Shadowdream Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the music project these days?

Just recently I have signed with Italian label WormHole Death Records which will release my sixth full length album titled Um. This album also marks my 10 year musical work under the name Shadowdream. I must add that I am more than happy with collaboration with the WormHole Death, as they are very honest and professional label.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound of the new recording and also ho does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I was preparing this album for three years, as not only the concept for it but the whole process of materializing this concept into the right sound was very exhausting. As with previous Shadowdream work, the album is dealing with certain themes I find mesmerizing and worth exploring.

The theme here are the struggles of a schizophrenic mind, the process of losing the touch with the reality and crossing the line into the deepest disturbances a human mind can produce. Therefore, the album title is Um, which is Serbian word for mind and the music I describe as “psychotic jazz”, but in a metaphorical way, as it is not, for example, psychotic in a free-jazz way. The music is a mixture of dark ambient and jazz.

On every Shadowdream record the music comes from within the theme, so some Shadowdream albums are more neoclassical, some electronic, some metal, but the core is the same – eclectic musical expression in order to enlighten me and individuals who want to think, as the music is always a two way process – It is not just what I compose, it is how the spectator on the other end perceive it. And everyone who thinks with their own mind will perceive it differently, that is the beauty of it.

3.The earlier material was more black metal but the newer stuff  is more ambient, what was the decision behind going into this musical direction?

First three releases were black metal, but as the concepts for the albums became more complex and my thirst for artistic exploration bloomed, I have progressed into ambient / neoclassical / jazz style, which still has black metal influences, they are just played and expressed differently.

4.What are some of the  concepts  and images you bring out with your newer music?

As for the latest album, I have already explained the concept behind it. Previous two albums were dealing with artistic and scientific spheres I hold very dear and close to me – Renaissance and Astronomy. With music I tried to evoke the human imagination in order to experience, if only for a minute, the greatness of the achievements these two themes brought to us.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Shadowdream'/

The inspiration and meaning behind the Shadowdream lies in the idea that Art gives an answer to what cannot be answered. Therefore, it gives me and people who listen to the music, a new dimension which could help understand as well as to pose new questions on the ideas and themes I am dealing with.

6.With this project you work all solo, do you feel this adds to the creativity of the music?

Absolutely, as I have freedom to work at my own pace and there are no restrictions in how to approach the matter in question. As the themes are quite complex and require good background preparation i.e. reading and exploring the matter, the time and subjectivism is really important.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of dark ambient and black metal?

The feedback was great. I am very happy with that as I am not composing music to please anyone’s taste but mine.

8.What is going on with your other musical projects these days?

Currently, there are two more bands I am involved in. First is a Serbian Black metal act Ancient Sorrow (https://myspace.com/ancientsorrowhorde), which is working on the upcoming EP, while second one is a Swedish Deaosophic Death/Black Metal Dys Inbunden (https://www.facebook.com/DysInbunden13), that is currently working on second album and is in the progress of promoting the first album worldwide.

9.Where do you see the project heading into musically during the future?

I will need some time to clear my mind from the current album and concept behind it and search some new challenging ideas and themes in order to continue the Shadowdream. When I find the ideas, the musical style will start to come on it’s own.

10.According to the bio you have an interest in astronomy, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

That is correct. Astronomy was always a thing of interest for me, not just because it puts in perspective some of the greatest scientific questions, but because it shows us how insignificant we actually are on a grand scale. The whole symphony and cacophony happening at the same time is amazing to follow first hand and it inspires me in my Artistic journey.

11.Also the bio said you had an interest in Mayan Civilization and have written many essays about it, what is it that interests you about this ancient tribe?

The main interest behind the Mayas is their scientific achievements, which again brings me to the astronomical themes, but also the cultural and artistic features of this great civilization. However, the fall of the Mayas and the mysticism behind it is a driving force in my exploration of them.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I basically listen to all sorts of musical styles and bands, as I can find something interesting in any number of them. Mainly, I listen to metal music, jazz, classical, electronic, rock etc., but am always open to exploring new horizons. Just now I am enjoying in the brooding atmosphere of Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones and Paimonia’s Disease Named Humanity, an excellent death/black record from this Serbian band.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

As I have an MA degree in Cinema, one of my greatest passions are moving images. I am a massive film collector as well as the owner of Sunsettlers Cinema, where I work as a film director, editor and director of photography. That is the reason why I create conceptual albums based on the program music style, as I want to create a film without moving images, just with music tones.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you for the interview and to those few who read this to the very end.

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