Interview with LIGHTSHIFTERS (2/2)

The Norwegian-German duo Lightshifters was founded in Lübeck in 2012. The pair have been living in Norway since the end of 2024 and have now released their EP “All Life’s Absurdities”, which sensually combines dark wave and synthpop elements. Read the second part of our interview here. – Missed the first one? No problem, you can read it here .

Orkus: “Heroine” has something erotic and emotional about it. What is behind the piece?
Marthe Borge-Lunde Pfirrmann: “Heroine” is a dark story about a stalker with delusions who pursues a woman. His obsessions lead him to believe that she is sending him secret messages with her seductive appearances in a nightclub. He misinterprets her indifference towards him as a gimmick and is convinced that he is entitled to her. When she rejects him, his aggressive nature turns violent. After that, everything goes black and he can’t remember anything.

O: “Loved” is also particularly strong. How did this song come about?
Michael Pfirrmann: Normally we work in such a way that I get an arrangement from Marthe and then I produce the things. With “Heroine” and “Loved” it was different – she got an instrumental demo from me and recorded her vocal melody on it. That also worked quite well.
Marthe: In terms of content, the song is about a toxic partnership. Someone with a lack of self-esteem tries to please a narcissistic and manipulative partner in order to get something back from them that feels like love. Although the person realizes that they are only being taken advantage of, all they really want to feel is love. They are emotionally trapped and cannot free themselves from this dependent relationship.

O: “Turn Back Time” is probably something everyone wishes for in the course of their life. When do you feel like that?
Marthe: Especially when you feel like you’re losing control and feel trapped in a present that you never wanted, you wish you could turn back time. So the song is also about the fear of being on the wrong path because you can’t undo the past.

O: How did it come about that you moved (back) to Norway?
Michael: We had to give up our studio in Lübeck in 2019 and thus our independence because the new owner of the property wanted to renovate the building and no longer wanted us there. Unfortunately, we became victims of gentrification in the city center. Further low blows followed in the years that followed and Martha’s homesickness understandably grew. At the end of 2024, we finally found an apartment and were able to move to Norway. We have since moved here a second time and now we can finally make music again without disturbing any neighbors.

O: Michael, what do you find particularly fascinating about Norway?
Michael: I particularly like the Scandinavian nature. It’s always been like that. I also find the fact that it’s generally a bit cooler than in the south a blessing. We live in a pretty rural area now, so musically it’s a dead zone here. But fortunately Oslo is not too far away.

O: How has your life possibly influenced the music of Lightshifters?
Marthe : Good question. It’s certainly complex; we all carry so many stories with us, both good and bad. One of the reasons I turned to music and art at an early age is certainly because of my experiences with bullying, which led to feelings of isolation and depression. Being able to express myself musically and artistically really helps me to come to terms with my emotions.

O: And finally, what are Lightshifters’ plans for the future?
Michael: After many years, we finally have the opportunity to make music again without disturbing anyone. We definitely want to take advantage of that. So there will certainly be more to hear from us in the future. Of course, we’d also like to present the songs live at some point, but so far Lightshifters is purely a studio project. Unfortunately, the move to Norway doesn’t make this undertaking any easier, but what is not is still possible.

Claudia Zinn-Zinnenburg

Listen to “All Life’s Absurdities” on Spotify: