Oro is coming up to the release of their second full length album. What new directions, themes, and sounds were you hoping to capture on this album?
We released our first album, Djupets Kall, a few years ago, and I think that’s a decent album as a whole. But for this album we really wanted to push ourselves to the next level when it comes to songwriting and production. So we spent a lot of time in preproduction mode, arranging the songs and fine-tuning every piece of it to make it sound the way we wanted. And we allowed ourselves to spend a lot more time and energy in the actual recording and post-production process as well. So I think that was our only guidance really. To make the album sound and look better than the first one. And hopefully, we succeeded in this!
As far I can tell all your albums are in Swedish. In a world where many bands release music in English why was it important for you to write in Swedish?
When I started writing lyrics many years ago, I wrote in English like everyone else. And I think that’s fine, but when we started ORO we wanted to try something a little bit different. So when Seb (guitar) presented the first song for the group he gave it a Swedish name, “Ensamheten”. And when I proceeded to write the lyrics for that one in Swedish I immediately felt a stronger presence in the words than I normally would. You cannot hide when you’re writing in your own language, which felt scary at first, but the lyrics become more honest and in your face. And maybe it can give us a certain “uniqueness” in the scene. But probably not.
How did Oro began?
Me and Seb played in a post-metal band called Marble Halls. But that band didn’t lead to more than a few demos and an EP. So when that fell apart we felt that we wanted to continue to explore the post-metal genre but twisting it a little bit to the sinister and sludgier side of it. I think it was Seb who first presented the concept and band name ORO. And from there we recruited a new drummer and bass player and started writing new music.
(Sidenote: guitarist Per Björkil from Marble Halls also played in ORO for many years before we released our first album).
Oro is going on a decade as a band. How has the band evolved over that time period?
Yeah that’s a really good question! Musically I don’t think we have evolved that much, haha. We’re still just trying to write the best post-metal/sludge/doom music we can.
Your band plays a genre of music I love. What is it about the post metal/sludge sound that appeals to you?
I think the biggest appeal for me is the dynamic in the music. From crushing weight and despair to softer melodies and atmosphere. And there is something primordial about it and a strong connection to the forces of nature and the human essence. Compared to other metal genres that focus a lot on violence and brute force, post-metal for me is about looking inward and digging deep into your soul.
What is your thoughts on the genre of music you play as a whole? Do you believe it's an exciting time for the style? Where do you believe Oro resides in comparison to these other bands?
In a way, I think that this genre peaked like 20-25 years ago, when the real innovators and pioneers like Cult of Luna, ISIS and Neurosis (Times of Grace era) started to make an impact on the scene. So playing this style of music today might seem as if we’re two decades too late. But the scene is still very much alive, and there are a lot of great bands out there releasing brilliant music. So maybe we can hope for a revival, haha! For ORO we’re just proud and happy to play the genre we love and hopefully, we can bring something new to the genre.
What is the creative process for the band? Do you compose as a whole group or is a few people responsible for the main bulk of the work?
It’s usually me who comes up with the main riffs and ideas for the songs. I record lots of stuff on my phone at home, and then I bring it to the rehearsal facility and we start puzzling the pieces together and come up with the arrangement and melodies.
Oro is heavy not only in sound but mood. What personal emotions or experiences of the band members play a role in Oro's end product?
Hard to say actually. When it comes to the music we don’t have any outspoken personal feelings or emotions that we want to convey. We just write what comes natural. And that is of course a product of who are. The lyrics however is a little bit different. Sometimes the lyrics are a product of my frustration and disgust for humankind or society, but they can also be purely fictional or something in between.
What would be the one main thing you hope a listener takes away from experiencing Oro's music?
The main thing I would say is “connection”. If the listener can connect with the music on a deeper level and be absorbed with it, then we have succeeded.
We released our first album, Djupets Kall, a few years ago, and I think that’s a decent album as a whole. But for this album we really wanted to push ourselves to the next level when it comes to songwriting and production. So we spent a lot of time in preproduction mode, arranging the songs and fine-tuning every piece of it to make it sound the way we wanted. And we allowed ourselves to spend a lot more time and energy in the actual recording and post-production process as well. So I think that was our only guidance really. To make the album sound and look better than the first one. And hopefully, we succeeded in this!
As far I can tell all your albums are in Swedish. In a world where many bands release music in English why was it important for you to write in Swedish?
When I started writing lyrics many years ago, I wrote in English like everyone else. And I think that’s fine, but when we started ORO we wanted to try something a little bit different. So when Seb (guitar) presented the first song for the group he gave it a Swedish name, “Ensamheten”. And when I proceeded to write the lyrics for that one in Swedish I immediately felt a stronger presence in the words than I normally would. You cannot hide when you’re writing in your own language, which felt scary at first, but the lyrics become more honest and in your face. And maybe it can give us a certain “uniqueness” in the scene. But probably not.
How did Oro began?
Me and Seb played in a post-metal band called Marble Halls. But that band didn’t lead to more than a few demos and an EP. So when that fell apart we felt that we wanted to continue to explore the post-metal genre but twisting it a little bit to the sinister and sludgier side of it. I think it was Seb who first presented the concept and band name ORO. And from there we recruited a new drummer and bass player and started writing new music.
(Sidenote: guitarist Per Björkil from Marble Halls also played in ORO for many years before we released our first album).
Oro is going on a decade as a band. How has the band evolved over that time period?
Yeah that’s a really good question! Musically I don’t think we have evolved that much, haha. We’re still just trying to write the best post-metal/sludge/doom music we can.
Your band plays a genre of music I love. What is it about the post metal/sludge sound that appeals to you?
I think the biggest appeal for me is the dynamic in the music. From crushing weight and despair to softer melodies and atmosphere. And there is something primordial about it and a strong connection to the forces of nature and the human essence. Compared to other metal genres that focus a lot on violence and brute force, post-metal for me is about looking inward and digging deep into your soul.
What is your thoughts on the genre of music you play as a whole? Do you believe it's an exciting time for the style? Where do you believe Oro resides in comparison to these other bands?
In a way, I think that this genre peaked like 20-25 years ago, when the real innovators and pioneers like Cult of Luna, ISIS and Neurosis (Times of Grace era) started to make an impact on the scene. So playing this style of music today might seem as if we’re two decades too late. But the scene is still very much alive, and there are a lot of great bands out there releasing brilliant music. So maybe we can hope for a revival, haha! For ORO we’re just proud and happy to play the genre we love and hopefully, we can bring something new to the genre.
What is the creative process for the band? Do you compose as a whole group or is a few people responsible for the main bulk of the work?
It’s usually me who comes up with the main riffs and ideas for the songs. I record lots of stuff on my phone at home, and then I bring it to the rehearsal facility and we start puzzling the pieces together and come up with the arrangement and melodies.
Oro is heavy not only in sound but mood. What personal emotions or experiences of the band members play a role in Oro's end product?
Hard to say actually. When it comes to the music we don’t have any outspoken personal feelings or emotions that we want to convey. We just write what comes natural. And that is of course a product of who are. The lyrics however is a little bit different. Sometimes the lyrics are a product of my frustration and disgust for humankind or society, but they can also be purely fictional or something in between.
What would be the one main thing you hope a listener takes away from experiencing Oro's music?
The main thing I would say is “connection”. If the listener can connect with the music on a deeper level and be absorbed with it, then we have succeeded.