Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with Ludvig Swärd, a.k.a. Forndom, along with his new album titled ‘Moþir’, releasing today via Nordvis Produktion.
‘Moþir’ is an album that you cannot have any distractions while you listen. And I mean listen, not hear. Listen with your mind and soul. What I am saying is that ‘Moþir’ is an album you can get lost in. And, while the music was written with specific inspirations and each track has a story to tell, you will find your own meaning in each of these songs and an emotion all for yourself.
The orchestration is brilliant. The collective is mesmerizing. Everything feels whole and complete. An all inclusive immersion into the mind and music of a mentor who world-builds with every track and inspires with every note.
Not only is the missing elements of modern instruments and overall sound by design, it’s a focus in some spaces. Age old themes show their current relevancy by highlighting and focusing on the root emotions and guttural feelings combined with a lush and lucid soundscape that one could easily get lost in, and feel a little more complete for it.
In this interview, we talk with Ludvig about ‘Moþir’ and his mind and method behind his music as well as how he started and where he is headed, and much more.
About ‘Moþir’
Forndom proudly unveils his new album, Moþir, an immersive exploration of divine ambiguity. Through Moþir, Ludvig Swärd’s latest creation embraces both nurturing warmth and the cold inevitability of fate, woven through themes of creation, destruction, and renewal, producing a sound as ancient as the Earth itself.
Swärd intentionally sheds modern elements, opting for an acoustic sound. “Like my previous albums, this one follows the cycle of life, beginning in darkness and chaos and ending in a grand crescendo, followed by silence,” he explains. “I hope that listeners will absorb not only the notes but also the silence before, between, and after them. For it is in that silence, after all, where we find the true mother – the unknown that awaits us all.”
The first single, “Tunridor” is accompanied by a spectacular music video, courtesy of Ludvig Swärd. “Moþir” is as intricate as the deities it portrays, interweaving themes of fertility and loyalty, love and betrayal, light and shadow. “Tunridor,” an old word for witches, symbolises feminine darkness. The song draws inspiration from two stanzas of the Hávamál: Stanza 155: The tenth I know: if I see witches play, high in the air I can cause them to go astray, lose their form, and lose their soul. Stanza 118: A man I saw, sorely wounded by words of an evil woman; a lying tongue took his life, though for no just cause.
Commenting on the nature of the first single, Ludwig states: ‘The tenth rune, according to the Uthark system (which I believe is the correct interpretation), is Ís – the rune of death. This rune is chanted by Janne Posti (Häxkapell, Sons of Crom) eight times in the song, representing the eighth rune, Hagall (hail), which is also associated with curses. While the song had an intensely personal and emotional connection during its creation – where I sought to embody the essence of deceitful human behavior – it evolved over time, taking on a more profound magical significance. This led to events beyond my understanding: volcanic eruptions, displacement, and death. A chain of events that felt almost too perfect to be real!’
Recorded and mixed by Swärd himself, Moþir features haunting performances from collaborators Thomas von Wachenfeldt (Bards of Skaði) on violin, Janne Posti (Häxkapell, Sons of Crom) on choral vocals, and Draugurinn, whose presence evokes the spirits of forgotten times. The album’s arrangements feel timeless, evoking reverence for ancient traditions and the cyclical nature of existence.
As the first glimpse into Moþir, the lead single “Tunridor” embodies the album’s themes of divine ambiguity. Inspired by the Norse concept of witches, “Tunridor” explores feminine darkness, invoking ancient curses and mystical forces. Swärd explains: “The tenth rune, according to the Uthark system, is Ís – the rune of death. This rune is chanted eight times by Janne Posti in the song, representing the transformative power of death and rebirth.” ‘Tunridor’ captures the tension between these forces, drawing listeners into the enigmatic feminine divine.” Swärd adds, “While the song had a deeply personal connection during its creation, it evolved over time, taking on a more profound magical significance.”
Album Contributors
Ludvig Swärd – Vocals and additional instruments
Uppsala Temple Orchestra – Strings, brass, and woodwinds
Janne Posti – Choir
Thomas von Wachenfeldt – Violin soloist
Egil Swärd – Percussion
Gullan Swärd – Alto soloist
Disa Åman – Screams on “Tunridor”
Album Credits
Ludvig Swärd – Songwriting, production & photography
Sol Rydius – Artwork
Thomas Väänänen – Layout
Tore Stjerna – Mastering
About Forndom
In the music of Forndom, the past breathes with a vitality that transcends time. “Moþir” is as complex as the deities it portrays, weaving together themes of fertility and loyalty, love and betrayal, light and shadow. It is an exploration of divine ambiguity, where the nurturing embrace of a mother can just as easily turn into the cold hand of inevitability.
Here, Ludvig Swärd strips away the modern trappings of synthesisers, embracing a purely acoustic sound. The music feels as though it has been carved from the very earth, born from instruments fashioned by hand and played with reverence for the ancient.
Recorded and mixed by Swärd himself, “Moþir” features the talents of Thomas von Wachenfeldt (Bards of Skaði), whose violin conjures both light and darkness; Janne Posti (Häxkapell, Sons of Crom), whose choral tones add a numinous depth; and Draugurinn, whose haunting presence lingers like a spirit from a forgotten age.
Forndom’s latest offering is a meditation on the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth, seen through the lens of ancient Scandinavian spirituality. Ludvig Swärd continues to stand at the crossroads of the past and present, offering a glimpse into the heart of ancient wisdom through the eyes of a modern seeker.
Images by Anna Swärd.
LINKS:
https://www.forndom.com/
https://forndom.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/forndom
https://www.instagram.com/forndom
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1DO3ytbfXlJUOoy77yH7IH
