1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the solo project these days?
1. Hello! Currently, material is being prepared for the next album, which will be conceptual. I constantly find myself thinking back to my childhood and youth, to the lost world of dreams, hopes, and aspirations. The album will be dedicated to these experiences. There may also be vocals.
2.Your last full length came out in 2022, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
2. Musically, "Memories" continues the direction set by previous works. It represents a collection of short stories, sketches from life. It reflects the idea of the cyclical nature of the universe, the tragedy of an individual's fate in the ever-renewing wheel of life and death. This is also reflected in the design of the release, with an image of a young boy against an autumn forest on one side, and an image of an old man against a blossoming spring nature on the other side. Similarly, a house that is bustling with life deteriorates and transforms into a dilapidated, abandoned structure against a family cemetery.
3.Besides black metal you are also involved with a couple of doom metal projects, how would you compare the 2 different genres?
3. Each of my projects contains elements of both Black Metal and Doom Metal. If we take these genres in their conventional pure form, for me, Doom represents melancholy and despair, a chilling feeling of late autumn, while Black Metal represents a storm in the middle of an icy desert, a crystallized feeling of loneliness. However, in reality, both genres encompass a whole range of images and emotions, and often intertwine to the point where it is difficult to separate one from the other.
4.So far most of the music has been instrumental, are you open to working with vocals on future releases?
4. Yes, I would like to add vocals and make them a significant part of the project's arrangements. It is likely that vocals will be present on the next album.
5.On the first album you also had some songs inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and Algerian Blackwood, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these authors?
5. Algernon Blackwood used to be one of my favorite authors. His stunning descriptions of the wild nature, in the face of which humans are just small, defenseless beings, struck a chord in my heart. The track "The Willows" from the album "Brinks Of The Past" depicts such a case - two men were rafting along the Danube and landed on an island in the middle of the river for the night. At night, they witnessed an unusual phenomenon - they came into contact with elementals, the spirits of this small patch of land surrounded by untamed elements. The despair and hopelessness experienced by these people, confronted with the wild forces of nature that know no morals or sympathy, are depicted with remarkable accuracy and knowledge. I also have special impressions related to Edgar Allan Poe. As it is known, this writer depicted a person very subtly, placing them in situations on the edge, and sometimes beyond the threshold of madness. The story "Morella”, to which I attempted to write a small soundtrack, raises the issue of the identity of the human persona, the fragility of the human mind faced with the phenomenon of soul transmigration. I also want to add that when I was writing these tracks, there was one missing detail that would make them complete. I stumbled upon recordings by an Englishman named Wayne June on the internet, and his narration of the stories "The Willows" and "Morella" is characterized by professionalism and a keen sense of atmosphere. In the end, samples of Mr. June's voice adorned my tracks.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that was presented on the last album cover?
6. The artwork for "Memories" is a separate source of pride. Taya Rostovtseva, a talented artist from Siberia, painted amazing artworks. I have already mentioned them in previous answers. The main idea behind the design is the cyclical nature of ever-renewing nature and the transience of human existence. The fading of autumn transitions into the blooming, fragrant spring, while a person transitions through their own personal spring into a gray-haired old age. Nature is infinite, humans are finite.
7.With this project you record everything by yourself and also work with musicians in your other bands, which one do you prefer?
7. There are pros and cons everywhere. Undoubtedly, a major advantage of working alone is the complete freedom of action. You don't need to look to others, adapt to their pace of work. You do everything at your own pace. But it is difficult for a person to do everything alone, and working in a team often gives birth to interesting ideas. Therefore, it is difficult to prefer one over the other. In practice, I use both options.
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
8. Currently, the projects are not popular enough to gather any significant statistics. But what I have been able to read is certainly inspiring.
9.What is going on with your other bands or musical projects these days?
9. Currently, I have three projects: Trewerum - doom/death metal with neoclassical elements, Скверна Линия - progressive/atmospheric black metal, and Somnolences. Let's start with the Скверна Линия project. In 2020, I composed music for a play that ended up being frozen, and my work was left on the shelf, in the archives. Eventually, I decided to rearrange these tracks and create a new project. Thus, Скверна Линия was born. The song lyrics are poems by Boris Poplavsky, a Russian poet in exile, whose works deeply touched my heart. The concept of Somnolences, as I mentioned before, is based on my personal experiences, emotions from childhood, youth, and vivid moments from my personal life. Speaking of Trewerum, I will refer to a description of the album “Millenniums in a Darkness” (2022): “There is a legend according to which in order to obtain the true Power one needs to find his soul and call it by its name. Once found this legend, one wizard went on a search. For many years he searched, fought beasts and wandered the world. Once he found the cave deep under the ground, inside which there was lying his soul in a sarcophagus made of stone. This sarcophagus was filled up with impenetrable darkness. The wizard searched everything but found nothing. The sarcophagus was empty. In despair, he returned back and then died in obscurity. Little did he know the darkness was his soul filling up the sarcophagus.”
10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
10. Currently, I plan to develop all three projects, and I am also participating as a guitarist and bassist in two other bands. Therefore, my creative life is very fulfilling.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that you are currently listening to nowadays?
11. I listen to a lot of new music, and it's impossible to list everything. So, I'll just mention what I've listened to recently. Neon Scaffold - an interesting avant-garde black metal with a beautiful brass section, Ulcerate - an interesting, intricate death metal with dissonances and insane riffing, Talsur - an unusual doom metal project with a strong neoclassical influence.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. Life is short, so make the most of it, engage in your favorite activities, and take care of yourself. Thank you for your interest in my music
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