Who is Immundus?

Immundus has been nothing but a pseudonym since my early teens on all the music project and bands I was involved with back from when I was 15 years old...nowadays it has become a part of me and therefore transformed into an ambient music project mainly based on haunting and ghostly atmospheres under this same name.

Did you think you would be involved in music when you were young?

Yes.. I always enjoyed music since I can remember, I started to listen to old Metallica, AC/DC, Pantera at a very young age and my interest in music has always been growing ever since. One day I decided I wanted to be like one of these guys, like many kids we all have this dream about what we want to be when we grow up, many want to be like firemen and police officers. I just wanted to Rock!

Well...I always had a lot of ideas of my own to create something that was mine, but while living in Portugal my life was totally different from what I have now, so the opportunity was never there to create something on my own. It was great to play with the band I was in, but also I wanted to start something new of mine. I’m also a fan of Mortiis, Lustmord, Burzum, Northaunt and other ambient artists. They managed to create something on their own and that gave me some sort of inspiration to start. After I moved to Norway, my life was turned upside down so to speak and time consuming with the family and work. This actually gave me less time for playing in any band, but on the other hand was a good thing. So it was sometime in 2005 that I actually got the time I needed to start composing my own ideas and concepts and do what I was burning for a long time. Lacking time to play in band gave me actually time for my own solo project...ironic huh?

Are you inspired and supported by your family?

Inspired? I don’t think I can say inspired by them, but I do get full support from them yes.

What is your biggest source of inspiration for your musical work?

I get most inspired by those things we cannot see but we do feel. I’m attracted to the mysterious side of life, paranormal, ghostly presences and heavy atmospheres, in a more spiritual sense. Also these moods that sometimes have major impact on our daily lives, many are just too busy to be aware of...but do you ever get that feeling that someone is always there, when you don’t actually see it?

You just feel it and you can sense the whole atmosphere changing and getting heavier at times without understanding why the sudden change is happening?It’s mostly during these moments I get the most inspiration.

I'm clairaudient myself, so I know exactly what you mean. Have you had any bad paranormal experiences? Anything that has truly scared you?

I can’t really say I’ve ever been scared, but it did raise the hairs on the back of my neck that’s for sure! I have some stories, many involving family members so I’m not really comfortable talking about them openly. But I know what I have heard and things like the lights and TV have turned on and off by themselves just like that. I hear footsteps and voices too. I have a story but I can’t really share it with the readers.

You've been involved with music for most of your life, what has been your biggest challenge so far?

So far it’s been the release of Haunted Memories. From the compositions, losing files and re-recording the album twice, although I see a positive side on it: I managed to get the songs nailed even better than the first time. There were also financial issues for the release of the album; specifically the last one was my biggest concern and challenge. Luckily I entered a great deal with my current record label so it’s all good.

Your musical style certainly is defiant from everyday listening. Is it challenging to get new people to listen to your work?

Yes it was quite a challenge actually. When I first started this project and started showing it to the masses; dark ambient fans, they were not too fond of me calling my music dark ambient. Even though it has some elements of dark ambient style, it’s not quite the same thing. After releasing my music into Goth and metal communities many misunderstood the concept so it was a bit difficult to start with. That is, until I decided to create my own genre of Haunting and Ghostly Ambient music. Doing this means it doesn’t really matter the style you are into, if you like haunting and ghostly atmospheres, are into horror or suspense movies then it will still appeal to you. This really helped me move forward and get more listeners, and instead of reaching one community, anyone can actually enjoy without categorizing it into a specific theme.

I have received very good feedback on my music from fans of many genres of music, from classic and alternative, to electronic and metal...in the end we all have a bit of it in us, and everyone relates to it, one way or another

You have put a lot of effort into the artwork that accompanies your latest project "Haunted Memories". Do you think this is an important factor in your releases?

Absolutely, the cover normally should speak for the music even before you insert the disc in the player! After I created the album concept, I began collaborating with Depraved Designs to work on it and the outcome was outstanding! They got the concept exactly as I imagined, I was thrilled with how good the end result was. It was almost as if they read my thoughts and captured the music imagery perfectly. Like they say, a picture speaks for a thousand words. I’m personally not good on design so I see Depraved Designs as my right arm when it comes to creating art for Immundus music.

Any plans for Immundus in the future?

As for the moment, I’m planning a free EP to have it`s release really soon, featuring invited guests on each song, to name are: Fredrik Klingwall, NausA, InScissorS and Sphere-Sounds. This EP will be entitled "The Method Learned II" and is based on the written works of G. James Wyrick.

You can read more about this EP by following Immundus either through the official site at www.immundus.net or Myspace at www.myspace.com/immundusofficial. To know more about the concept behind The Method Learned, you should definitely have a look at it also on Myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/themethodlearnedii. As for the rest of the year, there is still a single I expect to release in December. I also started creating the concept for a 3rd full-length with already a title "Through the eyes of a serpent" and will be starting to work on it this winter, hopefully getting it released in 2010. I have recently started a side-project with Sibyll Sewarte from Sphere-Sounds, with a more Classic/Darkwave approach, even though we just started it’s all going really well, so we’re looking forward to see how it goes, more info about this side-project will be available in a few months, so keep on the lookout about this one.

As you can see, there is always something going on!

What would you say your strong points are as a musician?

Patience? (Laughs) Well, music does take a lot of time; I care a lot about my family, so I cant really work at a fast pace. I would say patience is my strength, considering it also gives me time to think things over and experiment before I even start to write any music. I think it’s always good to take your time, sometimes people are just too eager to get something done and normally it doesn’t really come out so great if it’s rushed.

I see myself as a very open person minded when it comes to music, I listen to a lot of different music and it gives me the opportunity to include many different elements in what I produce.

Well it's been a pleasure interviewing you and hearing your answers. But fair's fair. Is there a question you want to ask me?

Well, you said you are a clairvoyant, would you care to share any experiences you have had?

It's very easy to get clairvoyancy and clairaudience mixed up, as they sound so similar in name. For those of you who are not up to speed on the world of the supernatural, being clairaudient is having exceptionally good hearing, (this would easily explain why music is such a large part of my lifestyle.) but it also means I can faintly hear the voices of those who are no longer with us. I'm not claiming I can hear the dead, it sounds more like a mass cacophony of whispers, but I do prefer not to stay around burial sites in silence for too long. It's not something I’ve trained to do; more the case of I decided to research the name for what I was dealing with. Occasionally while I’m walking alone at night I do indeed get the feeling that I’m not alone like you described earlier.

Any last words for our defiant readers?

I would like the readers who are familiar to my music to keep coming and listen or even stop by for a occasional "hello", and not to forget, within the next couple of weeks a free EP "The Method Learned II" will be available for download as a thank you for all the great support, so don’t miss out on this opportunity. As for those who are not familiar with me yet, hope you enjoy the music and keep in touch!