Friday, January 29, 2021

Amidst Dreams Of Tomorrow Interview

 

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

There’s not much to know about us, to be fair. The EP was recorded as a two piece project, but we’ve recently been joined by an additional guitar player that will be working with us through future recordings, but to be fair, this project is more about the music and less about it’s members. We all share a love for music and all sorts of creative side-gigs, and have a wide range of musical influences which I’m sure you’ll be able to hear in our EP. This project actually has an interesting story that is worth sharing as well. It all started as a failed (but publicly unnamed) Doom Metal project we were both working on. We wrote songs, ideas, all sorts of things, for over two years, but the chemistry was just not there, and we hit a roadblock. Call it creator’s block, if you prefer. Suddenly, during the summer of 2020, it all clicked, and we both wrote like mad in the span of about a month to create the EP you will be listening to. 

2.You have an ep coming out in February, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

For sure. We’re not huge fans of labels ourselves, because I think people often get stuck on the genre and not the actual music, which is what matters. But since people kept asking, we decided to go with Post-Black / Atmospheric Black Metal. Why? Well, our songs are created with a certain ambiance in mind, to set up a mood. The black metal part kinda comes from the stylistic way we arrange our songs, as well as the overall sound and chord choices. 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

We both decided to explore the topic of the human experience, what surrounds us, both positively and negatively, as well life and death, and what’s in between those two states. We wanted to capture feelings of happiness and sadness, sometimes in the same song, and take the audience through a journey. This is also why we decided to make “Beached Things” an instrumental experience, as our goal was to let the music breathe and speak for itself.

4.On your facebook page you also referenced 'Oscar Wilde', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his works?

We’d be lying to you if we said we’re Oscar Wilde readers and followers, because we’re not. The quote has actually stuck with me (Dod) when my girlfriend was talking about Oscar Wilde and his story, and actually wanted to include it as the description of our work, it simply fits the overall mood and aesthetic of our EP.

“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Amidst Dreams Of Tomorrow'?

Amidst Dreams of Tomorrow was actually the working name for one of the songs that we wrote during the EP sessions. When writing songs, no matter how small they may be, we usually assign them a more or less humorous name and this one just stuck as befitting for where our music was going as a whole. The idea for the band name came from myself and Dod just decided “Yeah, that works!”. As for its significance, I’ve never thought much about it, but it personally fits with the idea of never giving up your dreams and what moves you forward, as without those, you’re dead, either physically or metaphorically. 

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?

To tell you about the artwork, we must first tell you about the story about the name for the EP (Beached Things). This actually comes from the game “Death Stranding”, and in very brief terms, Beached Things signifies souls that have been stranded in the world of the living instead of moving on to whatever comes next. That said, we wanted to represent this concept with photography that would be available in our portfolios, and settled with what we have now.

7.The band is an international project, what parts of the world are the band members located in?

We’d prefer not to disclose where we’re from at the moment, as this project is not about the band members, but about the music. We play secondary roles. That said, all three members are currently living in three different countries.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

We’re still looking for a label and have sent our EP to several, but so far we haven’t had any feedback. This doesn’t let us down in the slightest, as our goal was never to get a label, but to share our music with the world, which is why the EP is being released for free. Of course we’d be lying if we said a label deal wouldn’t be something we’d consider, but for now we’re comfortable and happy with what we’ve achieved on our own.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of atmospheric and post black metal?

So far the reception has been great, much better than expected in fact! We’ll wait for the official release date to assess the proper reaction, but quite a few people have listened to our music and seem to enjoy it.

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

That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Well, we’re already working on a full length album as a three piece band and progress has been going on steady so far. What we can advance so far is that we have almost half of the full length written and will continue working on our own pace, so when it’s done, it’s done. We’d say 2022 may be a fair assessment, but it’s still a bit too early to tell. 
As for our musical roadmap, our new songs are a little bit more complex and include some symphonic influences. Not to say it’s a major departure from the EP, because it’s not, but it does sound like a proper evolution of what we’re releasing now. It’s important to note that we’re not adding more instruments or increasing complexity for the sake of it. Our creative process is pretty similar, and it’s just that we’re now more comfortable in our own niche.

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?

This is definitely a two part question, as we both have slightly different musical tastes. 

Christian - While I’m a fan of Black Metal, I was always closer to it’s symphonic counterparts, like Septic Flesh, Cradle Of Filth for example. I’m also a big fan of video-game and movie soundtracks, and this plays a part in the writing process.

Dod - I’ve always been a huge Black Metal fan, and have dwelled way more into its depressive / atmospheric side. My main influences would definitely include well known projects like Burzum and Agalloch, and lesser known but equally fantastic projects like Unreqvited and A Light in the Dark. Additionally, there two projects I’d like to outline as key influences to my overall creative side: Doom:VS and ISON. Both could not be more different, but both have massively impacted the soundscapes I create when working on a song.

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

Christian - I’d like to thank everybody that has been supporting this project and wish they have been enjoying what we’ve come up with. Never let go of your dreams, that’s what keeps you alive!

Dod - As my friend said, just an overall thank you to everybody that has supported and endorsed this project.


 

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