When, after much deliberation, you decide to go solo and then deliver a very good debut album almost unannounced, you can of course be very content. But if you then strike out mercilessly with a rock-solid successor, you can definitely say that you are working on something exceptionally good. That’s pretty much the story of Beenkerver in a few sentences: in the space of about a year, Niels “Beenkerver” Riethorst manages to impress with his latest musical considerably. Of course, it is then only logical that we then engage with him in conversation…
Hi there Niels and welcome to The Whispering Darkness. Your new EP is out for a couple of days now, time to blow off some steam I suppose. How do you look forward on these three new tracks and their creative process?
Thank you for having me! Indeed, I have just released my ‘Twee Wolven’ EP. The creative process was interesting for sure. Since I haven’t done an EP before I had to discover what balance of songs and intensity would work best. I work best in bursts of creativity, sometimes almost uncontrollably needing to write music or lyrics. In my case, that often happens in times where I am mentally not in the best place. So music is my cathartic release. The three songs on ‘Twee Wolven’ were written as one, and once I got in the that frame of mind, it got written quite quickly.
In my review on ‘Twee Wolven’ I, obviously, compared this new EP to your debut album from last year, ‘Ontaard’. While I really liked the debut a lot when I reviewed it, I think the ‘Twee Wolven’ is quite a stunning step up from its predecessor. One thing that struck me most was the individual density of the tracks and the overall coherence of the songs of this EP. Can you relate to that? And what do you consider the most prominent differences between the two releases?
Let me take this opportunity to thank you for the great review you wrote. I am also quite happy with the results of the songs on the EP, and I definitely relate to your comment on it feeling more coherent than ‘Ontaard’. I really approached this EP as one long song, telling one story instead of separate ones as I did on the previous album. I suppose that is the most prominent difference; ‘Twee Wolven’ tells a single story in three chapters where I constantly come back to the essence of what I wanted to tell. That allowed me to use Aristotle’s three-act structure both lyrically as well as musically. Other than that, in my opinion the drums, guitar riffs and the production are a big step up compared to ‘Ontaard’.
The conceptual content of ‘Twee Wolven’ is a rather interesting one, it is derived from the Native American culture. How did you get into this topic? Is this something that you particularly interested in? At least it seems very far removed from some of the subjects you covered with some of your other musical endeavors, who are mostly about local historical topics.
The origin of the ‘Twee Wolven’ story is indeed based on a Cherokee parable which has been used in many shapes and forms over the years; in literature, music, film. I certainly don’t want to culturally appropriate this Native American story, but I do have a cultural appreciation for the parable and recognise the underlying theme of the prime battle of good versus evil. What fascinated me is how it focusses on the internal human mind, instead of pointing towards an external good or evil as European stories often do.
Continuing on the previous questions, although ‘Twee Wolven’ is based on something that seems to be different from the lyrical topics of ‘Ontaard’, but a closer look learns that both seem to delve into the deep psyche of the human mind. They are both about emotions and about certain states of mind. I cited in the ‘Twee Wolven’ review that ‘Ontaard’ had something of a biographical character to it. How do these lyrical and conceptual topics relate to your personal life and view on life as a whole?
You’re absolutely right that both albums have the psyche of the human mind as their central topic. On ‘Ontaard’, it was often packaged in the shape of a story from local folklore or exaggerated themes from my own life, mainly focussed on the loss of a loved one and the sorrow and pain that stem from that feeling. Something I went through when writing ‘Ontaard’. In that sense, I do as all writers do: ‘write what you know’ and amplify it.
With ‘Twee Wolven’, the story I am telling has no specific setting of time or place. No safety bars of being grounded in reality. It can all be interpreted as an internal monologue. What I tried to do is take my thoughts about life and my own morality and insecurities and zoom in and enhance the thoughts I had that when I got reacquainted with the two wolves parable. The whole right versus wrong issue, in the broadest sense of the word, is being pushed so hard in society as well as in our own individuality, that I fear that the balance of emotion and reason is often lost as if it was a binary code. While in my opinion, the world exists in many shades and intensities of colours. We all have our rights and wrongs, our strenghts and weaknesses, our vices and virtues. Once we lose the ability to admit that, we dive head-first into a direction that can make it incredibly difficult to get away from. We stop listening to each other, we shout what we think is right or good, and become deaf to anything else. That is a dangerous concept, one I tried to explore in my music by opting for a third option. The contradiction that we are all equal parts good and evil and the willingness to accept that, is where the inner conflict lies. And conflict is the backbone of any story.
Back to the music and the Native American background of the EP. Something else I cited in the review for the EP is that I heard some resemblances to bands like Blackbraid, which can safely be considered as the flagbearer of the Native American Black Metal scene. To quote myself, it is particularly the grand epic and the deep dynamics that struck me. Do those bands appeal to you personally and were they of any influence on your music?
I have huge respect for Blackbraid and Sgah’gahsowáh, I think it is wonderful that Native American lore and culture is getting such a good representation in black metal, and that he is doing so well right now is more than deserved. Musically, I can understand you hear a resemblance, though I can only attribute it to a shared fierce passion to tell stories. My musical influences come more from 80’s new wave (the melancholic melody) and a plethora of early/mid 90’s black metal bands from my youth. When working on a new album, I also don’t listen to metal at all. Not that I am afraid I will copy anyone, but it’s too distracting for me. Too intense. Once I get in the mindset of writing, the theme and atmosphere I want to achieve are all that matter.
Probably prompted by the concept of ‘Twee Wolven’, but despite the generally firm tempo and sharp melodies, I sense a certain doomy slant as well, especially in the last track (‘Part 3 – De Verliezer’). I referred to it by comparing it (slightly) to old Katatonia. Is that something that crept in by accident, or does that fit one of the wolves that stands for the bad in man?
We can call it a ‘happy accident’ I suppose, haha. I always wanted the third chapter of ‘Twee Wolven’ to be more melancholic, and start out somber. The third song is called ‘de verliezer’ (the loser) so the more bleak tone is fitting. In that sense, the comparison to Katatonia is one I embrace, thank you.
Thematically, I think the third song is more about acceptance than anything else. Where it feels I lost my own bearing by releasing myself from the hard-coded right or wrong thought process, and where that acceptance is initially painful and disorienting, I become increasingly more confident in my new mindset. I tried to make that transition come across in that specific song.
Both ‘Ontaard’ and ‘Twee Wolven’ were released through German Vendetta Records, a label with a distinct vision not only on music but also on social issues. In our brief conversation, I understood between sentences that you feel comfortable with them. How exactly did you end up with Vendetta Records?
After a fruitless search for a label to partner with, I self-released ‘Ontaard’ digitally through Bandcamp and Youtube during Summer 2022. About a week after the release, Vendetta emailed me to ask if I was interested in working together. After doing some research on Vendetta’s principles, I welcomed his offer with open arms. Their beliefs are close to mine and that has created a solid base on which we can work together very well. One of the greatest things that came from this collaboration is that I got in touch with many other bands and artists that work with Vendetta, and made some good friends along the way.
‘Ontaard’ was also released on CD and vinyl via Vendetta Records, ‘Twee Wolven’ was currently only released in a (quite) small edition on tape and sold out in no time. What does the future look like in this regard? Will people soon be able to buy this new EP on other formats, and will there be a second run of tapes?
Since this was a shorter release (the ‘Twee Wolven’ EP is around 16 minutes long) it made the most sense to us to release it as a limited edition tape. Besides the principle of scarcity as defined by Robert Cialdini, it also has the nostalgia factor and honestly, it seems tapes are as popular now as they were in the 90’s. I’m very grateful it sold out so fast, and of course I understand (and share) the desire for more physical releases. Currently we have no plans for a second run or other formats, but don’t be surprised if the EP will appear on a future album as a bonus track.
I think you set the bar pretty high with ‘Twee Wolven’. How will you tackle the follow-up to this EP? Have you taken any concrete steps towards this, perhaps?
I certainly do, in fact the second full length album is nearly done. The mix and master are right here in front of me, and as we speak the amazing artist Bram Bruyneel (who also did the cover illustration of ‘Twee Wolven’) is working on the artwork for this album.
I’m keeping this one close to my chest for now, but I can say that if you like the direction ‘Twee Wolven’ took musically, you’ll enjoy the new album too. One mayor change will be that I decided to try my hand at a more narrative approach instead of an introspective one. We’re probably looking at an early 2024 release.
Personally, I think Beenkerver sounds pretty different from most of what you’ve been involved with in the past. Plaagdrager may be closest to it musically, but most of it is much more epic and folk-oriented. What made you take a somewhat fiercer and bolder approach with Beenkerver? Musically, I also compared ‘Twee Wolven’ with Forteresse, a band that hits the accelerator well and is peppered with very catchy melodies, which makes this all sound very different from :Nodfyr: or Stormbreker for instance.
I agree, Beenkerver is a different animal altogether. While I am happy to have been part of my previous bands, Beenkerver is something where I feel much more at home with what I do and have far more control over the artistic and musical/lyrical vision. I was never good at ‘playing with others’ in the old school rehearsal room setting, being an introvert among 5 other (for example) extraverted guys. With Beenkerver and Plaagdrager (in which I play with my longtime friend CW), I am able to create the music that has been brewing inside me for many years.
Perhaps I have now reached the age and life experience where I am confident to let it all out and that causes the more ferocious sound? I have never listened to the band you mentioned but I definitely agree that Beenkerver sounds very different from :Nodfyr: or Stormbreker. And I’m glad for that as well. Let it be its own thing.
Although you also perform as a multi-instrumentalist in a number of other bands and projects, with Beenkerver you are on your own. I assume without question that this was a deliberate choice, but I am curious about the motivation behind it. What makes you choose to do this alone, and does that make it your most personal musical product?
It is freeing to work this way. Like I mentioned, I am a classic introvert and discussing something that is so personal to me as music with others can be very draining. It took me some time to finally take this step to ‘go solo’ and it is honestly wonderful. Zero compromises. No endless debates on trivialities. Music is such a personal and strong force in my life, and I truly see it as a form of therapy for depression and anxiety. Beenkerver is my personal medicine.
I do want to make clear that while Beenkerver is a solo band and I am responsible for all the themes, music and lyrics, I don’t work alone. I value the contributions of Nico de Wit (drums), Robert Aarts (production) and Bram Bruyneel (cover illustration) on ‘Twee Wolven’ immensely.
Needless to say that yes, Beenkerver is my most personal musical work to date.
Looking back, you have indeed built a nice resume with a good number of bands a noteworthy discography. Are there any releases among them that are closer to your heart than others? Or perhaps even select things you’d rather not remember?
Interesting question. I don’t have any truly bad experiences in any of the bands that I have been a part of, fortunately. I will never forget the creation of the first Heidevolk album. My first time recording in a studio (fun detail, producer on that record was Robert Aarts, who also did the ‘Twee Wolven’ production!), having to perform under pressure of the red-light of recording, the whole experience of writing the music with 5 other people. It was quite the thing for 20 year old Niels. What I didn’t like was having a flat tyre in heavy traffic in the middle of Belgium while on our way to our first gig, haha.
I also hold very fond memories of another old band of mine called I Shall Move The Earth. I am still very proud of the music we created for that one, and it’s a shame we weren’t able to push forward with that. Though in many ways, it was also the start of my musical collaboration with CW, with whom I now play in Plaagdrager. It’s all linked, all experiences and the people involved. One door closes, another one opens.
I would like to thank you very much for sharing your views and thoughts, Niels. On this occasion, I leave the last words to you…
Thank you for your interesting and insightful questions! It was a pleasure and it made me reflect on my own music and thoughts, which is great. Don’t lose your own way in life and once in a while, allow your own two wolves to roam free in your mind. Beenkerver shall return.
