1. Hi Ben. The title of the new album is “Willenskraft”, “Willpower” in English. So how can listener interpret title’s meaning before the first listen? Can it suggest what is the music about? Or is it linked to the story of the album? Struggle between the man and his will?

The deeper meaning relates on discipline, heart's desire and everything which is connected with your own strength in mind and heart! For me willpower is a high gear for inner development. Being altruistic but without losing yourself. A thin line...
The songwriting and the assembling of the album is graded in sections one could walk through by finding his gear: Awareness... Daringness... Disbelief... Heart's Desire... Obviation... Consecration. In fact these are the 6 titles of the songs, as well. And that's all about the basic concept in the first way.

2. Majority of the album consists of the atmospheric and “non-stagnating” ambient passages, which are nicely jointed with parts we may call black metal. Although the majority of the album consists of ambient, I think, when compared to your earlier stuff, that you have added more guitar parts. Do you agree? “Wagemut” makes a nice example. Not too much motives, repetitious plot and hypnotizing atmosphere. With some of your samples I recalled your former band Lunar Aurora…

Yes, this album has a lot more “metal-parts” in it than my previous works. But I never intended having similarities with Lunar Aurora.

3. Well, let’s stay with Lunar Aurora for a while; Are there people which asking you about comeback from time to time?

Yes, of course! We are dealing again with LUNAR AURORA and some ideas... but it is still too early to talk about that. Maybe there will come a new album... and maybe not.

4. Talking about the black metal parts… sometimes they’re reminding me Switzerland’s Darkspace, which might be a strong connecting link for some listeners. Do you agree, or do you find this relation as absurd?

I can't find any comparisons to Darkspace. Trist has got an absolute different atmosphere and sound. The only thing which might be closer is the repetitious plot and the meditative character. But all in all Trist is really different!

5. Yes, that can be just my kind of view. Anyway, are there groups that can be something like inspiration for you? What kind of music you like now? Are you changed through the time regarding genres and groups you listen to?

I am really open-minded concerning various genres and styles. And since we live in a time where you can listen to almost any kind of music via web, I consume it mostly this way. The negative aspect going along with that, is that I hardly can't remember all the artists/bands. I listen to the music and in most cases I don't care about the name of the band. I like dance-floor, trip-hop, folk, lounge, alternative, classic, rock, metal, ...and so on. At the moment I re-discovered Rammstein for my own. And I like Evilfeast from Poland... or my all-time-favorite when it comes to ambient is Bad Sector from Italy. But I also like Pink Floyd and Pungent Stench... you see: a huge spectrum! Concerning Trist I really can't find any inspiration in the outer world. All tunes are coming from within myself.


6. I wonder if the lyrics of “Willenskraft” are available? Well, I have acquired the electronical promo from the label, so I can´t tell if they are in booklet or not. I´m asking because your voice gets a bit indecipherable in more agonized tessitura. So if there are lyrics, could you elaborate about their themes? I guess that you have hinted something with the first question, but try to be specific, please. Even song after song, if you’re willing to make it easier for fans.

Sorry, but there exist no lyrics. During the recording I simply enunciated words without any logic spelling. I tried to yell from deep within... were “normal” words, orthography and vocal cannot catch the emotion.

7. You have used several movies samples in the past. Are there any similar samples on the new album, or you have narrated everything yourself? I´m referring to the songs ”Verhinderer” and “Wandlung”. If yes, from which movies they are sampled?

No, I didn't use any similar samples again. The few samples on “Willenskraft” are not taken from movies but from audio books. And I pitched and modified the samples into my own work. “Verhinderer” contains lines from J. W. Goethe. Concerning the other parts... I can't remember at the moment.

8. Which part of your instrumentation takes a bigger part of your music? Electronical tools (PC) or “live” instruments like keyboards, and guitars? Which instrument you consider as more important for your music? I´m sure, that you will answer, that one can´t exist without other, hehe, but… you know what I meant with this question.

Mostly I use sound-generator/sampler (PC) and afterwards I combine it sometimes with guitars. So these are the 2 main components for Trist. But of course one instrument cannot exist without the other one! Ha!!!

9. Hehe… Well, and which was the first one you tried to learn and play? Do you remember when you started to play on guitar, etc.?

My first instrument was a recorder (this is the name for a small flute) when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I started with the guitar almost 2 years later. So I play guitar now for almost 17 years.

10. Now we could lightly redirect ourselves to past matters, for the ones interested in older stuff of Trist. As far as I know, Trist was established in 2000, but debut album came out 5 years later. What took you so long and what could you say about this album? Debut album usually represents important milestone in musician’s career.

No, the “debut-Album” was just a demo called “Initiation” and I never intended to release it. But after I had released 2 albums (2003-2004: "Tiefenrausch", 2005-2006: "Hin-Fort"), the label Kunsthall from Switzerland wanted to release the demo, as well. First I resisted but after some time I permitted. So the demo was released after the first and second album. It is a very harsh and gloomy album, only ambient. Recorded on a very outdated PC and without any big programs.


11. Double CD “Hin-fort” got released 2 years later, with 1st disc being entitled “heart symbol” and 2nd “mind symbol”. There is truly a lot of samples on the first disc. It also consists of only one, long song, while the second is split into several parts. What was the idea behind this double album?

“Hinfort” means “hereinafter” and in German this word consists of 2 absolute conflictive or opposed meanings. Bidirectional: “hin” means “reach out/converge” and “fort” means “leaving”. In my life most of my goals and wishes are born within my heart (“hin = affair of the heart”). On the other side I try to solve and break things with my mind (“fort = mental work”). Well, this is the basic idea of this album. Of course it is subdivided into deeper levels but I really don't want to pick it to pieces. Everyone can listen... besides most of the words are in English and graspable for most of the audience.

12. There is one matter left, to resolve. Trist used to consist of 2 members, but what made you to part your ways with Timo Köllingen? If you compare present times with those past, could you say if it is better to work alone or as a duo?

Trist has never been a 2-man-show! Timo Kölling was a guest for the album “Tiefenrausch”. I like his lyrics and poems and therefore I asked him to read some of his poems on “Tiefenrausch”. That's all! Trist is a 1-man-show and I like to work on my own.

13. So you exclude that Trist will be more than 1-man project in the future?

At the moment: yes. But who knows what will change in 2 or 3 years?! I have no plans!

14. I would say, that I’ve asked you everything important. I hope that these questions gave you enough space to interpret everything on your mind. All the best for the future!

Thank you and good bye! For quick information one can have a look at: www.myspace.com/tristambient