Maentis

It's just been a year  (2015) since you were formed as a band until you produced your first album “I Have Tasted Devil's Blood” (2016). How was this year? Have you mixed well with one another at a musical level? and you have clear ideas on the musical style of your songs as they are written, and in particular this instrumental doom style?

Hello and many thanks for inviting us to give an interview!
Alex: For me, it wasn’t really clear how this whole thing would turn out. We tried a lot of different stoner/doom stuff but as we got to know each other better and better a certain style emerged.
Björn: I wasn‘t even part of the band in the first year. I just hung around with them and drank their beer. They had a lot of problems with bass players (some quit, some didn‘t fit in) and at some point they came up to me and asked if I would become their bass player. I haven‘t played bass before but it all turned out pretty well.
Andy: In The first year the three of us (Alex, Jan and myself) spent most of the time finding a fourth member on bass. Writing a full length record while doing so was a total surprise for us!
Jan: It‘s realy outstanding how well we fit together musically. That‘s why songs mostly develop from rough ideas or within jams and then everyone adds some pieces and variations.

Could you consider in the future to have a singer and if so under what conditions?

No. Under no conditions. We are thinking about vocal parts on our next release and if there should be any we will do it by ourselves. The band is complete. No need for a fifth wheel.

Alex's  (Alexander Seidel) did the artwork for the album which is very nice ! Such an image of the devil think it sends a very strong message, Do you have a true faith in the “Devil” (As far as you may believe in this definition ) or is only an aesthetic/attitudinal factor?
Are any of you Is seriously interested into the  occult and/or esoteric issues?

We are more on the occult level as on dope.
We all have a solid knowledge about that topic, but would definitely not consider ourselves „satanists“. La Vey stands next to the bible in the bookshelf. Knowledge and personal inner growth should not be limited by idealism or dogmatism. But that is just our humble opinion. The path is a different for everyone.

Have you ever heard of Selim Lemouchi?

Alex heard of him. But we just found out while answering your questions. The rest of us has never heard of him until now.

I've read that you've met at the university and that everyone is listening and have inspiration from other music genres, which ones are and why?

Alex: I listen to Dreampop and Shoegaze stuff. Mostly because of the psychedelic aspects and the massive soundwalls. I also like 80’s Postpunk and Wave because of the sterile coldness.
Björn: Punkrock - that sound is just a kick in the teeth. I also like Gangster Rap for the totally antisocial aspects and the awesome beats. 80’s Pop music is always a good inspiration for baselines for me. And then there is OM.
Andy: Progressive, Posthardcore, Postrock and New Jazz because there is a lot of stuff in these genres that I never heard before. I dig german Rap, too. Those puns in combination with sick beats just gets me.
Jan: I like Nu Metal. The combination of heavy guitars and rap is something that amazes me. I‘m also into Folk and Blues. That simple storytelling and sometimes minimalistic songwriting structures are aspects I absolutely like about it. And of course plain 70s classic rock.

How important is it for your audience to come to see live and who believes in the quality of your music to convey particular feelings?

We think it‘s important to see doom on a stage. The massiveness and apocalyptic impression combined with friends, your girl/boy and some drinks is really an experience.
Seeing something you listen to live on stage is crucial for music itself.

Is there a mutual support and collaboration with other German bands ? do you share the stage  or other initiatives?

Yes. We come from a small town, so every doom/stoner/psych band knows each other. The local scene is tiny so we help each other out as best as we can.
Kalamata got really far by now which we and all other local bands such as Natem, Willowman and Henbane really pay our respect.




Is it true that you recorded the studio album only in two days and without a click-track?
For what things it was best to record without a click, and for what cases and circumstances would you not do it again?

Yes, that is true. It was just awesome. When you are recording without a click you can capture the interpersonal aspect of playing music together much better. It‘s all more Punk, more vibes, more groove. We haven‘t decided yet how we are going to record our new stuff in the far future.
We rehearsed with click some time ago and it can really shape a song. It‘s all more on point but that‘s the purpose of a click track, obviously. Pros and cons on both sides.

The fast final part of the "Devil's” song can be considered “Black Metal ?

Of course, black metal is a source of inspiration, too!
As we progressed further and further with „I have tasted devil’s blood“ we realized that such a part needed to be in there to adjust the essence of the record and of our intentions.

The beginning of the "Blood" track is very interesting also as it develops the drum pattern afterward ...... we can expect in the future other tracks with the same menacing and disturbing dark atmosphere?

For sure! We are absolutely into Drone, Noise & Ambient stuff.
The new material on which we are working on right now will include more of those elements. We are always checking out new pedals and ways to create the atmospheric sounds that are playing in our heads.

So what is the taste of the devil's blood? :)

Bitter & nice. Addictive. Check out C.G. Jungs shadow work.

Any plans for end of 2017 beginning of 2018 ?

In 2017 we gig alot. Especially in the last third of the year. For 2018 we are planning to finish the new material that we are working on right now. Maybe go to the studio and make a record? Man, who knows.

Impure Ziggurat

Impure Ziggurat is a band formed in 2012, can you tell how you met and had the idea of forming the band?

Rm and myself (Cdrk) were the originators of the band. We were knowing each other since a decade and shared billions liters of booze over the years. One night, after a significant amount of alcohol, we talked about one of our hobbies : astronomy. To be exact, the occult astronomy, unsolved and horrific mysteries of the deep space, quantum physics and the esoteric link between astronomy and the ancient civilizations that vanished into oblivion.
Back in the days, I was fueled since few years by the reading of  tons of “alternative history” books, written by Graham Hancock, Charles Berlitz, Louis-Claude Vincent, Zecharia Sitchin,... dealing with the true origins of mankind, far from the reassuring stories officialy told.
The discover of this disputed litterature was one of the turning point of my life.
After this, we agreed to spread the “gospel” of these books, while at the same time playing a furious Black/Death Metal, sinister and dreadful.
We decided to set our very first rehearsal at the 21th december 2012. Pretty significant date.
Other long-time friends, TerrorReign and Ldvc teamed up with us few months later to complete the line up and brought their own stone to this macabre edifice.

According to you, why create a new death / black metal? Do you still have the same spirit as the old bands and Impure Ziggurat can replicate it in its original way?

We're all fond of Metal, we don't think that “there's too much band” or that the genre is done. There's too many shitty bands, that is not the same thing.
During the early days of extreme Metal, there was already terrible bands, but at least people involved in them were dedicated metalheads, at least while they played their music. Now the scene is polluted by people with attitude such as “We like Metal, but we are not metalheads. Metalheads are retarted teenagers, we are musicians.” I HATE this so much. These guys deserve to be beaten up 'til death.
One way to fight them is to create some good and dedicated band,  it does not matter if they're originals or not. We can listen all days to some good copycats of Blasphemy, Sarcofago and Slayer so the sterile quest for originality is not our priority.

I've been able to listen to your demo "Raping the Quantum Womb of the Macrocosm" and your EP "Serenades of Astral Malevolence" they both have a primitive sound, but I believe that there are future possibilities for your music of a further evolution;
 Melodies could develop further and not necessarily be so minimal... do you think Impure Ziggurat will develop more complex and articulated music in the future? Or instead you think that the current brutal form alters 100% what the band deeply is?

From the early beginning of the band, the musical direction of the band a clearly engraved in our mind and flesh : hellish drumming, low grunts, simplistic rhythmic guitars and sorrowful guitar leads over it. We have found our way. We won't change it. We won't change anything. We're stubborn people.
Evolution could bring improvement, but it also could bring corruption and alienation.
In various style, Immolation, Revenge, Bolt Thrower, Sadistik Exekution or Motörhead never changed anything in their music and their discographies are flawless.
On the other hand, look at Mayhem, Emperor, Metallica or Manes : they turned to crap when they tried to “evolve” and tuning back to their roots and to their “trademark”.
There are trends in both black and death metal that cross and mix at an ever-increasing rate, from the tendency of dissonances and the abandoning the classical black metal and death sounds to converge to this so-called  “avant-garde” sounds ( A very weird definition in my opinion).

The number of bands that develop this “avant-gard” thing is becoming really high, what do you think? And especially what are the groups that are still able to convey a feeling of attraction and involvement without having to adopt such a stylistic change?

In one word : crap.
In two words : fucking crap.
I fucking hate it. All these Icelandic bands who suck the late albums from Deathspell Omega, with boring dissonant guitars, and an anti-Metal attitude, anti-Metal artwork and, to say the least, anti-Metal faces.
Other cesspool of shit, the whole “post-Black Metal” thing. When you add “post” to something, it must be a pretentious turd. Seriously, take a look at the guys of Deafheaven, Sun Worship,...  Are these pussies black metallers ? Fuck, they're not even metalheads. Shove their Starbucks coffee mug into their weak ass and throw them to the pigs.
I see that your topics also tend to be based on something that has been written by others.
(I usually do not read lyrics that tell me about things that others have written unless I'm interested in the subject).

Don’t you think that even the way in which certain topics are placed and developed in the lyrics ( sometimes is like reading a book on ancient religions or in other cases a grimorie or boring treats of magic etc without counting the childish non sense about satanic stuff) can bore or be a little redundant sometimes?

In Impure Ziggurat, we have a message : there's an hidden and cyclic plague upon us,  a curse cast from the celestial horizons, a threat that will annihilate mankind as it already partially destroyed it  in the past, in -11 000 BC.  I refer to the great comet, the old Snake made of dust and ice which came from the sky, that hit the Earth at the end of the Pleistocene age, leading to a world cataclysm, a shift of the continents, killing 90% of  the population. I am dead serious about it.  It happened.
So, we came here to spread one prophecy that could be sumed up in one single word : DEATH.
People interested in these theories can check out the authors quoted prevously in this intie. I can also suggest the works of Colin Wilson, Robert Bauval, Immanuel Velikovsky,... I already said too much about it, I deeply think that knowledge is a Luciferian quest : a hidden and tortuous path you have to walk alone, through the anxious dark and against all, until you reach the enlightment of the truth.
To quote the old DarkThrone song “Quintessence” : “only one single lamp do show me this way and it's the eye of Satan. “
Satan does not want slaves.He does not want people who faithfully bow in front of icons of Him. He leave this to false Gods and their flock of afraid insects. Satan wants his insiders to be strong, to be clever, people with the will and the knowledge to become Masters at his side.
And I have absolutely no problem with regressive satanic lyrics : they are a pillar of the extreme Metal genre and I support the filthy obscenity that emanate from them. My other band Hexen Holocaust mainly deals with this, by the way. I totally prefer a band which deals with Molochian orgies where whores are drunk on goat cum than philosophical wankery about the duality of the soul written by dickheads who think they're so smart and above the pack.
The monotheist plague is still alive and it is a duty to hate it, a duty to to stand against it, a duty to blasphemate it again and again, in the name of reason, in the name of freedom of your mind.

Which bands  have most influenced you since you started to play?

One of my main influences was Krieg, from the demos to the Black House album. After this, this band is dead to me.... Other influences can be found in Demoncy, Beherit, Hate Forest, Blood of Kingu, Inquisition, Black Crucifixion, Von, Judas Iscariot, Belial,... We like a lot the 90's american Black Metal scene and the finnish originators of Black/Death sound.

Impure Ziggurat shares band members with other bands of a certain caliber, are you very much united in supporting each other?

I guess you make reference to Svart Crown, as Ldvc plays in it ?
To be honest, I am not very much interested in their Metal, I'm not into their modern sound and their song-writing. To my taste, it lacks of a filthy atmosphere and bestiality. But Ldvc is one of my older friends, nearly since two decades and a genuine metalhead so I have no problem with that.
On the other hand, we share a lot of values with Necroblood, which is one of the best french bestial band still around nowadays.

Social media do you think them as a tool that has positively transformed the music environment? And how important is it for you?

We have no problem with Internet and the social media.
I guess it's mostly an improvement for the underground gig organizators to promote their activities and for the small bands like us. Thanks to this, we are in touch with maniacs living in Australia, Chile, Singapore, New Zealand,...
You can deal without it but then you have to :
a) Already being a well-known band that reached a critical mass with their fanbase
b)Getting a massive support from your label which is also well-known.
Black Witchery, for instance, can live outside of the social media sphere because they fill these two conditions. It's impossible in our case.

Has your 7 "EP been recorded, mixed, burned and printed all in analog mode?
The advantage of analog sound dynamics according to you is today properly understood?

No, despite it was released on vinyl, it was recorded with digital equipments.
Like most of the vinyl releases nowadays in fact.
We're a small band and we definitely can't afford a fancy studio with such gear.
Everything is homemade. At least, we keep the control upon our work, though Cam Sinclair (Diocletian, Witchrist) did the mixing/mastering job and he did it perfectly.

What do you think has changed in the attitudes of today's bands compared to those of the 1990s?

To talk only about Black Metal, 2O years ago, this music was not just music : it was a way of life. You had to dress in black all year long, to have long hair or bald, to be intolerant and sectarian. I support 100% this. I am sectarian. BM is supposed to stay a nearly-clandestine cult, not another “alternative music” amongst others. We don't want media attention. We don't want some “documentaries” movies to be filmed.  We don't want to bring to the gigs your work mates to make them “discover your world”.
Thanks to Internet and to the hipster cockroaches of Vice and Noisey, now Black Metal is just a music. And of course, BM must be compliant to their own ideology : open-minded, respectful of everyone, blahblah.
No misunderstanding : there is still today A LOT of genuine killer bands that keeps the unholy flame of hate alive. Peple who says “Black Metal is dead” are wrong. THEY are dead, at least inside. They lost the inner spark. I can agree that the peak of the genre has been already reached, but there's every single month so many killer releases...

I read that it is not easy for you to play live for various problems (where you live etc.)
What kind of live concert offer  would  convince you to play live and to what conditions?

Indeed, all the members are scattered around France and TerrorReign even live in the USA since few years, so rehearsing and recording is always a problem. Impure Ziggurat may remain forever a studio-only band. We would not like to provide a half-assed show due to a lack of rehearsing or poor conditions in the venue. Beside this, I like the idea that some bands will never appear on stage, it grant them a shroud of mystery.

Are you playing with other bands at the moment? and/or do you have parallel projects?

TerrorReign is also a part of the savage Black/Death warmachine Necroblood, their first full-length “Collapse of the human race” is out since april. Total bestial attack in the vein of Conqueror, Axis of Advance and Archgoat.
About myself, I also play in Hexen Holocaust, a primitive Black/Death Metal band including some members from Necroblood, Venefixion, Osculum Infame,... Our first MCD “Heretical Dreadful Orgies” is also out since april. Regressive stuff in the vein of Profanatica, Von, Sarcofago, Bestial Summoning,...

Do you listen also to different styles of music?

No. Only extreme Metal prevails. We're stubborn and close-minded people.

What are future next plans for Impure Ziggurat?

We're currently writing the material to appear on a MCD/MLP untitled “Crimson tide from the Pleistocene”. Hopefully it will be recorded late 2017/early 2018 and released... only Satan knows. It was supposed to be a full-length but we're pleased with short-length releases.

Free words say what u like 

This planet is doomed. Enjoy your last days, the worst is yet to come.

Cloud

When and in what circumstances were you formed as a band?

It was something I had as a personal project to start. Scott took interest and thats when it became an actual band. I'm going to say 2012. But who knows, it was a long time ago for sure.

The stoner doom genre is really inflated by thousands of groups that all sound alike, but in your case I have noticed a differentiation in the creative style, is your intention to detach yourself from certain stoner and doom music cliches or think that playing this genre Does it consist of staying within certain fixed musical parameters?

Personally I never really considered us doom. Stoner rock, Desert rock, whatever, that's always been a huge influence in the way we create music. Progressive music, 80s metal, and really anything with drive kind of articulates our approach. All of that aside, I feel like the shit we write just comes naturally to eachother. It's not always a good thing either. Some of our more simple riffs will be the headaches, but sometimes less is more and sometimes you run out of beer

How did you think of writing a song on the mystical tree of the 9 Worlds of North Yggdrasil culture?

Vikings, Norse mythology, it's all fun to learn and read about. When it was written it really never had a beginning or end. It felt like so many songs packed into one. It made sense to have a song called Yggdrasil. I remember while that song was being written,  we knew it would be last on the album. We look at it as an opening to take any approach or sound we want to take for the new record. We will see

Why print only 100 copies of "Indeterminate"?

Honestly, it's a struggle. That's what we could afford at the time. We have self published everything we have done so far. So keeping the merch stocked has been a real challenge.

Do you think you might even print your previous EP on a physical media?

Everybody wants the 7 inch of the EP. We get flooded with emails about putting it out on physical format. The answer is yes! I want that shit on vinyl just as bad as the next guy. Plus, Mark crushed it with that artwork. That's easily one of my, if not my favorite pieces of art. And  we got to use it for our album cover!!!

I think one of your strength is originality in some ways the influence of progressive music and the characteristic of being a group of instrumentalists where you do not absolutely feel the lack of a singer .. are you thinking of sharing this point of view? Or do you think that you will have a singer in the future, even if only for some songs like "Desert Weed"?

Singers get brought up often. I'm not against the idea at all. Josh likes to run with the idea of a singer when we practice. He will throw in loose lines every once in awhile. But ultimately we never think of a voice on top of our music. Gabriel crushed it on desert weed. If I could get him on every song I would. It doesn't get much better than that

How did you get in contact with Gabriel Ravera of the Mephistofeles band? 
(Mephistopheles is a group that I already jumped to my listening for their skill and originality)

I was into his artwork. Honestly I messaged him as wizardofmeth and asked if he could help me out. It quickly became a friendship. Gabriel has heard everything Cloud has written before the public has. He's shared the Mephistofeles stuff with me before it was released. I've heard songs from the new album already. He's a good dude and a hell of a musician.



How is the current music scene in Pittsburgh? Are there other promising bands?

Pittsburgh is whatever you want to hear. It's here somewhere. Whatever your musical taste.

Did you vote Trump ?
no

Who created the artwork of the album "indeterminate" and with artist for your future work would you like to collaborate together?

Mark Paich is an amazing friend and the helpful genius that constructed the artwork for both our EP and full length. If it was my choice I'd love for Mark to do our artwork work until Cloud is finished. Time will tell.

Do you play live often ?

We play any show we can get

Visions of Ulnahar

With your latest album “Lovecraftian Mystic”, your music creates obscure and ethereal feelings by creating a communicative channel with the vast subconscious, can you tell me how Vision of Ulnahar's music takes inspiration from the Lovercraft world?

Because of the Lovecraft world itself. The themes written and told in the stories are pure madness and as you mentioned obscure and etheral. I try to channel those written madness into fitting music to create a certain feeling which describes the madness. But this is only on page in the Grimoire of Visions of Ulnahar. Not everything here is about Lovecraft. There is more. Lovecraft is only a medium. Who can be sure, that all that he wrote about is not true? There are things behind the curtains of visible wisdom which only occurs to those who listen closley or ask the right questions and dive deep into the realm of shadows. So did I.

Since VoU is a fairly recent project, in what musical direction is developing?

The main focus of that project is Ritual Dark Ambient but in the future i will try to include tribal, psybient and Dungeon Synth elements into the music.

How does your music creation process happen?

Creating Music for this special project is like a ritual. I must be in a certain mood and certain energies must flow. If there aren´t such energies i can´t create music. So i take coffee, joss sticks (not always), shut down the light and dive into the music itself. It is a very personal process.

What other artists are to be considered when it comes to esoteric music and which carries messages from the occult world?

Shibalba, Akhkharu, Endvra, Lapis Niger, Aeoga, Aere Aeternus to name a few. Shibalba is meditative spiritual art and has been a great inspiration for my own music. Of course some old masters like Mortiis and Old Tower have inspired me too.

How important is the visual, the aesthetic appearance and image for VoU?
If VoU was to be represented by a pictorial artist what would it be ?

Very important of course. I think it would look very strange if i would create dark ritual and Occult musick with happy colours,
Some would say a certain image can create the feeling, that all this is only buisness or hard to say fake. But in this genre, and this is my opinion, the person behind the project is only a medium for the greater good. An this is what i want to show with my musick. I, as a person, does not matter. I am only a sorcerer, a mage or maybe a priest and behind me is more. Behind me there is the vast void without light and deep in the darkness there is Ulnahar.
An artist? Something dark, disturbing. Maybe a robed figure standing in the darkness enlighted by etheral lights. Something like this. I have the picture of the second Season of Stranger Things in mind. The red clouds and in between that lovecraftian sytle Monster. Something like this

In the future VoU could use the collaboration of other artists or even cooperate in some split records?

Sure why not? The split with Chaucerian Myth is on its way and i´m really looking forward to it. He creates such wonderful gems, so i am really honoured to work with him. And if some others want, why not?

What do you think about the current development of the DS scene?

I was really surprised how big this scene is. There are so many artist out there. This is wonderful. I always liked synth music. So i am very satisfied with the current scene.

Do you think that the "social media" world can be more of an advantage or a disadvantage or perhaps distort the messages of certain genres such as DS or black metal or dark-ambient music?

On the one hand it is surely an advantage. You can get in contact with fellow musicians, get news about the scene, new music for yourself,. But on the other hand of course if you want to create a mysterious project you should stay away from social media. But how do you want to spread your music? So you have to find a way to do both. Everybody should do like he desires. Thats all that counts.

According to you, what is genuine in this tendency and attitude of many BM bands and industrial-ambient music in giving a dark, mysterious or esoteric satanic image, there seems to be an inflation and excess of wanting to appear..... what do you think?

Thats a question you should ask the others. I can say, for me, that Visions of Ulnahar is not satanic. It deals with darkness, the Void and everything that lies beyond our imagination. But i would say that it has something to do with “shock” elements and maybe but only a few artists really believe in what they say.




In your opinion, what is the real reason for managing a "secret" music project?
Lately, especially in black metal there is a tendency to not reveal the identity of band members ... some even choose not to appear on social media or sites etc.

Same answer as above. In Black Metal the music is important not the artist (musicians). It has something to do with all that “trve evil” behaviour i think. Maybe they just want people to think about it and make it a riddle.

What do you think of valid justifications in doing this?

Making people think about who is behind that mask and just enjoy the music

Have you contacted so far with some record labels that seem to be interested in VoU music? If so are there plans for any prints of your albums?

One of my first releases are available via Swampkult Produktions. Its a split between Nebelwächter and me. There will be more

Free speech !!

Thank you for giving me te chance to do this interview.

Out of Season

Hi Kyle,

When did you begin with Out of Season what were the motivations that pushed you to embark on this enterprise?

The decision to start this label began in 2015... I had been "out of the game" for about 7 years after the dissolution of my previous label and felt the desire to begin releasing new and interesting music on tape again. Since the early 2000s I have been interested in the music that is now referred to as 'dungeon synth' aka dark medieval ambient. This all started when a friend of mine made me a tape of Summoning’s “Nightshade Forests” EP, and then shortly after I heard Mortiis’ early works, followed by Neptune Towers and Wongraven (I still consider these to be among my favorites, and absolutely mandatory for anyone getting into ‘dungeon synth’).
At the time, even 2 years ago when I was starting the label, there was the beginning sparks of the huge revival this subgenre has seen now, but very little was being released on physical formats such as cassette tapes - most things were still just digital only with a few tapes here and there. I basically just started by inquiring with artists that I enjoyed greatly and asking if they were interested in a Tape release of their music. I go with my gut and can tell if the artists I work with have that 'spirit' in them that I look for... The sound is a big part of it, of course, but for me knowing that the creator carries that spirit of the 'old ways' in their heart is equally as important. It’s important for me to see these releases not just on a screen playing in a browser, but also sitting there on my shelf. It makes them a bit more ‘real’ and able to be celebrated in my mind, versus just existing in the web somewhere.

How was your previous experience with your previous black metal label?

It was very much a product of its time, but it gave me experience for how to properly run and operate a small label. That said, in the 7-8 years I was not doing a label everything changed. During my first label, there was no social media, no Facebook, instagram etc. There was no bandcamp pages and YouTube was in its infancy. I still got orders sometimes with cash in the mail and orders were sent without tracking numbers and people just communicated by email only if they wanted to make an order.
I forged some great friendships in this time with people from across the world... There was more of a human element to the process that is now gone…
People were more patient back then and now it is if you don't respond in 2 minutes it's not fast enough. Now, it is more of a formal business transaction taking place and people sometimes expect a small label to be the same like they are ordering from Amazon.
I sometimes miss these ‘old days’ at points, but have adapted to the current way of operating by harnessing some of the new "tools" available to us now, and accepted it for what it is.

 

Going back in the years, at the beginning of the 1990s, this genre had not yet attributed the name "dungeon synth" but groups such as Mortiis, Vond, Wongraven, Fata Morgana, Neptune Tower,Mz412,  etc , had recorded great music. Now that this genre exploded what is different now from the beginning?
How do you think this genre has evolved and how will this kind of music evolve in the future?

This is a loaded question with many factors at play but I will try to sum up.
In the early days, no one was trying to make this kind of music to appeal to a certain audience, it was just created organically. And for the most part it was cast aside and not taken very seriously as a legitimate genre, just seen as some dark synth music made by black metal musicians mostly. For many, many years, this was how the genre was perceived.
Now, especially growing in the last 2-3 years, "dungeon synth" (DS) aka dark medieval ambient music has been recognized as its own distinct genre, with many new followers and supporters who take it seriously. Things like blogs, Facebook, message boards and bandcamp have given the DS 'scene' a way to centralize its following and for those creating this music and fans of it to find each other. The internet is inherently intertwined with the rise of DS.
The DS ‘scene’ seems to attract more new followers every week - I dont see this changing any time soon, and I welcome any new followers to the genre, certainly…. My only request is that those recently becoming interested do their research and pay respects to the forefathers of the genre (including recognizing that DS is rooted in black metal), not just the modern creators who became active in the last 2-3 years, as magnificent as many of these projects are.

Considering the favorable technical conditions for recording this music and seeing a new  band coming out every day, for you as a label owner, what are the elements that make you choose a band instead of another? The quality limit has risen?
What element do you consider essential for a Dungeon Synth group to be deserved in 2017 for a production?

As I mentioned in an earlier response, it is more than ‘just’ the music to me. Of course the sound is very important, but I look for those who have the spirit of the underground and which I can get a sense of their real dedication to their craft, who have spent hours and hours over many months or years refining their work and producing the best album they can.
I can tell this immediately when listening to something. I have very little interest in projects which have created an album in 2 hours and thrown together a cover and posted it online. Sometimes people ask for advice on how to get ‘signed’ and I always tell them the same thing - patience is key! Make a timeline, and work on your album for at least a few months. Dont accept the first thing that comes to mind -- Push yourself! Most bands spend at least a year writing a record, why should DS be any different?






Why do you think the bond between the genre dungeon synth and the production through the cassette physical media format is so strong?

The cassette and DS are intertwined by history and necessity.
From a financial and logistical standpoint, the cassette manufacturers allow for low production runs but still produce a product that looks high quality and ‘pro’.
From a historical standpoint, cassettes have been the medium of choice since the inception of the genre and its roots in black metal, and using cassettes allows us to continue down that same path of tradition. I have always thought that people have an inherent connection to the tape format which is unexplainable. You can hold it in one hand and get a ‘feel’ of the release. It is fragile and at the same time, powerful. For me personally, the same connection does not exist with CDs or vinyl as much.

The number of people listening to this genre is increasing exponentially, but people who actually  buy the tape (or CD whatever,etc) relatively less.
Since in the future there will be a “bigger offer” with more bands, birth of new labels, and the productions will eventually vary from vinyl tapes etc.
How do you think  a record label can remain competitive by taking care of the differentiation of expensive formats and, at the same time, putting out good music?

Your first statement here is correct. Typically I make 100 of a release and it still takes 6 months to a year to sell them all. The percentage of people who have an interest in the genre that buy physical media is small, but this is not limited to the DS subgenre. You can say this for any physical media, including DVD’s of movies or CDs of rock bands.
Regarding the state of these ‘sales’ - I am fine with how things are now and dont see them changing much anytime soon. Of course, I would love if we could press 500 or 1000 of every release and have them all sell to a wide audience because I think that strongly about the genre and the artists I am releasing.. But, I am realistic, too, that people in general just have a weaker interest in physical media overall regardless of genre.
Further, part of me does not want the ‘scene’ to become some mainstream thing -- I like that it is ‘our’ thing and likely will never get much more popular than it is now - most people in the general public or even in the metal scene dont ‘get it’ still, or just dont care for it… they just hear some instrumental synth music and move on to something else.

I think it is slowly emerging a stylistic distinction in this genre; one that is closer to more medieval sounds and even with some fantasy “film-making sound” elements , another with a more atmospheric minimalist and obscure sound, Do you think is a differentiation that in the future will be more emphasized?

Very hard for me to say what direction the genre will take in the future, but I look forward to hearing all of the unique and original creations that come out in the next few years, and perhaps you’ll see some ‘sub-subgenres’ of DS come out of this (perhaps already are!).

Free words ! 


Thanks for the interview and for asking some provocative questions.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Out of Season to date. I have made some great friends since starting this label and look forward to more in the future!