1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Well, Raiivoe actually was started in the summer of 2011 in Irkustsk. The were three of us back then, Brudywr, Mephisto and Sylvanus (all three played guitars, ha-ha, but Mephisto switched to drums). I(Brudywr) and Mephisto had already had some black-metal background in some local projects by that moment. The project went through multiple changes of a lineup and back then we focused on being a live act. First live show took place on December 30 of 2011 and the last took place on September 9 of 2017.We almost exclusively played local gigs in Irkutsk area (except one show in Ulan-Ude). Then the project was put on hold till autumn 2020. I focused on preparing a studio record from early 2017 till late 2020 when Kruger offered to split efforts and it got us the record released in December 2020. Kruger is in Raiivoe from December of 2012 (with an interruption from spring of 2014 till late 2015 for performing his army duties). From late 2020 Raiivoe has been reignited as a studio project. And it was put on hold again in 2022.
2.So far you have released one full length and a single, musically how do they both differ from each other?
Personally I don't think they differ much from each other as the recording of the single started just after finishing the Art of Celebration. Yes, the full length contains some old stuff from 2011-2017 years and even two songs from my Perekriostok years (1999-2000) but the actual recording and mixing started only in 2017 so they all are very close in time and mood for me.
3.The band has been around since 2012 but waited until 2020 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier releases?
I'd mention an 2002 EP of Morgana 'the Return of the Black Prince' - my first release ever. Morgana used to be a live project in 2000-2002, but I recorded and released the EP on my own.Then I started Brudywr as a one band project in 2005 and released a bunch of fun from 2010. As a matter of fact, there were and are no any record studios or labels in Irkutsk or Siberian region of Russia.There are no record labels in Russia that would be interested in production of black metal of any kind at the moment (and that was true as far as I remember) so we always found it more fun to play gigs then to try to record the whole band in a studio.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics the band has explored so far with the music?
Well, regular black metal stuff, winter, demons, hell, desperation, nightmares.Lyrics should sound cool but I don't think my lyrics can bring a lot of sense.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Raiivø'?
We got to choose some title before our first live gig - so we tried to find something short, cool sounding, unoccupied. We found that raivo meant 'rage' in finnish and it became the name of the band. In 2020 I learned that there was some kind of black metal project in europe so we decided to change spelling a little to make it more unique. I always liked crossed 'o' from scandinavian languages like danish or norwegian so why not.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the single cover?
The artwork is supposed to picture a two faced deity. Two songs, one from Brudywr and another from Kruger. Different vibes, two faces.
7.Currently the band is working as a duo but has had a full line up in the past, do you feel you have been able to achieve more musically with less members?
For me definitely it would be easier to record solo, but I already have a project for that so let's keep it duo. We consider music and recording in different ways so sometimes there are issues. So making another full length record may take a while.
8.Back when you had a full line up what where some of the best shows that the band played and also how would you describe your stage performance?
In 2016-2017 there was the best line up when I had to play drums live. I got so much fun back then. Don't get me wrong, we are not professionals, we do it for fun.
9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We are not. No-one has ever offered anything interesting. That's ok.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
There was some positive reaction from german and french metalheads. That's amazing there're still a few metal maniacs looking for something new.
11.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?'
I'm doing a bunch of various one man band projects: Iltarusko (psychedelic rock), Witchkvlt (stoner/heavy blues).
12.When can we expect new music and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I can't tell for sure but I guess we could release a couple of singles some day. We don't have anything more or less ready on our hands at the moment so I'd not expect another full length any time soon.
13.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?
As for my metal influences I'd mention Bestial Devastation of Sepultura, Darkthrone, Burzum and early Emperor. But I am also heavily influenced by Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Sisters of Mercy and Dead Can Dance. Nowadays I listen a lot to psychedelic rock revival bands such as Holy Wave. As for heavy music - I don't follow the trends but I like revisiting early Satyricon, Burzum, Darkthrone.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Music should be fun. Even the darkest music can bring a lot of that.
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