Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Moloch Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording and release of the new album?
Right now I'm focusing on promoting this album and booking shows for Moloch. I already have two dates in Poland in August but I'm looking to perform both here and abroad. With that comes a lot of stuff that I have to think through and work with but I'm really hyped! I'm preparing a setlist that will include mostly the stuff from "The Other Side" as well as some of my older tracks. And I do want this to be an experience not a regular show if you know what I mean...

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

"The Other Side" is the next logical step after "The Vatican Cellars". I prefer evolution over revolution so I guess my sound is still rooted in my past but it's also fresh and vital. My older electronic music tracks were in vein of dungeon synth, so they were murky, damp, heavy atmospheric and so on. The new aproach is more edgy, sharp and it has beat that wasn't present before. So naturally these songs can be performed live and no one will fall asleep (laugh). And that's also the main factor that differentiates "The Other Side" from my previous works. I wanted this music to be performed live and the tracks are written with stage in mind. That's something new for me in this genre, though I wrote much of my black metal stuff this way.

3.The song themes cover 80's era sci-fi and horror b movies, can you tell us which films and film makers that had a huge infuence on your work?
It's hard to name but few but I can tell you that I've always been a fan of John Carpenter's movies, Dario Argento's "Suspiria" had a tremendous effect on me when I was a child as well. I was always into "Hellraiser" (but only the first three movies), Return of the Living Dead and so on. I think that I enjoy the horror flicks from 70's, 80's and the 90's as well. I stopped watching the new shit around 2000. Can't find the same vibe and drive in the new ones, you know?

4.You have also played black metal but with this project go for more of a dark synth style, how would you compare the 2 different musical genres?
I think of them as two sides of the same coin (me). I really debuted in 2006 with dungeon synth stuff or medieval ambient if you prefer. But I also wanted to make something more extreme and that's when Zorormr came alive. Now I'm back in synthesiser world and hopefully will stay there for a while. And as for comparisons I really don't know. Black metal is more personal, more intimate for me. And making this kind of music is not exactly what I call "fun". With synth I had a lot of fun and was fooling around. It's still honest but not so heavy in terms both structure and substance.

5.I know that the name 'Moloch' comes from a 'Canaanite god, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in occultism and mythology?
Moloch means king in Hebrew, Akkadian and Ammonite langue (but it's spelled a little different). Anyway I was always interested in the supernatural and the occult. Even wrote a book about mysticism and got my PhD on the study of Agrippas De occulta philosophia. At that time I read a ton of books on Western Esotericism as well as all those "sacred texts" that you need to know. Nowadays I don't look for that kind of knowledge anymore since I exhausted that well with "Corpus Hermeticum" - an album by Zorormr inspired by Hermes Trismegistus and so on.

6.With this project you record everything by yourself but have worked with other musicians before, how would you compare the two?
Obviously, it's different. Can't say which is better 'cause they both have pros and cons but I think it's easier to work with somebody. When you're alone you can easily do something wrong put too much of something and that's not what you wan't people to hear. Even the best idea at first can be really poor. I value the help of other musicians, especially from different genres, because they have what we call a "fresh ear". So what they tell me, how they contribute to what I do elevates my music. With solo recording and producing it's tougher but eventually also rewarding. I like to make music both ways. Nowadays mostly solo but who knows? Maybe there will be some guest appearances in Moloch in the future?

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your new album by fans of dark and underground music?
So far it's good. I had only positive reviews and everybody is telling me that's the best thing I've done ever. It's sincere and straightforward. And you can really hear that I enjoyed making it. I do have high hopes for this EP since it's not only my first new electronic stuff since like 2011 and I'm currently working on new stuff but it's something I would consider a breaking point for me. I think the fans like that "The Other Side" for what it is - a homage to the 80's - 90's horror stuff. And you can dance to it too (laugh). So you don't have to be ashamed that besides being morbid and bleak all the time you can jump for Ye Old Ones...

8.Are you currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
Moloch is my primary focus at the moment. I will be returning with Zorormr for another LP but there aren't any other projects that I'm currently involved in.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
Even though I'm not doing this since yesterday I still feel like I'm in the beginning of my musical journey. Surely live shows is something that I'm focusing on right now and making new music. Hopefully in the future people will listen to Moloch more and I will have the opportunity to perform for bigger audiences. And I think these are the 2 main factors that I'm aiming at. Making more and better music and reaching to bigger audiences.

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?
It's hard for me to name them. I listen to a lot of stuff. I was always impressed by King Diamond and he is by far my favorite artist. An idol you could say. But I listened to a lot of Alice in Chains, White Zombie, Norwegian black metal, and many other stuff that would need a separate article to cover. I've been listening to a lot of Ghost records lately, as well as Sepultura, Bishop Briggs (you should check her out, she's stunning) and many others. I'm also a fan of both Carpenter Brut, Perturbator and Scandroid as far as synthwave is considered.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I don't have too much free time so my activities besides making and releasing music are rather dull. I do like to read a good book, play on my PS4, binge watch something on Netflix, hangout with my friends in the outdoors. Grab a bite and a beer. Simple stuff. Nothing fancy. But that's what helps me relax and that's all I need.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for your time and hope to see you at Moloch live shows! Stay heavy!

https://www.facebook.com/molochofficial

No comments:

Post a Comment