Karjalan Sissit

Karjalan Sissit is the project of Markus Pesonen, a guy with Finnish roots, living in Sweden. The name of the project means "the Karelian Guerillas" and it is referring to the Finnish Sissi units during the Finnish Winter War.  Originated in the now defunct project Deprofundis, Karjalan Sissit belongs to the new generation of Neo-Classical/Industrial projects hosted by Cold Meat Industry. Following in the mastodon footsteps of Sophia and In Slaughter Natives, this project present an excellent brand of heavy, sadistic Industrial music delightfully bent towards decadence and destruction. Markus has released two albums to this day, the latest one being Miserere on CMI. I caught up with him shortly after its release to find out more about this interesting, relatively young project. Read on to find out more.

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ECTONAUT: Please start by introducing Karjalan Sissit to the Ortus Obscurum readers. Who are you and what is Karjalan Sissit all about? How would you describe your project to people who haven’t heard of you before?

MARKUS: Karjalan Sissit is my industrial vein. I´ve been doing this for a couple of years now.  People have described it as European Neo-Classical act pursuing similar path as In Slaughter Natives or Der Blutharsch. I don´t know as I don´t think in such terms. Karjalan Sissit is about every days life and it´s difficulties (my inner thoughts & feelings) ...and of course our own history.
 
ECTONAUT: The debut was quite a successful album and you gained lots of attention from  some of the major magazines and labels in the scene. How about Miserere, which has been out for a couple of weeks now? Has it been equally successful according to you? Has the public acknowledged it a worthy follow-up?

MARKUS: Miserere have gained alot of attention. In only few weeks, it has reached many. There has only been good response. I´m satisfied with this recording, that´s the most important thing for me. I´m not the one to compare my own works.

ECTONAUT: The first album was as far as I know dedicated to your dead grandfather who served as a sniper during the Finnish Winter War. What about Miserere? Your project still carries the name of the Sissi, yet the album gives a more "decadent" general impression. What is the concept of Miserere and how do you relate it to its title?
 
MARKUS: Miserere got no specific concept. Thought there are some hints to this awful bastard society we´re living in. For each day I become more and more anti-social & depressed as I can´t stand it. All these useless people everywhere, only harm.

The tracks Finlandia Messe & Requiem were other pieces written with SF & Uuno Kettunen in Mind.
 
ECTONAUT: Unlike the debut, there are no war anthems on the new CD. It also differs  a lot from its predecessor when it comes to the atmosphere which feels more modern than before when it felt historical. Could this perhaps be seen as statement saying that Karjalan Sissit is a project that is going to sound different on each album?
 
MARKUS: Every Karjalan Sissit release shall stand for itself. I do not want to repeat myself. For me it´s important to present something new for each release. Not a radical change though as the whole concept behind Karjalan Sissit would then be lost. Ideas changes as life inspires you.
 
ECTONAUT: There are lots of samples on the new album, both in English and in Finnish, often very funny ones. Everything from an invitation for us to listen to psalms along with Patrik Sjöberg to a frenzied voice screaming something like "I am not a goat! I’m a normal human being, I eat swede (the vegetable), it’s my delicacy/goody!". What do you want to achieve with these samples? Are you perhaps trying to add a more decadent touch to your music?
 
MARKUS: While recording Miserere I thought: Why should everything be so calm & straight all the time? That Patrik Sjöberg psalm is sickness; we had so much fun doing it.

...and to this day, I still have nightmares of Patrik´s broken legs & knees when I hear this recording. Now afterwards I can think : Maybe this CD got a little bit too much of these goodies but still: It´s a great recording with mostly serious sides of Karjalan Sissit.
 
ECTONAUT: Peter Petterson of Sophia has had a major input on both Miserere and the debut, both for producing the albums in his Erebus Odora studio as well as actually contributing to the material itself. Aren’t you afraid that this along with the similarities in the sounds of your projects are going to make some people look upon Karjalan Sissit as some kind of Sophia side project?
 
MARKUS: I hope not. Unfortunately there will always be people comparing my work with others. ...and vice versa.
 
ECTONAUT: The second track - undoubtedly one of the highlights of Miserere - is named 'Haarschnitt' which means haircut. Is this perhaps some kind of devious advertisement for that mysterious Erebus Odora haircut saloon?
 
MARKUS: Too much of that finnish vodka in my veins as I only remember very few things of this composition: I came up with this sick idea on an ordinary day at the welding firm I am working at. I had this "cut" word in my mind...this lead to haircut X 3 which in another hand lead to Haarschnitt while doing the sessions.

...and while picking-up these haircut machines & vodka bottles, discussions went to this cult Erebus Saloon. It´s an classic.. I think this would be great in a live set: Imagine three beautiful ladies in straight leather coats doing the cuts while the audience is singing along. No more of that hippie bullshit going on... just pure hate, hehe.
 
ECTONAUT: You entered the Erebus Odora studio this summer to record a 10" track due to be  released early next year. Yet a recent up-date on your homepage reveals that this 10" will never see the light of day. What happened?
 
MARKUS: The main reason for not releasing this 10" is the third track. It had this "Little pigs" theme as an introduction. Unfortunately we found out several months later that there´s a CD coming out on CMI with this theme so...

Anyway: The rest of the songs will be on the next CD Kapitulieren ? Nein.

ECTONAUT: It seems that Eskilstuna (Sweden) is developing a trade in the Industrial scene for the sinister Neo-Classical/Industrial music that both you and Sophia deliver. Do you agree on this? If so, what do you think is the reason for this?

MARKUS: Life in Eskilstuna inspires one a lot. I don´t recommend this oath to anyone. It´s one of the most violent cities in Sweden and everything is just grey. Erebus Odora is of course another reason. Without Peter Pettersson's involvement & hard work, things would be different. He's a pioneer at this point with his respected acts such Arcana, Victoria, Sophia.

The latest coming-up from the Eskilstuna bunker is Gustaf Hildebrand and his ambient obscure project: Lithivm. A full-length CD will be released soon by CMI. Another quality act from Eskilstuna.
 
ECTONAUT: I suspect that composers like Jouni Havukainen, Albin Julius and Peter Pettersson have more or less influenced your music. Is this true according to you? I hear great similarities in your sound.
 
MARKUS: I have to admit In Slaughter Natives have had a major impact on me. I was totally blown away when I discovered this act in ´89. In Slaughter Natives is something really special and for sure a huge influence to many.
 
ECTONAUT: Are there any other composers that you think have inspired you to do what you are doing today?
 
MARKUS: Arvo Pärt, Howard Shore, Neno etc. There are so many other sources that inspires more than music: life & society in general, it´s difficulties. Almost everything.
 
ECTONAUT: While the first album was released by Cold Spring Records, Miserere was released by Cold Meat Industry. What was the reason for you switching label after the debut? Were you displeased with Cold Spring or was it perhaps the other way around?
 
MARKUS: While recording Miserere, we got a phone call from Roger Karmanik, asking if he could receive a copy. Roger seemed to enjoy this recording and that was it. Concerning Cold Spring: They have been nothing but kind to me. The only thing I truly hate is how the sleeves were handled. A re-issuing would be about time, it´s a shame there´s only these cheap, bootleg looking copies available.

I never thought about switching labels but when you got an opportunity from respected labels such CMI... that´s it.
 
ECTONAUT: I understand that you have been a fan of Karmanik’s label for long. I guess it must feel great for you to finally be a part of the label. Am I right ?
 
MARKUS: ...It´s an honour, CMI is cult. At the same time it feels strange. For me it´s been the ultimate label since I discovered it back in ´89. I never thought I would release a record on CMI.
 
ECTONAUT: Have there been any discussions yet concerning featuring Karjalan Sissit on the planned CMI.100 DVD compilation? Would you like to partake on such a compilation? If so, what could we expect from Karjalan Sissit visually?
 
MARKUS: CMI.100 is already completed. As Karjalan Sissit is a new act on CMI, there haven´t been any discussions. Anyway, if there comes an opportunity I will take it. The whole thing seem really interesting.
 
ECTONAUT: Are you planning to stick to Cold Meat Industry or will we see the next Karjalan Sissit album released by a different label? Perhaps Erebus Odora?
 
MARKUS: I honestly don´t know since I don´t have a record deal at the moment. I´ll have to complete the next work entitled Kapitulieren ? Nein, then we´ll see.
 
ECTONAUT: Speaking of the new album: Despite the fact that Miserere was recently released, you have already announced the release of your third album. What can you tell us about this album? How much of it has been completed and when is it planned for release?
 
MARKUS: There are five new songs already completed and four to come. Kapitulieren ? Nein has got a frightful/obscure thread going through all songs. The harsher parts are even harsher this time as the beats have got a more complex, clinical sound.

Concerning the release, don´t expect anything before August 2003.
 
ECTONAUT: With such a title, it sounds like we can expect yet another album with war as the theme? Is this correct?
 
MARKUS: ...my mother told me to go back to the roots, haha. She said: "You..finnish boy : You gotta show the whole world what real pain is".
 
ECTONAUT: I understand you greatly admire your grandfather for being a sniper in the Winter War and so. Could you imagine walking in his footsteps? Would you be prepared to die for your country if a war was to be fought within it?
 
MARKUS: Don´t we all want to walk through hell once in a lifetime?
 

Karjalan Sissit

ECTONAUT: According to what you have said, you made no less than three albums with your previous project, Deprofundis before it ceased to exist. Yet, none of these were released due to you lacking a label that could put in on CD. Is there any chance that we will see some De Profundis material released now after the more successful rise of Karjalan Sissit and you establishing more connections?
 
MARKUS: All songs have been deleted. They´re never gonna see the daylight.
 
ECTONAUT: How did Deprofundis sound compared to Karjalan Sissit? Did you take a big step musically when you started your current project?
 
MARKUS: I had this project together with Ann-Mari Thim ( now in Arcana ). Deprofundis was an ambient project. People often compared it with Dead Can Dance. We went separate ways as I was drawn more into extreme music.
 
ECTONAUT: Any chance that we will get the opportunity to see Karjalan Sissit live in the near future?
 
MARKUS: I don´t think this will happen. Unfortunately some narrow-minded people seem to think Karjalan Sissit is a right wing project with fascist sympathies. Anyway, I have many times thought that it would be great fun to go on tour with my friends in Sophia & Lithivm. I truly hope this will happen some day.
 
ECTONAUT: Well Markus, I thank you for answering my questions. I wish you good luck with Karjalan Sissit in the future. If you think there is anything that has been left unsaid in this interview, feel free to speak out.
 
MARKUS: Thank you for all your support.

Karjalan Sissit correspondence:

Markus Pesonen

Related links

The Karjalan Sissit website
Cold Meat Industry
Erebus Odora