1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Toska is a black metal entity hailing from cold climes of Iceland.
We exist to transmit the whispers of spirits dwelling the night skies of frozen north.
2.So far you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Our intention is to make music interesting and engaging so we approach writing from different angles and incorporate various musical influences.
The basis of Toska's sound is definitely black metal but enhanced with unique guitar leads, atmospheric keyboards and ambient passages which brings new quality to the genre while not departing far away from what black metal is.
3.Some of your lyrics are inspired by the writings of the Polish Poet Tadeusz Micinski, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his work?
Micinski's writings are imaginative and extremely atmospheric. His work is very much influenced by nature which we strongly relate to. We accidentally stumbled upon his work and found it to be perfect match for atmosphere we wanted to convey in our first material.
We need to note though, that our inspirations are not limited to Micinski's work and we will explore other lyrical influences on our upcoming material.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Toska'?
The best explanation is to cite Vladimir Nabokov:
"(Toska) is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause.(...) a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning".
This state is close to us and we find it very creative - it drives us to acknowledge intangible forces that drift around us and capture them as music. Therefore, in a way, Toska is a child of spiritual anguish that Nabokov described.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Toska is too intimate for us to play shows. We find ourselves appreciating music most when it is a solitary experience.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
As per previous answer, we intend Toska to remain studio project.
7.Eihwaz Recordings are re-releasing your 2015 ep, what are your thoughts on the final product?
We didn't get our copies yet so we can't comment on physical product. However, we do very much appreciate how professional and efficient Jim and Marty are. We are getting good promotion and professional release of our first material. We can't ask for anything more.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
As far as we know, feedback has been very positive.
Generally, we didn't expect anyone paying attention but instead, we've got good reviews and proper release offers from Eihwaz (CD) and Fragile Branch (Cassette).
9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We are working on full length just now. We have few songs ready and ideas for more floating around.
We keep writing process as natural as it can be - we don't force creativity. Instead, we wait for music to come to us. At the same time though, we aim to have full length ready later this year.
As for music, what we have so far builds on top of what you can hear on the EP but is packed with even more unexpected twists and turns.
We pay particular attention to arrangements and flow of material to make it interesting.
We are excited about the direction we are heading and looking forward to see where it takes us.
10.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?
There are too many artists that we appreciate to list them here.
Generally, black metal as a whole is our main influence and we draw ideas from various subgenres.
On top of that we appreciate classical music and you'll hear that in our next material.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Nature and poetry.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Many thanks for your interest.
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