JJM: As a starting point to this interview why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, your involvement with art, and your music.
Tor Lundvall: I've been painting and recording music for roughly 17 years now. I first started exhibiting my work in the early 1990s at various galleries around the New York area. I've released seven albums so far, four of which are based loosely around the seasons. I have described my music as "ghost ambient" for several reasons, however this term mainly refers to the recording process where unplanned sounds and phrases manifest themselves unexpectedly into the music.

J: Personally my first introduction to your artwork was the art you did for Sol Invictus' stunning album 'In the Rain.' You've of course done lots of other artwork for Tony and friends, but I was curious how did you first come into contact with Tony?
T: I first contacted Tony back in 1991 after picking up "Sol Veritas Lux" one cold winter evening. I was impressed by the atmosphere of his music and his lyrics and decided to send him some of my drawings and etchings. Tony liked what he saw and asked if I'd be interested in creating the artwork for his "King & Queen" album. I happily accepted and things developed from there.

J: On the subject of bands using your artwork, how many and which bands have used your artwork for their album covers?
T: Most of the album artwork has been for Tony Wakeford and his various projects, however my artwork has also appeared on albums by The Mystery School and Harvest Rain. I have also done covers for several jazz musicians.

J: Looking through your online art gallery I noticed that you're very productive and even paint two to three paintings in one month! I'd imagine all of your free time must be spent painting. How much time is usually devoted to each painting?
T: I've found that the time span usually depends on the size of the painting. The smallest paintings can take anywhere from a few days to a week to complete, where the largest paintings can take a month or sometimes longer. It's all a matter of building up the surface, letting it dry, and working on it again.

J: Have any of your ideas for a painting ever appeared to you in a dream? I mention this merely because your paintings seem to give off a very serene dreamlike sentiment. At least for me they do.
T: Dreams occasionally find their way into my work, however they are almost always accompanied by something concrete such as the landscape. Most of my paintings start off with something I've seen in waking life. Then my imagination and subconscious starts kicking in.

J: What other ideas give birth to new paintings?
T: Memories and personal experiences, but most importantly the change of seasons.

J: Do you listen to music while painting? If so what bands/artists do you prefer to listen to while making your art? What musical styles are you compatible with?
T: I'm always listening to music while painting, regardless of style. I don't consider it as mere background music, but as a source of constant inspiration. Some of my favorite albums that have remained on heavy rotation over the years include "What is Not True" by Zoviet France in the springtime, "Per Aspera Ad Astra" by Stars of the Lid/Jon McCafferty in the summer, "Mi Media Naranja" by Labradford during the autumn, and just about everything by Thomas Köner during the winter months.

J: Are you able to support yourself on painting and music making or do you work a normal job?
T: I've been fortunate enough to support myself on my art so far, although it isn't easy. If I had to work a regular job right now I'd probably lose my mind.

J: Is there any specific artist that inspired you to start painting or was it just one of those gifts from birth that you've always had and stuck with?
T: It's most definitely something that came to me naturally, although I remember being greatly inspired by the paintings of Albert Pinkham Ryder when I first saw them back in the late 1980s. His seascapes and landscapes had a tremendous impact on me, and I knew once I saw them that this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

J: I've read that you've been actually making music for over fifteen years now, but of course you only started to actually release it during the last 90's. What sort of musical styles have you performed over these earlier years of your music career?
T: In the early 90s, my music was literally split in two. I was already experimenting with ambient recordings and soundscapes, but I was also writing more song based material. My first album "Passing Through Alone" is a collection of some of these early 'synth-pop' efforts. In the end, it's a direction I'm glad I didn't pursue any further.

J: I'm really only familiar with your last two albums, both of which I liked a lot. Do the albums you released prior to 'Last Light' & 'Empty City' differ in sound at all?
T: I certainly hope so. Each album has its own distinct character, although I suppose they all share similar qualities. My first four albums were greatly inspired by the seasons in which they were recorded. The vocals on these albums were also more washy and in the distance, where on "Last Light" they are more up front and pronounced.

J: Is there any specific reason why Empty City lacked vocals or did you simply just want to do an instrumental album this time around?
T: I really wanted the music itself to take over and create the environments on this album. I enjoy recording vocals, but at the moment I feel I've said enough. I suppose I have a preference for listening to and recording instrumental music over vocal material.

J: To me Empty City carried a darker vibe to it. Was this done specifically or merely just a coincidence?
T: There is certainly a dark atmosphere and even a sense of menace to some of the tracks. That's the nebulous, unnamable power of inanimate objects and abandoned urban spaces I suppose! I didn't have a plan in mind of how I wanted the album to sound. The character of the music simply developed on its own the more I worked on it.

J: I noticed Kurt Lundvall whom I'm assuming is your brother mastered your last two releases. Has he been involved in any bands past or present or is he just involved with studio work?
T: My brother is strictly an audio engineer, although he is also an accomplished guitarist and even added guitar to several tracks on my first album. Mastering is his first love, however. Kurt always manages to bring out the details and warmth in my recordings.

J: I recently discovered your music goes well with a good book. Ever thought of doing some sort of novel where you make paintings for an authors words?
T: This could be interesting, although to be honest I've never been fond of making paintings based around someone else's ideas. I have been approached twice in the past to create the artwork for children's books, although I wasn't that impressed with the stories and they never came to light.

J: You seem like a bit of a reclusive person since there doesn't seem to be much info out there about you. Are you married or have kids? What sort of activities do you do for fun? Are you just going to ignore this question and continue being reclusive? Hehe….
T: Contentedly reclusive, yes. I'll leave marriage and raising children to the handful of individuals it miraculously works for and to the unfortunate hoards of lemmings for whom it doesn't. As for fun, I enjoy walking around the streets and oak forest's where I live and swimming in the bay. If I'm ever in need of a good laugh, there's always South Park.

J: Which person (living or dead) do you most admire?
T: My friend and housemate Christine. She sees beyond the bullshit and is one of the few genuine individuals I know.

J: Which natural gift would you most like to possess?
T: I wish I could cook!

J: Do you have any personal motto or words you live by?
T: None at all. Being a more visually oriented person, I'm not a big fan of words or slogans.

J: Have you gotten a chance to look through Lunar Hypnosis yet? If so what are your thoughts on the zine.
T: An interesting site with good diversity. I was happy to see other ambient sound artists such as Loscil being reviewed. Well done!

J: Finally what are you currently up to these days and when can we expect to hear more music or see more lovely paintings from you?
T: At the moment, I've been enjoying the colder weather and am going head up the street to a local park to paint later today. As for the music, I will be releasing a limited edition CDEP called "Yule" which will be available though Strange Fortune in late November.

J: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. The final words are yours…
T: Happy Halloween to everyone. I've done more decorating than usual this year. The plastic skull is blinking, the fake spiders are climbing over the piano, and I'm just about ready to carve my evil jack-o-lanterns.

http://www.torlundvall.com

http://strangefortune.com