1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project? I’ve always loved music, and have tried my hand at a couple different instruments in the past. I’ve tried being in bands in the past but none of them stuck, and I was never confident enough in my skills to really pursue it beyond that, but as I started getting more into black metal and discovering a lot of the artists who oversee every aspect of their music themselves, as one-person projects, it really inspired me to try it myself. I began to realize that even though I’m not very confident in my abilities, the only way I’ll improve is to keep trying. Plus, I love learning everything I can about making music, from the different instruments to the technical sound engineer tasks to music theory itself, so being the sole person behind my creations allows me to do so, and express myself as I wish. I very much enjoy collaborating with others, but I love the creative freedom being a solo artist brings.
2.You have a new album coming out later this month, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording? I was very indecisive at figuring out what I wanted the project to sound like, but as I began to piece it together, I decided to stick with a sound akin to old school, raw black metal (primarily second wave) with elements of dungeon synth, but I also tried to explore a more modern ambient sound as well.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music? I always want to, above all else, be able to write the music from my emotions, and for Atychipboia, I specifically tailored it to a lot of the negative feelings I was having during the creation of the project. Most of the project stemmed from my fear of not being good enough or living up to expectations, and the pressure that I unfortunately put myself under to meet my own musical demands. I collaborated with Espi Kvlt on one of the tracks, whose lyrics centered around standing up to oppression as well, which I too feel very strongly about. For more synth-heavy tracks, like A Thousand Will Crawl, I had more of the idea of a dark fantasy world, specifically a kingdom surviving brutal winters and a tyrant king. I’d love to explore this dark fantasy setting as a lyrical theme in a future project and really build on it, but I’d also like to continue to write music about topics I feel strongly about, such as my deep hatred for fascism and overall discrimination of any kind, mental health, addiction, religion, etc.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mazia'? I wish I had a more unique story about it, but basically, after experimenting with a laundry list of other aliases, I finally decided on Mazia because it’s simple and is actually closely related to my real name, so it’s more personal to me than other names I’ve tried, or at least, that’s how I felt when I chose it. Once I decided on it, it just felt right, and I’ve been using the Mazia moniker for about 5 or 6 years.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork thqat is presented on the new album cover? Basically, atychiphobia is the extreme fear of not living up to expectations/fear of being rejected, and that was how I felt the entire time I was constructing this album. I got the idea to style it similar to the old film noir horror movies, both due to the phobia being a major role, and because the sound was inspired by old school black metal/dungeon synth, so I wanted to present it as if it were the opening title sequence to a classic horror movie, even adding “Mazia presents…” to parody the presence of a film studio name presenting the “film”. The picture in the background is from a local lake, and I chose that photo specifically because the night I visited the lake was one of the worst nights in terms of the negative emotions clouding my thoughts; not just about the music, but many other things, so that’s why I decided to use the bridge as the backdrop to the title, because I was experiencing a heavy amount of atychiphobia while I was there.
6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo? I’d love to work with other musicians! I love collaborating and coming up with stuff with other musicians! I’d like the “Mazia” name to remain singular, though, so collaborations with other artists/projects would be explicitly mentioned as I did here, but I’m absolutely open to working with other people, and maybe even creating music with someone as a group project/band!
7.On the new album cover you also have some session work from a member of 'Espi Kvlt', can you tell us a little bit more about his contribution to the recording? Vocals were never my strong suit, so I was suggested to introduce myself to the Syrup Moose community and see if anyone wanted to provide vocals on the project. Espi reached out and offered, and honestly, we clicked almost right away, as we had similar tastes in music and such. When I heard the finished track with the vocals, I was stunned, and had the biggest grin for at least 5 minutes straight. I couldn’t have asked for anything better; the vocals fit the track perfectly in my opinion. I am so honored to have worked with Espi, and hope to do so in the future!
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal and dungeon synth? The reception so far has been great, I haven’t heard anything too negative, aside from constructive criticism, particularly coming from black metal and dungeon synth listeners. I know I’m just a beginner and it’s a niche genre, so not everyone will like it, but I’ve showed my stuff to several different people of different musical tastes (including black metal/dungeon synth), and like I said, nothing outright negative, so I’m very happy about that!
9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future? I just want to expand myself as an artist and push my own limitations, primarily as a black metal/dungeon synth creator, but also dipping my toes into other genres as well. I certainly don’t expect to get “famous” or anything, but I’d love to keep improving and developing my catalog of music, and I’d also like to inspire others to start their own musical journeys in their own genres of music, as black metal projects have done for me. A short term goal would probably reduce my reliance on my audio software and purchase more equipment so I can have a more authentic sound and really get creative with it.
10.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’m a huge fan of grunge, as well as hardcore punk, shoegaze, trap metal, new-wave/goth, etc. Slipknot (especially Joey Jordison’s drumming and general musical talent) has been a particular metal band that I’ve been into since I was a kid and was my gateway into the more extreme stuff. In terms of what I primarily drew my sound from, though, it would definitely be a mix of old school black metal/dungeon synth such as Bathory, Darkthrone and Mortiis, with newer bands/projects like Trespasser, Ghost Bath, Paysage d’Hiver, Panopticon, Spectral Lore. I could list so many more, but those are my biggest. In terms of what I’m listening to, I’m having a blast familiarizing myself with fellow Syrup Moose music, such as Espi Kvlt, Youth Pastor, Corvus Corone, Tide Harvester, etc. They’re all good! I’m also LOVING Trespasser’s new album ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ and highly recommend it! I was also recently introduced to Faidra and Agalloch, and I’m really enjoying both!
11.What are some of your non musical interests? I’m a huge fan of the sport of mixed martial arts (and martial arts in general), and love watching fights sanctioned by ONE Championship, mainly because they respect martial arts and actually treat their fighters well (great pay, medical compensation, etc.). I dabble in it myself, primarily with boxing, taekwondo, and a tiny bit of jiu-jitsu. I’m also a huge video game person (such as DOOM, World of Warcraft, Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, Elden Ring, etc., but I also love looking at small indie games and checking them out), and comic books (especially characters like Deadpool, Carnage, and Red X). I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m an avid anime fan as well. Also, of course, the trifecta: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter (I don't support Rowling, though, obviously), and Star Wars. I’m also studying computer programming and mathematics, and I can’t get enough of either subject, honestly; similarly, I'm trying to start a little side gig building custom mechanical keyboards, as it's a really fun hobby and my ADHD loves the clicking/ASMR effect they keyboards have. Honestly, though, anything that involves fantasy, or space, or technology, I'm more than likely going to enjoy it. A more niche thing that I've found I enjoy is the show Dark Shadows; it's a 1960's soap opera about a vampire and his family. I don't really know why, but I love it.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? I really appreciate this opportunity to be interviewed; as a beginner musician who still doesn’t really know what he’s doing, this means the absolute world to me! Also, wear your seatbelts.
https://mazia.bandcamp.com/album/atychiphobia
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