Singaporean one-man black metal band Welkin released one of my favorite black metal albums of 2023 titled “武勇 / Emblems of Valour”. One can sense that it comes from a place of real dedication and passion. Hasthur, the mild mannered and soft spoken man behind the project, is a twenty year old student of the elite National University of Singapore. He recorded and released his first album Recollections of a Conquest and Honor as a teen; and if I’m not mistaken, his first demo came out when he was only fifteen. With the second full-length his art really came into shape and given his undeniable talent and dedication, Welkin has massive potential.
This interview was conducted after a black metal event in Taipei, where Hasthur performed with local session musicians. We talked about his musical career so far and future plans; about Asian black metal and the Singapore metal scene. But he also gives fascinating insight into his philosophy and sources of inspiration. One can tell that he’s not just book-smart, but also that he’s driven by deeply held and well thought through convictions. And without that, art is really only empty posturing. Please enjoy and consider supporting the artist.
Fascinated by Darkness
Hey Hasthur, tell me about how you started making music and what got you into black metal.
When I first got into metal, I always heard the term “black metal” thrown around, but until I was 14, I never got around to listening to it. My getting into the genre is quite unremarkable: one day I decided to listen to “Transilvanian Hunger” and the rest is history. Something about the music resonated with me in a way that thrash, death, and heavy metal (the main genres I was listening to beforehand) failed to do so. Even as an ignorant teenager, I knew I stumbled upon something profound.
Welkin is not an atmospheric black metal band – it’s too riffy for that I’d say – but the music has a lot of atmosphere and drama. What bands inspire you the most and why?
One can probably tell from the band’s name that I’m a fan of Emperor. They were the first Norwegian black metal band that clicked with me, though I rarely listen to them nowadays. More crucial to the band’s sound is Finnish black metal. It is no secret that Welkin is heavily inspired by the Finnish greats such as Satanic Warmaster, Noenum and Sargeist. In fact, I can say that my obsession with black metal only intensified after I discovered these bands and their signature style of riffing—melodic, melancholy, and yet utterly triumphant; I was enamored.
It was a deeply spiritual experience listening to “Carelian Satanist Madness” for the first time and was what ultimately drove me to form Welkin. In any case, I think Finnish-esque is a suitable characterisation of the band’s early material up to the debut album, “Recollections of Conquest and Honour” (which was also influenced by a variety of French medieval black metal bands like Darkenhöld). But looking back, I can scarcely regard these releases as anything noteworthy—they were simply passionate emulations of bands I loved, lacking in any personal uniqueness—albeit essential to my musical development. Nonetheless, I’m still proud to have written those records.
Chinese black metal aside, “武勇 / Emblems of Valour” draws inspiration from many more sources, especially those from traditional Chinese music. Many of the riffs from the album were composed with reproducing elements and idiosyncrasies of classical Chinese pieces in mind. During the three years I took to write the album, I was also greatly influenced by Greek black metal—the likes of Macabre Omen, ζόφος (Zofos); Russian black metal—Темнозорь (Temnozor), Небокрай (Nebokray).
Chinese black metal aside, “武勇 / Emblems of Valour” draws inspiration from many more sources, especially those from traditional Chinese music. Many of the riffs from the album were composed with reproducing elements and idiosyncrasies of classical Chinese pieces in mind.
Black Metal and Philosophy
Black metal is not a fun, party music genre. Is there something in your personality or thinking that draws you to it?
Whether black metal is “fun” or a “party music genre” has never been of any concern to me. I am drawn to black metal because, in its purest form, it defiantly retains and upholds the essence of art amidst the decadent conditions of post-modernity that we find ourselves forcefully ordered into; and thus, it is able to disclose that most primordial poetry of existence.
Do your texts reflect your personal philosophy or do you focus on something more concrete?
The two aren’t mutually exclusive, but insofar as we take art to be something more than technique and expression, true art can never be a reflection of the artist—such a way of thinking stems from modern (mis)conceptions of art as subjective “art” wherein the relation of art and the artist are inverted (of course, one would also be mistaken to think of art as objective; the essence of art transcends this petty dualism; it dwells beneath it in more originary a place).
Verily, the artist is but a vessel through which art finds manifestation. With Welkin, the ultimate goal is, to put it in Heideggerian terms, poiesis (ποίησις); that is, a bringing-forth of truth as aletheia (ἀλήθεια) or the unconcealment of that which is concealed and which finds itself grounded in the historical dasein of a people. What is most important is precisely the possibility of this disclosure afforded to man by music as art—not merely as music or lyric—which is otherwise always obscured (and hence, blocked off from us) by the holding-sway of positionality (Das Ge-stell) and technological thinking.
A lot of my inspiration comes from poetry (ancient Chinese poetry, the works of Hölderlin, etc.), literature (especially the writings of Mishima Yukio, Ernst Jünger, etc.), philosophy (Heidegger, Nietzsche, Daoism, etc.), and, of course, history.
There is no best time to write music
What makes your creative juices flow? What is the best time or way to write music for you? Obviously you get inspiration from other BM artists, but there has to be another source as well…
A lot of my inspiration comes from poetry (ancient Chinese poetry, the works of Hölderlin, etc.), literature (especially the writings of Mishima Yukio, Ernst Jünger, etc.), philosophy (Heidegger, Nietzsche, Daoism, etc.), and, of course, history. Musically, outside of black metal, I’m influenced by the folk songs of my people, classical composers like Wagner and Mahler, and even video game music.
There is no “best time” or “way” to write music in general. The muses strike suddenly and when one least expects it: the musician does not “produce” music, rather, the music comes to the musician, such is the case with art in general.
The Road So Far and Future Plans
Since its founding, was Welkin always a one-man band? Have you played live before your Taipei show?
Welkin has always been a one-man-band and I intend to keep it that way. Before the gig in Taipei, I played a show in Singapore on the 27th of September; that was the first ever gig for Welkin.
At the Taipei show you’ve played with session musicians. Do you have a steady group in Singapore who can play shows with you?
I only have a drummer. It is quite difficult to find people in Singapore willing to play this style of black metal. And after six years of failing to find suitable members, I have pretty much accepted that, for the foreseeable future, I will have to make do with this.
How was it working with the local Taiwanese guys? How did it all come together?
Since they all knew each other and had played together before, rehearsals went off without a hitch. They were also incredibly friendly and hospitable. I have Masa from Bad Moon Rising [note: a local underground label] to thank for managing to find such great and dependable
musicians.
I believe that the highest ecstasies that one can reach with live music are always far greater than that obtainable from recordings, both as a performer and spectator (which when confronted with the purest music, such a distinction between the two breaks down)
The Performer – Spectator Dichotomy
What are your thoughts and feelings about playing live and what do you plan for the future?
It can be said that playing live, as it were, is of even greater significance than recording music. Only so much can be captured on a record, and once an album is “finished,” makes its way out of the studio, it has effectively ossified. The only way to breathe new life into the music then is through live performance. I won’t go as far as to claim, like Celibidache [note: modern Romanian composer], that it’s impossible for a listener to have a “transcendental experience” listening to recorded music, but I believe that the highest ecstasies that one can reach with live music are always far greater than that obtainable from recordings, both as a performer and spectator (which when confronted with the purest music, such a distinction between the two breaks down).
Currently, I am looking at a potential Southeast Asian and Chinese tour in 2024. Nothing has been set in stone yet. That being said, my priority is still writing new material.
I believe that the highest ecstasies that one can reach with live music are always far greater than that obtainable from recordings, both as a performer and spectator (which when confronted with the purest music, such a distinction between the two breaks down).
The State of the Singaporean Metal Scene
Let me ask about the Singapore scene: why do you think it’s so advanced compared to Taiwan (two countries that are on a similar level of economic development)? In Taiwan extreme metal only started to develop in the new millennium, but in Singapore it has a much longer history.
I must admit that I do not know enough to give a well-informed opinion, but economic development aside, one must look at the political climate of that period in both territories. Most would agree that the first metal band to appear in Singapore was Stukas, which formed in 1984 (then known as False Melissah before changing their name in 1987). It was only around this time (1987) that
the White Terror ended in Taiwan with the lifting of martial law. Singapore had its share of political turmoil and unrest post-WWII, but it can hardly be compared to what the ROC had to weather after 1949, so I don’t think it’s too much of a surprise that Taiwan’s extreme metal scene started developing later than Singapore’s.
Black Metal, Death Metal and All That Jazz
Black and blackened death metal seems to have put down roots particularly early in Singapore (with Impiety, Rudra and others), do you have an idea why?
As someone who wasn’t around to see the early development of extreme metal in Singapore, I couldn’t tell you why. However, extreme metal was already present in Southeast Asia in the 80s with band(s?) like Black Fire from Malaysia.
Currently the black metal scene also seems really solid compared to Taiwan, where it’s practically dead. What are your thoughts on this and can you give the readers some recommendations for bands worth checking out?
Off the top of my head, Infernal Execrator and Draconis Infernum. These two are some of the finest black metal bands that Singapore has to offer today. The former just released their newest album “Diabolatry”. Regarding your other question, I don’t have any thoughts or opinions on the matter. How “solid” or “dead” a scene is has little bearing on my own music; it’s irrelevant to me.
How is the metal live scene in Singapore? Would you say it’s pretty lively or is it a struggle to put on shows?
From what people have told me, it’s never been harder to organise shows in Singapore. A lot of venues have shut down after the pandemic; the ones remaining are expensive to book and prices only continue to rise. Despite this, gigs still happen rather frequently, albeit with more expensive tickets. But that’s just how it is living in a fast-paced city with a high cost of living, especially when it comes to renting spaces.
Fellow Travelers
Can you talk about the development of black metal in recent years in Asia more broadly? Is there any country that has a particularly interesting black metal scene right now? From what I’ve seen, black metal is currently quite popular in China. Your label Pest Productions has released quite a few high-quality albums this year.
Though I’m always on the lookout for bands to listen to (both new and old), I rarely follow these so-called “developments” in black metal. While it is important to listen eclectically (how else would one develop their own style?), there comes a point when introspection concerning one’s own craft is more valuable than trying to find more music to listen to. I don’t know of any countries that have a “particularly interesting black metal scene” either, but a few bands that have caught my interest from the region recently are Vengeful Spectre (殞煞), CUT, Lotus of Darkness, and กาฬพราย.
Since you are – I assume – ethnically Chinese, do you feel interest in what’s going on there in the black metal scene now? Are you tuned into their online discussions etc?
I am indeed, ethnically Han Chinese, yes. I have a number of contacts in the Chinese black metal scene. We keep in touch, but I wouldn’t say that I’m “tuned into their online discussions.” Such things do not interest me.
Don’t they get executed for playing this type of music?
My feeling is that the Chinese BM scene is quite advanced, but because Chinese society is a bit insulary, not many people abroad even know about what music is produced there – except for when some band like Zuriaake gets a lot of attention abroad. Would you say my assessment is more or less correct? Do you think their bands have a potential to break through abroad?
I think that’s a fair assessment to make. The main problem is that a lot of bands simply choose not to upload their music on platforms like Bandcamp or release their music with labels from abroad because of the Great Firewall, so they don’t even get cataloged on Metal Archives. It also doesn’t help that many people (usually westerners) have certain (understandable) stereotypes about China. The most amusing thing I’ve heard someone ask me was: “Don’t they get executed for playing this type of music [extreme metal]?” Generally, the quality of extreme metal in China varies quite a bit, but this is the case everywhere. Whether they have the potential to “break through abroad”— I wouldn’t know. I don’t keep up with what’s trending in the international metal community or whatever bands are flavor of the month. But certainly, there are bands of exceptional quality in the Chinese scene (see the next question).
Underrated Black Metal from the Far East
Is there any black metal artist or band from East Asia whose music really speaks to you, who you feel is really inspired?
If you’re talking about black metal, then without a doubt, Holyarrow (御矢)—true Hokkien black metal sung in classical literary Southern Min concerning the history of Fujian and its sons and heroes. I had the honor of recording clean vocals and backing vocals for their upcoming album “勝利萬歲 / Long Live Victory”.
There aren’t too many internationally well-known black metal artists from this region. My favorites are Pure Wrath, Inferno Requiem, Cataplexy and Zuuriake (Sigh and Chthonic are bigger bands, but they don’t play BM anymore). Are there any hidden gems that the readers should check out?
A country that’s overlooked when it comes to black metal is Japan. Other than Sigh, Abigail, and more recently, Evil, you don’t hear about much else from the country. However, there have been a number of outstanding underground bands that have emerged from Japan over the years. Readers that enjoy melodic strains of black metal can check out Hakuja, which has phenomenally written basslines—unsurpassed in the entirety of black metal, dare I say without hyperbole—that can stand on their own even outside the genre. For anyone that’s into more symphonic stuff like Emperor and early Dimmu Borgir, Tyrant is a solid band to check out.
Another band that pleasantly surprised me in 2023 was Vandal with their debut EP “地獄変 / Jigokuhen”—raw black metal at its finest, written with actual passion and soul that the recent wave of imitators can only futilely grasp at (especially a certain American band whose subpar and plagiarized music I can only qualify as orientalist garbage). Still, my personal favorite is Infernal Necromancy, a band that is, in every respect, worthy of the title of “Japanese Black Metal”; though there are aspects of the band I cannot agree with, I regard them very highly.
Thank you for your time Hasthur, all the best for the future!
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All photos by Ray Huang (IG: @ray_huang6669)