Fulgur et Morte is 39-year-old Brussels-based musician, producer and Opus Magnum Studio owner Olmo Lipani (Déhà, Cult of Erinyes, Silver Knife, Horrible, amongst many others). He released two atmospheric black metal albums recently, called »Possessed by the Unholy« and »Devourer of Light«, taking you back to Judas Iscariot, Leviathan, Burzum, and Xasthur.
skug: I like the two Fulgur et Morte albums you just released. What does »fulgur et morte« mean?
Olmo Lipani: First, thank you for appreciating these two releases. »Fulgur et morte« means »thunderbolt and death« in Latin. It stands for the inevitable and the beauty of these two events. Nature can be insanely violent, death is certain. And they can both happen at the same time.
Why did you want a new moniker for this project?
In the past, I released a couple of albums of raw black metal under my Déhà name, which is a kind of potpourri of many different styles, encompassing metal and beyond. At some point, I thought that it would be better to divide it, since this music style is so important to me and so much more myself at times. It takes its name from the first release I did in this style, actually. The second one, »Mortem Animæ«, was also released under the name Déhà. Now, it’s time to have something separate, which I can really dive into.
Is Fulgur et Morte something you do on your own?
I am my own master hence I will answer to no-one other than myself. I can trust the work in bands with some chosen people, but for this particular band I will rely on what I can do, and only what I can do. It also challenges me to create better, to become a better musician. Black metal is personal, never to be explained, never to be taught or spoken about. Its elitism drives me to this chosen and assumed solitude.
On your Bandcamp page, you wrote you wanted a »Judas Iscariot outlet«.
Judas Iscariot is a band that, in my opinion, brought the »one-man band« to a new level. He was doing everything himself, real, true, without compromises. This is what I am doing as well. It is a hidden tribute to one-man bands that understand the meaning of it all. Leviathan, Judas Iscariot, Burzum, Xasthur…
»Possessed by the Unholy« and »Devourer of Light« are both recorded at the Opus Magnum Studio. Is this your own studio? Is running a recording studio what you do as your profession?
Absolutely. My producing work is done under the name Opus Magnum Studio, while I work in a cult studio in the Brussels’ suburbs, Blackout Studio, initially formed by two members of Enthroned. It was the first studio I ever went to, almost twenty years ago, recording the vocals for Yhdarl: »Ave Maria«. The experience was unique, strong and life-changing, to the point that I knew, then, that this is what I want to be. Now, I am working there. The circle is complete.
You release a lot, using many different monikers, and you play and played in many different bands. Is being a musician what you do as your dayjob?
Producing for bands or others is my job, yes. Being a musician is still a passion that I cherish. I work on music every day, whether it’s mixing, recording, mastering, arranging, composing, or more. Today, for instance, I had the pleasure to welcome my friend Kim Carlsson from Lifelover / Hypothermia, with whom I have worked for three days, resulting in an amazing album that will see the light of day when it’s time. I am also currently working for bands like Inborn Suffering (death doom, France), Angellore (goth doom, France), Wynter Arvn (dark folk, France), Mirror (raw punk / black metal, Belgium), and more. I will not name the other styles (pop, hip-hop) in this interview, as it’s not the place for it. I am a part of Cult of Erinyes (black metal), Silver Knife (black metal), and Horrible (modern extreme metal) as studio and live member, and Oerheks (atmo black metal) as live musician; studio projects are Acathexis (atmo black metal), Brae (raw black metal), Chaînes (raw harsh black metal), Drache (raw epic black metal), Iniquitatem (funeral ambient doom), Lykta (raw black metal), Imber Luminis (atmo doom), Impending Triumph (epic heavy metal), Maladie (fucked up avantgarde extreme metal), Slow (atmospheric funeral doom), Ana Ana (black’n’roll), Transcending Rites (transcending raw black metal), Yhdarl (cathartic extreme raw doom / black / drone / whatever). That’s quite enough and a funny long list no one cares about but here it is. Oh and of course, add seven anonymous bands. At least.
What’s your favourite album at this moment?
I wish I had time to listen to music other than my work. Right now, I am listening to Gallhammer: »Ill Innocence«. An album that, despite having different styles in it, destroys me with two songs: »At the onset of the age of despair« and »Long scary dream«. These two songs are emotionally immense.
What’s your all-time favourite album?
Too many. But I’ll name a few. Burzum: »Hvis lyset tar oss«, Darkthrone: »Transylvanian Hunger«, Pink Floyd: »Wish you were here«, Linkin Park: »Hybrid Theory«, Shape of Despair: »Shades of…«, Wormphlegm: »In an excruciating way…«, Dr Dre: »The Chronics«, Frédéric Chopin: »Nocturnals«, Guiseppe Verdi: »Requiem«, and many more.
Why did you choose to be a metal musician? Or don’t you see yourself this way?
I see myself as my own. I am not to be labelled. If people know about me, they know because of the various styles that I play (from extreme metal to electronic to classical to hip-hop to pop to noise… anything I can put my hands on). Hip-hop is how I have grown. Black metal is what I have become. I am myself, I think that’s enough.
