GENRE IS DEAD! Interview With Teloch Of Mayhem

GID: Thinking about the sound of Daemon and seeing some of the bands you’re playing with lately like [darksynth band] GosT, it seems like you guys are trying some new things. You even did your first music video last year. How’s it been getting out of that comfort zone and doing some new things this far in your career?

T: I think we all felt that things were moving so slowly. Everything seemed old and boring, so we just needed to do something fresh. That’s why we did the video and why we’re bringing on bands from other genres. We also changed our record label to freshen things up a bit. It’s all part of a plan to make it interesting for us to keep on doing this instead of doing the same stuff every day and every year.

GID: It is cool because with a band that’s been around as long as Mayhem, it’s easy to rest on your laurels and stay within your comfort zone and not really change anything.

T: It’s mostly for ourselves to do it, so that we can on doing this.

GID: Going back to the music video, what was that like doing that for the first time?

T: The band wasn’t at the shoot. I was the one that was mostly involved. I went down to the shoot myself and oversaw everything. I’ve been around music videos before, so it was nothing new for me, but it was definitely something new for Mayhem.

GID: Do you think you’ll do one again in the future?

T: I hope so! I’m always the one pushing for stuff like that, so I hope that something will come.

GID: Of course, Mayhem is well known for its past with Dead and Euronymous and even though the band has moved on from that, it still comes up years later. How does it feel to be pushing forward, but to keep grappling with the past?

T: The band’s history is very important of course, but I think as long as the original members keep talking about it, it will always be a subject for interviews, and it will always surface somehow. Of course, it’s a big part of their lives as well, so you can understand why they’re talking about it. But from my point of view, I always want to keep it focused on the music instead of the past. I think that’s better because the music is always secondhand when it comes to Mayhem.

GID: Mayhem has an interesting history and it is important, but the music is what really matters. With the band’s history, we’ve seen others tell Mayhem’s story and they never get it right or they focus on the wrong thing. When will Mayhem tell its own story?

T: I have no idea. I hope never. It’s better to have other people tell it because it’s better that the real truth never comes out. It’s more exciting and more mythical that way.

GID: Especially during a time with social media when everything is at your fingers tips and social media encourages people to overshare. It can take away some of that mystique.

T: Yeah that’s true.

GID: What’s something you’d like to do with Mayhem that you guys haven’t done yet?

T: Release an album every second year. That’s a small dream I have. I’m not sure if that’s possible because they’re used to releasing an album like every seven years or something like that. But it’s something we’re working on. I mean the last one was 2014 I believe and then now 2019, so it’s slowly moving in the right direction.

GID: It sounds like you’re the one that’s ready to get back making music as soon as possible.

T: Yeah, I’m most definitely the pushy guy in this band, that’s for sure. But I have an enormous work capacity so I’m fine with it. I love doing this.

GID: Mayhem has been going for 36 years and even though there’s been some trouble, some lineup changes, you keep pushing forward. What keeps you guys going and wanting to make new music?

T: For myself, it’s the creative process; that’s the reason why I live. It’s like a drug. I have to create something and it’s the best feeling in the world. That’s the only goal for me at this time. I’m not that fond of playing live or doing interviews and all the media bullshit, but this writing stuff, that’s what keeps me going.

GID: So, what’s next for Mayhem? Do you have anything that you’re working on right now?

T: Right now, it’s mostly focused on Mayhem and trying to find a plan B on how to make some income for the next few months. Also trying to get rid of some tour merch we have. We have about 8000 shirts to get rid of. We’re in big debt now because of the cancellation, so we’re basically trying to figure out how to cover all that loss. Our team is still shuffling things around to book this American tour again, so hopefully, they have some news within a couple of months. That’s what we’re working on these days.

GID: How can people help you guys out during this time?

T: Best way to support us right is to head over to thetruemayhem.com and go to our American store and buy tour merch. You can also show your support by streaming our albums. It’s sad, but I hope everyone comes out in the end, alive and we can get the ball rolling again, hopefully very soon.

Mayhem’s new album, Daemon, is out now. Stream it here. And if you can, help the band out by picking up some merch here. Teloch recently revealed he’s suffering from COVID-19 symptoms. Luckily, the guitarist said he’s already feeling better. Everyone at GENRE IS DEAD! wishes him a speedy recovery.

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