IHSAHN the legend of EMPEROR releases his new single and video clip “The Distance Between Us” – Digital Mediaverse

«Art draws on the metaphysical and the archetypes of our existence: it allows us to experience loss, death, love… it prepares us for all of those things in some way. That is the value, that is the perspective from which I want to create. – IHSAHN

IHSAHN has released the latest single taken from his upcoming self-titled album. «The Distance Between Us» introduces us to the most melancholic and spacious side of the release. Accompanying the track is a new and disturbing video, a continuation of the conceptual story that has spread through the previous singles, «Pilgrimage To Oblivion” and “Twice Born«, all filmed by Shaun Hodson in Loki Films.

The new album, definitively titled IHSAHNwill be released on February 16 through Candlelight Records. The Norwegian progressive metal visionary dares to take creative expressionism even further with his eighth studio work, and will release two melodically interconnected versions of the same album: one prog metal and the other fully symphonic, both creating a masterpiece with cinematic influences.

IHSAHN comment on the new topic:

«The first two singles were taken from the beginning of the conceptual narrative, generating the necessary arrogance and determination. With this latest single, we are approaching the end of the story and, therefore, both the music and the lyrics express a more reflective and melancholic perspective.

Listen to the orchestral version of «The Distance Between Us«:

Although his musical journey has often been revelatory, the masterful control of rhythm and movement displayed throughout “Ihsahn» shows his work as a singer-songwriter and composer at his most focused and self-assured. IHSAHN He claims that it is one of the most complex projects he has ever undertaken and that it is a gigantic effort, a labyrinthine rabbit hole designed by himself in which ambition is immediately evident. Completely self-produced and recorded over three years, the metal version has been mixed by Jens Bogrenthe orchestral version by Joel Dollie and both versions have been mastered by Tony Lindgren. Ihsahn freely admits that the process pushed him to his limits. He simply started with a piano.

IHSAHN comments:

«On average, since I was 16 I have released a full-length album every two years. And, you know, that’s given me the opportunity to explore different options, so for my eighth full-length solo album, I thought, ‘okay, how can I do what I do best, but also raise the bar tenfold?’ Deep down, what I do is black metal, distorted guitars and extreme screams, but since the first recordings of Emperor You can hear the keyboards influenced by classic soundtracks of Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Bernard Herrmann, John Carpenter, etc. So I approached the composition with the intention of presenting the material in all its metallic expression, but also of arranging the orchestral parts so that they worked independently. In a way, it was an attempt to write a soundtrack within the structures of the full production, allowing me to explore different, and sometimes contrasting, variations of essentially the same music. In the end I wrote all the music as a short piano score and arranged it for a typical band and orchestra ensemble accordingly, making sure everything fit together.”

It is that compositional core that allowed IHSAHN building the two albums from scratch, a herculean feat for the self-proclaimed self-taught musician, but it is perhaps that same absence of formal training that allowed him to throw out the rule book and simply follow his instincts, and the time granted by the pandemic created the void necessary to invest so much in the project. As it explains IHSAHNthat self-induced pressure arose from a desire to maintain the interest of his loyal fan base and his own, which is not only the defining feature of his latest album, but also the central characteristic of his entire solo career.

Booking “Ihsahn» here.

And from the orchestral grandeur of the opening theme «Cervus Venator» -whatever the face of ‘Ihsahn‘whichever you choose to sit with first-, the epic, soundtrack-rich, textured qualities of IHSAHN are immediately evident. It is a masterpiece no matter how you look at it, and the definitive expression of the limitless capabilities of IHSAHN as an artist. It’s a journey she’s looking forward to connecting with her dedicated fans.

They accompany IHSAHN on this album Tobias Ornes Andersen and Tobias Solbakk on drums and percussion, with the son of IHSAHN, Angell Solberg Tveitan, adding additional percussion and violins Chris Baum. The album illustrations are the work of Ritxi Ostarizand all promotional photographs of Andy Ford.

Not content with creating a double album, there is also a conceptual story that underpins both parts of «Ihsahn«: a pair of separate but intertwined Wagnerian narratives that revolve around the traditional hero’s journey, and although IHSAHN is reluctant to tell it all, confident that meaning will soon emerge for listeners willing to show the same commitment.

«I have had the honor of working with some amazing visual artists, who have had access to my scrapbooks, music, lyrics, stories, mood boards, etc. It’s been amazing to see how they’ve interpreted the material differently, but in a way that ties it all together. “It’s been incredible to see how everyone has interpreted the material differently, but in a way that brings it all together.”

«It is a privilege to be able to make music and travel the world to play it. And when I say that this is subjectively my greatest musical achievement to date, it has nothing to do with ego or prestige, but rather gratitude for the experience. Art is nourished by metaphysics and the archetypes of our existence, it allows us to experience loss, death, love… it prepares us for all of those things in some way. That is the value, that is the perspective from which I want to create.

(Photo – Andy Ford)