print interview

Ascension Magazine 2002.

1. Could you please write me a brief history of the band? Sorry Tomas but I have few time to search in your website!!!!

My initial musical endeavors commenced in 1989 by way of an industrial percussion project featuring Fredrik Bergström of No Festival of Light, Mikael Stavöstrand of Inanna and two additional friends of ours, Mattias Lindgren & Joakim Gustafsson, a venture which completed itself approximately one year later and hence resolved in the rise and ruin of Archon Satani between 1991 - 1993.

Following the subsequent ruin of Archon Satani in May of 1993 I pursued my aesthetic endeavors through the founding of Ordo Equilibrio which still remains intact to this very day through the essence of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. And which is how I have come to reach the position where I am at today.

2. I personally consider Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio as something totally different from the actual dark-apocalyptic musical area where you've been featured by the press...
Your approach to the music is totally different from the other bands of this scene...
You have a different approach in lyrics, music, and in the image of the band... Do you subscribe this opinion?

I suppose your assessment is just, but this alleged difference is however not something which I have chosen, nor something which I wish to distinguish myself by; ORE is who I am; a consequence of me, and me supposedly being different.

My cause is individual, not conducted for any greater good or evil. What I endorse I established on the fact that everything we know is destined to crumble; everything we know is destined to die.
This is a fact useless to dispute, the question has never been if only when; and in the meantime we owe it to ourselves; not anyone or anything else, to realize ourselves, our dreams, our hopes and inner desires, as much as we are capable of, in order to make the best of our individual destiny before the end. And If I am able to inspire someone and make someone realize his/her individual self, desires and dreams, by virtue of what I create through ORE, for any period of time, than good, but it's not essential for my individual cause of creation itself.

In spite of various people disputing the situation, we are seemingly different in a variation of aspects to several other bands that we are associated to by the media in general. But whether this is a particularly important question to distinguish, is a completely different question. And despite the fact that there is much more to ORE than what is customarily summarized in the general description of Apocalyptic Folk Industrials, I believe it relatively just description in comparison to others.

3. What's your personal opinion about this "so-called" apocalyptic scene?
What's your opinion about bands and individuals around this scene?

What's there to say?
I am principally associated to apocalyptic scene through the being of ORE, but beyond the operations of ORE, my association is quite insignificant, especially as there is no notable or particularly existent apocalyptic scene throughout Sweden or Scandinavia altogether.
I have however, thanks to my involvement, come to encounter a handful of truly fantastic individuals, both associated and disassociated to bands of the apocalyptic scene, who I am sincerely glad to know.

There are certainly a selection of gifted and altogether talented bands and artists performing as part of the appointed scene, who's endeavors and accomplishments deserve nothing but compliments and respect, but likewise, just as with any other scene, an even more extensive selection of genuine crap.

4. Sex (and generally eroticism) are one of the main themes of your songs... What about this kind of inspiration?

Sex is the reason for the being of everyone and almost everything.
Fantasizing, envisioning, recognizing, estimating, watching, reading, smelling, tasting and comprehending sex does certainly serve as a vast source of inspiration.
The existence of sex and sexuality is a substantial reason for the being of ORE, but likewise the reason of being for so much more; there would be sex without ORE, but there would not be ORE without sex; so I would say that sex is more important.

There is sexuality incarnated throughout the most intimate core of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio; musically, lyrically, aesthetically as well as ideologically, but I don't know if I would personally ascribe sexuality and/or eroticism as one of the main themes of ORE; there is the incarnation so much more; consciously balanced to nourish and uphold the various nuances of my intrinsic vision.
Eroticism is the surging of lust, intellectually, spiritually and emotionally utilizing and rendering lust. And if we succeed in instigating this condition unto a listener, utilizing the lust we canalize, we can merely be grateful.

Sexuality establishes who we are. Our conception, realization and acceptance of our individual sexuality are what essentially and fundamentally establish who we are and how we relate to ourselves.

Throughout my hitherto existence I have come to realize that I enjoy sex. I find it physically, psychologically spiritually and emotionally liberating in any consensual form. And within the manifestation of Stockings, Corsets & High Heels is where I find the intrinsic constituents of my sexual gratification; erecting an undeniable extent of my individual desire, appreciation and sexual nature, alongside the sexual and erotic essence of ORE.

5. Hey! Do you love Tinto Brass? What about?

Tinto Brass is brilliant.
He is an excellent director accountable for the making of several splendid and significant movies such as Saloon Kitty, Paprika and Caligula. Movies integrating themes of erotica, history and the essence of human nature; debased yet beautiful, tasteless yet refined.

6. Love, Sex, War... What's the connection of these three elements?

They are all different forms of creation and destruction.

"Rituals of Love, in the passage of Genocide / Song of Rose"
War and sex' has an intimate connection, seeing that the outburst of war extends the collated amplitude and variation of sexual activity amongst the affected populations.
The military state of affairs likewise furnishes the opportunity of homosexual relations to a greater extent to that of foregoing peace and serenity - necessity knowing no boundaries or limitations.
An additional connection ascertains that war is customarily accompanied by an appending increase in promiscuity and sexual offenses amongst the civilian populations.
War transcends ethnic limitations and extends the foregoing practice of sexual intercourse with the female residents of the vanquished region, customarily by means of rape and molestation.
Sister shall rise against sister; Brother shall rise against brother
And all over the world, people shall rise against each other
Sister shall make love to sister; Brother shall make love to brother
And all over the world, people shall make love to each other.

7. What "music" means for you?

Music is a wonderful and a fantastically nuanced form of expression, but such as all forms of aesthetics, but an aesthetic projection of someone's individual preferences and psyche, manifested through the projection of egoism; nothing more nothing less.
Music is how I express myself. But if it hadn't been music, it would have been something else.

8. What about your actual musical listening?

I listen to almost all sorts of music, as far as it is good that is - Marc Almond, Bridget Bardot, Nancy Sinatra, Lee Hazelwood, Johnny Cash, SPK, Laibach, Swans, The Weeping Willows and many more, alongside a variation of music from the same scene as we are part of ourselves.

9. What should the Italian audience expect from your forthcoming dates in our country? What about your shows?

Performing live we try to present an act that is aesthetically affiliated to the philosophical, spiritual, sexual & aesthetic conceptions of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio; whether it is akin to contemplated irony, militia or fetishism; further accompanied by drums, banners and flaming fires. But as we are still investigating the possibilities and disadvantages with regard to performing live, and still are learning about the necessary constituents to appropriately succeed according to our aspirations - the performance will most certainly evolve as we proceed.

So what may the Italian audience expect from our impending performances in Rimini and Milan next week?
Expect nothing and you won't be disappointed.

10. What do you expect to find in Italy?

Some prescutio, a bust of Mussolini, possibly some striptease, good food and warm weather.

11. Future plans?

Our contemporary ambitions are to release the already recorded "4 Life 4 Love 4 Lust And Roses" - 2 X 7" picture disc box (444 copies), 2 X 7" gatefold (666 copies) and MCD (888 copies) as instantly as possible, and from there initiate the work on a new full-length work and ultimately complete the long awaited Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio video.

We likewise intend to accomplish two more performances this year, one in Tampere (F) in July, and finally one in Berlin (D) at the end of October, and from there, take a long a well deserved vacation from everything that performing anywhere includes.

12. A message for the Italian audience....

Realize yourself, no one else will.

For any additional information concerning the past, present and future activities of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, please visit our homepage - http://ore.coldmeat.se

13. During your performances in Italy a lot of fans were surprised that you didn't play a real acoustic guitar on stage! Somebody was a bit disappointed by this... Would you like to tell the readers the reason 'cause you don't play real guitars on stage? What about this choice?

Employing acoustic guitars on stage is something which might happen sooner or later, but as there are already too many industrial/folk bands utilizing acoustic guitars throughout their musical performance on stage as well as on record without knowing why; it makes Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio considerably more distinctive and invariably unique to proceed on the path we have chosen, and continue not to.

14. Looking back at your experience in Italy: what about? What did you find in Italy?
What did you like and what did you dislike of this first Italian experience?

Our Italian experience was genuinely great. The food was great, the people were extremely nice, friendly and seemingly positive, and the overall impression exclusively positive.

15. What about NO FESTIVAL OF NEITHER LIGHT, ORDER, ROSES, NOR EQUILIBRIUM? Have you already planned some vinyl or cds releases for this brand new side-project of No Festival Of Light and Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio?

We are currently working on the release of an initial 10" vinyl which we hope to bring with us to Italy in October, but above and beyond these introductory plans we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

16. He he he... I heard some fans expecting something "harder" by your fetish-performances... What do you want to say them?

Although the spanking hurts considerably more than it appears to (just ask Sofia), it has to be asserted that utilizing any sort of alternative "performance" activities on stage beyond the musical performance itself; let it be spanking, bondage, penetration, masturbation etc., etc., needs to be a carefully considered act of equilibrium.
If we overexert ourselves on more than a handful of isolated occasions (successively becoming harder and more explicit as we progress), then we are doubtlessly requisite by public demand and continuing interest, to exceed ourselves again, and again, and again; and slowly but surely become banal and ridiculous; and at length, nothing more but parody of overenthusiastic dreams and desires where the exert of sexual debauchery becomes primary, and the music but secondary.
What would be the continuation and what would be the end?

17. What about your NEXT coming-up in Italy? What could you change in your shows?

There are still a few months to go before we find our way back to Italy, and until then, there are certainly numerous things which could change and befall.
Who knows what the future brings, a new record perhaps, or even as much as naked men and women eagerly longing and wanting to participate?
We just have to wait and see, don't we?