1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell
us a little bit about your musical project?
I could say that Dyrgaist is basically a deep dark ambient
project, but it would be also influenced from classical music,
minimal, drone and sound art. I don’t really like to categorize in
one genre my music, because is always even more than you
can classify in some genres, or influences. Although, I
understand sometimes is necessary. Also, never it’s easy to
resume my music in few words, listening to it is purely a
complex sound experience which tries to trigger the most
hidden of the unconscious. It’s not only music, I like to think
it’s also something more you cannot describe it completely.
2.On Halloween you had released a new album, how would
you describe the musical sound that is presented on the
recording?
Each one of the four pieces have several sound matters,
musical elements and inspirations in this release. My first plan
was to create an oneiric, peaceful and introspective album,
very mysterious; but suddenly, without any conscious
intension, two of the works became very aggressive, distorted
and hectic. So, the final result is a contrasting release which is
able to bring you to different psychical states.
Since two months it was almost finished, but I felt that
Samhain was the best date to publish «"Sparkles"», perhaps
because this special date is when the world of the dead is
nearer of the living world, according to the old pagans. So, I
had to rush my hands the last days. In some way this album
reflects the will to bring closer different worlds. In fact, for me
this is a gate, and of course you can use it too.
3.On the album you have an occult concept, can you tell us a
little bit more about your interest in Occultism?
Thanks to my family education, Occultism has been one of my
main interests since I was a child; at 6 years-old I began to
read about eastern religions, theosophy and mythology; at 9
years-old I began to practice a lot of buddhist meditation;
since my teens I was deeply influenced by Blavatsky; and I’m
still studying nowadays about alchemy, magic, paganism and
practicing as well. Obviously everyone has teachers and
masters throughout life, we come to this world to learn from
everything that surrounds us. But after all, I finally believe that
the truth is not something you will learn exclusively in books,
or in religions, or going to churches and paying someone, this
is something you have to discover by yourself. This is your
truth! My music is my truth. So, the concepts I’m actually using
are not exactly wikishits, they are part of my own experience.
As a musician, for many years I felt the necessity to unify my
both passions in one work: that’s Dyrgaist, a spiritual path of
self knowledge.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name
'Dyrgaist'?
Beyond religions, I believe each person have an inner god. We
have few possibilities in our lives to find us, face to face,
generally we’re not prepared, it’s something really hard, but we
must find us, that’s one of the senses of our life.
The inspiration of the name was born in a vision of a part of my
own inner god, which is a kind of spirit that represents and
saves the wildness, that’s what I think. Literally, the name is a
fusion of two proto-indo-european words that may have
different meanings. It could be translated as Deer-Ghost, or
even Spirit of Wildness.
It’s not easy for me to speak publicly about these themes,
because they are very personal experiences and beliefs, and of
course is something much more complex what I’m explaining
here. There are maybe infinite gods and beings and worlds.
But somehow through my music, I’m trying to call to everyone
to discover them-selves, their own worlds and gods.
Everything is real if you believe it. Let’s open our minds into the
unknown!
5.Originally you where from Chile but now living in France,
what was the decision behind the move?
I’ve always had the necessity to go outside, to know the world.
Chile is a very beautiful country, I think every part of the world
are beautiful in certain sense. But, Chile is like a little isolated
neighborhood in the periphery of a big city, and I appreciate
the possibility to be able to get out and see what is happening
in other corners. And now I decided to live in France, because
I’ve found here more opportunities for my musical studies and
the developing of my projects. I really don’t believe in borders
nor patriotisms. I wish we were everybody citizens of the
planet, to be completely free to move us through the whole
world, without restrictions, without limits.
6.You record everything by yourself on this project, do you feel
you are able to express yourself musically a lot more this way?
Absolutely! This is my most personal project, which depends
completely on my own sounds and intimate inspirations.
However, technically I feel free to use every sound who brings
me up. Electronic or acoustic, filed recordings, noises or sine
waves, it doesn’t matter the kind of source, the software, the
systems or whatever other technical bullshit. I’m taking sounds
of different origins. If they works, the only important for me is
to express exactly what I want.
7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or
have received any interest?
I’ll be working with a chilean sound art label during 2016, and I
would like to make other labeled releases in the future, but
being an independent artist gives you also a lot of freedom to
create. In fact, I will not be waiting for a label acceptance to
make my music, I’m always creating and now I have everything
to do it.
8.Can you tell us a little bit more about 'Eunk Collective'?
After to live in the north of Chile for one year, I gone back to
Valparaiso in 2011, and I began to play and to share a lot of
free improvisation with one of my best friends. Our conclusion
was to create an artistic collective, based on experimental
music with the objective to promote it and collaborating with
different artistic disciplines like dancing and visual arts. We
have no aesthetic rules, each member has his own sound
approach. Certainly we have shared similar experiences, living
in the same place, cultivating the friendship and the desire to
make sounds. Together we’re continuously recording,
improvising and creating, even me being further. «"Eunk"»
means «"to see far away"».
9.What are some of your other musical projects?
Currently my most important activity is the early music as a
viola da gamba player from medieval to baroque music, as I've
recently arrived to France, the develop of these projects is
even in progress. I have a wide range of musical interests.
While, I’m doing a lot of different musical projects of
contemporary and modern music, but I cannot reveal them yet.
Each one in its time.
10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your
music by fans of dark ambient?
I couldn’t speak too much about it, because this project is still
too fresh. And unfortunately in Chile, there is almost no people
who know and listen to dark ambient. Let’s see the passing.
11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in
the future?
I have no limits, everything is possible. I need to unify several
sound worlds. To learn. To collaborate among worldwide
artists and musicians, beyond borders. I imagine me making
music in every part of the world, invading cities with natural
sounds. I want to bring unheard sounds to people. I’d like to
help other artists too, as well as I’ve received the support from
others.
I don’t really know where I’ll be living in 4, 10 or 30 years, but
I’m sure to make true exactly what I want.
Specially for Dyrgaist, I’m afraid of what I might wake up. I’ve
just declared which is a kind of gate, and in this project I think
I’m unintentionally invoking unknown things. I know already
what will be the next theme of a future release. This is alive,
and I won’t stop it.
12.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?
In the computerization age, we can easily access to almost all
existing music, so, naturally I take advantage of this. And the
answer to this question would be probably too long. Just in
terms of musical influences, by composing «"Sparkles"», I felt
nearness with Francisco López (which is now one of the most
important sound artists), Lustmord, Loscil and Thomas Köner. I
have no doubt that the musician who has changed my view of
composing is the australian Ben Frost, his music is a perfect
example of all the sounds that burns my heart. I feel a warm
and deep relation with music which keeps ancestral messages
like the norwegian band Wardruna, or the lithuanian Kulgrinda.
Nevertheless, I’m constantly listening to new world music, and
taking back other music.
13.What are some of your non musical interests?
I’ve already talked about Occultism, Alchemy and Magick, I’ve
been since some years ago working with the tarot for my
personal self learning. I have always had a lot of interest in
reading and writing, including ancient literature from India,
Sumerian and the celtic world. I feel specially identified by
poetry lately, I believe in Chile we have a closer relation with
that, because it is also very important and sacred for the
mapuche culture, which I personally respect a lot. I don’t
consider myself as a writer nor a blogger, but sometimes I
need to communicate things through this way. It’s something
periodical, besides studying and playing music, there are
moments to absorb knowledge, other moments to meditate,
and others to express and to bring out all I have in my heart
and soul.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final
words or thoughts?
From the shadows of Saturn,
astral dreams you have turned.
We had to fuse our souls once more,
and together we’ll blow this world
https://www.facebook.com/dyrgaist/
