I’ve been quite busy preparing for this release - making sure artwork and layout are approved, assisting in the press release, doing interviews, etc. Also booking shows, local and abroad, with multiple projects for the entire year, recording for various collaborations, preparing for the new Ionophore album release which will follow this one, and writing a new album with Cardinal Wyrm.
2.You have your 3rd solo album coming out in March, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have done in the past?
Diminution is more musical in the traditional sense, and more improvisational, than the previous records. I rely more on acoustic instruments than synth patches - more trumpet, guitar and piano. The previous album Insomnia featured several guests, but the new album is just me on my own again. I still make use of field recordings and loops like I have on previous albums, but recorded more live performances this time.
3.The music on the solo albums are a lot different from the stuff that you recorded with a few of the extreme metal bands that you are a part of, do you feel you have a lot to offer to many different musical genres?
I can’t think of anything more boring than playing just one kind of music. I need multiple creative outlets to feel satisfied and to feel that all of my ideas are getting across.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored on the solo albums?
They’ve varied from personal loss to insomnia to artistic struggles in 21st century life.
5.You also play a variety of many different musical instruments, what are some of the instruments that you enjoy working with the most?
Guitar is what I am best at, but I make the best of my trumpet and piano playing, and use those instruments in my own unrefined way. I also enjoy making field recordings (distant train whistles and summer crickets are some of the things I’ve recorded). I sing a little too.
6.The album is also being released on 3 different labels, can you tell us a little bit more about the labels you worked with on the new recording?
Malignant Records is releasing the CD and specialize mainly in underground dark ambient, industrial, and noise artists. Cloister Recordings and Black Horizons are releasing a very limited vinyl edition, and specialize in similar kinds of artists but cross over into other genres too (e.g. dark folk, post rock).
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork on the new album?
Matthew Jaffe did a set of 3 beautiful paintings for the cover. We’ve been friends for a long time, and I’ve always been a fan of his art, so it was great to finally work with him for one of my albums.
8.How has the feedback been to your solo work by your fans so far?
The reviews have been consistently positive for the past two albums. I’m blown away by all of the great feedback I’ve received from fans.
9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
I see myself continuing what I’ve been doing for a long time: writing, recording and playing live. I hope I stay healthy in mind and body to continue doing so for as long as I can.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Watching :zoviet*france live in 2011 was the catalyst that inspired me to begin a solo project. Harold Budd and Erik Satie are major influences on my piano playing. I dedicate a song on the new album to Pauline Oliveros, one of the pioneers of early electronic music and renowned professor/educator in experimental music circles. I also still love listening to metal, late 70s/early 80s synth pop and post punk, classical (Baroque and late 19th/early 20th century composers in particular).
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I enjoy biking, hiking, meditation, reading and watching films (documentaries, sci-fi, noir). To the best that I am capable, I try to live a life full of compassion, learning and self-growth.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I do not. Thanks for the interview.
https://leilaabdulrauf.bandcamp.com/
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