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| Gothic |
First of all, congratulations on your latest record! While your previous efforts are amongst some of my favorites, I do feel that Gothic has pushed your creative capabilities immensely. It’s catchy, mesmerizing and all-in-all such an exciting ride. How did these four songs come into existence, and what do they mean to you as the author?
Thank you so much. I’ve put a lot of work into this album. The first idea was to compose a long track, based on the organ timbres of my synthesizer, and without repetitions, so it would flow in the same way as you would tell a story. The second track follows this concept, but with harpsichord timbres. The two short tracks at the end aim to make the album lighter. "Helmet" is a reminiscence of the first album Citadel, and "Chalice" is kind of an experimental track, with new tones and a delicate arrangement. So, in the end, we have this upward structure throughout the album, in an effort to recreate Gothic architecture in sound.
I love the idea of recreating physical architecture throughout the ungraspable medium that is sound. Where does your fascination with Gothic architecture come from? Is it very present throughout Moscow?
Mostly it comes from books and films since we don't have much Gothic architecture in Moscow, just a few cathedrals. The architecture does have a tight connection with scholasticism, which is my second inspiration for the album. I found out about this theological school when I was forced to study philosophy for postgraduate studies and was fascinated by the originality of its ideas.
Knowing that you’re from Russia, I’m probably wrong, but does Utred refer to the Swedish verb utreda, meaning “to investigate”? And even if not, do you see your work with Utred as some sort of investigation?
Wow, I didn't know that. We do have many artifacts of medieval Swedish expansion in the burial mounds over here though, especially in the region of Smolensk, where my mother was born. When speaking about any original form of art, "to investigate" is absolutely the right expression. And yes, I am incredibly passionate about investigating new musical landscapes.
I’ve got to be honest. My first encounter with Utred was thanks to the Toto cover “Africa”. I immediately ordered Tribute I + II on cassette and even though I’ve heard those songs many, many times, they still manage to put a smile on my face. What drove you to create these fantastic covers - and why these particular songs?
I asked myself the question: “Would I be able to play some beloved rock songs on my lonely synthesizer, with a fully painted palette and in the vein of the Dungeon Synth genre?” The choosing of songs was simple since they contain my favorite melodies, and I like them very much. "Africa" was recorded especially for my friend Anton from the project Raevjager, he is absolutely mad about this song.
What does the future hold for Utred? Can we expect new themes, or will we dive further into what you’ve already dug into?
The future plan is to publish remastered versions of all albums (except Gothic) and to record a new one next year. I wouldn't like to tell any details, so a little intrigue still exists.
The final words are all yours!
Thank you very much for this interview. I wish everybody to be healthy and prosperous, to love and to be loved. Stay true at any cost.
Utred on Bandcamp
