INTERVIEWS
1. Thanks for your time. Tell us about your band and what you do for your band.
Alexey Kuznetsov:
Well, I’m bass guitar player and vocalist (growls) in LTF.
Denis Andrianov:
Greetings. I am playing guitar in Locus Titanic Funus. Participation in this band is most significant for me.
2. When did you decide you wanted to be in a band?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
I decided this long time ago. I studied music (guitar, bass, and vocals) for several ages. In 2014, I took part in Lorelei band. I entered LTF, ’cause I wanted to try myself as a bass guitar player.
Denis Andrianov:
In 2015 I got offer to play guitar and it was a big challenge because I have never performed this kind of music. But during every song I understood that I love them more and more.
3. What is different about being a musician than you imagined?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
Before I became musician myself, I had been communicating to musicians for a long time. So I knew all costs of this occupation, and I’d been ready to everything.
Denis Andrianov:
All I do present time is approximately the same I imagined before. I think that the main reason was absence of any expectations of that from beginning. I just wanted to perform music. I do exactly the same thing now. That is all.
4. What gear do you use and why?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
My present stuff is Hohner professional V-bass 5, I love vintage basses of this form-factor. Also I use Shure SM48, it’s quite good for extreme vocals.
Denis Andrianov:
It is a hard question because I search the tone every week. But if to say more explicitly, then I use Gibson Flying V for many years for studio and live performance. I use floor guitar processor with tubes for distorted tone and many FXs. My opinion it is most comfortable stuff to do live shows.
5. What music do you listen to that would surprise people?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
My favourite genres are Doom and Folk/Pagan Metal, I also listen to other genres of Rock and Metal music. As a nostalgie I can listen to old Pop and soviet music.
Denis Andrianov:
Sometimes I want to listen to something extraordinary. Sometimes more extraordinary than I can imagine (laughing).
6. How do we find your music and merch to buy?
Follow this link please https://metalscraprecords.com/shop/en/store/product/view/1/8341
7. How did you get a record deal?
Kazimir Gravenface:
We sent our first record to various labels, but conditions of Metal Scrap Records was much comfortable for us. In result, we already released second CD on this label, exactly on it’s sub-label Another Side Records. I recommend this company to all the bands, they know how to manage bands in a right way.
8. What bands do people compare your music to?
Kazimir Gravenface:
I’d like to know that it will not be compared with certain bands. I’d say that it is just trial to compose doom metal without reference. Of course, I was inspired such bands as Autumn Rain Melancholy, Estatic Fear and Desire but I did not get the same mood of music and flow of emotions. I am sorry that arrangement of songs is some kind of imperfection and I would be fix it in the future. For example, we need keyboard player, because scores for keyboards is very ugly, we need good singer to perform scores of clean vocals. We need to rehearse much more and compose together much more. My POV is it will be a key to successful band tone and to perception of being crew member. Instead of this we have to earn money another way and care of many other things. I think it is problem of thousands of bands.
9. Are you pro Spotify / streaming services? Or do you think it hurts sales?
Of course. Our label care about all these things. Here is what you ask https://open.spotify.com/album/4gxkVqIndMuOFoaphIbQL2
10. What’s the ultimate goal for the band?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
Emm… to have a constant crowd of fans and to realize ourselves as live musicians.
11. Will we see you tour?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
Maybe, but not in the nearest future
Denis Andrianov:
Hard to plan that but it would be a good experience for us.
12. Who would you love to tour with?
Without answer
13. What is your favorite song of yours and why?
Denis Andrianov:
Of course, it is Sweet Embrace of Cowardice.
14. Why should people take the time to listen to your band over the thousands of other bands?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
Cause of our unusual atmosphere and high-quality lyrics.
15. What are your favorite music websites labels podcast etc?
Our label site) https://metalscraprecords.com
16. Is imagery important to you? Do you judge albums by the cover?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
Imagery is particularly important in such genres as doom and black metal. Black-and-white covers is “our everything” ^^
Denis Andrianov:
I am not from those guys that judge music by the cover. It is not the main criteria to judge. But I must admit that sometimes I paid attention for some CD due to it has pretty cover.
17. If you could choose a cover song your band mates would hate what would it be?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
Of every Russian Folk Metal band ^^
Denis Andrianov:
“Enter Sandman” or “Smoke on the Water”. My opinion is they are most frequently and popular cover songs. And I think people are very tired of that.
18. Is the record or live show more important?
Alexey Kuznetsov:
Both of these activities are important, even though they are different. As for me, live show is a more preferable way of realization as a musician.
Denis Andrianov:
For many bands it is important to hold the balance between of these methods to bring music. There are exceptions like cover bands. They don’t need to record music, right? Or another side of subject is bands like Burzum in such live performance is impossible. All the other cases is necessary studio and live workout and every of them are essential parts of life of band members.
19. Name 3 people dead or alive you would want to play your music for.
Kazimir Gravenface:
I consider this action as some kind of worship. I think music have to be delivered to right people. And thanks guys from Another Side for that.
20. Lemmy Ozzy Dio and Rob Halford in a cage match who wins?
Denis Andrianov:
I would choose Ozzy. It seems to me that he is craziest guy from this crowd. You can expect very weird things from him.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Alexey: The first time our band was a “one man band”. Autumn 2010 was so cold for me, I felt desolation and drank the tea. All I see was cold rain, all I hear was music… beautiful music. I could keep that mood and some melodies but something I couldn’t keep. All that I could express became a songs. There are songs that were included into our first step of doom – Castus Lacrima. But about it later.
When songs became a something harmonious, I thought about movement to Moscow. There I’ve met gothic rock band Fright Night and played with them on rythm guitar. Day after day, weak after weak, so on. And once upon a time we played a show in Vermel rock club. It seems that was April 2012, I don’t remember fine. There I saw one of lead vocals of Mea Vita, Mila Ionova. I liked her voice and got a contact. A long time we have been talking sometimes about art and beauty and finally I have suggested participation in records of voice parts. Present days we are doom metal duet.
Mila: We’ve met with Alexey when I was in the darkwave project Mea Vita. We’ve become good friends and Alexey has shown me his music and asked me to sing female vocal parts. When I’ve heard his music I was charmed by it and, of course, I’ve accepted the offer.
2. How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
Alexey: I’d describe our style as a blackened gothic doom metal. Our music has the purpose and that purpose is touching the evil grief by the innocent beauty. Of course, some bands influenced our music. At first there are Autumn Rain Melancholy, Desire and early Draconian in the past.
3. Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
Alexey: Possible I will upset our distributors so but I thing that metalheads shouldn’t go and buy it now. They should dress the black coat, meet the morning with a rain one by one and find that sweet mood of doom. When metal hearts are beating, their feet will come there, into dreamlands. Remember what you feel if you are sad. Now remember why do you buy compacts in the CD shop? There are similar things. I hope you understand me right.
Mila: Maybe people could find something beautiful in this music, something that could touch their souls and remember them, that they are still alive, with their own pain and gladness inside.
4. What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media?
That was only Castus Lacrima 2013 on Total Metal Records. Thanks for guys that released us then. Good work!
5. Do you play live as well? How’s your live activity so far?
No. We are not session band now. This is sadly story. Moscow is the greatest city in Europe but even there it’s too hard for us to find like-minded persons among musicians. We’re still searching people, who loves that kind of music like our and who wants to make it alive with us.
6. What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
They should know that we are pilgrims. Pilgrims in search of the rest.
7. What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
Alexey: Yesterday I found a keyboardist. Today I get a letter that he r she can not play with us. Time goes far away. And so over and over again. I hope that musicians will find us or we will find them. We’ve got the course to play live with a band.
Although I have many ideas and many many lyrics to sing to you. I want to sing about people’s weakness, about love and death, about desolation. We love all fans that support us on forums and social networks. We cherish of any praise of our music.
Mila: Now I have the aim to find solution to implement special idea about my violin and also to find musicians for our band.
8. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Alexey: I think it must be sorrowland… but it seems you can buy nothing there.
Mila: You can listen to our music and buy it on iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store or on Metal Scrap Records site (http://metalscraprecords.com). I hope you’ll like it. Thanks!
Interview was prepared by OccultBlackMetal
1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
Our music – the combination of light and dark, hope and despair, dreams and cruel reality. Probably, it’ll be interesting to gothic doom/gothic black metal listeners. But, maybe, the similar genres fans will love this music too.
2. How would you describe your musical sound?
Alexey: The sound was initially planned like natural and old-fashioned. Now it has become a mainstream to lower the guitar’s action and make their sound sleek, but I wanted more natural sound in harmony with music composition. Keys sounds weren’t chosen without purpose too. I wanted to gain something similar to the real cello sound. I have to say it should distinguish us from those groups who want synthetic string section sound. That music makes me sad.
3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Alexey: All lyrics are united by the one common idea – innocent melancholy. This is what you can see in the album’s name. At first, there are solitude themes, themes of life’s transience and searches of appeasement. “Морфий” – the song about childhood memories, how sad to see the lightning speed of the living beauty. In the song “Фея” you can hear how hard to accept the lover’s death. “Зеркало” – this song about obscure and mystical images of broken looking glass. “Covered With Sorrow” – the story about a guy, who came down from heaven to his girlfriend, who had come to visit his grave.
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band’s name?
Locus Titanic Funus – a place of disaster. A place of all-embracing disaster. Titanic all-embracing disaster. When you’re in pain, your own world shrinks to a pea and your grief becomes the center of your universe. Nothing is interesting you as much as your grief. And it’s becoming that disaster what is written on our band’s name.
5. Has the band done any live shows or is this a studio project?
We haven’t done any live shows yet. But it’s very important for us to play live and to bring our music to those people who needs it. There are a very different sound and atmosphere on the concerts. When you’re listening to live music – it captures the spirit. Therefore we want play live and now we’re looking for guitar and bass guitar players. We know, that bass guitar player search will be hard. People think, this is musician who just pulls the string and no more, but it is not truth. Bass guitar is very important musical instrument. It gives the half atmosphere to our music together with drums.
Alexey: I would like a beautiful bass guitar sound as a sound of old school bands with specific gnarling, somnolent and sweet base.
6. Does Occultism play any role in the music?
Alexey: The occult things are from the real world, but unreal things are from the world of occult. We operate with grief and despair. It’s part of our occult reality.
7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black, doom and gothic metal?
Alexey: We have the page in the social network Vkontakte for the time being. People come there to thank us for our music.
8. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
Alexey: I’m drummer of gothic metal band Fright Night. Mila is singing in Mea Vita. Locus Titanic Funus is more important for me. Mea Vita – full time for Mila.
Mila: Yes, I’m also involved in gothic darkwave project Mea Vita as singer, keyboard player and songs and music co-author. Now we’re working on the new album’s recording.
9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
Alexey: The spirit of our music will be the same. But there are a few variants of future. Maybe there will be male and female pure vocals only, maybe the music will be faster and more melodic. But there will be the same atmosphere as now, the feeling, which won’t be stolen from us.
Mila: I agree with Alexey. We’d like to save the spirit of music, the atmosphere we have now. Maybe besides vocals I will fulfill live violin parts in the future, and there won’t be ordinary acoustic violin, I want to find a special sound for this instrument in this music. But I can exactly promise one thing: until our music exists, it will always be sincere music.
10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Alexey: I love Desire for their magical combination of voices, Saturnus for their tight rhythm section and naturalness, Autumnia for melody, Vin De Mea Trix for a beautiful bass.
Mila: The Sins of Thy Beloved – love this guys. This is almost perfect gothic doom for me. Just want to note the Ukrainian group Vin De Mea Trix. First time I’ve heard them at Moscow Doom Fest VI. It was unforgettable. What about the other modern genres, I like darkwave, gothic, ethereal. I love Diary of Dreams, Stoa, Narsillion– one of my inspirations. As well as classical music. I listen to it from childhood, this music became an integral part of my musical thinking.
11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Alexey: We’re geeks, we work in IT company and make Big Data 3D interactive visualization systems. I like my job as our music. In the working process we can forget about sorrow and universal grief 🙂
12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Alexey: I want that our music to affect you as well as for me. It shouldn’t be a cause of aggression, frustration. I’d like that those who listen to this music will find support and help in it.
Mila: Something beautiful is still exists in the world besides grief and despair..so fragile beauty, a thin beam of hope.. I wish that our listeners could see this..
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