今天采访到的是芬兰的Melodic Black Metal with Doom influences乐队Monolicht，2015年由几位生活中很好的朋友的朋友组建，2017年乐队发行了两首单曲“Ammonia”和“Reverence”，阴暗，沉重的氛围，冰冷的Riff如同末日一般，让这支乐队迅速成为芬兰一支很独特的乐队，同时也吸引了大批歌迷的关注，2019年发行的EP专辑“Land of Hunger”更是得到了所有歌迷和乐评人的好评，也成为了一些芬兰音乐节邀请的嘉宾，为歌迷分享了一场一场精彩的演出，在沉寂多年之后，乐队在今年发行了最新单曲“Colossus”，这首单曲在芬兰著名厂牌Inverse Records发行，在新单曲发行之际杂志通过厂牌的帮助和乐队取得联系进行了一次访谈！
（V: 代表笔者 M: 代表Monolicht）
Today's interview is with Finland's Melodic Black Metal with Doom influences, Monolicht. Formed in 2015 by a few friends of good friends, the band released two singles in 2017, “Ammonia” and “Reverence”, a dark, heavy and icy riff that quickly became a unique band in Finland and attracted a lot of attention from their fans. “Reverence”, with its dark, heavy atmosphere and cold riffs, has quickly become a unique band in Finland and attracted a lot of attention from fans. “The EP album “Land of Hunger” was released in 2019 and was well received by fans and critics alike, and the band has been invited to some of Finland's most popular festivals, where they've played some of the best shows of the year. The single was released on the famous Finnish label Inverse Records. On the occasion of the release of the new single, the magazine got in touch with the band through the label for an interview!
(V: for the author M: for Monolicht)
采访对象：Monolicht（Monolicht乐队）
采访时间：2025.03.31
V: 你好兄弟很高兴见到你，非常感谢你参加这次采访。我想这是你们乐队第一次接受中国杂志的采访。首先向所有中国歌迷问好。Monolicht乐队是什么时候成立的？你们是如何组建这支乐队的？
Hello brother, it's nice to meet you and thank you very much for participating in this interview. I think this is the first time your band has accepted an interview from a Chinese magazine. First of all, let me say hello to all Chinese fans. When was Monolicht band founded? How did you form this band?
M: 你好！这确实是我们第一次与你们--中国歌迷--交谈。我们很高兴我们的音乐在中国引起了大家的兴趣，希望有一天我们能在中国演出。Monolicht乐队成立于2015年左右，由一群亲密无间的朋友组成，甚至可以说是我们生活中注定要发生的一件事。一开始我们只是即兴演奏，很快我们就意识到，我们的音乐作品最终将与我们发行的唱片类似，即Dark Melodic Metal。我们可以称之为最接近Dark Metal的音乐。
Hello! This is indeed the first time we've talked to you, Chinese fans. We're happy that our music has sparked interest in China, and we hope that one day we could even play there. Monolicht was founded around 2015 among a tight-knit group of friends, and it could even be described as an event that was meant to be part of our lives. In the beginning, we just jammed, and it quickly became clear that our musical output would end up being something like the recordings we’ve released, meaning dark melodic metal. We could call it closest to dark metal.
V: 你们乐队的所有成员都是第一代成员吗？你们是否更换过乐队成员？新成员是如何加入乐队的？你对新成员的工作是否满意？
Are all members of your band first-generation members? Have you ever changed band members? How did the new members join the band? Are you satisfied with the new member's job?
M: 是的。我们没有更换任何成员，也没有必要更换。正如我之前提到的，我们因为其他原因成为了朋友，加入乐队是这种关系的自然延续。每个人在乐队中都有自己的角色并为乐队的活动贡献自己的力量。吉他手通常会编写音乐基础，然后我们一起将其编排成歌曲，歌手则负责添加歌词和声乐编曲。当然如果有人有强烈的想法，我们也会一起集思广益。在演出和发行方面，我们会一起想办法。
Yes. We haven't changed any members, and there’s no need for that either. As I mentioned earlier, we’ve been friends for other reasons, and being in a band was a natural continuation of that. Everyone has their own role in the band and contributes with their strengths to the band’s activities. The guitarists usually write the music foundation, which we then arrange together into a song, and the singer adds lyrics and vocal arrangements. Of course, we brainstorm together if someone has a strong idea. We think things through together in terms of gigs and releases.
V: 你能介绍一下您的创作过程吗？你的编曲非常好，我相信你们的创作经验会给更多的年轻音乐家带来灵感
Can you describe your creative process? Your arrangements are very good, and I'm sure your creative experience will inspire more young musicians!
M: 作为一名吉他手，我觉得弹吉他对我来说就像在家作曲一样。我并不练习音阶或翻唱歌曲，而是想到什么就即兴弹奏什么。有时我会拿起木吉他弹奏一些曲子，从中抓住一个和弦或一段旋律，然后将其固定下来。在这个阶段，我们可能会与乐队一起尝试这个想法。有时这个想法根本行不通，但有时我们会立即意识到这是个好想法，于是我们会继续发展它。事情就是这样。一旦器乐部分完成，歌手就会自己编曲。当然歌曲会不断变化，有时甚至在录制之后。例如吉他独奏很少与录制的版本完全相同；它们通常会随着时间的推移而发生细微的变化，我认为这也是创作过程的一部分。
As a guitarist, I feel that playing guitar for me is the same as composing at home. I don’t really practice scales or cover songs but mostly improvise whatever comes to my mind. Sometimes I pick up my acoustic guitar and play something from which I grab a chord or a melody that I then latch onto, and when a piece is ready, I search for or wait for a suitable counterpart. At this stage, we might already try the idea with the band. Sometimes the idea doesn’t work at all, and sometimes we immediately realize that it's a good one, so we continue developing it. That’s really how it is. Once the instrumental parts are coming together, the singer develops their own arrangements. Of course, songs change constantly, sometimes even after the recordings. For example, guitar solos are rarely identical to the recorded versions; they usually develop little variations over time, which I think is part of the process.
V: 你们的作品具有出色的录音效果。你们的专辑是在哪个录音棚录制的？哪位制作人为你们制作了这张专辑？新单曲的录制过程是否顺利？
Your works have excellent recording effects. Which studio did you record your album in? Which producer made the album for you? Is the recording process of your new single going smoothly?
M: Tom Brooke在Tonehaven工作室录制并混音了这首单曲以及我们即将发行的下一首单曲。我们同时用鼓、吉他和贝司现场演奏了基本曲目，随后录制了人声和一些附加吉他。这不像现在经常做的那样，先录鼓，然后剪辑，再做其他的。我们完全没有对乐器进行剪辑，甚至没有使用点击音轨，因为我们希望它听起来就像我们演出时的现场效果一样。过去我们也曾使用过当地的其他录音室，但都获得了不错的效果。我们会看看下一次录音的地点，但我们的重点是确保氛围正确，乐队的独特音色能够体现出来。
This single, and actually the next one we’ll release soon, was recorded and mixed at Tonehaven Studio by Tom Brooke, and the session was really relaxed. We played the basic tracks live with drums, guitars, and bass at the same time, and then we recorded the vocals and some additional guitars later. It wasn’t like how it’s often done these days where you record drums first, edit them, and then do the rest. We didn’t edit the instruments at all, nor did we even use a click track, because we wanted it to sound like it does live at our shows. In the past, we’ve used other local studios, and we’ve had nothing but positive experiences with them. We'll see where the next session takes place, but we’re focused on making sure the vibe is right and that the band’s unique sound comes through.
V: 你们的Logo设计非常简单，但我非常喜欢这种设计形式，因为我很容易就能记住你们的名字。你们的Logo是Kaisa Malinen为你们设计的。你能介绍一下这位艺术家吗？你们的专辑封面设计也很独特。谁为你们设计了这些专辑封面？
Your logo design is very simple, but I really like this design form because I can easily remember your names. Your logo was designed by Kaisa Malinen for you. Can you introduce this artist? Your album artworks are also designed uniquely. Who designed these album artworks for you?
M: Kaisa是我们的朋友，也是一位才华横溢的艺术家。我甚至不知道她是否有网站或其他什么东西，但她兼职做类似Monolicht Logo的工作。对于Logo，我们只想要一个不带乐队名字的图像，效果非常好。新单曲的封面设计由我们的朋友Ville完成，他是一位资深音乐家和艺术家。看看他的新乐队Caresian Valot吧。
Kaisa is a friend of ours and indeed a talented artist. I’m not even sure if she has a website or anything, but she works part-time doing similar work to the Monolicht logo. For the logo, we wanted just an image without the band’s name, and it works really well that way. For the new single, the cover art was done by our friend Ville, who is a long-time musician and artist. Check out his new band Caresian Valot.
V: 你们发布作品的速度很慢。在2019年发行EP专辑后，你们今年才发行了最新单曲。发布速度慢的原因是什么？
Your release speed of works is very slow. After releasing the EP album in 2019, you only released the latest single this year. What is the reason for your slow release speed?
M: 我们并不着急，但慢的部分原因是我们无法控制的情况。我们在2019年底发行了“Land of Hunger”EP之后，2020年伊始，COVID开始大流行，我们就像其他乐队一样，实际上停止了我们的乐队活动。一开始我们不能参加演出，甚至不能向国外寄送宣传资料。这可以理解，我们的热情受到了打击。此外当时的个人事务也影响了我们频繁举行乐队练习的能力，这意味着新材料来得更慢了。我们对待乐队活动的方式也是这样，只有当新歌有意义时才录制，而不是试图用数量来代替质量。我们都有多年的乐队经验，不用着急。事实上不管上一次发行是在一年前还是十年前，这都不重要。只有此刻才是最重要的。不过下一次录音室录音可能会在今年夏天，我们很可能会在秋天发行一些作品。
We haven’t been in a rush, but part of the slow pace is due to circumstances beyond our control. After we released the *Land of Hunger* EP at the end of 2019, the start of 2020 saw COVID effectively shutting down band activities for us, just like with other bands. We couldn’t play gigs or even send promo packages abroad at first. This understandably dampened our enthusiasm. Additionally, there were personal matters at the time that affected our ability to hold band practices frequently, which meant new material came more slowly. We’ve also approached band activities in such a way that we only record new songs when they have something meaningful to say, not trying to replace quality with quantity. We all have many years of band experience, and there’s no rush. Actually, whether the last release was made a year or ten years ago, it doesn't really matter. Only this moment matters. However, it looks like the next studio session could be this summer, and we’ll likely release something in the fall.
V: Satan, History是你的音乐主题。为什么选择这个音乐主题？你想通过这个音乐主题表达什么？你们还创作了歌词。这些歌词是谁创作的？
Satan, History is your music theme. Why did you choose this music theme? What do you want to express through this music theme? You also created lyrics. Who created these lyrics and what inspired them?
M: 我不得不说，我不知道这些主题从何而来，但我们的音乐确实触及了这些主题。确切地说，我认为我们的音乐在歌词和音乐上都反映了北方（芬兰）的神秘主义、大自然以及长期以来生活在那里的神话。
I have to say, I’m not sure where these themes come from, but we certainly do touch on them in our music. Rather, I’d see that our music reflects both lyrically and musically the mysticism of the North (Finland), nature, and the myths that live and have lived there over time.
V: 你们的最新单曲由Inverse Records发行。你们是如何与这家唱片公司建立联系并进行合作的？你对这个品牌的工作满意吗？
Your latest single was released by Inverse Records, an excellent label in your country. How did you establish contact and collaborate with this label? Are you satisfied with the job at this brand?
M: 事实上，我们认识Inverse Records的时间并不长，但我们乐队的一些成员与他们有过合作，这就是我们通过Inverse发行音乐的原因。我们是一支地下乐队，发行渠道很小，所以Inverse在这方面似乎很有帮助。例如这次采访就是一个很好的例子。:)
Actually, we’ve only known Inverse Records for a short time, but some of our band members have a history of working with them, and that’s how we ended up releasing music through Inverse. We’re an underground band, and our distribution channels are small, so Inverse seems to be very helpful in this regard. For example, this interview is a great example. :)
V: 首先祝贺你们乐队今年发行了最新单曲。你们的作品有着优美的旋律和末世的氛围。你们的乐队在编曲方面非常讲究。你对自己的作品有什么看法？新作品和旧作品之间有什么变化吗？
First of all, congratulations to your band for releasing their latest single this year. Your work has beautiful melodies and a post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Your band is very particular about arranging music. What is your opinion on your own work? Is there any change between the new work and the old one?
M: 谢谢，我也是这样看待我们的音乐的：在黑暗的氛围中蕴含着强烈的旋律。我们特别注重旋律和和声的编排，我不知道，这在这种风格的乐队中也许并不常见。我觉得我们的音乐基本保持了原样，最初受到的影响依然存在，但当然也会有发展。也许与之前的作品相比，乐队最新作品的声音变化最大。
Thank you, I also see our music like that: strong melodies above a dark atmosphere. We particularly pay a lot of attention to melodies and harmonic arrangements, which is, I don’t know, perhaps not so common among bands in this style. I feel that our music has stayed pretty much the same, and the influences that were there at the beginning are still there, but of course, development happens. Perhaps the band’s sound has changed the most with the latest release compared to previous ones.
V: 你们乐队参加过哪些音乐节？哪些音乐节给你留下了深刻的印象？能否介绍一下当时的现场气氛？你们计划在2025年参加哪些音乐节？
What music festivals has your band participated in? Which music festivals left a deep impression on you? Can you introduce the live atmosphere at that time? Which music festivals are you planning to participate in 2025?
M: 事实上，我们目前还没有预定任何音乐节演出。在芬兰有很多像我们这样的乐队可以参加的大型活动。我们这些年的演出大多是在小型摇滚俱乐部，现场气氛一直都很热烈。在我写这篇文章的时候，我们正试图主要在芬兰国内预订演出，但我们也有兴趣在芬兰以外的地方演出，所以如果有推广人读到这篇文章，我们会非常有兴趣在任何地方进行现场表演。
Actually, we don’t have any festival gigs booked at the moment. In Finland, there are quite a few big events where bands like ours could play. The gigs we’ve done over the years have mostly been in smaller rock clubs, and the atmosphere has always been very strong. As I’m writing this, we’re trying to book gigs mainly in Finland, but we’d also be interested in playing outside of Finland, so if any promoters are reading this, we’d be very interested in playing live anywhere.
V: 这首单曲的发行是否预示着你们即将发行第一张正式专辑？能和大家分享一些新的工作信息吗？
Does the release of this single indicate that you are about to release your first official album? Can you share some new job information with everyone?
M: 事实上，我们目前还没有计划发行一张完整的专辑，因为我们正在以较短的形式发布音乐。但我们有可能会在某个时候制作一张专辑，这取决于演出的数量和需求。
Actually, there are no plans for a full album at the moment, as we’re releasing music in a shorter format. But it’s possible that at some point we’ll make one, depending a bit on the number of gigs and demand.
V: 你们是一支优秀的乐队，我会一直支持和关注你们。我也希望通过这次采访吸引更多的中国乐迷关注和支持你们的乐队。最后你们有什么话要对中国歌迷说吗？
You are an excellent band, and I will always support and follow your band. I also hope to attract more Chinese fans to follow and support your band through this interview. Do you have anything to say to your Chinese fans in the end?
M: 虽然我们现在主要在欧洲活动，但我知道中国也有很多金属乐迷，我们希望我们的音乐也能传递给你们。Nǐ men hǎo！
Although we’re mainly operating in Europe right now, I know there are many metal fans in China too, and we hope that our music will reach you too. Nǐ men hǎo!
Monolicht乐队主要作品：
Monolicht - Land of Hunger（2019）
Monolicht - Colossus（2025）
Monolicht乐队官方Bandcamp网站：https://monolicht.bandcamp.com/album/colossus
Monolicht乐队官方Facebook网站：https://www.facebook.com/monolichtfi/
Monolicht乐队官方Instagram网站：https://www.instagram.com/monolicht/
Monolicht乐队官方Spotify网站：https://open.spotify.com/artist/2RCneawcOEWUfUueJolrJN
Monolicht乐队官方YouTube网站：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYsr_pt1tP-UXriPkv1WBzg
Comments