Dimwind's Jonas about making "The Carrion Waltz"
"It Was Their Story. From Diagnosis, Through Treatment, to Surviving"
If you've been following Sounds Vegan for a while, you'll know Dimwind. The Swedish post-metal outfit is one of those bands I keep coming back to, starting with their debut album "Slow Wave Violence" back in 2021, through the split EP "Seasons" with Breaths in 2022, and all the way to "The Futility of Breathing" in 2023. Now Jonas Eriksson, Andreas Hansen, and their new bandmate Misha Sedini are back with "The Carrion Waltz". I took my chance to ask Jonas some questions about it.
"Carrion Waltz" is a record that changes everything. For the first time, Dimwind is no longer an instrumental project. With Misha's voice, the band has found a new dimension: heavy, vulnerable, and unmistakably their own. When the album landed in my inbox, getting Jonas back on Sounds Vegan for another conversation was never really a question. I had the chance to ask some questions. Please enjoy my interview!
Anne: Hi Jonas! It's so good to talk to you again. How are you guys doing?
Jonas: We're doing great, thanks - stoked to finally share the new album.
Anne: When I interviewed you back in 2021 about the debut album "Slow Wave Violence", you mentioned almost in passing at the end that the next Dimwind release might feature vocals. "The Carrion Waltz" has now become exactly that. Was that always a goal you were working towards, or was it more of an open experiment?
"We Felt the Urge to Find a Vocalist Who Could Add Weight to Our Expression"
Jonas: The fact that Andreas and I started Dimwind as an instrumental post-rock act was almost an open experiment, as you put it, to see what we could create without considering vocals, especially since we'd just parted ways with the singer in our previous band. After releasing two instrumental full-lengths, though, we felt the urge to explore that dimension again - to find a vocalist who could add weight and broaden our expression. Eventually, everything fell into place when we found Misha.
Anne: I've covered Dimwind several times since 2021, and one particularly special story is the split EP "Seasons" with Breaths. Breaths founder Jason told me at the time that he'd discovered Dimwind through my blog. This came as such a surprise to me, and it made me more than happy that two brilliant projects had found each other through my page. Have any other connections come about through Sounds Vegan since then (laughs)?
Jonas: I think that was quite a rare occasion, so, unfortunately, no.
Anne: I read that your search for the right vocalist took a while. What did Misha Sedini bring—in terms of voice and personality—that others had been missing?
Jonas: He brought the range we'd been looking for - the ability to both sing and scream. On the album, he really showcases that versatility, making the softer passages feel melodic and delicate while giving the heavier parts some real energy and power. He fits naturally into the band as well, being the same age as us and sharing a strong work ethic.
Anne: The press release mentions that your wife fell ill during the writing process and that Misha himself had survived cancer. How did you navigate that moment as a band, when personal grief so directly became the subject of the record? I hope they are both feeling much better now, btw.
"For Misha, Putting That Journey Into Words Became a Cathartic Process"
Jonas: When our shared experience came to light, it naturally felt like a given theme for the album. For Misha, revisiting that journey of illness and treatment - and putting it into words - became a cathartic process. Still, the lyrics remain open, inviting each listener to project their own struggles and find their own meaning within them. And yes, thanks, they are feeling better and are considered cured, but there are still lots of emotional struggles to overcome and learn to live with. My wife, for example, is still taking a lot of medicines and will have some reconstructive surgery in the future.
Anne "The Carrion Waltz" is an image that carries both dread and a certain dignity. Where does that title come from?
Jonas: On the album cover, a crow is shown struck down by an arrow. The bird - a carrion crow, long associated with death - serves as a symbol of cancer, while the title itself alludes to the “dance with death.”
Anne: Your first three releases all came out through Trepanation Recordings, which is no longer active. "The Carrion Waltz" is an independent release. How did that affect the way the record came together?
Jonas: It didn't affect the making of the album at all. The only real difference is that we're covering the cost of printing CDs out of our own pockets. So if people like to support us and pick up a nice-looking digipack, we'd truly appreciate it. It'll be available on our Bandcamp any day now!
Anne: The opener "The Chime" runs for over nine minutes. For a record that introduces a new vocalist, that's quite a bold way to start. Was that a deliberate choice?
Jonas: That song always felt like a natural opener, and we think it works especially well because it captures so many facets - not only of Misha's voice, but of our expression as a band as a whole. We hope the listener will be enchanted by the song and not even think of the length.
Anne: Misha comes from Come Sleep. How did his experience from that project shape the sound of "The Carrion Waltz"?
"Misha Says This Is His Best Vocal Work by Far, and We Are Really Proud of the End Result"
Jonas: Misha hadn't done a whole album of metal vocals since Come Sleep's debut (which came out almost two decades ago), so we didn't know what to expect of him, and even he didn't know what he could bring. But luckily, he wasn't only able to bring back the growl and harsh vocals from that period, he also added a lot of clean vocals, choral works, and stuff that gave the music that new dimension we'd been hoping for. Sure, it took some time to get to know each other and align a good work method, but eventually we learned to push, pull, and give way where needed. Misha says this is his best vocal work by far, and we are really proud of the end result, so that should speak volumes about the process and the end result.
Anne: In the 2021 chat, you described your writing process—drums and basic framework first, then guitar, bass, and keyboards tracked at home, followed by a lot of back-and-forth messaging. I still think about that basement rehearsal room you described, by the way. Has that process changed now that there's a third member involved, who is also based in a different city?
"We're Currently Building Our Own Studio in an Old Concrete Shelter — the Most Underground We've Ever Been"
Jonas: Haha, not much has changed since then - Misha's addition has just stretched the process out a bit. We're still writing and recording the same way, with Misha adding his parts from his home studio. We have switched rehearsal spaces a few times, though, and we're currently building our own studio in an old concrete shelter - the most underground we've ever been.
Anne: The artwork by Obsidian Imagery shows a raven pierced by an arrow, yet still spreading its wings. How closely did you work with the illustrator, and what did you want the image to say?
Jonas: Actually, he had already created the artwork, and when we came across it, everything fell into place since it aligned so perfectly with the theme we were weaving together.
Anne: Back in 2021, you said Dimwind would never stop writing new music and would probably never tour. I have a feeling I already know the answer to the second part—but does that still hold?
Jonas: Yes, making music is such an important part of our lives, so that will continue for as long as we are able, I hope. And no, live shows are not going to happen - we just don't know how to pull that off. We're eternally impressed by all bands that constantly manage to play live and tour.
Anne: "The Futility of Breathing" earned you a great deal of critical praise in 2023. Did that create any pressure going into your first vocal record, or did you manage to shut that out entirely?
Jonas: Positive feedback is, of course, always something you hope for, but those expectations and emotions are mostly tied to the album's release. During the writing process, we rarely think about that side of the album cycle.
Anne: The press release describes the album as a tribute to fighting and surviving. When did you realise that was the heart of it?
Jonas: It was clear early on that it had to be—it was the story of Misha and his wife, who has also survived cancer. As well as my wife's journey from being affected, going through treatment, and dealing with the aftermath of the illness, but ultimately surviving.
Anne: In 2021, you told me you stopped eating meat years ago, partly inspired by your wife. I'm guessing the two of you must have inspired many more people to follow you in doing so since then?
Jonas: I wish we had that kind of impact on others, but unfortunately, most people don't seem to care much about these issues. I'm almost always the odd person out who doesn't eat meat, even though the decision to at least reduce meat consumption should be everyone's priority.
Anne: "Absorbing The Infinite Impermanence" closes the album at over seven minutes. It has a very open, unresolved quality. Is that deliberate—an album that doesn't offer closure?
Jonas: As much as we don't make the album's theme a secret, Misha wrote the lyrics deliberately in a poetic way to leave room for the listener to make their own interpretations. His lyrics often play on words to describe the contradictory feelings we all bear inside of us. In this specific song, the protagonist's amplified fear of death is the only thing stopping him from living after surviving the antagonist - that realization becomes clear in that last line:
"I will refuse the will to survive so I can exist, effloresce, and crystallize"
To us, that moment feels like closure.
Anne: Thank you very much for answering my questions! It's always a pleasure talking to you! All the best to you guys!
