INTERVIEWS
Interview was prepared by OccultBlackMetal (A Different Shade Of Black Metal Zine)
1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Well,its all started by the end 2012 i started looking for musicians for my new band, been working on some material for a while, and was ready to get in in rehearsal room
It was not easy to get musicians for such stuff, i had two self made demos with a drummer, a close friend of mine helped me with that, anyway summer 2013 i met Alexandra and Mike, so we gathered to make it all happen, after a while we got 5 tracks to be recorded, and we started to look for a studio, this is how Azathoth Circle started.
2.So far you have released 2 ep’s, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
The first EP was just a first our try to look on what we have done working together, mixing ideas, riffs, vocals, arrangements and perfect drumming by a friend of ours Erland
it was representing our mood at that time, passion and sadness in one work, second one is more powerfull work, we been on our way of mixing what we all love, from alternative metal, black metal, stoner, progressive, doom, and the mix of all of it, you can hear on both EPs we all listen to different music, but we gathered just to get it together in a mix of what you hear
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Its all matter of our lives, fights with ourselves, what we feel, what`s our fears, what it covers in us
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ‘Azathoth Circle’?
Life Circles, your dark sides, your bright sides, you can be the god of your dark side, or bright, you choose, it`s your circle, its a matter of what your are going to join
Are you in a Circle?)
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We made our first two shows alredy, both in local clubs, biggest and most influential stages in our city, we all been playing before in different bands and have a great experience of being on stage, but for the firs time Azathoth Circle appears as one part, as a band itself, nice performances, nice audience, we know what to do, how to make stage performances even better azathoth circle – band
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
As any band we are willing to make awesome tours, big shows, getting more and more recognizable
7.Does Occultism play any role in the music?
Not any, we are dark persons, but not as much)
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?
we started promoting ourselves on biggest musical social networks (reverbnation,bandcamp, lastfm….) the feedback on our first EP was fantastic, so its a great start for a local
band to get a wordwide respect, by working hard on songs and live performances
9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We want to record our 3d EP and make it also digital, maybe limited edition CD, album? well there are no reasons to make an albums our days for no major label bands i guess
itunes, amazon, shows how ep`s , singles are sells, so, album, we will do it, after third EP i guess it will be the right time to make it
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?
We all listening to different stuff, wide range of musical styles and bands that`s why are not sure, what exactly we are playing ))))
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
we all open minded and looking for some cool stuff, for something new, something interesting )) watching discovery channel (lol)
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for you time, for checking our stuff, give it a like on facebook, oh yes, we have a facebook page, you can find latest news there, also don`t forget to share
and support local scene, all bands needs your support, cheers!!
AZATHOTH CIRCLE son una banda que llega desde Ucrania con una propuesta musical en la que podemos apreciar influencias de bandas como ANATHEMA, KATATONIA, OPETH, MASTODON… para crear un sonido post metal bastante llamativo, que es lo que nos ofrecen en su último EP “The replacement”. Les envíamos unas preguntas a la banda y esto es lo que nos contestaron…
Interview was prepared by David Déniz Plaza (Necromance)
1) How did you meet and start as a band? Which are the actual line up?
We all met on internet – as it happened, a lot of us just abandoned their former music projects, and were looking for something for completely new and epic. At first it was initiative of our, at present time, former guitarist, who was looking for musicians to gather a stoner/post-metal project, but let’s just same it came bigger than anyone could expected, so no it’s lineup is different, then when we begin. We have Alexandra Babiy on vocals, Andrew Shlenchuck on guitar, Mike Yablochkov on bass and Oleg Romanchenko as a drummer.
2) Your music is a combination of multiple elements that seem to come together very intense. Are there any bands or musicians you draw inspiration from?
Actually, those are not bands that inspired all of us; those are bands and styles, that each member of our circle listens him or herself! All of us like different kinds of music, ranging from alternative rock to avant-garde grind core, and each member of our band tries to bring this or that element of their favorite music to the final composing of a track. And it works! However, no surprises there – good music is always built on harmony and logic of all the pieces, and if a post-metal guitar riff with Latina drum-bit sounds great after growling vocals and blast beats – why not use them all?
3) You’ve recorded “The replacement”, your second EP with Alexey Romachenko in Black Light Studio, what do you think about the result obtained?
Alexey Romachenko is a rally great professional and an easy person to work with, because he really listens to musician’s demands, and fulfil them properly, adding his own vision of tracks. So yes – we got material we hoped for, and we are damn happy about it. The only thing that we’ve noticed only when we started performing this material, is that it sounds heavier in live, then in recording. Ultimately, it is a good thing, because people get excellent, well-sounding tracks, and then are smashed by outstanding heavy performing live. That’s what metal is))
4) How was the music written for this second EP?
Well, the same way we always creating music: we all bring some bits of music, and start to combine them. For example, clean part on “HeavenHell” song was actually a mix of guitar riff and bass riff, created for different songs! However, they sounded good together, so we decided to leave it this way. The most important, of course is how our vocalist Alexandra sees new song, because she writes lyrics for them, and also always trying her best for her vocal bits to sound totally unexpected for listener, but maintaining harmony and dynamic of the song.
5) What was the hardest thing about the whole process of making this latest EP?
Actually, there were no hard things about it. All the proses went smooth and quickly – perhaps we even spent more time on rehearsing it and waiting for it to come out on label, rather than recording it. And, of course, creating art for the EP – it was done by our bass guitarist, and he had no idea what to put on the cover or what illustrations for songs to create. Nevertheless, it came to him quickly, when he heard, that a deadline for release was in a week).
6) Did you have an idea of what you wanted “The replacement” to be when you first started writing for it?
Of course we did. Let’s just say, songs from “Replacement” EP were already written and rehearsed in times when our first self-titled digital EP came out! Therefore, we were eager to see the reaction on first ep, which was good, to start recording these songs. In a way, this two EP’s under different circumstances could be one album.
7) How was the reactions to this EP until now from both, press and fans?
We’ve received many positive reviews both from fans and from press. As was written before, those songs were written long before release of the EP, and we had kind of focus groups with our friends and fellow musicians, and knew all plusses and minuses of the release.
A lot of people admire Alexandra’s vocal as well as guitar and bass reefs, though not everyone are in favor of odd song structure, and way we’ve re-amped our distorted guitar riffs. Overall, it has been less than a year from release and we still get praises from both listeners and media.
8) What made you sign with Metal Scrap Records?
Probably because it is the best metal label, that has strong presence in Ukraine. Local labels does not really give any leads to western media or any western audience. However, with the help of Metal scrap Records people from different parts of the world can listen to our music, an also read interviews with us.
9) How would you describe the band now compared to its debut release?
Perhaps now we feel that we’ve grown: when we just started, our rehearsals where held at an old garage, with pretty harsh sound, we didn’t have any stationary drummer, and all drum music was written on computer, and recorded with the help of session drummer. All those things gave a feeling of a hobby, and not serious business. Now we have a lineup, with serious professional musicians, and we plan things long before they happen. Let’s just say, in the beginning we were thinking more about what will happen next week, while now we are wondering what we shall do next year.
10) Are you comfortable with your music career as a band until now?
Yes, we are happy, but as in any professional career, you always want to get more: both from your personal skill and from audience reaction. So, let’s just say, that at this moment we all are pretty happy, but to maintain this happiness we, as a band should do a lot of work!
11) What do you hope to accomplish next?
Well, it is a long way to an alley of top rock stars, but we are trying our best! This fall we will release a new single and or first video. In addition, we are planning tight touring and not only in Ukraine, but in Europe as a whole! Therefore, wider audience and wider world recognition are our goals for now. No economic crisis or war can stop us. Azathoth is coming, and it’s coming through our music for your soul. JOIN THE CIRCLE!
Весьма своеобразная украинская группа AZAТНОТН CIRCLE образовалась лишь чуть более года назад, но уже запомнилась своими выступлениями и записями – пока, правда, выпущенными лишь в цифровом виде. Тем не менее, довольно нестандартный подход к творчеству дал повод задать участникам группы несколько вопросов.
Interview was prepared by Thrasnmentor (для Terroraiser 60/2014)
AZATHOTH CIRCLE существует всего полтора года, но группа записала уже два ЕР. Это была изначальная сознательная установка на создание и запись своего материала, или студийная работа была вынужденной в связи с проблемой комплектации группы?
Да. действительно, коллективу всего 1,5 года, но интенсивное развитие было заложено еще в фундаменте Azathoth Circle. С первых своих дней, мы работали на результат и ставили своей целью создание и запись самобытного материала, и наш первый ЕР стал точкой отсчета. Конечно же, мы не предполагали, что наша студийная работа немного подзатянется ввиду поиска человека, способного активно выступать с нами на постоянной основе. Но, как нам кажется, все это стечение обстоятельств пошло нам только на пользу, и позволило полноценно выработать свой почерк.
Почему вы решили поочередно выпускать несколько ЕР, а не сделать уже один, но полноценный альбом? Является ли альбомный формат для вас важным, или вы считаете, что на сегодняшний день альбомы, как явление, ушли в прошлое?
В наше время, слушателю все сложнее пересилить себя и осознанно уделить время вдумчивому прослушиванию материала. Как показала практика, в эру информационной перенасыщенности 4-5 треков за один раз – это предел среднестатистического меломана. Кроме того, лаконичная форма ЕР позволяет нам каждый раз подавать готовую законченную историю, отражающую актуальный период нашей жизни. Сложно ответить, как ещё будет трансформироваться восприятие слушателя. Наиболее мудрым представляется просто идти в ногу со временем и реагировать спонтанно.
Музыка AZATHOTH CIRCLE достаточно разнообразна, включает в себя множество совершенно различных элементов. К какому стилю вы сами относите свою музыку, и насколько, лично для вас, играют роль стилевые ограничения?
Главное, что бы человек испытывал настоящие живые эмоции и получал удовольствие от нашей музыки, а споры, в каком стиле кто играет – не для слушателей, а для критиков. Либо же для тех, кому не столь музыка важна, сколь споры о ней.
У меня есть предчувствие, что метал-музыка для вас не является основой и, при желании и необходимости, вы сможете легко отказаться от ее элементов. Я прав или ошибаюсь? Что является основой вашего творчества – форма или содержание?
Мне кажется, мы все, все же. считаем себя металлистами, даже если создается впечатление, что мы излишне эластичны в музыкальном плане. Скорее, мы готовы дополнять свое звучание любыми музыкальными впечатлениями, актуальными для нас на данный период, но это не значит, что мы не храним дух протеста и освобождения, присущий всякой метал-музыке.
Для выпуска второго ЕР The Replacement” вы заключили договор с лэйблом Metal Scrap Records. Однако, поскольку релиз будет доступен (пока, по крайней мере) лишь в цифровом виде, то объясните логику этой договоренности – разве нельзя было, таким же самым цифровым образом, самостоятельно распространять эту запись? Что дает вам сотрудничество с лэйблом?
А что обычно дает группам сотрудничество с лейблами?
Насколько мне известно, вам уже удалось решить проблемы с составом и, в ближайшее время, вы собираетесь приступить к активной концертной деятельности. Где и когда ждать вас людям, которые хотят послушать вашу музыку “вживую”?
Все верно, состав укомплектован и мы готовы уже к полноценным выступлениям. 1-го ноября, в Бинго – мероприятие посвящённое Хеллоуину, и 9-го ноября, в Докер пабе – мероприятие, которые мы организовываем совместно со своими знакомыми коллективами.
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