D: Hi Martin,

Thank you first for taking the time for this interview and be featured on my site. How have you been lately?

Mats: No problem bro, I've been goood! Lots off stuff happening in my life lately, mostly good though, hehe. Both music wise and private wise I mean. Keeping myself very busy as usuall, which is the way I like it .

D: You just finished the Grand Slam Tour in the end of last year with your band Kraanium, along with Pyrexia, Pathology, Epicardiectomy and Sinaya. How was the tour?

Mats: So far in my almost 20 years long music career , I must say this was one of my top tour experiences so far. Even though some small problems happend here and there we always managed to fix it all together and make it a pretty amazing tour. All bands worked great together and became real good friends, we made a whats app group chat which we are still all in contact and talking together regularly all the bands. Crowd wise it was amazing as well and the shows were mostly packed, and pretty violent pits at times, which is always a bonus to get the adrenaline running.

D: Did you had any special experiences on the tour you want to share? Crazy stuff on stage or in the tour bus? (Drinking debaucheries are always welcome, haha)

Mats: Well I would say one thing only. Don't give Obie from Pathology anything else then beer and light alcohol! He managed to snatch a bottle of JD one night and went totally bananas, throwing food and bottles and almost breaking the bus and some of us as well, haha! It all kinda topped itself when we had to stop the tour bus cos he threat to beat up the busdrivers ,hahah! It was pretty scary at that time but once we managed to calm him down and get him sober, he was sweet as a teddybear again, which he usually is, lol! Lucky for him he can't remember anything of this, or so he says, hehe. What an awesome dude! And an awesome funny story in hindsight.

D: You are involved in many projects besides Kraanium like Diphenylchloroarsine, Dragging Entrails, Psychosomatic Self-Mutilation, Fermented Masturbation. Would you still say Kraanium is your number one priority?

Mats: Indeed it is! And the only band I dedicate myself to tour with and do shows with now as well. Since most of the other project are consisiting on 2 or 3 people, I don't really have time or resources to get a full line up going and do tours/shows. And we get so much offers and tours going with Kraanium, and since its my longest and hardest working band ever, I prefer to prioritize it the best I can.

D: As you are very active with all those projects. Would you say you could think about a life without writing music and what does music means for you?

Mats: Haha no way bro. I would not manage to exist without writing music. Also this is my best therapy to deal with all the shit life throws at you that I would probably perish without it. It's my lifestyle and a legacy I will always continue both for myself and in honour of my dear brother Martin.

D: I think I never asked you that but what do you do besides music to earn a living?

Mats: Oh haha i do alot! im currently between jobs since I got layed off from my last job as a rigger/ technician. Worked for a company that arrange and rent out light/sound equipment for concerts and entertainment , so it was an amazing and interesting job for me and I had great colleagues there, but an asshole boss apparently,lol! So now I'm looking for another job while on social wellfare, have a couple of leads going on that might lead to a great job hopefully, but we will see.

I'm also working on my distro/brand Slamtime productions, and trying to expand my services and catalogue, but it takes time and money to work out stuff that really seem to appeal to people, and on social wellfare I don't have a lot of money for this sadly. I'm also a big xbox gamer , collector of action figures, love series and movies, airsoft player for 10 years now and have two cats. Tattooes is also an addiction of mine, which I'm guessing is pretty obvious .

D: I know it is an uncomfortable theme but after the tragical passing of your twin brother who was also your brother in crime depending on creating music in the Death Metal/Slam scene. Did you think about to quit Kraanium or stop doing music after he was gone?

Mats: Not for a second man, rather the opposite, it made me even more determined to keep doing with one of the few things in life that gives me purpose and hope to continue living in this fucked up and unfair world it is at times . And as I already told earlier, it became my most important form of therapy to move on with my life. I love BDM and the amazing scene we are all a part of worldwide! Without it im pretty much nothing,hehe.

D: What would you say changed in creating your type of writing music after the loss of Martin? Did that anything change and maybe also your view of the scene?

Mats: Well me and Martin would always fight like hell when writing music cos we would never agree, haha! So it made the writing lot more easy maybe, hmmm! lol! Well jokes aside, I don't really think so much has changed other than now I wrote mostly together with Jason instead.

Also i write alot of more lyrics now since Jack don't write as much as Martin did. My view on the scene haven't changed much, I still love it as I did before his passing, but it impress me and makes me feel so grateful and humble for all the support they show me and the honour they give Martin and all the others we have lost in the scene over the years. So brutal in music yet so kind and caring in taking care of each other, which is the most important in life .

D: You are also married and you know we are all getting older. What did change for you the last years while your musical journey. Would you say priorities have shifted and you have a different view on it now or call it a more adult way? Or would you describe yourself as a life long Peter Pan and not growing up? (I also found a picture of you, me and Martin from 2010s Death Feast. Damn time is flying…)

Mats: Oh I would love to see that pic bro! We have been friends for that long already? Shit yes time flies for sure! Haha I think I will always be like a Peter pan at heart bro. Always doing what I love in life and make no compromises other than maybe some small ones for my lovely wife, hehe!

But what is awesome is that she is also a mad gamer and music lover like me so we never have any conflicts when it comes to that at least. And she also respects alot of what I do and dont force me to give up on my band for her, rather show me her support all the way and what I love in life. She is my everything as much as Kraanium though, hehe. But I did learn to cherish any good thing in your life though, no matter big or small, cos it can be taken away from you in an heartbeat.

Okay, enough sappy talk here, haha! Next question plz.

D: Besides all your musical projects. Do you still do something in the merch area or some other projects you want to tell us about?

Mats: As I already mentioned, I'm trying to push my brand/distro ,Slamtime production to the next level, but this takes time and money that I don't have right now. So I'm hoping to get a good and steady job again very fast so I can start prioritising this again and also expand my business in some way. I'm still working on that part though, but have a few ideas in store.

D: You are a big tattoo fan which is pretty obviously. Would you say there is a spot on your body you would never get inked? Did you say your tattoos have a deeper meaning or is every single on individual? You have some favorites you want to show us?

Mats: Oh well I told myself that I will never get inked in my face or over the neck, other than that im hoping to get it all filled up eventually, I would say im around 85 percent complete so far, haha!

I'm aiming for a full body suit at some point in my life for sure.

I would say my whole front torso is very important to me since its a dediction to my brothers memory and also the love I have for friends and my family (pic 1) Second of all, my left knee (pic 2) which is in dedication to my nr one favorite band and inspiration when it comes to slamming brutal death metal, Devourment. Last but not least, my lover back piece that i have in progres, and never seem to be finished (pic 3) A tribute to the Japaneese hentai culture, which i really think is bizzare, perverted and awesome :)