▁like ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁full - time ▁band ▁member . ▁Gr im mark ▁accepted , ▁thus ▁giving ▁Lil j eg ren ▁and ▁Gr im mark ▁time ▁to ▁plan ▁their ▁project . ▁They ▁took ▁a ▁few ▁old ▁songs ▁from ▁other ▁bands ▁and ▁alter ed ▁them ▁to ▁their ▁own ▁prefer ences . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁they ▁went ▁into ▁the ▁Top ▁Rec ording ▁Studio . ▁Gr im mark ▁played ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁instruments ▁and ▁Lil j eg ren ▁sang . ▁The ▁record ings ▁took ▁several ▁months . ▁They ▁had ▁several ▁guests ▁on ▁the ▁album , ▁including ▁Jakob ▁Pers son , ▁who ▁later ▁played ▁bass ▁in ▁N arn ia . ▁Jan ne ▁St ark ▁( Over drive , ▁Lo comot ive ▁Bre ath , ▁Balt imo ore ) ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁a ▁guitar ▁sol os ▁and ▁Mart ▁Halle k ▁played ▁the ▁viol in . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁the ▁record ings ▁was ▁finally ▁finished . ▁After ▁hard ▁work ▁the ▁album ▁Aw ak ening ▁was ▁mixed . ▁ ▁Thanks ▁to ▁their ▁manager ▁Magn us ▁S öder kv ist ▁their ▁album ▁was ▁taken ▁up ▁by ▁ten ▁Japanese ▁labels . ▁N ine ▁of ▁these ▁labels ▁wanted ▁to ▁take ▁N arn ia ▁under ▁contract , ▁finally ▁N arn ia ▁decided ▁for ▁P ony ▁C any on . ▁In ▁May , ▁Lil j eg ren ▁and ▁Gr im mark ▁went ▁on ▁their ▁last ▁tour ▁with ▁Mod est ▁Att raction . ▁They ▁met ▁Matth ias ▁Mittel st ä dt , ▁who ▁possessed ▁an ▁enter