Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
RXND (project driven by Norwegian solo artist Ronde Fauchald) has officially unveiled “A New World: The Setting Sun,” a sweeping new conceptual single and music video. Fusing cinematic, alternative rock, post-hardcore, screamo, and giving a fantasy Tim Burton-esque feel, the track represents the project’s most sonically polished and professional milestone to date, having been mixed and mastered by the professional Marvin T at Tide Studio London.
“A New World: The Setting Sun” tackles humanity’s volatile relationship with nature, capturing a world teetering on the brink of collapse and war. What looks to be driven by a fierce common ground with the 1970s punk rock attitude, prioritizing self-reliance and non-conformity to political sides, is forging an entirely independent path to deliver an objective message. The track positions the four core elements: Air, Fire, Water, and Earth as the masters of the system, warning that the planet will inevitably crack down in self-defense to restore its balance. “The Setting Sun” serves as a stark metaphor for finality: a strong reminder that when the concrete erodes, and the chemical smoke clears, nature’s raw laws reclaim everything.
To learn more about this release, Chaoszine sat down with the Norwegian musician, who shared details about the song, the filming of the music video, and more.
Your new single, “A New World: The Setting Sun”, showcases a variety of influences. On the one hand, it reminds me of Thirty Seconds to Mars at the start, and on the other, of post-hardcore, screamo, and the 2000s. I can sense the contrasts between light and darkness, sadness and joy, and more. Was that the intention behind writing the track?
Thank you for the divine compliment. Yes, that was originally an inspiration, sound-wise, for RXND and this is also the band that got me diving into hobby research on alchemy a few years ago, which I found highly interesting. So some of the soundscape elements are still there, forming my sound. The contrast between light and dark is absolutely there, not only visually in the video but in the soundscape itself, with the ambience to the screams. The screams are transcending reflection into rage, asking you (the listener) to ask yourself to open your eyes. It’s a way of saying: “Don’t blind yourself on purpose or out of fear of action“. The intro is a fantasy landscape, showcasing the beauty of the world itself. The ending of the song after the song is more a telling of a tale and a feeling of desolative emptiness stated through reflective thought. It’s saying in keywords: This is happening and ending with the setting sun, which indirectly asks the question: Do we actually have any power over the sun?
Nice reflection.
This brings me to another topic, as I’ve used the sun as a metaphor in many of my songs over the years. One of my best friends, who sadly passed away last year, always had a connection to the philosophy and energy surrounding the sun and brought up interesting concepts about it, ranging all the way back to high school. He had a saying that went along the lines of Sowilo: (I do not remember exactly how it was written/said) when watching the sun with nearly closed eyes daily every morning to gain energy. I adapted this back then myself, but it also sparked tons of questions in my head over the years about how much influence the sun actually has.
It has a huge influence on us!
Yep. The intention is challenging perspectives through perception and conveying a message of awareness to core life rather than surface issues like image, riots, tech, etc but through a core idea of having enough and wanting people to see the bigger picture of how, for example, A affects B, affects C, affects D, and how then C comes from the side and affects A again. In other words, the message is saying that: you’re not the enemy or right or left if you say something different than what people are used to hearing or if you challenge opinions. Asking the question while people fight on the surface, whether it be in the streets, war, or on the web. What will the consequences be? More digital surveillance? Even a higher rich-poor ratio? Who earns? And what are the consequences to the average citizen?
I find it interesting that the song talks about the four elements: water, fire, air and earth. I don’t think humanity has ever been so close to collapse as it is now, having ‘evolved’ to the point of destroying the planet and designing tools (the atomic bomb, AI) capable of wiping it out. Do you agree with me? Why do you think the human race is so self-destructive?
Yes. And that’s a very interesting question. I’ll start with the self-destructive aspect. Honestly, I don’t know where to start or if I get to the point of the answer to the question anywhere here, because I have too many thoughts around this topic, but I think over the years our structure has been negatively affected for the average human being, ranging everywhere from the world economy to the pressure of an image (Examples: Work image, presenting yourself all the way to influencers) and people feeling like they have to live up to them, even when some of these contribute to tons of negative destructive trends that the average person tries to live up to (say for example social stigma of obtaining a house within a certain age, body image and trends). Some people will always argue: Survival of the fittest, but that raises my question: Haven’t we evolved way beyond that? Are we going back in time, and are we entering an Idiocracy (movie) level of society slowly?
I see what you mean.
As for the atomic bomb that is still the scariest topic of today’s world, because this affects Earth and all life on it itself, and not only us. We need to focus on de-escalation and becoming friends once again. And I think the internet has played a crucial role in dividing people over time (going back to the image topics, etc). There’s always been conflict, but should we just sit idly by and accept that conflicts and splits are getting worse? For AI it is mixed, as it can be used as a positive tool, but it would need tons of restrictions and rules of acceptable and fair use. I’d say fair use of AI would be an upscale of your own image or your own photoshopped image, or correcting/spellchecking your own words. Further than that, I think it creates more chaos than solutions.
Tell me about the music video shoot. I know it was chaotic and took place in the middle of a Norwegian winter.
The music video shoot took place in the heart of a Norwegian winter and was nothing short of chaotic. Magnus and Simon made the main filming possible, not only by managing the camera and music but also by carrying equipment through the cold. The day began early—I was up at 2 am to get ready, travelled around 6 am, and met the team near a hill point in Oslo by 7–8 am. The location was perfect at first, with mist enveloping the area and creating the exact atmosphere we wanted.
One challenge came early, when my shoe got soaked, and I had to swap with my friend to avoid freezing toes. We managed to get all the side-angle shots before the area became busier. When we switched to shooting from the front, passersby kept settling in the background, disrupting the visual for the video. One person even sat behind the mic stand and flag for an hour and refused to move, forcing us to relocate.
Unexpected…
Finding a new spot with a similar view proved impossible, and the sun broke through, drastically shifting the look of the footage. The second location, where we shot until about 4 pm, was much less ideal—deeper snow, harsher conditions, and a less impressive backdrop—but we pushed through and made the best of it. The weather and location changes made post-production a significant challenge. I had to work hard to match the footage as seamlessly as possible. Although the video was originally shot in 4K at 120fps, technical issues meant I had to export the final cut at 1080p. Despite all the obstacles, the end result captures the spirit and raw energy of that unforgettable day.
We live in an age where everything seems to be governed by social media metrics and figures. What message are you trying to convey as an independent artist, and how do you think we musicians could reclaim what is rightfully ours?
Interesting question. Well, I wish I didn’t have to spend time battling the algorithm to get my music heard, but I adapt. I actually don’t know how we could at the point where it is now. Still, the start is always being open to talks and discussions around these topics with each other to raise awareness and bring ideas and solutions to the table instead of mindlessly scrolling news feeds and reels (which I’m guilty of as well). As for the message I always try to convey is think for yourself. Be critical of everything (And I mean everything) you read or hear; process it and reflect. What do you see? I used to have a saying for my songs: “This message is objective“, and that still stands and goes for my songs as well. They’re created to spark your own thoughts; even if I have a subjective view of what they’re about, they’re meant to be told objectively.
When did your solo project, RXND, begin, and what are your plans for the rest of the year?
RXND began from the ashes of my previous failed project, Absolute Pleasure!, that I attempted before, mostly during the pandemic, making it tough to get members. I ended up using the project in the end as a way to improve my recording and songwriting skills. I later converted this into RXND by featuring Absolute Pleasure! on the first single “Live or Die” from 2022. This is the last song I mixed and mastered myself (I still do the songwriting, composition, and recording) due to wanting to reach a more professional level of sound. “Live or Die” is a mix of 2 factors. The first one being a chorus I had for a band in 2015 that didn’t go anywhere called Rise, heavily influenced by 30STM’s style musically. When I later picked up the chorus again in early 2022, I added new verses, etc and turned it into my real-life story of battling health issues from 2018-2020, nearly dying acutely, which got me to turn my whole life around by quitting alcohol for nearly 2 years and permanently quitting smoking. So “Live or Die” marks the start of RXND and a point of a completely fresh start in my life.
How did you get started in music, and which albums did you listen to at home?
There were actually two different beginnings to my journey in music. I first started with drums at a very young age—around eight, if I recall correctly. A couple of years later, my sister gifted me Guitar Hero for Christmas. My parents noticed I had a knack for picking up songs quickly, and within about a week, I’d completed every track on expert mode. About a year later, I received my first guitar as a present (either in 2006 or 2007). Since then, I haven’t looked back. Before I picked up the guitar, I discovered Blink-182 while watching American Pie. I also listened to bands like Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, AFI, and Sum 41. My taste expanded after watching SLC Punk!—a film I found by accident on Google Video, which quickly became a favorite I still revisit every year.
The first albums I bought with my own money after starting guitar were the debuts from FEAR, Generation X, and the Sex Pistols. Around the same time, I was blasting The Casualties and Chaos U.K., and discovered Rancid, who quickly became a staple. I also got into Yellowcard and The F-Ups through video games. Eventually, I collected every Rancid album through to “Honor Is All We Know” (2014). They were hands-down my favorite band between 2007–2011, and I still love them. My passion for Rancid also introduced me to Transplants.
If the apocalypse happened tomorrow, which three albums would you listen to before the end?
Oh man, that’s a tough one. Narrowing it down to just three is hard, but one album that is non-negotiable for me (just simply because of the high energy and the fun that makes you forget everything else) is: 1. ANDREW W.K – “I Get Wet”. Second would have to be: Sum 41 – “All Killer, No Filler”. Every song here is just a hit from start to end. Number three: Sueco – “Attempted Lover” (Deluxe). The high-impact energy and versatility of this guy, who I just randomly found a few years ago while scrolling, have been a favourite ever since. His attitude just reminds me a bit of myself a few years ago, and the songs are great. Honourable mentions would be: Sex Pistols – “Never Mind the Bollocks”, Falling In Reverse – “The Drug in Me Is You”, The Cure – “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me”, Thirty Seconds to Mars – “Beautiful Lie/This Is War”, Linkin Park – “Meteora”, The Infested – “Eaten from the inside”, Boys Like Girls – “Boys Like Girls”, Forgetaboutit – “Orchestrated World”, DOYLE – “Abominator”, Pappasaft – “Kapitalistepop”, Mod Sun – “Internet Killed the Rockstar”, Rancid – “Let The Dominoes Fall”.
Find out more about RXND here.
