Feb 042025
 

(Comrade Aleks was intrigued by the unusual combination of features that have been presented in the music of the UK medieval black metal band Zeit der Dunkelheit, and so he reached out to its sole recording member Jim Kakes, and the following interview was the result.)

Zeit der Dunkelheit is a medieval black metal project from London, UK. Run by Jim Kakes alone, the project appeared suddenly in 2024: The EP Das Ende der Zeit was released first, then a series of digital singles followed, and as the culmination of this blitzkrieg the full-length debut Die letzten Tage was released.

Despite the album’s message (the Last days are upon us!) and its black metal core, the overall impression of the material is quite energetic due to its strong bias towards folk tunes. Although Die letzten Tage reflects the world plunging into darkness and ultimate death, the liberation of death is celebrated “in an optimistic tone”. And that’s kind of a controversial approach, so Jim himself may explain it better.

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Hi Jim! How are you doing? What’s going on in Zeit der Dunkelheit?

Hi there, thank you for having me! Honestly, things are going pretty well. The album is finally out, and I couldn’t be more excited that everyone can now listen to it!

 

Well, first of all, you were born in Greece, and now you live in England performing medieval black metal with German lyrics. How could Zeit der Dunkelheit happen at all?

It all started from a crazy idea I had a few years back, but it wasn’t fully formed in my head from the beginning. While attending Wacken Open Air in 2022 and watching many incredible bands, I had this thought: “How cool would it be if a band combined the darkness of black metal with the festive, danceable melodies of medieval music? And how much cooler would it be if the lyrics, titles, and band name were all in German?”

It sounded so interesting in my head, and I believe I wasn’t wrong at all. It’s important to note that I’ve been a fan of both musical styles for quite a long time, so it all felt natural to me—like I knew what I had to do from day one.

 

 

It’s said the project was started in 2024, but all of a sudden you released the first EP Das Ende der Zeit in February, and then one by one singles start to appear. How long did you prepare this material before proclaiming the project’s foundation?

As I mentioned, the idea started forming in 2022, but it took me almost two years to bring it to life. On some level, the idea was simmering in my head all this time, but I didn’t actively start working on it until December 2023. That’s when I wrote the first three songs, which became the Das Ende der Zeit EP, released in February 2024. After that EP, everything was more spontaneous. I prefer not to stockpile songs, so every standalone single I released was written and composed just a few days or weeks before it was published.

 

Almost all eight singles, as well as the EP and the fresh LP, have some hooded figures in the artworks. Did you put some concept, a storyline in your lyrics, which would unite all releases as one plot?

The figures—the medieval monks—symbolize the members of the band. The whole point is to avoid focusing on faces or personalities because I want the music to take center stage. Symbolically, it’s our duty as musicians to serve the music, not the other way around. As for the concept and lyrical themes, Zeit der Dunkelheit mainly focus on “the end of time.” In my opinion, it’s one of the most interesting and challenging philosophical questions — What happens next? What will the end of the world be like? Is there such a thing as the end of time? Can we, as human beings, even comprehend the concept of time’s final moments? Of course, not all the singles explore these themes, but they’re more evident on the EP and even more so on the full-length album.

 

 

Why didn’t you include any of these singles in the LP Die letzten Tage? What was the purpose behind them?

I prefer to release fresh material with each album. While I respect artists who include previously released tracks on a full-length album, I personally prefer to create something from scratch and work on all the songs simultaneously. This approach helps me maintain consistency and stay focused on a select group of songs. It’s different when pre-release singles promote an upcoming full-length album, but that wasn’t the case with Die Letzten Tage. The standalone singles served more as a guide for what was coming next and helped me establish the band’s sound.

 

Did you start the project with this concept in your mind? What was your vision from the start? Did you have a set of necessary instruments, a special sound, etc.?

Absolutely, the concept was clear in my mind when I started the band. While combining both genres, the darkness of the concept was complemented by the black metal vibe, and the twist of medieval melodies added an interesting flair. My vision was to create something that serves as an experience for the listener, inviting them to travel back in time to a medieval party happening in the underworld, just moments before the end of time!

As for the instruments, in addition to the classic black metal setup, I incorporated the hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and medieval recorders, among others, to achieve the sound I had envisioned.

 

What’s the story behind the full-length Die letzten Tage? Do the songs have a kind of common theme?

You’ve nailed it! Yes, the album follows a theme on the surface, but there are deeper meanings buried within. The theme of the album revolves around the last days of time. From the album title to each individual track, it’s clear that this is a journey through the final moments before the end of the world. The narrative explores the feelings and thoughts surrounding this event, along with vivid details about how it might happen.

The album is divided into three sections, each broken up by an instrumental track. As for the timeline, nine of the ten songs take place in the moments—minutes, really—leading up to the end, while the last track, “Dämmerung” (Dawn), is the only one set afterward. It’s an instrumental piece with a hopeful vibe, suggesting that maybe the end of time isn’t so bad after all.

 

 

Were all these extra instruments like bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, medieval recorders, and flutes, performed by keyboards, or did you have some guest musicians during the recording?

Most of the instruments were MIDI-programmed. I performed and recorded the guitars, bass, hurdy-gurdy, and vocals myself. However, I plan for all the instruments to be played live in the future. Nothing compares to the sound of a real bagpipe played by a real musician!

 

So your lyrics are kind of apocalyptic and yet personal, but at the same time you clad these texts in a form of medieval black metal. How did you find this genre most fitting for your goals?

What genre other than black metal could better capture the post-apocalyptic atmosphere of the end of time? But since the end of the world might not be so bad, why not dance away our horrors and fears to the sounds of medieval music?

 

In what conditions did you record the album? Was it all home studio sessions or did you manage to work at a real studio?

The entire album was recorded in my home studio. Every aspect of it—from conception to execution, from composing to recording, mixing, and mastering—was done in this little cold, dark room somewhere in London, where I feel most like myself.

 

What are your further plans for Zeit der Dunkelheit? Will you shape it into a real band with a lineup and gigs? Or will you keep working alone?

Actually, Zeit der Dunkelheit have already performed one live show as a full 7-member band. It was during that show that I realised this needs to go further. I’m surrounded by incredible musicians who are also great friends, so it’s not just about the music, it’s personal too. I definitely plan to bring Zeit der Dunkelheit to the outside world, not only because I want to share the live experience, but also because I express myself musically better as part of a band than as a solo artist. So, get ready!

https://zeitderdunkelheit.bandcamp.com/album/die-letzten-tage
https://www.instagram.com/zeitderdunkelheit/

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