1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Maeror & Beobachten :
Arkaist is a Black Metal band founded in early 2023 by Maeror and Beobachten.The line-up has been expanded to include Gwenc'hlann An Teñval (bass, backing vocals) and Cryptic (drums session), as well as Errhyk on drums for the live show and the rest of the adventure.We play a visceral black metal, in turn, the album takes listeners through a number of different phases, ranging from an assessment of the situation to a form of recovery, while passing through phases where hope follows affliction It’s a classic formula with modern elements like melodic parts or orchestrations.The themes discussed are the decadence of the western world, isolation, nihilism but also love for our ancestral land. All this is punctuated by a call not to give in to the renunciation.
2.You have a new album coming out towards the end of February, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
Maeror & Beobachten :
Aube Noire is our first album, although we both have experiences with previous Black Metal bands (Hanternoz, Azgarath, Créatures, Formoraich). It will be released by Antiq Records, a label that corresponds to us in terms of ideals and general vision of music. In terms of lyrics, we are close to the themes of groups such as Pâlefroid, Morte France or Au Champ des Morts. Musically, we are inspired by traditional Black Metal bands of the second wave, but mainly by more melodic bands like Emperor, Sacramentum, Dissection and Anorexia Nervosa. For the more brutal elements, we could cite Tsjuder or Marduk.
3.All of the band members are veterans with experience playing in other bands, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Arkaist', that you have not been able to do with your other groups?
Maeror :
The topics discussed in our previous bands were not the same. In Azgarath, I played a purely traditional Black Metal and the themes were inscribed in European fears and legends, in a fantasmatic past, hazy and dark; The themes of Arkaist are much more rooted in reality and do not fit with other projects that I could have had, hence the need to found a new project. Moreover, this creation is the result of the ideas of two people who did not play together before, namely Maeror and Beobachten.
Beobachten:
As far as I'm concerned, the bands I've been part of in the past were projects where I was only a live member. So it was essential for me to be able to express the many ideas that had been left on the shelf until then. Furthermore, I've always wanted to compose orchestral parts, in a melodic Black Metal style, something I've never been able to explore until now.In the future, I hope to be able to improve these parts considerably so that they fit in better with the riffs and provide the right atmosphere to get the message across.
4.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer album/*
Maeror & Beobachten :
Arkaist proposes a search for meaning for man in a world lost by the collapse of his society. Man is looking for new points of reference, for this he realizes an introspection, observes his flaws and is pushed to correct them, to rise. He tastes intensely of his isolation, his nostalgia for the past but also to his hatred from which comes a violence that he struggles to control. His lack of quest will push him to a process of individuation, to realize himself by expiating his faults and finally to rise. Arkaist draws his inspiration from the various facts and the story, both in the works of Jung and Nietzsche, as well as in the pleasure of a walk in the forest or in the wake of the concrete streets.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Arkaist'?
Maeror & Beobachten :
We were looking for a stylized word or a suitcase word that reflects our vision of the project. The first word that came to us was “Catharsis” but obviously, this word is overexploited in the milieu, and then the word “archaiste” came, in French. An archaist person is someone who exalts the past. This nostalgic vision of a fantasized past is a concept that is often found in Black Metal, there is always this vision of a distant, fantasized, unknown past, in which the world was more magical, more orderly, healthier, in opposition to the materialistic era, devoid of magic and any spiritual essence in which we currently live. After finding this word, we realized that it was the anagram of catharsis and all this appeared as an obvious. We then stylized the word by writing it with a K so that it sounds like a band name.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
Beobachten :
We wanted to show the big themes that govern the album, have something that represents concepts like the loss of landmarks, the engulfment of a society, the withdrawal into a world of one’s own. All in a graphic style that I would call classic, that is -to say the painting or engraving as here. The artwork is a 17th century engraving by Matthaüs Küsel representing one of the sets developed by Burnacini. This set was made for the longest and most lavish opera ever made: Il Pomo d'Oro by Antonio Cesti, specially commissioned to celebrate the marriage of Emperor Leopold I with the Infanta Margherita of Spain. Initially we worked with an illustrator that we had discovered through the networks, but despite several proposals we had to stop the partnership with him, the result he proposed to us was not up to our expectations. We ended the collaboration with this artist when I was about to fly to Prague. When I went to this city that I love, I had the feeling that I would find the visual we were looking for, it was like a certainty. And it did not miss, visiting the Lobkowicz Palace, at the turn of a room, I was struck by this engraving. I sent a photo to Maeror and almost instantly we agreed to use this work. From there I could start working on the layout of the cover but also of all the graphic signature of the group.
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Maeror & Beobachten :
The band has just started liveshows, we played at LidenBrock in Briouze, we will play on February 15 at Synthi in Rennes, on March 15 at Fontaine de Brocéliande and then on March 29 at Pavillon Noir, near Brest. More dates are coming ! So far, it seems to have been well received by the public. However, we're always working to improve our performance in order to deliver a show that's as good as it gets. We want our live shows to be as professional as the big names in the style, so that we can match them and play on the biggest stages of the moment. For now, we invite you to come and see us to judge for yourself.
8,Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Maeror & Beobachten :
We will be announcing upcoming shows soon. In addition, we are open to all proposals and are actively looking for new dates, do not hesitate to contact us!
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Maeror & Beobachten :
We don’t know yet but the first feedbacks are excellent. We hope that these will enable us to tour in all the neighbouring countries and, in particular, to take us to the stage of festivals such as Under The Black Sun, Fortress Fest or even Inferno in Norway.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Maeror & Beobachten :
At the moment, we will follow the same path but we’re not closed to explore new things in the future. However, we can already announce that we have defined the theme of the next album, and in particular the subject matter and titles of certain tracks. In terms of style, you can expect an even more polished production, grander orchestral parts and, of course, the same visceral approach.
11.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?
Beobachten:
We draw on second-wave black metal, with bands like Emperor at the forefront, but also Satyricon, Dissection and Tsjuder. There are, of course, more modern inspirations close to home, such as Anorexia Nervosa, one of our favourite bands, or Abigor.
Maeror:
For my part, if I had to name the bands that influence me the most, it would be Emperor, Anorexia Nervosa, Marduk or Tsjuder for the musical aspect. Lyrically, it's really what I want to express that comes first, but I find similarities in the bands Au Champ des Morts, Pâlefroid, Morte France and Paydretz.
Beobachten:
When it comes to what we're listening to at the moment, I could mention a few of the albums that made an impression on me in 2024:
Grylle - Egrotants, Souffreteux, Cacochymes, Covidards
Thy_catafalque - xii a gyönyörü álmok ezután jönnek
A.oratos - Ecclesia Gnostica
Winter Landscape - Die Berge
Djevel - Natt til ende
Akhlys - house of the black geminus
Order of nosferat - Towards the nighttrealm of Orlok
In any case, these are the ones that come out most often on the turntable.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for this interview and for your interest in Arkaist. We invite you all to listen to Aube Noire to forged your own opinion about it, and of course to come see us in our future gigs.
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