Thulean Archives

Do you have some music that had a strong emotional impact on you and your life? Do I have that? Let's find out. Music taste is subjective. We don't all like the same. And some of us like music that, objectively speaking, is not very good. And the reason why we do that is often because we have some emotional memory that we link to that music. And this is, for example, how they manage to push some pop music and make it popular. Because they just keep repeating it on radio, on TV and commercials and so forth. And in the end, so many people have an emotional tie to that music. Because they have experienced something in their life with that music in the background. They connected to something important in their life. So they like it anyway, even though it's, objectively speaking, not very good. To me, for example, Vangelis - Conquest of paradise is a piece of music that I have a strong emotional tie to.^[1] Because I listened to it in a very critical situation of my life. That was the first time I heard it. So that is what my memories connect to that music. And therefore it is important to me. And I like it. Really, I like it a lot. Likewise, Heart of Steel by Manowar. That one track is also something I really, really have a strong emotional tie to. Because I heard it again in a moment when I was in a very difficult situation. And this song reminds me of it. And, objectively speaking, is also incredibly good. Same with Vangelis, by the way. Further, A Fine Day to Die by Bathory is also something that I have an emotional connection to. I listened to it when I was in my teens, and I really like it. It's important to me. And objectively speaking, I think it's pretty good, too. Then you have the Paradise Lost demo type tape, the last tape they released before they actually released their Lost Paradise album. And I used to listen to that only in the car with Harold from Immortal. And I really liked it. I don't know if it's good or not, objectively speaking, but to me, it's very good. And then you have Iron Maiden. Pretty much the first metal band I started listening to. And again, I was not in a very happy situation. Nobody is in the early teens, right? So really important to me, I like, especially, For Whom the Bell Tolls. Fantastic song. Then, of course, you have Tchaikovsky, the Nutcracker, Swan Lake and so forth. Again, something I listened to right before I started listening to Iron Maiden.^[2] And I did it a lot. And, yeah, I like it. It reminds me of my early, early teens. Then you also have these white label house techno bands that I listened to in my late teens, in 1993 in particular and 1992. And I don't even know who made that music, but the term "white label" is like THE term I use for that music. And I listened to it in a club called in Bergen called Club Phoenix. Standing there alone in a corner. That was great. And then afterwards, you know, 6 o'clock in the morning, when the sun was getting up, I went home and I made Burzum music. For example, Hvis lyset tar oss. And "Hvis lyset tar oss" is also something that is very emotional to me, because, again, was not in a very great situation. 1992 sucked. And I remember listening to it in the car. Borrowed my mother's car, actually didn't have a car.^[3] And I listen to it in the car real loud and just driving like this all day. The engine and gearbox sound mixed with the music. And to me that's really good. Good memories. Or maybe not even good memories, but, you know, emotional memories, important memories. Memories that remind you of something important or tragic or whatever in your life. And also one of the albums by Future Sounds of London, electronic band. Really strong memories connected to that music, so I like it a lot. Also "Goethes Erben" and "Das Ich". Some of their music. Strong emotional ties to it. Really like it. Don't know if it's objectively speaking, good or not, but that doesn't really matter. And finally, Julias-Dream by Software, some German electronic band. Wow, that was great. So this is my, you know, role playing game song. And what about you guys? What kind of music did that for you? I think it's quite obvious that we don't grow up with the same music. We don't have the same ties to the same music. And I also think that some of us will admit that some of the music we listen to is, objectively speaking, it's not great, but we still like it. And that makes it great for you, of course, or for me, and that's fine. But, to be objective and music that, objectively speaking, isn't good, you know, probably like Burzum, can still be important, and it's still good for some because it does something for some people. And as the guy behind Burzum, for example, I know that perfectly well, I don't walk around thinking Burzum is great, I think that some people like it because we are on the same page and because they have some strong emotional memories linked to that music, just like I do. Thanks for watching.

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1. And objectively speaking it is GREAT.
2. I still listen to it.
3. My own car was destroyed earlier by a taxi
   driver crashing into it from behind.