Session XXV: [Subterranea Cypria - (3rd edition), something wicked this way comes...]

Almost two years since my last post and more than three since our last excavation into the Cyprian marshes. Yet, we must return once more to these lands seeing that there is a qualitative shift now in the island's relationship with the extreme end of metal. 

It's no longer the case of having the odd diamond in the rough here and there. Now things are getting more focused, more coherent, more scene-like one might say. Even Godblood, the oldest unit of the

bunch, have risen from a seemingly permanent slumber to grace the stage more than a couple of times since 2016. This in turn signalled a concurrent, yet purely coincidental, wave of releases from other more recently established bands (Nekhrah, Frozen Winds, Tome of the Unreplenished, Temple of Evil). A common development underlying most of these releases, compared to the first generation which emerged sometime in the early-mid 00s, is a sudden turn towards professionalism and proper practices. No longer is black metal the province of undirected youth, desperately banging on their instruments in raucous rebellion. Those days are gone. Now there's serious intent and for once a decent sound at both live settings and on wax. What's more there's an eager search for identity, Nekhrah are carving their own with their ugly-yet-appealing, repellent-yet-

engaging brand of groovy death metal onslaught, Frozen Winds take cues from Mesopotamian mysticism and skillfully marry them with ritualistic black metal atmosphetics while Tome of the Unreplenished, always the restless ones, take off into the vertiginous, entropic heights of horrifying experimentalism and sound abuse. Thank the Devil, for we are done with the clones and the tragicomic bedroom operations of the past; there's direction, intent and zeal now at least amongst the few who have wilfully taken the baton and dared to look beyond their Obituary albums..

And of course, lest we forget, there are a couple of off-map outliers sprouting here and there, namely Accurst's latest ambient work 'Messenger of Shadows' (on plastic by Aesthetic Death), Kaenum's and Holocaust Machine's joint venture into power electronics (on tape by Confessions of an Orifice) and last but not least Dirt is Destiny's self-titled debut EP which I'll be focusing here on.

 

Debut releases can be a dodgy affair. Oftentimes you find the inadvertent, almost sycophantic worshipping of the band's adolescent influences and if you're lucky enough there is that glint of originality, of personal pathos. This particular EP goes a few degrees beyond the expected average. It's a weird little amalgam of different styles threaded with a bellowing black metal backbone. They show a distinct maturity, bringing to bear musical and personal inspirations into their craft with unusual insight and depth. So without further ado let's see what our man, monsieur Danny Krrio had to say regarding his recent musical spawn.

Greetings and welcome to the Hypogeum. 
First things first, give us the history of the "when's", "how's" and "why's" of the bands creation.

Hello! The band/project has only recently settled on the name 'Dirt Is Destiny' in 2017, but I have been working on material and ideas since about 2011 towards this end. Ultimately the purpose of the project is to create songs which are storylike, powerful, and dramatic, which carry with them a serious and sincere approach, while at the same time being musically engaging.

What's your relationship to Cyprus, its people, its nature and what sort of inspiration do you draw from them despite its apparent limitations when it comes to scene exposure and other opportunities?

Cyprus is home to me and I love and appreciate the many good qualities of the place and its people. You might find specific things to pick at which you dislike but overall I have had a positive experience living here.

It is really the natural beauty of Cyprus that I feel most close to as far as inspiration and also the rich History and Culture of Cyprus.

To comment on scene exposure.. to be honest there hasn't been too much local interest as of yet, but I suppose that is expected being that DiD is not a live band, and the music has only been released digitally for the time being.

You've been around the local Cyprus black / death metal "scene" for quite a few years now. How would you describe its evolution as an insider? Anything of interest going on? Do you feel connected to it in any way?

Something interesting I have observed is how extreme metal has become more popular, 'normalized' and accepted in the general metal community. In earlier years it was far more tribal among the genres and Black/Death metal was considered somewhat of an outcast. Musically you can see that the bands are really at the top of their game and are hungry to always progress and outdo previous efforts.. to mention a few names... Nekhrah, Vomitile, Frozen Winds, Temple Of Evil..

DiD is somewhat of a solitary experiment, but I do feel connected to the scene and am always enthusiastic to attend the local gigs and support the bands.

Ok let's start digging in to the EP. What's immediately apparent is that you actually get four separate and distinct songs here. And I say this because many a time I come across releases where compositions are merely variations of the same underlying theme.

But here each song bears its own identity, a hallmark of a process which took time and deliberation. Tell me a little bit about the creative process. How long did it take and what sort of factors played into it, psychological, personal, musical or otherwise?

On the more technical side, Usually the first step involves improvising on the guitar, feeling out the notes and experimenting with different techniques. It is a kind of 'ghost writing' process. When I feel there is something that sparks inspiration I work further to shape it and mould it to fit a more lyrical idea. Afterwards I record the guitars 'with an added drum track playing along' and write additional music for a second guitar, bass and to a lesser degree, synthesizer. The lyrics and vocal arrangements are usually fleshed out last.

For the songs on the EP I have been working and re-working them for about 3 years. Never feeling fully satisfied with the final results of a song, and improving as a player, I kept picking at them probably longer than I should have...I initially planned on recording the EP solely on my own, but I struggled with poor equipment and technical issues. To put it simply, the results did not sound good to my ears. I finally decided to get the songs recorded with George Erecleous at Oneirism Studios.

The songs like you mentioned each have their own identity purposefully, but they are meant to work together and unfold as a story.. There were certain personal experiences and abstract concepts that I had been carrying with me for far too long that needed to be expressed.

 

The compositional style is quite reminiscent of bands like Absu, Primordial even Ved Buens Ende at times. I.e. bands which don't adhere to the same protocol every time but use their creativity to map the fabric of their musical inspirations unto a personal and varied landscape. So even though you could per force slap the black metal label on your band there's a decent amount of interesting guitar-driven themes, tempo variations and mood fluctuations flowing through the songs to keep the listener guessing. Were you influenced by artists or others of their ilk at all and how would you describe the particular mark they left on you?

I think to a certain degree you cannot help but be influenced by the bands you listen to, I don’t see it as a negative.

I used to be more concerned with trying to find a unique sound to my music but a lot of the stuff I wrote came out sounding somewhat forced, and sounding 'strange/weird' with no real direction to it.

Now I am more interested in trying to write good songs first, and if the song benefit from a more unusual approach I will go down that road, but always to compliment the composition.

I think the most obvious influence is Primordial, being a huge fan of the band. The galloping rhythms, the epic and tragic melodies, poetic lyrics and dramatic vocals...They have it all as far as I am concerned. Other favourites of mine are Destroyer 666, Akercocke, Emperor, My Dying Bride, Code, Arkhon Infaustus, Morbid Angel..in some way or another you could find some impression that these groups have left.

Incidentally, Primordial have remained one of my most cherished bands for many years now so it's almost inevitable for me not to detect even subtle hints of their melancholic-cum-soaring melodicism. This is especially apropos on the last song of the EP, "You Will Hang by the Noose". Is it just me or is there something truly Primordial-esque lingering somewhere in there?

Haha I like the way you put it. There absolutely is, perhaps it is a little more technical with more notes thrown in the mix.. but the Primordial element is in there.

There are elements which some might describe as "avant-garde" or "progressive" but they're not there purposefully. They are just incidental patterns of the band's exploration into various musical regions. What’s your take on this? Would you agree?

I do agree to an extent and I alluded to this very thing in a previous question. Maybe I wouldn't call those elements completely incidental, there are some more experimental moments that were deliberate but not in the sense that I was trying hard to sound 'avant-garde'.. Those parts simply fit well into the greater scheme of things.

You've given a lot of attention to the vocal arrangements. Again they take many colours reflecting the different tones and moods of the compositions. There's anger, despair coming through them drawing you in further into the music. Playing and recording instruments can be done in a sober, controlled approach but vocals are something decidedly more organic and require a high degree of both physical and psychological engagement from the man behind the mic to really deliver the intended emotions. So what exactly went through your head during the recording sessions?

At the beginning when getting ready for the recording sessions I was a little nervous. I had prepared a lot mentally beforehand but it had been 12 years since I was behind the mic, but thankfully I was able to slip into form again after a short while with some help from George.

It was a good and trusting environment, so I was able to sink into character and perform without much difficulty.

"Dirt is Destiny" is a rather pessimistic assertion yet one can perceive that your worldview goes beyond the monochromatic viewpoint of armchair cynicism. I get the impression that the way you dissect your nightmares is a lot more nuanced and cerebral than the resigned misanthropy you see in other acts. There's ugly stuff in there but there is also a certain delight in the darkness...

Dirt is Destiny could be seen as a pessimistic assertion yes.. symbolic of the inevitability of death.. but the purpose of this band is to intently explore the darker and murkier waters of existence and to me this is a necessary exploration. We need to reflect upon death, and by doing so we gain a more legitimate understanding of our being.

There are other lighter and less intense ways to perceive the world, but as far this project, it is meant to be heavy and at times dripping with filth.

Struggle is inherent in our existence: despair vis-a-vis hope vis-a-vis agony vis-a-vis triumph vis-a-vis melancholy vis-a-vis ecstasy - the dipole of human experience. And I do feel something about this when listening to the EP. It’s not a jet-black, soul-crushing affair, there are hints of overcoming, even courage. Care to elaborate?

One of the central themes running throughout is struggle..against despair and madness..the struggle of becoming and seeking truth and meaning..against nature, and finally against your own self. Each song though has a more defined part of the story, reading the lyrics and paired with the sketches that will be displayed in the booklet of the upcoming CD, more detail can be gleamed about their meaning..

Sound is uncharacteristically resonant and dynamic eschewing lo-fi production values which would be the default choice for a budding black metal act. It befits both the wide range of styles you draw from but also endows the music with a more inviting overtone...

Mixing/mastering can be a very tricky enterprise so I was just wondering whether you had a clear intention before entering the studio or did it just come about while working with the producer?

In my opinion lower productions values would have diminished the release, and for a few exceptions I personally prefer to have a well produced and clear sound to Black metal. While there is a Black metal 'essence' at its core, I am sure you would find people who would not consider DiD to be a proper black metal band.

There was indeed a clear intention of what the production should sound like going into it, but I think to a larger extent it ended up being the way it is as the sound was being crafted. There was constant dialogue between George and I and quite a bit of tinkering went on until completion.

The cover: an inverted man suspended by his legs against the void by a spidery, indeterminate creature. A stark representation of life perhaps as suspended between the abyss and the unknowable, inner pit of our desires, fears? To severe the ties and be free equals the embrace of death and nothingness. Am I anywhere near the intended symbolism?

I think you have gathered the meaning very well from the image Certainly there is that instinct driving us towards oblivion, I would add though that in my perception I consider the image to be a transient state. One Reflecting upon the boundless to enrich One's self, the process to be undertaken like some type of meditation to which he should eventually return to engage with the more mundane and worldly..

Any forthcoming collaborations with individuals across the scene or perhaps even outside it on future releases?

Danny Georgiou from Winter's Verge and Mirror has expressed interest in working again with me on the next release, and there is a possibility that Alex Savva (Dictator) will be involved in the recording and mixing process.

You mentioned a CD release at some point. When should people expect it and who's releasing it?

I am hoping for the release sometime during this month. The whole production of the CDs and booklet layout has been undertaken by Alex Savva but I will be releasing it independently with a limited number of copies available.

As far as I can tell, DiD is a solo project but would you consider playing in the flesh on stage at some point? Maybe you already have some plans in mind?

Danny Georgiou didn't write any music for the release but he did add his own drumming approach and style of playing on the recordings, maybe he is not what you would consider a full member, but I see him as connected to the project. I would consider playing live at some point, perhaps to celebrate the release of the next CD. Most of the people I can see as fitting members are already in bands, so it is somewhat uncertain how exactly it could come together..Time will tell!

Before we wrap things up I'd like to do a few free association exercises with you. Just give an immediate response to each of the four words you see below. Responses can be from one to a few words long but not more than a sentence.

 

a.    Nature: Full of beauty but so ghastly

b.    Humanity: Too many of them

c.    Women: Saints and whores

d.    Music: Windows into the soul 

One final query: it is hard to deny by your chosen moniker that the Lord (of all which slither and crawl) has touched you with his presence... In what way do you bear the Mark of his primeval essence?

  
The K-Lord has provided much in the way of inspiration over the years...like most Gods he is distant and quite obscure in his ways,...His insights and knowledge may bring one closer to Truth...but like most Gods, He can also drive them towards Madness and Ruin...

Alright, that's it from me. Any parting words?

Thank you for the interview, I Enjoyed the Interesting and engaging questions!