Get to know: Evigt Mörker

Swedish producer Evigt Mörker is part of the new generation of artists oiling the cogs on the seminal Belgian imprint, R&S Records. With a sound that bounces from melancholia to the deeper, darker depths of driving techno, Mörker isn’t afraid to explore the most obscure corners of electronic music, building a discernible discography with releases on Semantica, Northern Electronics and of course, the iconic R&S Records.

Joining us for the first time in our Middle Floor on July 21st for the clubs first ever R&S showcase, Mörker had a chat with us ahead of the night to touch on his past with punk, his current sound and what’s next for the rest of the year… 

Prior to the Evigt Mörker sound we’re familiar with today, you dabbled in punk and rock bands during the mid 90’s. What was your role in these bands? 

Mainly drums. My father is an avid guitar player so I guess it was some sort of rebellion to not go down that road. Also, I really enjoyed hitting something hard with a stick. I miss it. 

What triggered you to produce electronic music after being involved in punk? Was there a particular event or artist you witnessed which marked the moment you decided to pursue electronic productions? 

I wanted to create something myself without the hassle of listening to other people’s ideas and input. My brother was heavily involved in the early rave scene and he showed me Fasttracker. I’ve basically been in front of a computer screen ever since. 

Do you think punk and techno have a strong connection? Some interpret techno as being too aggressive, too dark, too sombre…perhaps there’s some correlation there with punk or do you think they are polar opposites?

If there is a correlation I think it would be the DIY aspect of it that for me and my friends were the norm in the techno scene when I first got involved with it. Burning your demos on CDs and giving them to people, going to a lot of bad raves, setting up your own even worse parties, stuff like that. Musically I’m not sure. Well everybody sampled Liaisons Dangereuses to death, does that count? 

Your music has been described as ‘having a strong connection with the tradition of Swedish melancholy but never without the sense of salvation lurking in the shadows.’ How do you do achieve this particular melancholy in the studio? 

I think that was an apt description of the first releases I did, they were more melodic. That’s something I’ve become pretty bored with recently, I find it more challenging to convey emotions without melodies. In general regarding how I work in the studio, I try to experiment as much as I can with whatever I can use. We’re interested in your own label, the aptly titled ‘Evigt Mörker’. 

What’s the sonic direction behind the imprint? 

There is no sonic direction, there’s my direction. I need an output for myself since I can’t really be bothered with sending demos to labels. I think I will release more experimental music in the future. Or techno, who knows. 

What other events and releases have you got lined up for the rest of the year? 

I just released my second EP on Northern Electronics, a tribute to absolute power called ”Total Makt”. I’m also featured on a V/A-release on Substrato called “Submerged World”. Regarding gigs, I’m playing some Northern Electronics showcases and a few festivals, Orbits in Portugal and Nachtdigital in Germany among others. Not sure how the autumn will turn out yet. 

Leave us an R&S record which you consider to be one of the most pivotal tracks from the last 35 years from the label? 

Biosphere - Cygnus-A. 

I still play it a lot. And I’m not sure I would be doing music if it wasn’t for Selected Ambient Works by Aphex Twin. It’s a true honour to be part of an R&S showcase, I couldn’t have dreamt of that when I started out.