1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
We have been working on new songs that will be the flesh and bones of our sophomore full-length which we'll start recording in the coming summer. Apart from that, nothing that significant has happened. Some interviews here and there but that's about it.
2.In December you had released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous demos?
I don't think it differs that much from the demos to be honest. Praxis is a clear continuation of what we started on the demos and also a manifestation of what forms the very basis of Aethyrick's musical philosophy in the first place. The only difference, to my mind, is the fact that things are done a notch better on the album, which is the way it should be. So the blade is certainly the same one as before but it's a bit sharper now and cuts deeper.
3.Your lyrics deal a lot with Occultism and Witchcraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the esoteric arts?
Once the siren song of the shadows is heard, it cannot be silenced ever again. With this in mind, I think using the word 'interest' is a bit inaccurate. In other words, it goes a lot deeper than being just curious about such matters. This calling, if you will, is something I cannot turn away from even if for some reason I wanted to try to do so. It defines me and I have come to recognize it as my most central attribute. My objective is to immerse myself in this Art as completely as possible and to harness my latent abilities to their fullest extent. Not an easy task, that's for sure, but meaningful things in life tend not to come without dedication and hardship anyway.
4.Can you tell us how long you have been a practitioner of the occult arts and are there any authors or esoteric orders that have had an influence on your thinking?
Without resorting to unnecessary name and term dropping, I can say that along the years my road has been paved with several sources of insight without which I wouldn't be the seeker I currently am. Even the publications and ideas I have felt to be completely alien to me have served their purpose in the sense that my focus has become clearer because of them and as a consequence knowing what to leave behind or what to skip altogether has been easier. The steps have been many, some of them sidesteps and some downright false even, but I have eventually come to find my spiritual haven under certain branches of the tree called Traditional Witchcraft.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aethyrick'?
Aethyric as an adjective is pretty self-explanatory, being basically anything that originates from or is related to aethyr, or the aethyrs for that matter, but also kind of vague as different people and traditions define the concept of aethyr itself with a bit of variation. In our use of the word it is best understood simply as something pertaining to the world of spirit or the more subtle planes of existence. I personally associate it also with dream-like sensations and such and this certainly matches perfectly what we do musically. The alternative spelling with the letter K at the end is lifted directly from a certain passage in Andrew Chumbley's writings which we hold in very high regard both language- and content-wise. Using this word and this spelling as our band's name is our way to pay tribute to this particular body of work which has had such a profound impact on us both.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
The basic idea of the symbolism is to underline the continuously recurring murder of our clayborn self which we must perform time and time again if we wish to partake of the light of the sacred stars. In other words, the lower impulses and the poisonous influence of the ego and our everyday selves must be overcome in order for us to be able to awaken our senses to the world of spirit. This doesn't imply any kind of 'flesh is bad, spirit is good' dualism. On the contrary, it's about aligning one's whole being, both carnal and the more subtle one, with what truly matters.
7.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?
I don't see it very likely that we would be recruiting new members any time soon. After all, the whole thing came into existence because of very strongly aligned esoteric and musical preferences between the two of us, and as coming across such like-mindedness is in my experience rare indeed there aren't really any people we currently know that could bring that same thing to the table even if in theory we might be open to expand the line-up beyond this duo setting. And that's good for us because we don't have any need to look for new members. Possible live situations are of course a different matter, but even then we're talking about session members only.
8.You also have a compilation coming out this year with both of the demo's on it, can you tell us a little bit more about your decision to release the compilation?
The demos form a coherent whole both conceptually and musically so this idea of releasing them together works nicely in my opinion. They were released in rather limited numbers (81 and 93 respectively) so this way people get a chance to get the demos in a physical format in case they missed out on them for one reason or another back when they were initially released.
9.The new album was released on 'The Sinister Flame', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
TSF is a label with a very strong sense of Satanic conviction and vocation at its core. In addition to the philosophical side of things, TSF functions on a 'quality over quantity' basis and is definitely not another label that further saturates the market with a plethora of pointless releases. We are very pleased over the fact that this collaboration came to be as TSF was the number one option for us when we started thinking about possible labels we might want to work with. It was nice to see that Northwind was very enthusiastic about Aethyrick already when we sent him the first demo, and it seems he still is which is of course great. A perfect match between a band and a label, I would say.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
The feedback has been both positive and negative, but at least on the basis of what I've seen the latter is in the minority. Whatever the truth of the matter may be, I'm pleased to see so many positive comments out there. Naturally it's not the reason why we do this stuff but it's always great to hear if also other people can get something out of what you pour your heart and soul into, you know. Those who haven't liked the material tend to say it's too soft or it lacks edge and so on, and I kind of understand where they are coming from with this, but like with all opinions it simply boils down to personal preferences and taste really. Just like Black Metal in general, Aethyrick isn't meant for everyone.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I don't think there will be that many surprises awaiting around the corner in this respect. I'm sure there will be natural variation and evolution as we don't deliberately aim at repeating the same recipe over and over, but we're not exactly too keen on forced transformation either. We're not innovators, we're just honest artists doing what makes us tick the most.
12.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 believe everything we listen to influences us to different degrees, so I can't really point out any clear sources of inspiration. That said, we are very much into certain type of Black Metal that conjures up strong feelings of unexplainable nostalgia. It doesn't have to be a release from the nineties, it can be a very recent release too as it's about the atmosphere that has been created and not about the year when it was made. There is always room for the more violent and rawer variety too, but for the most part our hearts pound for the atmospheric and more melodic stuff such as In the Nightside Eclipse, early Gorgoroth and Gehenna, and so on. Of the more recent bands and releases than the above-mentioned, for example Sarath's Siste Indre and everything by Nasheim deserve a mention in this context. Ideologically rather neutral stuff but the music on those releases is simply brilliant and can each time elevate the soul to considerable heights.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Not really. But thank you for doing this interview!
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