Katatonia - Where does the darkness come from?

My Hearse Your Arms

My Hearse Your Arms

despondency
Dec 11, 2005
254
0
16
san francisco
My friends
No, my brothers.
Your music has single handedly kept me alive
I do not in any way want this to be a petty fan boy katatonia worship thread though,
I must ask a question... I have been pondering this ever since I became a fan of your music

Your music contains an aura that could only be created from people who have seen hell.... depression, despondency, guilt, shame, sorrow,
naturally, like any good musician, you keep your personal lives very separate from the music you make.
This leads me to my question.
Your teenage years, young adult years, when you were most likely experiencing that thing we call 'life', which obviously inspired your music.
What did you go through, my brothers, that lead to such a powerful outlet for negativity
I consider myself a very instable person, emotionally. I'm 19 and have been sent away to treatment centers/boarding schools, and am currently in an outpatient program.... I've experienced sorrow beyond belief. I have 10 cigarette scars and used to drink 3 shots in the morning in order to make it to school.
Seeing all that sorrow, beauty, and despondency. Seeing what I put my loving parents through, my 2 younger brothers....
All the guilt and the shame of the lies, the alcohol, cocain, weed, failing school....
I don't know
It lead me to your music
I had always been a fan...
But never like I am now...
I have since recovered from the misery of winter 2006
But my question remains

Joans, Anders... What inspired such darkness?
 
I actually always think it's a thing that comes from the moment a person was born.I am a very cheerful person and if you asked my friends they would tell you that I am very funny and happy.But I have always been closer to the darker and extreme things since my childhood.It's like an instinct.I always liked dark stories,dark books,dark music,dark films...Even when I am happy I'd like to be closer to the dark side.This doesn't mean I am a depressive person.I am just born closer to the dark side.So I think it's about instincts.This is where all the darkness comes from...
 
i guess.. in a selfish way
i want to see what Jonas and Anders' teenage years were like
needless to say, they are basically my idols musically from DoDS to TGCD...
and with their personal lives so distant from their music, but yet the lyrics are so personal .... haha what a contradiction
there is just such an aura of mystery to it all... if you know what i mean...
the music and lyrics hold such an impact to our lives in many different ways, to many different people
just... the connections with the creators .... AHH ... I need to know more!
what did you guys go through?!?!?!?!
 
the mourner13 said:
I actually always think it's a thing that comes from the moment a person was born.I am a very cheerful person and if you asked my friends they would tell you that I am very funny and happy.But I have always been closer to the darker and extreme things since my childhood.It's like an instinct.I always liked dark stories,dark books,dark music,dark films...Even when I am happy I'd like to be closer to the dark side.This doesn't mean I am a depressive person.I am just born closer to the dark side.So I think it's about instincts.This is where all the darkness comes from...
Click to expand...

That goes for me as well. Though I do have my darker days and can't say I'm always happy. I am basically a joker though and get me a few of these :kickass: and I'm on my way. :)
 
Sadguru said:
As far as I'm concerned, it's the other way around.

Good post btw.
Click to expand...

i know what you mean...
what i meant by saying musicians keep their personal lives separate from their music was that they do not directly include specific events in lyrics... and if they do, it's always very distant... there is always an anonymity, if you will, of the writers personal experience, in turn making the music universal to relate to
 
I wish we would get an answer.....but I dont think well get one. I have also wondered this question over and over.....but I am about the same age as the Kats and I have grown up with them through their music. I went through addiction with katatonia too.....specifically DO and TD alblums....jesus....theres nothing like detoxing from heroin listening to TD over and over and over and over....I did heroin and crack for 8 years.....listening to katatonia.

I am now sober over 5 years. Songs gain a different meaning....perspectives change.....things become half full....life is all about the cup and is it half full or half empty.....

I have lost the need to know about what they went through.....curious of course as it would fulfill some long time questions I have had.....but either way our pain as human beings is all the same........we are all in pain.....we all suffer....just from different things.

I have always admired Adners and Jonas's honesty in writing....and thats what I needed was their honesty, thats what got me through.......actual meanings become secondary.....interpretation is everything....half empty/half full.

Take care of yourself...sobriety first.... above all....but Im not telling you anything you dont already know. Be honest with someone, and stay honest about how your feeling.....the very minute we dont we are in trouble.
 
excellent post my friend... your life story runs circles around mine :(
alas... congratulations on the sobriety
although i cannot say i am an active member of AA or NA... i have only drank 5 times in the past 8 months...
as opposed to everyday, that's pretty good i guess....

as to not get distracted from the main point...
Jonas, Anders, Fred...

Where did the dark inspiration arise from???
 
My Hearse Your Arms said:
Where did the dark inspiration arise from???
Click to expand...
I don't wanna question your feelings... no doubt on that ... but do you really think they'll tell you about these - very personal and private - things?
And even if they would ... wouldn't it kinda give a deeper meaning to the songs automatically? And wouldn't that somewhat block out one's own personal connection to the songs?
And isn't this - the million ways left open to interprete the songs and listen to them with your own grief and sorrow in mind - what makes their music to intense and special? Isn't this one of the things that make Katatonia so loveable, that we all can connect ourselves to the music, understand it in our personal way and thereby somehow make it "our own" though we all went through totally different stuff and got our "darkness" from diverse points in life?

Hm... dunno, I'm just asking myself if I'd like to know where the darkness/inspiration comes from ... ...
 
I like Katatonia because they make very good music.
I like melancholic music a lot because I probably feel more "heart" in there then happy music, or something makes me like it... Anyway. As Katatonia are master of melancholy I adore them

And no, I wouldn't expect the members to answer if the answer is personal and private, at least not on a public messageboard like this. If it isn't personal or private the answer would probably be not too satisfying..
 
My Hearse Your Arms said:
i know what you mean...
what i meant by saying musicians keep their personal lives separate from their music was that they do not directly include specific events in lyrics... and if they do, it's always very distant... there is always an anonymity, if you will, of the writers personal experience, in turn making the music universal to relate to
Click to expand...
Ah yes, thanks for clarifying things up.
 
to me, it's simply adding another dimension of deeper understanding and appreciation to the songs
not ruining anything

and please don't think im trying to get katatonia to spill their deepest darkest secrets.... of course im not trying to do that
im not really asking them to 'give away' anything, but merely to give myself and anyone else who is curious to see what inspired the sorrow... im not expecting an answer like 'o well i broke up with my girlfriend, and then started cutting myself, and then wanted to kill myself'........
but perhaps their philosophical ideology on melancholia, sorrow, beauty, despair... and why they chose to make them the primary emotions in their music
 
I think it's too personal
although I'm sure we all have contemplated on the subject in question
and maybe it is for the best if we don't know the answer

besides, I don't think you'll get your answer.
 
It did cross my mind as well.. this question about where the feelings captured by their music come from.
And I think it isn´t a strange question to ask, there a many artists out there that do tell a lot about their personal lives and explain meanings to lyrics. But I did understand that Katatonia is not such a band.And strangely I don´t mind not knowing what is behind it. I féél what is behind it and that´s larger than one personal story , every one has their own burdens to bare in life.And this music is a soundtrack to those feelings.
Even though that sounds really odd coming from my mouth. I´m extremely curious in almost every aspect of life , I want to know everything , the why the who the when and I also wouldn´t mind knowing what is behind it, I´m not sure if it would really block my own interpretation, but I do have peace with the bandmembers decision to keep that to themselves.


And My Hearse I think you wére trying to get them to spill their beans :p
>Your teenage years, young adult years, when you were most likely experiencing that thing we call 'life', which obviously inspired your music.
What did you go through, my brothers, that lead to such a powerful outlet for negativity<

But I dont think it&#180;s something to apoligize for, it&#180;s not bad wanting to know that I think.Some people d&#243; tell stuff about their darkest moments and the troubles they face in life but I&#180;m just not expecting a "My Life Story" thread from Anders or Jonas anytime soon...
 
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