LH: Hi there. Congrats on the release of your debut album ‘The Malediction Fields’. The overwhelming majority of the reviews I’ve read have showered it with praise, so I guess you’re really happy with the response you’ve had?

The Watcher: Indeed, we have received a lot of very positive feedback from the album and it’s certainly satisfying when people appreciate something in which you’ve invested so much of your time and - more importantly - yourself. That so many listeners have found the album affecting to some degree is encouraging. Because the album was self-recorded and doesn’t sound ‘polished’ we were a little worried about what the response would be but as you say, reactions have been by and large favourable.

LH: I know there was a slight delay with the release of the album, which you state clearly on your MySpace page is no fault of the labels. What was the hold up with getting it out?

The Watcher: I’m not entirely sure what the technicalities behind the delay were – it was something to do with the distributors deciding to hold all ‘underground’ releases until the new year but that’s about all I know. It was a little frustrating but in real terms only meant a delay of just over two months. It wasn’t a lot although when you’re waiting nervously for your work to be received, each additional day is a bit of an anticipatory torment!

LH: You recently signed a deal with Code 666 records, which seems an ideal label for you to have joined really with bands like Negura Bunget on their roster. I was wondering how the deal came about; and did you have the album ready to present to the label, or was the deal in place before you began recording?

The Watcher: The deal came out of the blue, basically. ‘Ancient Sorrow’, our first MCD, had been out on Northern Silence Productions for about to months when we received an email from Code666 offering us a deal on the strength of that first release. We were of course quite flattered – we were very happy with Northern Silence and hadn’t been considering looking for another label at all. However, not only was Code666 the home of Negura Bunget, Ameseours and other artists whom we respected but they were also able to offer us considerable distribution and support. Not only this but they seemed genuinely interested and excited about what we were doing. It was all of these factors combined that convinced us to agree to the deal.

LH: I’m aware that the album was self-produced in your own studio. Was this down to financial constrictions, or were there other main reasons? You come across as the kind of artist that likes to be in control of what’s going on, and kind of a perfectionist when it comes to your work. I wondered if this had more to do with the decision to self-produce the album; maybe because you had a specific sound you wanted that you didn’t think an outside producer could achieve as well as yourselves. Would you say this is fairly accurate?

The Watcher: The album was self-recorded for a number of reasons but I guess you are right, that complete control was the most pressing factor. Fen is a very personal band and while I don’t doubt we could have had a more technically precise sound by using a professional studio, it would have meant surrendering in some way an element of control to a third party. At this stage, I really wouldn’t feel comfortable with an external influence affecting our sound. Of course, there is a financial benefit to using one’s own equipment but this is far less a consideration than that of control. We can record in our own way, at our own time and, within the limits of the technology we have to hand, create entirely our own sound.

To me, the perfect production for the type of music we are creating is a blend between power, clarity and mystery. I don’t WANT to hear in precise, clear detail everything that’s going on within the music. I want it in many ways to sound like a sonic ‘mist’, a wave of sound with each instrument merging with the others to create a soundscape that envelops the listener. The very best atmospheric albums are those where something new is heard each time, where you are not quite sure whether or not you have heard something lurking deep within the mix. There’s almost something subliminal at work.

An organic element is something we were keen to capture as well. We recorded the drums, bass and some of the rhythm guitars live in order to ensure that the recorded sound is as honest as possible. With the evolution of home recording software/hardware, even the smallest PC-based bedroom studios have access to absurdly powerful editing software where, at the click of a button, a ragged drum track or a missed bass note can be moved around, cut up, rearranged and reassembled into something perfect. This is not our goal at all and I feel would be completely detrimental to the Fen experience. Indeed, I continue to question the tech-assisted approach to perfection that infests so many metal bands. No music is perfect, what’s wrong with a touch of humanity in your sound? Metal is performed by humans not machines so why strive to make it sound otherwise?

LH: Code 666 is an Italian based label, and although they seem to have an excellent distribution system in place, I was wondering if this causes any problems with you being based in the UK? Having said that, after reading a recent interview (in Terrorizer), I get the distinct impression that you are disenchanted with the Black Metal scene in the UK altogether. Was this one of the factors why you chose to sign to a foreign label, which could maybe help you get out of the UK, rather than more of a UK based label?

The Watcher: As we outlined above, we weren’t seeking a deal really so a question of choice didn’t really come into it. Code666 made the offer and the factors surrounding it were too good to pass up. I wouldn’t be adverse to signing to a UK-based label on principle – that would be silly - however I really can’t see which label we would belong to. There aren’t all that many UK-based labels who deal in the type of music we are creating. As it stands though, we are currently very satisfied with our arrangement with our label. In this internet era, there are no real geographical disadvantages to being signed to a foreign label and indeed, it gives us a connection to Europe and potentially opens us up to a much wider audience.

LH: I certainly must agree that the UK doesn’t have much of a fine reputation for decent black metal, although with bands like Fen, Skaldic Curse, Wodensthrone, etc. do you hope that you can change that and breathe some life (or death) into the stagnant UKBM scene?

The Watcher: Just to clarify a previous point, its not that I am totally disenchanted with the current state of the UK black metal scene, far from it. I do feel however that it has languished behind more illustrious scenes for many years, this is true and if you’d ask me about this a few years ago my response would have been less positive for sure. However some acts have started to really develop now and deliver real music of genuine quality. Wodensthrone, Niroth, Lyrinx, Ghast, Caina, these are all bands/projects of a very high standard. I’d urge anyone reading to check these artists out as soon as possible if they haven’t already done so.

If we are perceived as being a part of this ‘new wave of quality UKBM’ (as I’ll dub it from now on) then I’m happy to accept that. Here and now in 2009 there are a good number of excellent bands from these isles and there is no reason now why the UK can’t at last stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Swedish, French, Norwegians or any other country which is general considered to produce ‘premium’ black metal.

LH: I think there is definitely a preconception that the kind of ambient black metal you are playing cannot be made in the UK. I remember pointing out, when I reviewed your gig with Negura, just how ‘Un-British’ you sound, but it’s so easy to forget that our country isn’t just all big cities and built up land. Would I be right in assuming that the name “Fen” is somehow relate to The Fens in East Anglia, which of course has some lovely rural areas made up of marshlands, fields and forestry?

The Watcher: I guess this also addresses another point – what is the ‘British’ sound? Up until now, the UK has lacked an overarching sonic thread that links the bands from this nation. Then again, this could be construed as a good thing as it promotes a sense of individuality and prevents a sense of cultural sonic stereotyping – after all, remember back to when the so-called ‘Swedish sound’ became something of an anachronism. The UK represents such a diverse melding of cultures and concepts that I think we should embrace the diversity within the black metal scene. The only thing that matters is quality, sincerity and integrity.

A fen is a low-lying area of marshy land and the fens in East Anglia is the largest such stretch in the UK. Much of the East Anglian fens consist of reclaimed land with much of it having been under water until the first half of the 1800s. Growing within this unique and strangely captivating landscape had a profound effect upon me and when embarking upon a project that sought to give voice to quite personal expressions, calling it Fen made perfect sense. Such stark landscapes are inspirational – it is not ‘classic’ English countryside in this part of the world, rather it is bleaker, harsher, more mysterious with the evidence of humanity adding a profound sense of dereliction. Scattered columns of telegraph poles sinking into the peat, abandoned barns, rusting machinery, this only adds to the sense of bleakness and loss that pervades the region.

Ultimately, the music, emotions/concepts and visual landscapes are all fundamentally intertwined – they are like the three points of a triangle, each represent a cornerstone of Fen.

LH: I know the area is rich in history; it wasn’t that long ago that the entire East of England was completely submerged in water, until it was drained which is why the ground is so swamp-like in parts of East Anglia. Also, I’m aware that there have been a number of archaeological digs in the region and some ancient treasure was recently unearthed. I was wondering how interesting the historical aspects are to you and if any of this kind of theme is incorporated into your lyrics at all?

The Watcher: The history of the area is referenced in the lyrics, certainly, but in a more abstract, spiritual sense as opposed to a direct account of actual events. Allusions to ancient spirits that dwell within the soils, of ghosts that inhabit the twilit waterways – there are many hidden stories within the fens, a whole wealth of hidden history beneath the feet of one who walks there. Vikings, Romans, Saxons, there are many throughout history who have left their mark upon the area. Indeed, my parent’s village is named directly after a Viking explorer who settled in the area in the midst of the Dark Ages. It is a region at once both mysterious and sinister, its history not particularly well documented which to me renders it even more compelling .

LH: I personally find your music incredibly tranquil; the perfect album to have on my MP3 player while wandering through the forest or somewhere surrounded by nature, or when I want my mind to be taken to such places, whereas the ambience doesn’t soak in as much when surrounded by modern distractions of computer screens and buildings. Definitely I’d say there is a certain mind set you have to be in to get the most out of listening to the album, and I was interested to find out if it is similar for you when writing the music; do the ideas tend to come to you easiest while walking alone through the bleak fields of Norfolk or somewhere surrounded by nature, as opposed to writing music for one of your other bands which you can write in the back of a van or in a pub somewhere?

The Watcher: The music springs unbidden and normally when the surroundings are right. Not just physical surroundings – emotional atmosphere has a large part to play in the creative process. It must be said that the material flows more naturally when I am back in the area (I am based in London for much of the time), it sometimes feels as if the land speaks to me. Nevertheless, there are places of refuge in London that can engender such a feeling and a lot of inspiration can come late at night, sat alone in my room with the mind roaming.

It is not only solitude and reflection that brings inspiration though – a lot of our material evolves in the rehearsal room, accentuating the more organic side of the band through extended jams. When the mood takes us, one simple riff can evolve with each member finding themselves ever-more swept up in the gradual escalating process of improvisation. To feel a song growing as you play through it, to develop sonic textures in unity as a band – in essence, to be creating as one – is a very special feeling.

LH: I’ve seen your music labelled as “Pagan metal”, which is a tag that gets thrown around far too casually. I was wondering if you do in fact have any interest/belief in Paganism, and whether you feel this term really fits your music or not?

The Watcher: We often get asked about Paganism and as far as I am concerned, it is a very loose, ambiguous term these days. It seems to be bandied about without much thought and bands from Primordial to Korplikaani are tagged as being ‘Pagan’ at the moment yet in essence/ideology, the bands are worlds apart. Strictly speaking, Paganism is a catch-all term devised by the Christian Church during the early Middle Ages to refer to (and demonise) all pre-Christian religions. Therefore, in the strictest sense of the term, any band adhering pre-Christian religious outlook could I guess rightfully term themselves as a Pagan band.

For us, we are not religious people and in that sense, the Pagan term is inappropriate. Whilst we are fascinated by ancient religions on a scholarly level and certainly have a deep scepticism of any incarnation of monotheism, none of us ‘believes’. Having said that, for many, paganism refers to a reverence of nature, a worship of the wilderness and appreciation for older times, lifestyles and outlooks.

LH: I don’t wish to make this an interview about your other numerous bands/projects, but there’re just a couple of things I was curious about. Firstly, the fact that you are involved with such a diverse range of bands says to me that you have a very open mind when it comes to music and that there is not only one style that you listen to or that influences you. Would this be accurate, and would you say that each of the different bands allows you to show a slightly different part to your personality?

The Watcher: I am deeply passionate about many different types of metal and maintaining a number of projects enables me to keep each expression ‘pure’ as it were. A lot of people propagate the theory that an individual into an eclectic range of music should attempt to throw everything into one pot with the aim of creating something truly diverse and exciting. This so rarely happens though and much of the time, one is left with a stodgy, half-baked mish-mash of conflicting concepts. It’s like mixing up all of the colours of your paint palette into one colour – what do you invariably get? Dull brown. It’s the same with music – an element of self-editing must be exercised and the greatest sense of exploration can come from a more focussed brief.

Each project that I am involved with highlights a different yet complementary aspect of my creative character. It could be perceived that there are loose common themes playing throughout each yet they are all clearly defined and very separate entities. Each one enables the others to become stronger, more focussed, more refined and less distracted.

LH: You are obviously 100% committed to the scene and to your music to be involved to such great extent. Are there ever times when it becomes a problem trying to juggle your various projects?

The Watcher: It is a lot of effort, to be sure. As of yet, I haven’t had any major problems aside from having to rearrange clashing rehearsals, that sort of minor inconvenience. It can sometimes be quite tiring but this is a small price to pay for the creative satisfaction that is achieved from allowing various facets of my musical creativity to (attempt to, at any rate!) flourish. As it stands, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Maybe in the future if things take off more and/or if increased responsibilities fall upon my shoulders (children, homeowning, that sort of thing) I may have to start rearranging things but as it stands, I have things nicely balanced at the moment.

LH: I’ve noticed that you aren’t a particularly active band on the live circuit, and that you tend to be quite selective with the kind of bands you play with. The whole atmosphere at the Negura gig was spot on, and your set complimented the headliners’ perfectly, so I can totally see why you would rather play gigs like this rather than supporting, say, a brutal death metal band where the styles wouldn’t compliment each other as well. I imagine this limits you quite a lot when it comes to finding gigs to play. Do you plan to ever venture outside of London and do a full UK tour?

The Watcher: This is entirely our intention. I have played enough gigs on inappropriate so-called ‘eclectic’ (i.e. a mish-mash of whatever bands the promoter to get hold of) bills in my time to know that these are a total waste of everyone’s time. I would rather play one show in a year of the calibre of the Negura Bunget show than dozens of pointless gigs with emo bands. Not only that, as I alluded to earlier, a sense of mystery and atmosphere surrounding a band of our nature is of paramount importance and there is the danger that relentless gigging can strip away that ambience. Over-exposure is something we want to try and avoid, it would be deeply counter-productive.

We do have some shows in the pipeline – we are playing Manchester on the 22nd March for a festival of black/death metal which is the first time we have played outside of London in nearly a year. A few days after that we are supporting Agalloch in London which should be an awesome show. We also have a tour in Germany pencilled in for September which is quite exciting and will be our first proper tour. So while we don’t want to overplay gigs, we certainly do not shy away from the live environment.

LH: I’d say it’s quite a positive thing, in a way, that you don’t saturate the scene by playing every show you possibly can, like some bands that jump on every local billing and soon everyone is sick to death of seeing them. Plus, especially for a band like yourselves, if you played every week then some of the mystery and the rawness would soon get lost. Is this something you consciously try to avoid?

The Watcher: Exactly. As I explained above, over-exposure for a band of our ilk is not necessarily a good thing. Audiences can very quickly become desensitized to bands that play too often and this is something we definitely want to avoid. Playing live for us is quite an emotional, draining experience and we never want to reach a point where we feel as if we have to ‘go through the motions’.

LH: I’ve just one final question, since it has plagued my mind as I’ve been writing this interview. Why “The Watcher” as your pseudonym?

The Watcher: It represents a passive, patient observer. For my role in Fen, it ties in with the sensations achieved from the creative and performance process. There is a sense of transcendence, a sense of physical detachment and it is almost as if I am watching myself when the performance is taking place.

LH: Thanks for this interview and all the best with the band! Any final words of wisdom?

The Watcher: I think we’ve covered everything here Luci, you’ve shown a great insight into the essence of the band. Hopefully this will have inspired MetalteamUK readers to dip into our material and join us on the journey. Thanks for the interview.

For more on the band check out www.myspace.com/fenband
http://www.code666.net

Interviewed by Luci Herbert

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