1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
First of all, I would like to greet you and thank you for giving us this space and the opportunity to take part in this interview.
AUKA is a Black Metal project from Chile, formed as a duo in 2020. We are two musicians responsible for all the music and lyrics. Lautaro Troppa handles the guitars and bass, while I, Z.U.R.C., take care of the vocals and lyrics.
We are both members of FÜTHAN, another Chilean band with a 20-year history. We decided to create this side project because we had many musical ideas and compositions that didn't quite fit the direction we were pursuing with FÜTHAN.
We started working on some demos, and gradually the eight tracks that would eventually become our debut album began to take shape. To complete the recording, we contacted Andrés “Tempenor”, a drummer we had previously worked with in FÜTHAN, to handle the drums. We also had the collaboration of María José Herrera on female vocals.
This is how AUKA came to life, a project that has allowed us to explore different musical ideas and that has now materialized in our first full-length album, La Última Frontera.
2.Recently you have released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
With this album, we wanted to develop an elaborate, technical, and melodic form of Black Metal, incorporating different musical elements such as clean vocal choirs, female vocals, keyboards, and acoustic guitars, without losing the characteristic aggression of the genre, particularly through intense and aggressive blast beats.
We also wanted to combine mid-tempo sections with very fast passages, creating contrasts and dynamics that would bring variety to the compositions and to the album as a whole.
Black Metal has always been a musical style that we are passionate about and strongly identify with. In one way or another, our path as musicians has always led us to compose and develop music within this genre, while incorporating our own ideas and seeking to establish a distinctive musical identity.
3.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with this release?
Of course. The album is inspired by the history of Villarrica, one of the oldest cities in Chile. It was founded in 1552, during the Spanish conquest of these territories, mainly because of the conquistadors' interest in exploiting the gold deposits and gold-bearing rivers believed to exist in the area.
The city was destroyed twice as a result of the Mapuche people's resistance against the Spanish occupation. The first destruction took place in 1554, following the Mapuche uprising that came after the death of Pedro de Valdivia at the Battle of Tucapel. The city was later reestablished by the Spanish, until the events of Curalaba in 1598 triggered another period of uprisings and conflict that eventually led to its final destruction in 1602.
One of the darkest episodes of this history took place during the final siege, when the Spanish settlers became completely isolated and faced extreme conditions of starvation and desperation. Chronicles from that period describe how the situation became so desperate that some inhabitants even resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. These accounts also mention cases of mothers who, driven by extreme starvation, reportedly resorted to consuming their own stillborn children.
This period represents one of the darkest and most dramatic chapters in the history of our region, and it is something that has always fascinated me. For this reason, I decided to develop the concept of La Última Frontera around these historical events, using Black Metal as a way to musically convey the darkness, violence, and tragedy that marked that era.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Auka'?
AUKA means “rebel” or “untamed” in Mapuzungun, the language of the Mapuche people. The inspiration behind this name comes from the ancestral resistance of our indigenous peoples against conquest and domination, as well as from that same spirit of rebellion that burns within our souls and runs through our veins.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The album artwork was created by Chilean artist Daniel Hermosilla, also known as “Nox Fragor”, who has also joined our live lineup as a second guitarist.
Daniel has worked with numerous national and international bands, including Cosmic Putrefaction (Italy), Fetid (USA), Ænigmatum (USA), Endless Loss (Australia), VøidWomb (Portugal), Consumption (Sweden), and Darkreverie (Switzerland), among others. We were familiar with his work and had complete confidence in his artistic abilities.
The oil painting depicts the Spanish conquistadors being besieged by spectral felines, incorporating several scenes that reflect the historical events explored throughout the album. Among them, we can see one of the conquistadors extracting minerals, along with other symbolic representations of the hunger, suffering, and desperation that marked that period.
The roots and volcanoes also represent our homeland, while the central composition is surrounded by a gradually deteriorating ring of gold, symbolizing the wealth that originally attracted the conquistadors and their eventual decline.
Daniel is an outstanding artist, and we gave him complete creative freedom to develop the artwork. We met a couple of times to discuss the album's concept, but all the artistic credit belongs to him. He managed to capture the essence of La Última Frontera in an extraordinary way.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has done so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
So far, we have only performed live once, as we are currently waiting for the physical release of our album before starting to play more shows and promote our music.
Initially, the album's physical release was scheduled for June of this year, but due to personal circumstances involving the record label, it had to be postponed until December. By that time, we had already confirmed our first live performance, so we decided to honor that commitment.
However, we have decided not to schedule any further shows until the physical edition is available, as our intention is to promote and distribute La Última Frontera alongside our upcoming live performances.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Of course. Once the album is available in physical format, we will start playing live shows to promote it. Our intention is to bring the music of La Última Frontera to the stage and introduce our work to more people through live performances.
8.The new album was released on 'Kulto 13', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Kulto 13 Producciones is a small independent Chilean label run by our friend Lautaro Canío, who has previously handled several releases from our other band, FÜTHAN.
We have been working with him for several years, and he has always proven to be a reliable, dedicated person who genuinely respects our work. Besides being a true metalhead, he understands the underground spirit and the importance of preserving a band's artistic freedom.
Another aspect we really appreciate is that he has never imposed any restrictions on releasing our music through other labels or in different formats, which allows us to explore new distribution opportunities. For these reasons, we have always maintained a great working relationship built on mutual trust and respect.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
So far, we have received a very positive response both internationally and here in Chile. Although we have been handling all the promotion independently, which makes it a little more challenging to get our music out there, we have received some really encouraging feedback from Black Metal fans and various specialized media outlets.
We know that making a name for yourself within the underground scene is not an easy task, especially when working independently, but we are very satisfied with the response La Última Frontera has received so far. It is truly rewarding for us to know that our music is reaching people in different parts of the world.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I believe we will continue following the path of Black Metal. Our influences are deeply rooted in the Norwegian and Swedish scenes of the 1990s, so I don't think we will stray too far from that musical direction.
Although we are considering including a completely acoustic track among the compositions for our next album, our music will continue to preserve its dark essence, with lyrics focused on pagan themes.
In fact, we already have new material and are currently working on writing our second album, so as soon as we have any news, we will definitely share it!
Finally, I would like to sincerely thank you, for this interview, for giving us this opportunity, and for supporting our band. A big embrace and greetings from the end of the world!
https://www.facebook.com/AukaBM
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