Aethyr Interview

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

Of course. Aethyr is not actually a band, but more of a personal project with contributions from other musicians. There has never been a live gig or anything of the kind and there are no such plans at the moment. The project was initiated in 2007 chiefly to experiment with and make music that I find fulfilling, and since I mostly enjoyed listening to black metal at the time, naturally Aethyr got its foundations there.


    2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

It sounds to me like some sort of atmospheric black metal with deep ambient elements and overwhelming vocals. There are no fast-paced tracks really, more like a constant flow of riffs, sounds and melodies with a trippy quality to them. That’s pretty much what I get when I’m listening to this album.


    3.This is your first release since your 2007 demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the 9 year wait?

Actually the material included in this album was recorded in 2009, and had been on my hard drive since then. In the meantime, at times I wanted to work with new material, at other times I was incapable of working at all due to a hearing issue that still makes things difficult every now and then.


    4.Your lyrics cover some philosophical themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

The main idea behind both music and lyrics, is of death and rebirth, the destruction of illusions accompanied by echoes from a world of no real existence. However the lyrics are really nightmare-ish perspectives along the process, which is carried on by the music.


    5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aethyr'?

It’s the idea that the universe is not really a void with stuff in it, but a living body with all that is there being interconnected, a finer medium, and that Man as a self-developing organism has the potential to reach higher states of consciousness, higher worlds.


    6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to adding other musicians or do you prefer to remain a duo?

In fact at the moment there indeed are 2 members in the band, the second being a drummer with whom we are working on a new album. Generally I’m open to honest contributions from other musicians, but I like to work with what I’ve got and make the best out of it.


    7.The new album was released on 'Last Candle Productions', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

This label started right after the release of EP back at 2007. The idea behind it is that all the work would be done in my studio, and that all releases will be freely available in all formats to anyone through any medium. The goal is to maintain a certain sonic and aesthetic cohesion. One can find all the releases at lastcandle.com


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

I’ve only come across a few comments and review, some showing appreciation and some showing indifference. It’s always nice to see that someone liked the album, but I would expect that it will not suit everyone’s taste.


    9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that the band members are a part of?

Well, I know that Pyrphoros is working with his own band, Shadowcraft and his personal project, Enorasis. Personally I am working with some ambient material and I am planning a relevant release.



    10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Having in mind the album that is currently being recorded, I’d say that the sound will get more intense and invigorating. Vocals will play a small part, if any, and ambient elements will still accompany the music.


    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?

I’ll just mention some that I can think of now. At the time of the recordings of Uncanny Valley, I remember mostly listening to Negura Bunget, Lycia, Krohm and Fields of the Nephilim. Lately I’m still listening to some black metal, but mostly exploring different genres,  like post rock and metal, drum and bass, ambient, dark jazz and psychedelic music.


    12.What are some of your non musical interests?

I quite like reading, chiefly non-fiction, and I enjoy spending quality time with decent people.


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

Not really, but I want to thank you for your interest in my project!

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