Eschatos

eschatos / UnRated Magazine

Interview conducted on April 10, 2018

 

How did the band come together?

Kristiana: Some of us have been friends since our teenage years. Our drummer Edvards, our previous guitar player Janis and I played together in a band called Ocularis Infernum some time ago. eschatos was formed on Christmas Eve of 2012 when three of us decided to depart from the band due to artistic differences. Shortly after that our second guitar player Edgars joined, then bass player Tomass. On our second album The Grand Noir we collaborated with Marko Rass who became a full-time keyboard player of the collective in the summer of 2015. In 2016 Janis decided to depart from the band and Martins stepped in.

 

Kristiana I have watch videos of your first band Ocularis Infernum and your vocals in that band seem much undeveloped. Which in turn has matured with eschatos.

K: Ocularis Infernum was formed in 2002 and it was my first band. I joined it in 2003 and it has now been almost 15 years. So I guess practice is the key.

How do you describe your music?

K: Soundscapes of tragedy, ecstasy, doom.

 

Kristiana what is/was Black Earth Black Sky?

K: Black Earth Black Sky is a project I and Matthew Anthony Romano Buck started when I was living in San Francisco in 2014/2015. We’ve been on hiatus since I moved back to Europe but we are still exchanging ideas and planning to record our first full length.

 

How did you get your name for the band and what other names did you go through before getting the final name?

K: As far as I can remember Hierophanies was the only other option for the name of the band, but it all came together perfectly because it became the title of our first album.

Do you have any day gigs (jobs)?

K: We do. (off the rec. – we’d rather not discuss our work outside the band. Thank you!)

 

Kristiana how do you see yourself as the front woman of a dark metal band?

K: As any other musician in any other band.

 

You have three LP, Hierophanies, The grand Noir and MÆRE. Each not release on a label and just your band behind them. How did you go about getting your music out there without any support from a label?

K: We’ve always treasured independence but to be fair we couldn’t have done it without the help of other amazing people around us and our families. Curtis from Dewar PR was a big help in getting the word out there when we released MÆRE.

 

Do the 3 LP have any theme behind them?

K: First two recordings was inspired by apocryphal writings, religious texts and medieval literature I was reading at that time. MÆRE on the other hand reflects on different states of consciousness related to sleep, including the phenomena of sleep paralysis, a very personal experience of mine. In Latvian we call it lietuvēns. I have always been fascinated by sleep and it felt like a becoming subject for this record to explore.

 

Since all 3 LP are self supported. Did you do any type of Kickstart funding? And how did it do?

K: All our recordings are self-funded. So is MÆRE. Though we couldn’t have done it without the support of our friends and allies – the truly amazing artist Vita Ivantcha, percussion master Einars Latisevs, mastering engineer Dan Swanö from Unisound AB, Hodila Records, Reinis Graudiņš from Grautiņa Records, our families and friends and everyone else who supported us during this journey.

Do you have any license deal in the works?

K: Not at the moment, but we are open to offers.

 

What are your main inspirations, musically, otherwise where does you music come from?

Marko: The idea usually is ignited by our guitar player Edgars. After listening to guitar riffs I add keyboard parts creating the mood and texture. The first and main inspiration for writing is the work of Edgars. Everything else comes from imagination and from different corners of my mind and also the music that I listen to. Mostly I listen to classical music radio when I’m at home or driving in my car. Otherwise it’s various genre – rock, metal, folk or pop music, depends on mood. I listen to music that somehow touches me.

How is the black metal scene in Latvian?

K: Unfortunately I don’t think we can talk about a whole scene. There are a couple of bands touched by the genre, but it is not a strong current.

The metal scene in Latvia is small and not particularly active. Nevertheless, there are outstanding bands representing Latvian underground worth mentioning as Tesa, Soundarcade, Das Sonntags Legion, Oghre. My personal favorite Nuvo will release their first recording soon. It’s a small community and musicians usually take up roles in several different projects.

 

What is your favorite instrument to play make, model and year?

Edgars: Schecter S-1 Blackjack which has been my only electric guitar for almost 10 years. It is versatile, it sounds good and it feels comfy. I am aware of the vast supply of different guitars out there, but I am really used to this one.

Marko: For me it’s my old Nord Lead 2x. It’s my main instrument together with vintage Yamaha organ from end of 70’s. Nord is great virtual analogue so I get the real feel when playing (instead of MIDI toy). Using keyboards together with guitar effects makes space for more experiments.

Mārtiņš: Back in 2013 I bought my Strandberg Boden 7 guitar, which is such a pleasure to play, it feels like an extension of myself. I’ve been using this guitar live almost exclusively since.

 

Would you want to perform on Rock on the Range?

K: Sure. Why not?

Any music fest you would like to perform on?

K: Playing live is a magical experience regardless the event. I believe it is crucial to put the same energy into what you are doing whether you’re performing for 1 person or 10000 people.

If someone was listening to you for the first time, what 3 videos or songs would you tell them to look/listen to and why?

K: The whole recording of MÆRE. It is a journey.

How do you see your band in the next 5 years?

K: Making music and magic.

Any guilty pleasures your fans would be surprise you listen to?

K: The Dø.

What is on your bucket list?

K: To walk the Camino to Santiago de Compostela.

What is on your phone for music now?

K: Sumac, Lisa Cuthbert, Julie Christmas, Billions of Comrades.

 

Thank you for interviewing with UnratedMagazine.

K: Thank you for having us!

 

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