Transit

presents

"A bit slow by nature."

Thomas Skroch (Hörspiegel): Jan, since the end of "In the woods…"eight years have passed. Why did it last so long until your solo-album has been released?
Jan (Transit): I'm a bit slow by nature, besides when I first figured that I'd do an album on my own, I wanted to make sure that all bits and pieces came together the right way. So I started the writing process around the time In the Woods... were laid to rest, continued for a couple of years and started recording as early as 2004. The album was actually finished back in '06, but my first child was born just a few weeks after that, so I decided to put it on ice for a while. I was ready to launch it last year, but then we'd lost our norwegian distributor and had to look for a new one etc etc... So I guess you can say there's been several incidents that have occurred along the way.
Hörspiegel: Your voice has always been a trademark for "In the woods...". Have you ever had singing lessons, or was it more of a natural development that your voice took over the years?
Jan: It has matured throughout the years. I never had any lessons, but I remember fairly well that I got a tip from a guy that was a few years older than me. This way way before ITW got started and I was singing in my first band almost by accident. He told me that if I wanted a powerful voice, I should sing with my gut, not with my
throat. I didn't quite understand it before a few years had passed, but from that moment on, I used it for everything it was worth. Thanx for the compliment by the way!
Hörspiegel: You are based in the south of Norway, in Kristiansand. Do you have contact to bands from other parts of Norway, like Bergen (Enslaved) or Oslo (Madrugada)?
Jan: No. Not at all actually. There's a great scene here in Kristiansand, and one can easily get needs fulfilled by hanging out talking bullshit with all these phenomenal bands and artists. Most artists that wanna go somewhere, tend to head towards Oslo, though I never quite understood why. Kristiansand have always had a great tradition in exports, and I've always seen it as a great advantage to live and work on these shores.
Hörspiegel: The album seems to be not very uniformly. Has it been an conscious step, or does it depend on the long time period from the recordings from the first songs to the last ones?
Jan: It's been a conscious step for sure, but I guess the fact that the recordings stretched over a long period of time also participated in the process. I listen to all kinds of music and pick up a little here and there, but life itself can also be a great source of inspiration. I write songs very rarely, maybe two a year at the most, and I'm sure that also mirrors in the songs. The few periods when I've written more than that, the songs have come out much the same. I work best and more varied when I take my time and move slowly.
Hörspiegel: You are running a small record company, Karmakosmetix Records. Do you only sign bands from your close circle of friends, or are you interested in bands from other parts of the world as well?
Jan: I decided to work primarily with local artists, as it's easier to have people nearby. And there's loads of great acts in the area, so why look further? It's nice to hang out with a few beers, coz the ideas tend to flow more freely heh heh... However, I'm not totally locked in this position. If the right orchestra pop up from anywhere out there, I'll give it a thought for sure.
Hörspiegel: I heard, that you have been in south america during the "In the Woods..." period. Have you, like your name Transit betrays, been a globe trotter and does it had an impact on your way of composing music?
Jan: The "Transit" - name came out of a journey like that. My family name is Transeth, and I was looking for something in the neighborhood so to speak. When I started travelling extensively back in 1996, Transit appeared more and more as a natural extension of my personal sound project. Writing while on the move actually kick started the whole album, so there was no other way than the Transit - way.
Hörspiegel: The recordings are quite old. Have you already worked on new songs? I hope it won't last another eight years, until we hear something new from you! God bless you, thx Thomas.
Jan: I'll take that as another compliment, Thomas, hah hah hah! Well, as I already mentioned, I'm a slow fucker. Maybe I've got ideas for three - four - five songs or so, scattered around. The plan is to record some demos this winter. I'm actually building my own house as we speak, and of course I've made some home studio space in the basement.
We'll see. There's a long way to go before another album hits a proper studio, but the journey continues and meanwhile life moves on and evolves. Hope to do a small tour or so soon, so if I'm lucky, we'll meet again some sunny day :o) Cheers for yer time and sorry for my delays.. Hope it was worth the wait.
Jan

www.Karmakosmetix.com