos.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
The most essential function of art I think is to make you feel something. Different kinds of art have different kinds of delivery but it’s all about feelings. A painting can give you an instant feeling, the second you look at it you feel and think something about it. Music can be instant or it can grow, you can even hate it at first. Same with movies and books. Same goes for all art.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I look forward to going to Poland this weekend to see the Beksinski painting up close, he is my favorite painter.
http://www.instagram.com/darkplacemusic
https://darkplacemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://darkplace.se/
http://icea.se
https://www.facebook.com/iceaofficial
https://www.instagram.com/iceaofficial
