{"id":44943,"date":"2026-08-31T07:23:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orkus1.com\/an-interview-with-the-memory-of-snow-part-1-of-2\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T07:23:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:23:44","slug":"an-interview-with-the-memory-of-snow-part-1-of-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orkus1.com\/en\/an-interview-with-the-memory-of-snow-part-1-of-2\/","title":{"rendered":"An Interview with THE MEMORY OF SNOW (Part 1 of 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In our two-part interview with Albin Wagener, we talk about his new album, \u201cInside,\u201d while following an exciting detective story.<\/p>\n\n

Orkus:<\/strong> The Memory of Snow’s first album was released in 2023. How did the idea\u2014or the desire\u2014to form The Memory of Snow come about? Albin Wagener:<\/strong> Actually, *The Memory of Snow* is a kind of musical rebirth. I had been making music with various projects before, until at some point I couldn\u2019t write a single melody anymore\u2026 I had a complete creative block. *The Memory of Snow* came about after a ten-year break from music. I just felt like I had to make music again, and that feeling suddenly came back. I had to do everything myself to truly have control over the artistic vision and the entire process. So basically, it\u2019s about a person who starts making music again after too many years of silence\u2026 <\/p>\n\n

O:<\/strong> What’s the story behind the project’s name?AW:<\/strong> *The Memory of Snow* has many meanings. For one thing, it\u2019s about snow as a memory. It reminds me of my childhood in Luxembourg, where I was born and raised. We had snow there every Christmas\u2014something that disappeared when the whole family moved to France. At the same time, the title has a very somber meaning in light of the climate crisis, which is an important issue for me. It\u2019s about the disappearance of things that were dear to us and that we took for granted\u2014especially the disappearance of winter, my favorite season! And then there\u2019s another meaning: a trip I was able to take to Finland a few years ago. I traveled to the north of the country, to Oulu and Rovaniemi, and saw those enormous amounts of snow and ice\u2026 It was a magical moment I\u2019ll never forget. There was something peaceful about that cold silence\u2014something larger than life. Sorry for the long and complicated answer, but at least this gives you a sense of the world and the themes I incorporate into my music. <\/p>\n\n

O:<\/strong> What does snow bring out in you?AW:<\/strong> Snow symbolizes a kind of cold serenity that we never truly achieve in life. I like to imagine that death might be more peaceful, and snow also reminds me of a slow, gentle way of dying\u2026 Sorry, that doesn\u2019t sound very positive, but hey, that\u2019s part of life, too. At the same time, snow has something soothing and comforting about it: that soft sound that surrounds you when the world is blanketed in snow. I love the cold seasons and the way they blanket nature\u2026 It\u2019s actually quite poetic and, of course, linked to childhood memories, as I\u2019ve already explained. I love the cold\u2014which is probably reflected in my music, too! <\/p>\n\n

O:<\/strong> The new album is titled \u201cInside.\u201d How did this song come about, and why did it become the album title? AW:<\/strong> \u201cInside\u201d is actually a direct reference to the album \u201cOutside,\u201d which David Bowie produced in 1995\u2014an album I love very much, by the way. I thought it might be interesting to make an album with a similar experimental approach, also about a detective investigating the murder of a girl. But the further I got into production, the more I strayed from that original idea. \u201cInside\u201d evolved into a project in its own right\u2014certainly not a copy, nor a second chapter. Honestly, how could I even compare myself to Bowie! Rather, it\u2019s a tribute in its own unique way. Various other influences came into play as well: Of course, you can hear David Lynch here and there, but there\u2019s also a more Nordic atmosphere, influenced by Danish TV series and their noir crime stories. In the end, it turned into something completely unique. \u201cInside\u201d attempts to uncover the sordid stories hidden behind seemingly perfect homes. It\u2019s about the monsters we have at home, about violence, and about how crimes often remain hidden right before our eyes\u2014especially when it comes to vulnerable beings like children. <\/p>\n\n

O:<\/strong> It’s a sophisticated concept album in which we follow Detective Stern as he tries to solve a murder \u2026AW:<\/strong> As I said, the original idea came from a desire to produce a sort of sequel to Bowie\u2019s \u201cOutside.\u201d At the same time, I was writing the album while rewatching David Lynch\u2019s \u201cTwin Peaks\u201d and thinking about shows like \u201cBron\/Broen\u201d and \u201cThe Killing.\u201d I wanted something with a stronger Nordic feel, something darker and more musically focused. Detective Jonas Stern was supposed to be investigating a gruesome case: the brutal murder of a teenage girl by her stepfather. I wanted this investigation to eventually drive him mad and ultimately lead him to become a murderer himself. It really is a concept album: it tells a story like a novel, and each song is a chapter. There\u2019s a beginning and an end. But yes\u2014it\u2019s definitely not a happy story. <\/p>\n\n

O:<\/strong> \u201cNoise in the Basement\u201d gives you goosebumps. Is there a story behind it? AW:<\/strong> With this song, I wanted to describe a murder scene from the investigators\u2019 perspective. The detective and his colleagues enter the house and examine the rooms and what\u2019s inside them. It\u2019s a clinical description of intimate details and the abrupt end to everyday life in this house. In a way, the song is almost surgical: you can almost see the colors of the walls, imagine the upper floor, and feel how everything there has suddenly come to a standstill. A life has come to a standstill. The title \u201cNoise in the Basement\u201d refers to the sound the detective hears coming from the basement while his colleagues are examining the crime scene there\u2014the place where the girl was murdered. <\/p>\n\n

Claudia Zinn-Zinnenburg<\/p>\n\n

We will continue our interview shortly.<\/p>\n\n

Watch the video for “Inside”:<\/p>\n\n

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