What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio aboutyou.

In the beginning of 2017, we all met in Gothenburg in the old rehearsal room of former post-metal band JURA (that Jonas and Rasmus played in). Then and there some new song ideas were tried out and we all felt that the musical direction was interesting and worth exploring further. Soon after that we had a band name, a vision how we wanted to move forward and the same year we recorded our first tracks that became the self-titled debut EP “Orochen”. Our music is mostly inspired by dark contemplations of a world where humans and the environment are thought of as economic resources. We basically think of capitalism as a new sort of religion that is unhealthy for us, destroys nature and exterminates species. With that said, we are also just a bunch of guys with normal day jobs, trying to make genuinely good and honest music on our spare time and having fun along the way.

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

Burial Mounds is the single from the new EP Thylacine that was released 18th of September. It is a dark rock explosion hitting the listener instantly – building up to an atmospheric post rock climax. The song describes a society governed by consumerism and short-term solutions that leaves no one unaffected – and above all makes the world an eroded and empty place. The song reflects on the personal dissonance and internal struggle of life choices that fuels the mainstream capitalistic way of life. We (mostly Rasmus) recorded it by ourselves in different places close to Gothenburg due to the corona-lockdown at our rehearsal space. For example, the lyrics was recorded in a closet, at Jonas home, surrounded by bedsheets and towels. But it turned out pretty good. It was mixed and mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén (Crippled Black phoenix, Greenleaf, Breach etc.) who made it sound awesome! This release is also the first to be released through Suicide Records since we just recently became a member.

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

Our musical influences come from a rich blend of genres such as modern americana, indie, folk music, sludge, hardcore and early 00’s post rock. Of course, there are lots of influential bands from different genres and every member of the band have different influences such as hip hop, folk, blues, sludge and post-rock. Influential bands are Woven Hand, Cult Of Luna, MONO, Thåström, Ossler, Christian Kjellvander, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Joy Division & Neurosis.

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

We are in a constant process of developing our sound, which we think you can hear over our three EP´s. As a band we work tightly together and are all music nerds whom gather inspiration from different fields and music. We are advertisers, biologists, teachers and technicians that listen to everything from sludge to folk, country and hip-hop – and that is the melting pot for our music, that we are open minded and dares to explore the unexplored. We believe that we have managed to marry together folky elements like banjo with sludge or post-metal infused parts in combination with a somewhat laidback style of singing and intriguing soundscapes. All this is probably the trademark of our sound and our main aim is to make express ourselves through genuine music.

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

Jonas: Album: Buck – Daniel Norgren. Movie: Donnie Darko. Book: Sapiens – Yuval Noah Harari.

Emil: Bob Dylan – Blood on the tracks. Wovenhand – Mosaic. Neurosis – A Sun that never sets

Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

Live! We recorded our second EP Mechanical Eyes live to gather the raw feeling that only can be heard and done live, but we also enjoy the studio to be able to try out ideas in a “secure environment” and then play it live.

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

We have always been keen on experimenting and creating good percussion parts in our songs, with everything from whine glasses to things of our own creation. In “Drift Away” we thought it would be nice to try out some more organic/ethnic sounds. We got an idea to collect mussels at the beach to make sort of a ring with wire and shells that would make clapping noises. This worked well but when we recorded it the floor underneath was filled with small shellflakes that came loose and after a while it broke during a recording. Fortunately, we had recorded enough before that happened and the outcome became really nice. You can listen during the first half of the song and see if you can distinguish it from the rest…

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

Maybe “Mechanical Eyes”, the lead track from our second EP, because of its different influences and parts. It is a song that we are very proud of.

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

Our plans are to constantly develop ourselves. The first thing is to release a vinyl of the Thylacine EP together with Suicide Records. The next step is to record our upcoming EP/Album and the thoughts are to make a concept together with a well-known photographer where we combine art and music.
Our plans all depend on the covid-19 situation though, so we will have to adjust our plans accordingly.

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

Would you like to be the opening act for Crippled Black Phoenix, Cult of Luna or Wovenhand?

Oooh yes 🙂

Photo Credits: Johannes Berner

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

Recommended listening:

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Connect with Orochen:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orochenmusic/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orochenmusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsMssdjoi0vTuhYzI69u0ow

Bandcamp: https://orochen.bandcamp.com/

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/orochen