Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with Karelius Ihlang

Karelius Ihlang - The Weight of Silence

A solo piano album from Karelius Ihlang, drummer for Eldamar and Paracrona and son of renowned saxophonist Gisle Røen Johansen. The Weight of Silence blends emotion and atmosphere — soft, reflective, and deeply human for fans of Johannes Bornlöf, Gavin Luke, and Yiruma.

Karelius Ihlang is a Norwegian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and touring drummer best known for his work with Eldamar and Paracrona. Based in Drammen, just outside Oslo, Ihlang has emerged as a distinctive voice in Norway’s atmospheric and cinematic music scene.

Of Romani descent and the son of acclaimed saxophonist and composer Gisle Røen Johansen, Ihlang’s relationship with music has always been one of exploration rather than inheritance. Though connected to a rich musical lineage, his path has been self-forged — shaped by introspection, solitude, and a deep curiosity for sound.

 In his solo work, he seeks the emotional power of stillness — translating silence, space, and subtlety into music. His latest album, The Weight of Silence (2025), represents that shift: a meditative and deeply personal collection of ambient and cinematic compositions that invite listeners to slow down and reflect.

Interview with Karelius Ihlang

(•)> What inspired your transition from the intensity of metal to the quiet introspection of The Weight of Silence?

It wasn’t really a transition... more like another voice that needed space to breathe. I still play metal and love it just as much as ever. I’m actually playing *The Sinister Feast* in Austria this weekend with Eldamar, and that energy is still a big part of who I am. But after years of expressing chaos and power through drums, I felt the need for silence... to explore emotion in a softer, slower way. The piano became a place where I could just exist... without force, without volume.

(•)> How does your background as a drummer influence your phrasing and rhythm in solo piano composition?

Drumming taught me to think in movement and feel. Even when I’m writing something very still, I’m always aware of the pulse underneath. There’s a rhythm in silence too... a tension that makes the quiet parts alive. Being a drummer helps me shape music that breathes... with weight, but also space.

(•)> In what ways did your father’s legacy shape or challenge your own artistic identity?

My father, Gisle Røen Johansen, has inspired me musically. His work and his approach to music showed me how powerful honesty can be in sound. Even though our paths are very different, he’s always supported me and trusted that I’d find my own direction. That kind of belief means a lot.

(•)> The album title suggests a deep relationship with stillness. How do you translate silence into sound?

Silence has its own texture... It’s not emptiness, it’s presence. I try to write with that mindset... to let the pauses and the space between notes speak as much as the melodies. Sometimes the quietest moments carry the most weight.

(•)> Can you describe the emotional or spiritual space you were in while creating this record?

It came from a need to slow down and listen. Life and music had both been moving fast, and I wanted to reconnect with something more personal and grounded. Most of these pieces were written late at night, in solitude... moments where everything else stopped for a bit.

(•)> How do your Romani roots influence your sense of melody, atmosphere, or storytelling?

There’s a deep emotion in Romani culture... that blend of beauty and sorrow, light and longing. I think that naturally finds its way into how I write melodies. It’s not something I consciously try to include, it’s just part of me... part of how I feel and express sound.

(•)> What was the most personally significant track to record, and why?

Probably the title track, *The Weight of Silence*. It felt like the heart of the whole record... everything I’d been trying to express came together in that one piece. When I finished recording it, I just sat there for a while... it felt complete, like it had said what I couldn’t.

(•)> How do you see The Weight of Silence connecting with your work in projects like Belfalas, Eldamar, and Paracrona?

It’s all part of the same creative pulse. The metal projects are where I explore energy and intensity... *The Weight of Silence* is where I explore vulnerability and space. But both come from the same emotional core. It’s just different ways of speaking through sound.

(•)> What role does solitude play in your creative process?

It’s essential. Solitude gives me the freedom to listen and feel things without distraction. It’s not always comfortable, but it’s honest. Most of my ideas start in silence... when there’s nothing left to hide behind.

(•)> How do you hope listeners feel or reflect after experiencing The Weight of Silence?

I hope it gives them a moment to slow down... to breathe and connect with something inside themselves. Maybe peace, maybe reflection... whatever they need. If it brings even a small sense of calm or clarity, that’s everything to me.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out Karelius Ihlang on the Pigeon Spins Playlist