Working quietly and consistently under many radars, Vitne (real name Joseph) has released a surprising amount of material over the last decade or so. Most of it falls somewhere under the ‘melodic hard rock’ label, but truth be told, his music somewhat transcends the limitations of one genre and achieve an ethereal sound that is unmistakably Vitne. Handling all instrumental and vocal duties makes for a busy schedule, but the American/Norwegian multi-instrumentalist found time to talk with TMO about the ins ands outs of his creativity.
TMO: Hi Vitne! Thanks for making the effort to speak to us. Firstly, I must ask about the name. Do I refer to you as Vitne? Is it part of your real name?
V: Hey Larry thanks for having me! It doesn’t matter really. Vitne is my artist name but Joseph is my real name, so that’s perfectly fine.
TMO: And after some basic research, I realize that ‘Vitne’ is the Norwegian word for ‘Witness’. Pays to be observant on the Metal Observer, right?! So where did the inspiration for the band name come from? Do you think it suits your style of music?
V: Yes it certainly does! The name came from when I was watching some crime tv show and the show had Norwegian subtitles. It happened to catch my attention (since I was trying to figure out a good name for myself) and it stuck. I think the next day or day after I had a logo already. The meaning also matched my idea of the long-term idea I had in my for my music.
TMO: I can see why it stuck out. It also hints towards your love of TV shows and other modern media. Perhaps video games? Are you influenced by this kind of stuff at all?
V: Absolutely. I would say video games far more profoundly than TV (I actually don’t watch much TV). Some movies though definitely. But video games, especially RPGs like Final Fantasy, have influenced me since I was little. I never realized how much the stories and the soundtracks affected me until the past few years. I would say my preference is a mixture of fantasy and sci-if rather than one or the other.
TMO: It’s great to hear a modern artist celebrating video game soundtracks and validating their worth. So would you say your albums play out like RPGs? Perhaps your love of video games directly inspires how your albums are laid out? I’ve always tried to garner a sense of storytelling from your material.
V: A well-written game soundtrack enhances the story so much that just hearing the music later in life reminds you exactly of what happened (which can be said also of certain songs that bring back personal memories as well). These soundtracks (the great ones) I feel can almost tell the story themselves. In the past for my previous albums, I had not really consciously thought about this so much until Endless Blue. That began my experimentation with an album feeling natural in terms of song progression regardless of each song’s genre. Gackt (a Japanese artist) influenced me heavily in that regard since his albums are quite eclectic, though everything flows correctly and always just sounds like him, not some jumbled mish-mash. My newest album Aria is the first one, however, that I wrote from the beginning with the idea of it being its own story, both lyrically and musically, progressing like what you experience when playing one of those RPGs.
TMO: I absolutely feel that, and agree with the importance of the structure of an album. Which brings me to the topic of your newest album, Aria. Firstly – congratulations! I think it’s your best work yet – mainly because of how it’s structured. Each song has a different sound but they all flow seamlessly. Are you happy with the result? Anything you would change? And what’s your favourite track?
V: Thank you and I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m extremely happy with the result. I’ve never done an album that had so many orchestral elements, so I was admittedly a little worried about how it would turn out, but I think it came out beautifully. I also finally got to play fife, so I was really happy about that! I wouldn’t change anything. I think it’s perfect and just what I envisioned, if not more. A favorite track here is really difficult because I really love them all, but if I had to choose it might be “Fever Dream” because I just love the folk guitar part and the overall “otherworldly” feeling of it. And, on the note of flow, a really important part of making an album for me has been the flow of the album. I don’t want songs to feel like they are just songs thrown together in a playlist. The album should feel natural.
TMO: “Fever Dream” is certainly the most progressive track which covers a wide range of moods. That was probably the one which stuck out as most impressive on first listen. My personal favourite is “Vanquish The Night” – it might be the most metal track on the album (save for “Encephalon” perhaps) and the chorus is gorgeous. Why did you choose “Encephalon” to be released as the single?
V: “Vanquish” is definitely up there for me too. I chose “Encephalon” because I felt it was one of the more accessible, more “single-like” songs. Plus, Axel wanted me to make a music video and honestly, the only idea I could think of was the one that came out for that video. The album is so heavily based in a fantasy/sci-fi world that the other songs would need heavy production and a large budget to make a video I would be pleased with. But the “Encephalon” video worked out beautifully and captured the idea behind the song.
TMO: Speaking of metal, I first listened to you because I wanted something different. Jupiter had its heavy moments here and there (“The Edge”) and Aria is considerably heavier, but would you consider yourself a metal musician? Do you have any major metal influences?
V: I would say I’m a rock artist. Everyone’s opinion of what is and what is not metal is different. For my music, it is not cut and dry. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. Often it isn’t, really, though most of my songs have influence from some sort of metal. My most metal influences would be Edguy, X Japan, Stratovarius and Halford (his solo band – I love Live Insurrection, killer live album!). Other major influences come from 80s glam metal/hard rock like Mötley Crue, RATT, Warrant, Winger. Aria as a whole was inspired much more heavily by symphonic and power metal than 80s glam (when comparing to previous releases).
TMO: And are you at all interested in the extreme side of the genre? I ask because there are some instances during Aria where I can imagine some harsh vocals. Or is that right out of your comfort zone?
V: In general I am not so interested in it. Sometimes, though, if the music is highly melodic, that vocal style is ok with me, but I’d usually prefer singing (plus I’m terrible at screaming). I do like it, however, when some screams are placed tastefully within a mostly-sung song. Not to say that it isn’t impressive! It’s just not my usual preference.
TMO: One component you are proud of utilizing in your music is the flute. Where did this idea come from? Do you play it yourself?
V: I was trained on flute from middle through high school. I was (and am) and big Jethro Tull fan, and I remember the singer of my band Golden Palace telling me I should play flute sometime on a song or live. I always dismissed the idea because we were a punk band. I never really gave it much thought. It wasn’t until I began writing my own songs (rather than co-writing with him) that I started to experiment with flute. I’ve always loved the sound and it just gave something different to the music. The first song I released with flute was “Silhouette” in 2013 and since then I have had it on every album. Even if I don’t hear it or imagine it in a song, I will usually pull it out and play along for a while to see if I come up with anything. For me, adding flute is liking adding strings: It lifts the music and gives it a softness/elegance even on heavy songs.
TMO: I agree with it adding a softness to the heavier tracks. It works a treat on “Edge” especially. I didn’t realize the flute parts were actually you playing! I apologise for my ignorance!
TMO: I want to stay mainly on the topic of the new album, so here’s a fun but difficult one: Can you rank the tracks on Aria in order from your least to most favourite?
V: This is going to be really difficult because each song helps carry the album. And I’m probably changing my favorite now to “Vanquish the Night” – I feel like it also sums up the idea and feeling of the album. So I’ll do favorite to “least favorite”:
Vanquish the Night,
Fever Dream,
Requiem,
Escape,
Whispers of Another World,
Horizon,
Ascension,
Encephalon,
Our Way,
Turn Back Time,
Nocturne.
Vanquish the Night,
Fever Dream,
Requiem,
Escape,
Whispers of Another World,
Horizon,
Ascension,
Encephalon,
Our Way,
Turn Back Time,
Nocturne.
TMO: Haha! Sorry for putting that pressure on you, I agree with them all being crucial to the flow of the record but it’s interesting to hear a ranking from the artist themselves.
V: It was difficult but fun to try to rank the songs and it’s always interesting to see where my favorites are compared to others’.
TMO: Now how about future plans? Are you the kind to consistently churn out new material? Or is it time to take a break and focus on personal stuff?
V: I have been putting out music consistently since 2011. It has always been because I felt compelled and driven and I don’t force myself to write, so you never know. That being said, “Aria” was intensely draining (but worth the effort), so I have really been enjoying a break from writing since finishing the album. Because of that there will probably be a bit longer of a gap this time, but every artist needs his or her recharge time here and there.
TMO: And how about the possibility of performing live? Is it on the cards to hire musicians and take Vitne on the road? Or is it strictly a studio project?
V: I would love to do that, but I don’t want a Threatin situation (of course I’m joking here a little bit). That was a pretty wild deal, huh? But anyway yes at some point I want to play live. I’ve spoken here and there with some friends in Norway who would at least like to do a one-off concert in Oslo, but it will be up to me to decide when and fix everything. It is still only a studio project at this point, but the desire to perform live is definitely there and absolutely a possibility.
TMO: That sounds refreshingly positive. Have you got any advice or suggestions for those starting up their own projects? Any dos and don’ts from your experience?
V: Just go for it. If you don’t do it, it will never happen. One thing I learned (the hard way, but then later it was advice I was given from a mentor) is with the first album you make yourself, do this: Record it, delete it, then record it again. It sounds awful, but thinking back, if I had released my very first album (pre-Vitne) without recording it all over again, it would have been a mess and a terrible album. You learn things during that first recording which you can do better when re-recording. You just need to keep doing it. Each time push yourself to be better than before, building on things you have learned. Learn which corners should never be cut (this is something you must learn yourself, not from some list of do’s and don’ts). Finally, don’t be an impossible perfectionist. Know when to let something go. You are the artist so you will always think something can be better. Just be proud of the work you’ve made. That is most important.
TMO: Fantastic! Always great to hear such detailed advice from a creative. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk about your music, Joseph – can’t wait for the next release! You can bet we’ll cover it here on TMO. Any final words?
V: I really appreciate your support and taking the time for the interview and for listening to the album! Thank to you everyone who reads and listens, and a big thank you to TMO for having me. Rock on!
Aria is available now on CD or digital from Vitne’s website or from bandcamp.
