Urheimat Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?



Urheimat was born during autumn in 2014 Puerto Montt, south of Chile. Its members are Le Clebs and Ludd (me). We decided to create this band because we had nothing else to do, but to get drunk and to think about the emptiness that surrounds existence within modern times, which hasn't changed much. Anyways, it was a good excuse to begin this band. We did the first thing that came to our minds and the result was quite good, which was the first demo.



2.So far you have released 3 demo's, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?



Urheimat's sound is notoriously homemade. The first demo was entirely recorded with headphones, in the following releases I incorporated a microphone to record the drums, but everything was recorded at home. The former due to the comfortability that it provides and also to get a dirtier sound. The quality of the sound and the clarity of the execution are not so important, because we have only recorded demos. I do the mixing of the songs from my computer with a very basic software.

Furthermore, the musical style is simple; it has slow and heavy rhythms and an intoxicated and putrid voice. It's pretty monotonous, though that is the key for the dark atmosphere.

The main influence of this music is Southern Chile’s atmosphere, the melancholy and nostalgia modify the shape of many Southern men’s “personality”, long walks under the rain, grey sky, fresh wind, this is what I try to put into our music.

The Split with Zerstörung or Demo II, was strange, I think it was because the both of us were going through a shitty time and it is reflected on the despair of the lyrics and chords. But the first and the second demo follow the same musical line, which is the one we want to maintain.

                                                          

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?


First of all I want to clarify that I don't write the lyrics, but most of the songs are about  nature and our landscapes, mixed with personal feelings from personal experiences and worldvision.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Urheimat'?



Urheimat is a German compound word which means something like “ancient homeland”. We chose this name because of our sense of belonging to a determined place, which goes beyond the modern countries limits imposed by politics from older times. My homeland is in the rainy forests, in the country, far from the garbage (cities), far from the Zionism, the democracy, the capitalism…



5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you prefer to remain a duo?



We plan to make a live performance someday; obviously I can’t play all the instruments at the same time, so for live performances we should expand. But to record new material we will remain as a duo. However, we will still have guest sessions like we did before when we invited Satran Pagan Blood and Salissure. In our next work we will ask Salissure to make some backings again.



6.On the demo's you had done both 'Burzum' and 'Death In June' covers, what was the decision behind doing your own versions of these songs?



There is no mystery behind the covers we have done. Those are songs and bands we like and they fit the style we want for our band. The Death in June cover was supposed to be something non-traditional in black metal, and I think we succeed.



7.So far you have worked with 'Silent Woods Nebulah Prods' and 'Sepulchral Silence' on the releases, are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?



Yes, the copies of our third demo that Silent Woods Nebulah released were really well finished. Their work is very professional, and they were always willing to make changes or whatever we needed. I have the same opinion on the work of Sepulchral Silence.  We also worked with a friend’s label called Old silver and with Lord Uguluk in our split with Zerstörung.



8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

                                             

We recently signed with sepulchral silence which opened us the gate to the internet. Before we signed with this label, as far as I know, some physical copies got to USA and Europe, we even received some e- mails with offers to make rehearsals of the first demo in France and Ukraine, which didn’t take place in the end. In the local scene, we have a little group of supporters who like our music and who wanted to have the demos right away. We have had very positive feedback from Chilean blogs. We also participated on a compilation of Chilean pantheist black metal, which also had a lot of support.



9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



We are planning to rerecord some songs from our demos for a full length, including 2 new songs. We might release a single before that. I hope Urheimat follows the direction of the I and III demos, maybe with the addition of other instruments.



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?



Maybe the first bands I listened to when I was a teenager, like rock or heavy metal shit. Nowadays I hardly listen to those bands, but it always brings me nostalgia. I think the simplicity of the compositions comes from that kind of bands.

My black metal influences come from the first bands I heard, like Burzum or Darkthrone, and other bands I listen to nowadays like Peste Noire, Drudkh and Urfaust mainly. I also incorporated some local folk elements (from Chiloe island) in some songs.

Lately I’ve been listening to bands like Cosmic Church, Drakonhail, Luror, Lugubrum and some Neo-folk, post-punk and black gaze bands.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?



I like to read about history, philosophy and universal classics mostly. Also I like to spend time in the country taking care of the animals and contemplating nature, take long walks and just think. However, music is what really fills me.



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


Thanks for this space and the interest. Check some local bands such as: Exanimatvm, Horns, Hashe, Lapageria Rosea, Eufrates, Temple and Funeral Chant.

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