Out from Lviv in Ukraine, here's an amazing band that's certainly gonna leave on me (and you I hope) tangible and indelible traces on this new year 2013...
As already mentioned several times, I'm not a specialist at all in subgenres like Drone or Funeral Doom but that doesn't prevent me to think that with their awesome blend of drone and funeral death/doom NONSUN released a magnificent EP that is "Good Old Evil" and make proof of a stunning maturity and sense of composition.
Headiness and dissonance of the years 2000 along with crushingness and sorrowful, aesthetic darkness of the early 90's, shit that's a rare but delightful programm and this young band perfectly implements it... Read the following interview I've just had with Bohdan and enjoy the EP immediately !!!
- Where does the name of NONSUN comes from ? Did you know that if you write it like you in just one word and put it on the google translator, then it only works as an italian expression !?
The name doesn't have a specific origin, or a meaning... you know that the Sun is often associated with God, especially in heathen religions... i think it can be understood also in this way, like, nowadays man lost all his gods and just pretended that he still believes in something...
also Nonsun is close phonetically to Nonsense - that's what i liked when i chose that name . So we all walk under the same nonsun ;)
- That's what I thought too, nonsun/nonsense, great ! you recorded the EP as a 2 piece with Andrij on drums and you on guit/bass/keyboards + vocals... has it been this line-up since the beginning by choice or obligation ?
Yeah, this was rather no choice, so hard to find people here in our city which would play slow music, long-length songs, i don't even know anyone here that would listen to drone))
I would love to transform this into a live band though, and i'm still working on it, i still search for musicians.
- Oh that’s quite surprising to hear, I thought that the doom/Death and in particular the funeral doom scenes would have given birth to Drone addicts throughout the years… do you think that people’s tastes remain about the sames as 10-15 years ago ?
I believe people's tastes evolve, and they should evolve and broaden with all this internet stuff and so, but at the same time I meet so many people listening to the same narrow range of bands for years, decades, and they don't even wanna hear about something slightly different or unusual. I mean, music is music... Yeah, there's some stuff closer emotionally, but all this devotion to a certain subgenre within another subgenre which in its turn belongs to another one, I don't get it. Differentiation gone too far...
- Is Andriy a permanent member at your sides ? Ideally, what would be the best formula to play live, would you need just a bassist or add someone on keyboards too or … ?
Andriy is my old friend, he's not so much into heavy and slow music, but he's a quite open-minded person and well-experienced drummer. He loves experimenting, so he gladly agreed when I asked him to join my project. Andriy has offered so much creativity and shown a genuine interest during the process of creating, recording and mixing our EP. Now he's even more satisfied with the result than I am I hope to continue working with him, but I'm not sure so far how it'll turn out. Ideally - it would be to gather a full line-up (two guitars, bass, drums, keys) But minimum could be even only three persons: guitar-, bass-player and a drummer (or 2 guitars and drums).
- The style of NONSUN is hard to classify, can we say that it’s basically DRONE with doom/Death and funeral doom elements of (maybe) your early years into music ? I hear some influences from the early 90’s ( not just in your vocals!), like P.L./MDB/WINTER,… sure you cite also others like Celtic Frost, Earth, EHG, The Swans, etc… but is that your most influential period in your musical development ?
Yeah, you got it right, man, these are the most influential years for me. Though, it still seems a bit strange you guessed it so easily, because, before and during a recording of the EP, my inspirations were mostly drone, post-metal, sludge and stoner bands. Perhaps those doom-death influences are rooted in me deeper than I thought they were :))
By the way, I am currently also on vocals in a doom/death band Apostate, and some years ago I had a doom/death/gothic metal project Negative Plus.
- I’m ok for Sludge to be in some parts also added to your wide musical spectrum, but I don’t really see in which manner the “Post Metal” label can be applied to your sound ?
Maybe you're right, man, and I shouldn't use the "post metal" in description, I don't know... I'm not that good at all this classification stuff, you know. What I can say for sure - I was under a big influence of Isis when I wrote those songs, and we both with Alpha listened to bands like Omega Massiff, Pelican, Khuda etc... Okay, then how would you label the second track "Rain Have Mercy", especially its second half? It's not really doom/death, it's too fast and structured for being drone... And all these delays, atmosphere - I thought it was closer to post-rock/metal thing. Isn't it? (nothing obvious in my opinion, but you're the best judge...!)
Lviv is a rather big city that has had a pretty eventful history and presents the particularity of having quite many catholic churches in its heart… does it make it very different from other Ukrainian cities like Kiev or Odessa ? Even if Drone isn’t popular at all, is there any underground metallic activities in town ?
Yeah, Lviv is very different from other Ukrainian cities, it has that beautiful European architecture and is my favourite city in Ukraine, but still I hate living here ) And about the underground, of course, there are, and were, cool bands here (not so many), but, you know, lately, things are going down, nobody goes to gigs, fewer and fewer guys organize them, and, as I mentioned, so hard to find a musician, in particular for slow music. I'm not even saying about drone, you know, in Apostate we have the same problem - and this is pretty cheerful death-doom
- The cover of the EP represents a solar eclipse, did you ever witness one (I did here in France in 1999, short but impressive) ?
I witnessed one in late 90s, I was swimming in a lake then, and I remember some people were telling me I shouldn't do that during the sun eclipse because I might drown))
- Maybe it has positively evolved but - if not all, most of the ex USSR republics don’t have a very cheerful image, how do you consider this ?
I won't say about other ex-republics, but in the Ukraine - yes, it's fucking depressive, and nothing seems to get better in the nearest future. I'm not even talking here about the economics or politics (though they're shitty of course), I mean first of all that cultural, spiritual decline. I fucking hate this situation, sometimes it's pretty hard to stand.
- What have been some of your faves of 2012 ? did you see any cool gigs in your area or elsewhere ?
In 2012 I've heard Horseback for the first time - that's my band of the year. Surprisingly great album from The Sword. Earth, of course (Angels of Darkness... II). Ufomammut - both albums. The return of the year (or years!)) - Dead Can Dance. Swans returned too (or not?), but I haven't heard the album yet. Black Shape of Nexus released a good LP - though I liked their demos and splits more. At the end of the year I heard Undersmile - wow, I'm still scared))
Dissapointment of the year - an amazing drone metal band Kodiak split up
Gig of the year - Eyehategod in Warsaw, Poland - that was awesome and unforgettable!
- Do you already have some good feedback about the EP ? do you intend to look for a label to release it physically or will that remain just a free download and you’re already thinking about next effort ?
Dissapointment of the year - an amazing drone metal band Kodiak split up
Gig of the year - Eyehategod in Warsaw, Poland - that was awesome and unforgettable!
- Do you already have some good feedback about the EP ? do you intend to look for a label to release it physically or will that remain just a free download and you’re already thinking about next effort ?
I have a great feedback but from a few people I realize it's the first EP, a lot of work is still ahead, in this modern day of overproduction it won't be easy to attract people's attention. I am looking for a label but at the same time trying to promote the EP by own efforts. And of course, already thinking forward, about the future record, just find some inspiration to start and the people to cowork with
Stéphane, many many thanks for this interview, you know newcomers like Nonsun desperately need help in promotion like this, so thanks again. All the best to you and the Temple of Perdition zine!!
https://www.facebook.com/NonsunDoom
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