INTERVIEW: The Holy Mountain releases new EP

Oslo-based outfit The Holy Mountain is a dark synth pop trio whose musical world is formed by a unique blend of vocals, synth and accordion to craft an enthralling sonic experience that’s at once haunting and hypnotic. With Catharina Janner Røed on vocals, Andreas Angell on accordion and Aleksander Tidemann on beats and synths, The Holy Mountain has been going from strength to strength and connecting with fans around the world via multiple impressive releases.

Following their well-received 2023 release, The Dawns Here Are Quiet, the band returned this year with two new singles “Remains Unsaid” and “Searing Light” ahead of their latest release, their brand new EP titled They Are Asleep. This five-track release sees the band exploring new influences, including techno, sci-fi horror and synth pop, while maintaining the distinct aesthetic they’ve developed over the last few years.

They Are Asleep covers themes of collective ignorance, death and the decay of nature, all set against a backdrop of dark yet catchy synth pop. Recorded and mixed by Marcus Forsgren and mastered by Espen Høydelsvis, the EP is an immersive release that transports listeners to a world where the line between heaven and hell is blurred.

Started off with the soft synth textures and marching beat of “Never Know,” Catharina graceful vocals ride above the pulse of synths to cast an intricate synth pop soundscape. With Andreas colouring the arrangement with piquant dashes accordion, the chorus takes flight with ethereal vocal lines, lightly driving drums and enveloping instrumentation.

The EP’s new single “Searing Light” jumps with uptempo energy as punchy drums propel tumbling accordion lines before the song settles into a drifting dream pop vibe. Flicking between moments of lively energy and airy atmosphere, it’s a delicate outing that sees The Holy Mountain deliver a highly original and thoroughly memorable listening experience from start to finish. “Remains Unsaid” offers a grooving soundscape full of energy and intricate instrumentation to craft a truly infectious outing that offers the perfect snapshot of their original brand of alternative pop music.

Followed by “The Third Place,” brooding synths and percussive loops set a minimal style synth pop scene that develops with intricately dancing synths and hushed vocal delivery, creating an avant-garde style piece. Closing the EP with “Nature A. Sermon,” bright synth flourishes are met by a laid back beat and smooth vocal touches where the lively rhythm of the arrangement contrasts beautifully with the silky melodic threads of the vocals to offer an enchanting final moment on the band’s sensational new EP.

We caught up with The Holy Mountain to find out more about their musical journey so far, their new EP They Are Asleep and what they’ve got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with The Holy Mountain below.

How did you get together as a band?

We met at a music community college called Toneheim in Norway, 2010. At Toneheim, we played together a few times, but it was mostly just waltz and Balkan stuff for specific events. I remember we talked about starting a band together, since we had much of the same taste in music and film, but we didn’t start anything before a few years later, in 2013.

The story is that Andreas used to improvise repetitive patterns on the accordion while procrastinating his studies at the music academy. Later, he got Aleksander involved, knowing he was into the same stuff. We were both very fascinated with minimalism (music genre) and cult movies at the time. When Aleksander got involved, it was only drums and accordion for years before the band eventually expanded with synths and vocals.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

We are inspired by many different genres with a dark and mesmerizing atmosphere. These days we are inspired by artist such as Ruby Haunt, Abelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks), M|O|O|N, Kavinsky, but also other styles such as Philip Glass, John Carpenter and even accordion-related artists such as Motion Trio.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Often I get a sense of a harmonic or melodic line, or a rhythmic pattern, and I explore this through the piano. If its too clean, then I often feel the urge to “mess it up” or “make it weirder”, with dissonance or make the rhythm funkier. From there I try to feel the sound and imagine what expression lies beneath.

What’s been your highlight of the year so far?

To release this new album! This is really the most fun we have done so far, and we feel very much at home in this style. It’s like we have been fumbling in the dark for ten years and we have finally arrived where we belong. We love it and it sounds great much thanks to our brilliant studio technicians Marcus Forsgren and Espen Høydalsvik.

What do you love about the Oslo music scene?

There is a blend of musical diversity in Oslo and there is always room for more styles. There are many great scenes to listen to many underground talents.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

Out in the dark, surrounded by fog, all by yourself.

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

We started very much with our own thing (accordion and drums) and gradually built on that over time. This is not to say that we’re not inspired by others or don’t take elements from other artists into our own music, but we are more conceptually oriented. For instance, in 2020, we did a fully electronic synthwave album, called Ending it All Tonight, where we dove into the whole synthwave/vaporwave world and created something new with those constraints. But right after, in 2023, we did something radically different by creating a Nordic jazz-inspired album with lots of ballads.

I think it has made the style and sound of our music interesting and very unique. For this new release, we have been inspired by the whole Twin Peaks season 3 vibe, listening a lot to artists like Ruby Haunt, Chromatics, John Maus, Desire, Electric Youth, and other dark synth-pop acts. We like this quirky and melancholic synth music and hope to continue this style in the coming years.

Has your production process changed much too?

Yes, it usually starts with a melody, beat or set of chords in the head. A feeling. Then there’s a race to get it down on paper or on MIDI before its gone. Andreas usually does the main songwriting and will create demos in Ableton with lots of soft synths and drum machines. Then, we decide how to shape the songs together, experimenting with which instrument should play what part, which synths we should use, tempos, drumming etc., eventually grinding it down to a core song in the rehearsal room a little later in the process.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

Today it would be Ruby Haunt! Just listened to his album Blue Hour this morning.

How did you find making your new EP ‘They Are Asleep’?

For example, the fourth track of our new EP, called The Third Place, was created when Andreas had the idea for the characteristic bass line when he was washing his hands. On the other hand, the intro to Nature. A Sermon, the very last song on our new release, was inspired by the music of A Clockwork Orange by Wendy Carlos. So, it varies quite a bit where the songs come from, but they all start with an initial idea or feeling.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

When we release new music, it’s not ours anymore. It exists out there, and people should make up their own minds what the message is. And I love it that way!

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

It’s very hard for us to pinpoint the most important aspects of our music. We feel that this is more for others to say. But we hope that our music has a dark vibe and melancholic atmosphere to it. It’s introverted with a lot of energy that often tries to communicate some kind of inner struggle. We sometimes say that our music is a mix of synth-pop, Baroque church music and Rock’n roll, where the sound is very much defined by using accordion.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

We love collaborating with other expression and arts – in 2019 we played in a festival in Bergen where there were lots of different music, video-instalments, painters, performers, and that was so awesome to be a part of. The best audience we have had yet.

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

Philip Glass, Cliff Martinez and Macintosh Plus in a farm in Kongsberg, Norway.

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

Stay out of tune and out of shape, and try to make that work. I think its always more interesting when “something is off” rather than a musical expression where “everything’s right”.

Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2024?

Playing gigs and write some new ideas through the summer. We always want to look forward to new projects.

Listen to They Are Asleep below