The ultimate expressions of Pete Flesh

Hello there Pete, and congratulations on a great album! It is released under the name ‘The Pete Flesh Deathtrip’. When did you decide to change the band name, and why was such a change necessary?
Thanx for the words. I decided to change the name during the process of the new album due to the fact that I felt that I would take this project into a more personal direction. Personal in the sense that I would use an wider spectrum of influences. I am not talking about drastic changes, more in the mental way that I felt that there not would be any boundaries for my creativity. When this project only went under the moniker Flesh I also had bands like Deceiver and Thrown where I could unload different ideas, now I would only do this solo project and I felt that I wanted a fresh start in some way. For me, Flesh and The Pete Flesh Deathtrip are the same thing, just a bit more developed and wider towards the creation of song writing.

So "Mortui Vivos Docent" is the name of your new release, and If I am not mistaken it means ‘The dead teach the living’’. Or something like that! What is the lyrical concept (if there is any) behind it? What could the dead teach the living?
Yes, you are right about the meaning. I do songs about death, the dead and the thoughts and topics that surrounds its meaning. The resources is of course endless. And when I say I do songs about this I don't mean zombies and splatter, which I of course have nothing against. But for me, if I will do T.P.F.D.T to the ultimate expressions for myself as a person I will only do things that comes natural for me, and this does, simple as that. The title has alot of multi-meanings and different angles. For me, some of them are pretty obvious if you have some kind of individual, critical or philosophical way of thinking.

Your music is mainly extreme, but has managed to include many other emotions through its extremity! How difficult is to compose such a multi angled music?
When I decided to put down Deceiver and Thrown and only do this I slowly notice that I got more and more confidence in how I wanted to express myself through creativity. I listen through all albums I have been involved in, from the first Maze of Torment album to the last Deceiver album. The stuff that I'm most satisfied with is the stuff where I not have been thinking of any genres or how things should be done, where I only have focused on different atmospheres and vibes, stuff where I have been the most personal and honest to myself. I notice that I sometimes sounds like an fucking hippie or guru in my explanations, it's not that. I'm still an Bathory and Possessed maniac. I have just laid the puzzle in what I feel comfortable in doing myself. Even if I'm a big fan of different bands like Autopsy and Mayhem, it doesn't mean that I would do it as good as them. To answer your question, yes it comes easy to me, to choose that I can experiment with any style or atmosphere I want, as long it serves its purpose. That doesn't mean that it's always easy to compose a song or lyric, every angle, riff and lyric line must have its meaning.

Studio time… Where was "Mortui…" recorded and how long did the whole procedure last? Where there any guest appearances in this one?
I recorded the album in studio Beast with Peter Bjärgö (Crypt Of Kerberos, Tyrant, Arcana etc.) It took around 2 years to record the album, and the reasons for that are many and not so interesting. Yes, first of all I changed guest drummer to Andreas Jonsson (Tyrant, Vinterland etc.). And then I also for the first time included a guest vocalist, Micke Broberg (Unanimated). He actually sings on half of the album and also contributed with some lyrics. I had this idea for this album to create some contrasts also in the vocal sections. Bjärgö helped me with different samples, piano etc. and his wife Ia does guest vocals on the track "Bleed".

So what is the feedback so far? As expected, better or worse?
I would say better, not saying that I thought that I had done an worthless album. But I have released so many albums that I have learned to have no expectations from media. Also I'm not that stupid that I really believe that all would appreciate or understand my music. From listeners of my past releases, most of them at least, seems to think that this one is the best as an whole album, you know, from start to finish. And to be honest, I have no problem if anyone would for example think that "Temple Of Whores" or "Whorship The Soul Of Disgust" is better. They are done by me, so.

The main element that one can feel right from the start of "Mortui…" all the way till it ends, is a deep coldness! The whole album breeds a deep cold emotion through the wrathful moments but also through its most atmospheric ones. Can this wall of frost be reproduced on stage?
I'm more than confident that it would, I see no reason why it shouldn't.

So let us remain a bit on the stage theme. How about live shows? What are your plans on promoting this new album? Any tour schedules?
I have been offered one European tour and some festivals shows so far. But I have been forced to turn 'em down. The reason is simple, I have not found the perfect line-up yet and I also would prefer to have one more album out. I really want to play live with this, but there are many factors that must be perfect first.

The lyrics on your music seem to be of great importance. It looks, as if the music under no doubt bonded with them, and they definitely don’t seem to exist only for singing purposes! How important are actually the lyrics, and what would you think of bands that use lyrics only for filling some space in the booklet?
I don't really judge other bands how they work, I can appreciate different bands for different reasons. For me the lyrics have got more and more important through the years, specially when I started to sing. I would say that my turning point regarding writing lyrics came when I did the Thrown album "The Suicide Kings Occult". Hard to explain why, but I reached a personal level where I not had been before and also felt really comfortable with. A balance between my own experiences, thoughts and fiction, but that the fiction have some reality ground behind it. Also that I more and more started to compose music after lyrics, not just doing riff after riff and then create the lyrics after, even if I sometimes did that as well, but always with singing structures in my head. Micke and I come from the same kind of background, share alot of taste in music, expression etc. Thats also why I think that the contrast between him and me, in the way of singing, also works on this album.

How would you describe the future of The Pete Flesh Deathtrip? How many more years can you see this going on?
Of course I hope to do some live shows. Other than that I will keep doing music under the name The Pete Flesh Deathtrip, how it will develop is the interesting aspect for myself, the inspiration is on a high level right now and ideas are coming up all the time and I have started to form them into songs. There is almost 3 years since I wrote the last track for "Mortui Vivos Docent", and I have teased myself in purpose not starting doing songs directly after the recording. I have just consumed ideas and inspiration till I almost got crazy. Now all that must out, like an explosion of creativity. If everything goes as I want there will be a new album out till autumn 2014, the title will be "Svartnad". The Pete Flesh Deathtrip will exist till the day I'm under ground.

If you had to choose between someone who downloaded your album and worshiped it, and someone who bought it and thought it was the worst buy of his life… which one of those two would you pick as your fan? What is your opinion on downloading?
Well, if a fan buys my album and think its crap, I guess it's ok. If someone who never have heard my music and download the album and becomes a fan, that's ok as well. I get your point with this questions, but I can't give you a good answer on it. If I was doing music with the agenda that I thought of it like some kind of career it would be easier to answer. Of course I want people to buy the album or download it legally so the label gets their money back so I can keep releasing albums. I feel sorry for people who don't understand the purpose of the "underground". How the network works, how awesome it is that there still are paper magazines around, how awesome it is that there still are people out there that are really diehard. It's fucking simple, if you are a fan of a band you also understand the purpose of support and why you should do it.

Does your involvement in music bring enough food to the table, so that you would live of it, or do you have to work, in order to support your musical occupation?
No, it doesn't. And honestly, I don't think it ever will. I don't think people really understand how "famous" you must get to be able to actually make a living out of it. I get money now and then from the music, but it are small amounts that often goes back in the project, like a new guitar, shirts or something. So yes, I have a regular work as well.

How happy are you from the deal with Pulverised Records? Is it a full time collaboration, including live shows merch and stuff, or just an album release contract?
I'm satisfied as the deal is only to release and promote the albums, and I have not had any bigger expectations than that from them. This is a solo project and I fully understand if they maybe promote a "real band" more as they are able to do shows, more members to spread the name etc. But I do alot of work myself trying to spread the name, not in the new way of "forcing down the throat on Facebook" way. But trying to get my name out there with interview etc, then people can choose themselves if they want to check it out. But the day I choose to put this on a stage I of course hope for some support from a label. T-shirts, hoods and patches are on the way anyway, done by Funeral Moon Clothing.

So besides music which obviously is your main hoppy-way of expression, what other hobbies, or ways of exorcising his inner demons, does mr Peter Karlson have? Where would we find you on a regular Saturday night? Home reading books, or on the nearest strip club, drinking beers with friends?
I don't socialize so much with other people and "friends" are limit. I don't drink anymore, the reasons are not interesting. Doing music is not an hobby for me, I hate that term. I have a 8 year old son and he is involved in everything I do.

Sounds good.. Ok Pete. That was it from me. I wish you the best. Close this interview any way you like!
Thanx to you guys at BRUTALISM.com for the support. You are one of the a few web-zines that I actually follow. Take care.