Desolate Plains

Desolate Plains

Interview conducted on November 10, 2020

By Dan Locke

Desolate Plains is a metal music project that pays homage to the human spirit and its continuing evolution through the centuries.

Desolate Plains members: Lambros Potamianos and Aliki Katriou

What is your upbringing?

Aliki:

My father is Greek, my mother is from New Zealand. I was born and raised in Greece. We spoke English in the house and Greek outside and, whenever we were financially able to, we would visit the family in New Zealand, which wasn’t often because it’s expensive to fly a family of 4 down under… From a young age I felt alienated and confused by my own identity and the world around me. By chance I found comfort in Chinese movies and Japanese series, games and manga. For some reason, these worlds made more sense to me.

Lampros:

I was born and raised in Athens and had a really happy childhood messing around with our ZX Spectrum and listening to metal from a young age.

How did you discover music?

Aliki:

Both my parents listen to an extensive amount of music. My mother loves classical music, opera and some unknown folk, country and jazz. My father primarily listens to Greek music. There would always be music in the house, whether that was a cassette or someone singing. My parents both hum and sing to themselves constantly. I’ve loved music since I can remember and I would spend a lot of time flipping through radio stations. I came across metal on the radio (one of the good aspects of Greece as a country XD) and tried to find out more, which was a lot harder than a simple Google search would have been but that wasn’t an option.

Lampros

My mother has always had (and still has) the radio on all day, usually playing Greek music or church chanting and my father also hums all the time. They bought me and my brother a piano and we started taking lessons from the age of 7 iirc, but a couple of years later I was mind blown when we bought our first cassette, a Scorpions album. It sounded so heavy and massive to my ears! Soon enough I ditched Scorpions for Manowar, Metallica and Iron Maiden, it was circa 1982-1983. A few years later I bought a toy-like acoustic guitar and tried to get the grips by playing Metallica songs and then upgraded to an electric guitar and a cheap BOSS distortion pedal!

How did you start to write music?

Lampros

I wrote my first riffs on the acoustic guitar while I was trying to figure out the Metallica songwriting, their harmonies and progressions. But the first songs were written when I formed my first band at the age of 19, a blend of punk, metal and hardcore. It did not last long and after a couple of live shows we parted ways and I gave my guitar equipment away. Almost 15 years later I bought a new guitar and got back to playing and writing riffs and songs.

How did you form your band?

Lampros

I wrote some songs without actually intending to, and then I decided I had to do something with them. It took me a while, as I had to take guitar and drum lessons for a couple of years and get into recording and audio production in order to fully understand the creative process behind a full-length album. It was a strenuous process especially when I went searching for musicians that would help recording my music and lyrics. Aliki was a godsend, not only because of her skills and talents in clean and brutal vocals, but because she fully understands my vision and universe. She contributed a lot on these two albums with her ideas and I am looking forward to our third collaboration. I recorded all guitars, bass and keyboards for the albums and Hugo Ribeiro offered his session drumming services, enriching our sound.

How did you get your name?

Lampros

I needed something that could accurately depict the sense of loneliness in one’s heart, the very pragmatic position of oneself in this infinite vastness, and came with the name Desolate Plains. I saw some NASA footage of Mars’ desolate plains and it really captured this feeling, although Mr. Musk might have a different opinion!

Describe your music

Aliki

Progressive death metal with thrash and black influences. XD 

I would say the music is well-thought-out and captures the frantic anxiety of existence, as well as a certain emotional dissociation from this struggle. Due to the topics Lampros writes about there are many fast riffs and drum patterns, there are sudden changes that reflect the human mind trying to grasp its own being, and there is also a drone, a slowness which captures the constant nature of life and its independence from us.

Lampros

What Aliki said! It is violent, rhythmic, melodic and self-containing.

How do you pay homage to the human spirit and its continuing evolution through the centuries?

Lampros

Humans tend to accumulate knowledge and build upon it. Human perception has certainly changed a lot throughout all previous generations as psychonauts paved the way for our species’ new territories and conquests. All this effort, all this unparalleled courage and determination is something that solidifies our hearts and helps us brace for the future. We cannot but honor our collective spirit with an impeccable life.

Do you think we will be able to make it past 2050? A chilling Australian policy paper outlining a doomsday scenario for humans if we don’t start dealing with climate change suggests that by 2050, we could see irreversible damage to global climate systems resulting in a world of chaos where political panic is the norm and we are on a path facing the end of civilization.
The worst thing about it, experts say, is that it’s actually a fairly calm and rational look at just how bad things could get — and how quickly —if humans don’t stop emitting greenhouse gases into the environment.

Aliki

I trust that the paper is a calm and rational look; the climate now is acutely different to what it was in my childhood and the changes are happening at faster rates. I don’t think one needs to be a rocket scientist to see and accept climate change and what a mess we’ve made of things. That being said “the end of civilization” sounds like a very Western-centric-only point of view. Surely, we’re looking at “the end of civilization” as we think we know it. Given that I do not subscribe to the Western bourgeoisie ideas of what constitutes “civilization”, I don’t have an undying love of humanity per se and I don’t adhere to the capitalist/consumerist ideal of earthly possessions defining our state, I don’t think it will matter much if “civilization” ends. Also, if we all die, when we had the information in our hands and the foresight to predict the destruction, well then, our species isn’t very fit for survival and I can make peace with this. Yup, I know, not oozing positivity but I don’t experience any of the above as particularly negative either. In an ideal world, we would be undertaking large scale changes to our lifestyles in order to protect the planet but, given that I am not personally going out of my way and joining activists I see no reason to indulge in hypocrisy.

What was your first performance together like?

Lampros

Actually, we have never performed live together. Our only time together was recording Aliki’s vocal tracks and it was quite an experience!

What makes a good songwriter?

Aliki

A number of traits… Someone who understands that the song is going to be independent from them. Like any creation, a song takes on a life of its own and this can happen quite early on in the writing process. I think it is important to focus on the song itself and where it “wants” to go rather than trying to impose complete control over it. I think there is value in being unafraid to explore and break with convention while also recognizing why these conventions exist, that many are effective and utilizing them appropriately. 

Lampros

I am not sure what makes a good songwriter, maybe some degree of inner freedom, the strength to accept one’s flaws. After all, writing a song is like giving a solid form to a fluid inner feeling, one has actually to end the life of that inner presence and allow it to exist outside oneself. It is a ceremonial sacrifice, an alchemical transformation, thus a good songwriter is an effective alchemist.

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

Lampros

I can’t quite remember if I had given it a title, but it was based on the Cthulu mythos, about the Dream quest of unknown Kadath and it was mostly instrumental. Never recorded that, and after 30 years it should be considered as MIA.

Tell me about your album “The Face of the Earth”?

Lampros

There is an underlying concept that engulfs all of the songs, just like our first album (“Practicing the inner arts”). I felt the need to portray the spiritual thresholds that manifest as burdens in our physical life and force us to overcome ourselves. Madness, inner demons, old age, the trauma of birth, the fear of death, all these silent forces that rage in the human subconscious, restrain our lives and walk with us on the face of this earth.

Tell me about the making of the video for “Across the river”?

Lampros

We had a lot of fun making that video. We actually went to Acheron river, one of the rivers of Hades, which is a couple of hours away from my mother’s birth land, and the nature was so lush and serene, it was amazing. Actually, one of the affluents of Acheron is called Vouvoupotamos which literally translates as Silent River. We wanted to grasp the concept of the song’s lyrics, the crossing of the river into the afterlife and the several thresholds that need to be traversed by the shocked soul. There are a number of symbolisms dotted around in the video, as well as names of ancient gods written in Linear B.

What is your favorite track on the album?

Aliki

My favourite track is “Age of Old”. It’s slow, repetitive, depressing and there are infinite harmonies one could add. The lyrics are bleak and very honestly looking at a creature who fully understands its mortality and imminent death. The music perfectly captures the weight of this fact.

Lampros

Hard to say, but I would go for the “Descendant” as it is a mix of autobiography and hallucinating fantasy. It deeply touches me every time I listen to it and I love the change of pace from the frantic thrash metal verses to the mid-tempo choruses, but most of all I adore the ending, the mournful guitar licks and the haunting saxophone that weeps over another human life that has almost consumed its time on this planet.

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

Lampros

Older generations don’t really feel that good about it, but we are getting used to it. It is definitely handy, but I am afraid it is really bad for the artists themselves. I still have my small vinyl collection though!

How can people forget about the origin hashtag # Sharp in a musical score?

Aliki

Language is a living, ephemeral and mutable entity… It is ever-changing and has been since the dawn of time. It is bound to change and be used in different ways. I think this is within the realms of normal. It can be aggravating but for me it isn’t as bad as blatant misuse of language, such as when people say “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less”…

Aliki- You have a side project Eight Lives Down.  How is it different from Desolate Plains?

Aliki

Eight Lives Down is my band. Desolate Plains is the brainchild of Lampros. Desolate Plains runs along the death, black and thrash lines of metal and it lyrically looks at existential concerns and struggles. Eight Lives Down is also extreme metal but we do not stick to a single sub-genre or even a clear mixture of some sub-genres. At our core, we are groove and prog inspired. Musically and lyrically, we jump all over the place. If you check out our album “Humans” you can easily hear that no two songs are alike. Eight Lives Down is as likely to look internally as it is externally, it is very likely to have a socio-political slant to it. 

Digital vs. vinyl?

Lampros

Vinyl definitely for the warmth, the printed covers, the feeling. Digital for the ease of use, the instant and omnipresent availability.

What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?

Aliki

We’re not in the US and, unless we’re taking foreign policy, the US doesn’t always impact the rest of the world. I’m not even sure what the social uprisings are… Do you mean the complaining? Or do we mean the global protests in relation to police brutality that originated in the States? 

What is the mental health situation of the United State?  How can the public help the doctors and nurses on the front line?

Aliki

? Do we mean “mental” or “medical”? Again, we’re not in the USA and outside of the USA, the USA isn’t that big a deal. I don’t think many humans know what the mental health situation of the US is. I’m under the impression that, from an outsider’s perspective, the US is both medically and mentally quite unhealthy and there aren’t many people who would willingly want to live there. I think the best way to help doctors and nurses is to stay out of their way and just listen to them and their needs. If they want something or want help that should be acknowledged and dealt with but if not, just stay out the way. It’s one of those cases where the expression ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’ might just apply wonderfully.

Do you think kids should have gone back to school?

Aliki

No. The fact that they did is quite horrifying to me. I find it an ethically questionable decision at best and downright risk-taking. Anyone who has ever been to school or in any class room knows what a colossal waste of time it is. This time could have been perfectly wasted in online classrooms without putting people at risk, especially the teachers. I trust that the vast majority of students are perfectly capable of “sleeping with their eyes open” in front of a screen and don’t need to be there in person. At the same time, I recognize that most families want to be alleviated from their children and school provides some hours of solitude. Also, if the children in question are at young ages, I understand that school is one space in which they are meant to start building primitive social skills and, arguably, there is more value in recess time than class time – depending on the school and teacher (although, if I had to blame someone for poor education levels, I would be looking at governments, not teachers per se).

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

Lampros

If you are asking about one of my songs, The Return to Normalcy comes quite often in my head. It speaks about a very old man I was seeing a few years ago sitting on his porch, his time running out and his gaze empty. It was spooky, as if time itself had forgotten about him. And I looked at him every time I passed by and wondered about his thoughts, his feelings, now that the time to abandon this earth was getting dangerously closer. It still haunts me; I do think about that “memento mori” every day. That’s the very essence of memento mori, you have to think about it every day!

How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

Aliki

It will probably kill it in the form that we currently know. Most live venues are shutting down, many places can’t financially cope, many artists are breaking down from the pressure of uncertainty and being unable to make a living. If streaming worked well and offered a reasonable income to artists who are not hugely popular, then this would be the time and place to celebrate it. However, most streaming platforms grossly underpay artists and most artists are still better off if you go and physically buy merch and albums etc directly from them and their websites. It would be kind of cool if the music business sorted out streaming issues but, unless this happens, we’re realistically looking at the end of a lot of arts due to covid-19. Of course, when we’re able to, we’re all pick up the pieces and start anew but there will be some voices pointlessly lost from the process and that’s a shame.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

Lampros

I have been mostly working, my day job is doing 3d graphics and I am happy enough to work from my home office, so that wasn’t much of a change for me. I finished three songs for the new album and half wrote a couple more. And played some drums as well!

Aliki- Are you still doing vocal coaching now?

Aliki

Yes, every day 🙂 Teaching human beings to sing is my day job, it’s my primary source of income, my livelihood. It’s a great job and requires constant work, especially outside of lessons in order to remain up to date with what we know of the vocal organ. Due to the pandemic and singing being one of the highest risk activities, all my lessons are taking place online. Students book directly from my website www.aliki.katriou.com and we typically have the lessons via Skype or Zoom, depending on the student’s preference. I’ve always taught online and I spend a lot of time in lessons with my eyes closed, listening intently, so working online has never made much of a difference for me. My YouTube channel is where I infrequently upload vocal tutorials and covers. It is an attempt to make information accessible and comprehensible. A quick search online reminds me that we live in the age of misinformation and I think, rather than complaining, one should do something about this if possible. There are people out there teaching singers and teaching distortions but, for some reason, there is a lack of community among teachers who teach distortions. Some kind of fear of competition or “secrets” being stolen. I don’t follow a method or anything else that could be marketed; I simply look to anatomy and relevant research and form working hypotheses. There is nothing in my teaching “methods” that I would need to protect or hide. At the end of the day, I love metal music and if I can put out information so that people who are unable to have lessons can try to figure things out, I am happy to do this.

Aliki- What is Vocal Fry?

Aliki

Vocal fry is a sound created directly on your true vocal folds. During vocal fry, your vocal folds become very loose and this changes the vibratory pattern of the vocal folds. In normal speech your vocal folds maintain a good amount of tension and bounce symmetrically off each other forming the mucosal wave that we perceive as sound. In vocal fry the vocal folds relax so much that they no longer possess the tension to bounce symmetrically off each other. This results in a strange, seemingly unpredictable mucosal wave because your folds “blend” into each other at times. The resulting sound is odd pops and subharmonics – Kim Kardashian is your best bet to hear vocal fry used in speech.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

Lampros

I am into electronics and retro computers repairing, so I spent some time on them! Also, I write games for a retro computer platform so my days and nights are full!

95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television.  This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?

Lampros

I would say Amazon Prime as I love watching Married with children, the IT crowd and the Office over and over again!

Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  In October that is going to change at least on Facebook.  Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.

How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?

Aliki

I am of the generation that first started using Facebook so my assumption will be that it will revert to its original and, arguably, primary use: cyberstalking. Not much will change, it will just be a blander platform…

In addition. From October 24 onwards, you can no longer simply paste your links in WordPress to make your Facebook and Instagram content appear on your site.  Will this affect how bands use Facebook?
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?

Aliki

Patreon I guess? I imagine people would look to Amanda Palmer’s break from the industry and how she managed to stay financially afloat just by maintaining contact with her fans and relying on their economic support. The problem of course being that not all art is Patreon or even internet friendly. We’ll see but it will definitely shape the industry and the creations equally.

Is pay to play still a thing?

Aliki

It is in the UK and it shouldn’t be. It shouldn’t be a thing anywhere. Ideally, we’d be looking either at no pay (worst case scenario) or some payment agreement but pay to play is horrendous.

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

Aliki

It would be a possibility. Like with most new technology, the big bands would jump on it because they have a budget that allows for that, everyone else would fall through the cracks…

Lampros

It will be probably real in the near future. Not to my liking exactly, but I may give it a shot (if it becomes available during my lifetime, that is).

I have talked to industry leaders. And they are telling me that there will be no concerts, festivals, or tours scheduled until 2021 and if they don’t perform next year, they are likely to go bankrupt & may never happen again. No Jazz Festival, no Coachella, no Bonnaroo, no EDC, no Glastonbury, no tours, no ballet, no opera…. it’s all gone. Beside that also they are saying that it is predicted that 90% of independent music rooms could close if this continues.  How do you think the industry can be saved?

Lampros

The industry will have to reinvent itself. It is a hard time for all, and all we can do is wait for science to do its trick. That being said, I am sure that in 2021 or 2022 lots of venues would have gone bankrupt, but as the demand for live music and spectacles returns, new ones will emerge. Music, opera, ballet, theatre, they are all essential to humanity, they define our very nature and offer us a glimpse of the invisible worlds, they will never die.

If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?

Lampros

I am sure I would just delve deeper and deeper in computers and electronics, but I would love to do some sculpture work artistically wise.

Anything you would like to say in closing.

Lampros

Thank you for your support, we all need to stick together during these hard times. Patience is the key! We also need to globally restore our faith in science and honor the bloodline of our forefathers, as the old ones used to do. Only then we can spring forward to our destiny.

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