1. Escaping Aghartha has been around for over ten years, initially as a one-man band, then came the addition of Anghatengh. How did the idea for Escaping Aghartha come about? Why did you choose this name, and what does it refer to?
Indeed, it's hard to believe Escaping Aghartha is celebrating a decade! As for the name, I am a huge fan of the drone metal band Sunn O))). The song Aghartha, off Sunn O)))'s album Monoliths and Dimensions, changed my perspective of music. I had never heard anything so dark and captivating. Additionally, the lore of Aghartha - which is a legendary city at the center of the earth - has a mysterious, otherworldly aura to it. Escaping Aghartha was suggested to me as a band name by a friend. I instantly fell in love with it, as it was both an homage to one of my favorite bands of all time and also had a dark and mysterious feeling to it. Sometimes I wish I chose a name more relevant to biology/conservation, but I still really like the name, all the same. (Though in the time since I chose the band name, the concept of Aghartha has become infested with radical and hateful ideologies which I detest; there was also a bomber in Indonesia that dedicated the bombing "to Aghartha" some years back).
2. In a few days, you'll be releasing "Lurkers of Languid Waters," your ninth studio album. How difficult has it been to maintain a sense of freshness in such a personal and distinctive project within the black metal genre? Throughout Escaping Aghartha's career, what are the best and worst moments you can recall? What role does Imminent Extinction, your other musical project, play in channeling your emotions?
I have found it pretty easy (thankfully!) to keep things feeling and sounding fresh when it comes to writing and composing music for Escaping Aghartha. Part of that is I do not limit Escaping Aghartha to any one genre, and I am constantly blending genres together in my ever-evolving sound. I never feel pigeonholed to stay in one genre. Hmm, as far as best and worst moments...I think my best moment was when Croak released and was featured on the front page of Bandcamp Daily. The amount of publicity from that was incredible. My worst moment was when I played a live show (my second) without a proper soundcheck beforehand. The venue insisted I could just soundcheck very quickly immediately before my set. I wasn't mic'd up to the PA, so I thought I'd need to turn my amp up way louder to compensate. The end result was a lot of feedback, a thin tone, and it being so loud when I started playing that I panicked, lost my fingering, and jumbled the first 5 seconds of my set. Still, I learned a lot from that, so it really wasn't that bad, all things considered. (insist on a proper sound check, y'all) As for Imminent Extinction, that was my very first musical project. I released a handful of (very bad) songs on youtube and bandcamp and then didn't touch the project for many years until covid. I was feeling a lot of emotions and made a short slam/deathgrind album with a lot of social commentary. I didn't want to release it through Escaping Aghartha because I felt like that would detract from the environmental degradation/conservation biology theme I was focusing on. Eventually, I wound up putting that album on a compilation album titled "Escaping Aghartha" of unreleased songs anyway. I don't see myself ever releasing an Imminent Extinction album again. I think these days, I would probably just go ahead and release an album criticizing society via Escaping Aghartha. I've made enough biology-themed albums at this point that I feel like I could have the occasional off-theme album without it detracting from my overall theme for the band.
3. It took a couple of years to complete "Lurkers of Languid Waters," but it's also true that you collaborated with several musicians to develop different aspects of the recording. How did you approach the songwriting and recording process for this new album? How did you decide to collaborate with Thijs and Gregorio on this album, and how involved were they in the entire process? What brands of instruments did you use for "Lurkers of Languid Waters"?
. I think of Escaping Aghartha like a ship: I'm at the helm of it, steering it in the direction I want. Sometimes the ship I'm sailing is small and I can do everything myself, like with the ambient album Avian on Hiraeth Records. Other times, the ship is massive and unwieldy and I need the help of many people to fulfill my vision and help me sail towards my destination in mind. My longtime friend Thijs, who I met through an old facebook page I used to run (The Metalhead Medic, a page where we posted metal bands we liked to give them free promotion and help people find new cool bands) offered to play bass guitar for an album. I'm really glad I took him up on the offer, as he KILLED IT on the bass. For the most part, I just told him to do whatever he thought fit the songs well. If there was something he sent me that I didn't quite like, I would say "Maybe play this part like this instead" and he'd send me a new version until we both liked what he made. As for Gregorio, I had lost my previous drummer, CJ Yacoub, as they were dealing with things that prevented them from drumming. Finding a replacement was difficult - both in the sense that CJ has a unique and powerful style not easily replaceable, but also in the sense that finding ANY drummer proved to be a huge challenge. I was trying anything, from craigslist, instagram, and eventually a facebook group where I met Gregorio. I interviewed around 6 different drummers before I decided he would be a great addition to the lineup of Lurkers of Languid Waters. I had programmed some skeleton drums and sent them to him to give him an idea of what I wanted, but encouraged him to experiment and mess around. I'm not a drummer, and I know my drum compositions are lacking compared to the skill of a real drummer. Similarly to Thijs, he would send me things and I would sometimes give minor suggestions about the compositions until we decided on the final arrangement.
As for the instruments, I use an Orange OR15 amplifier with a PPC412 cabinet. I love them both. My guitar is a Gibson SG from 2016 (2017?). I don't think I would buy another Gibson, as there are so many other guitar brands out there that make equally good guitars at a fraction of the price, but I really wanted that dark and doomy tone that SGs are known for. Lastly, I use a LOT of different synthesizers via Fruity Loops.
4. The sound of all your albums has always maintained a deep and atmospheric tone. A combination of black, doom, and drone would be a fairly accurate description. However, for "Lurkers of Languid Waters," I suppose the theme plays a part, but you take it a step further. The sensations of depth, darkness, and unease are very well achieved. How would you describe the sound of the new album to someone who hasn't heard it yet? What do you intend to convey with the sound of "Lurkers of Languid Waters"?
I completely agree, most Escaping Aghartha releases could be put under black, doom, drone, or a combination of those genres (I would also argue death metal is another prevalent genre amongst my albums). I appreciate you saying that, as I tried to make this album sound immersive and deep. The album has a good amount of variation to it, with the song Transformations being upbeat and boppy, while Cradle of the Sargasso Sea is meditative and calming, and Degrade and Impede is a horrifying descent into eerie and vaguely psychedelic realms. At nearly 80 minutes long, it would get boring to have the same sound the entire album, so I tried to keep it fresh with variation. Overall, though, I would describe the album as dark and haunting, yet beautiful and full of life, too. I wanted to make the music sound like you were in a dark ocean, or maybe a silted pond, with creatures lurking behind every corner - dark, but with life. I used the sound of water many times throughout the album to try to hammer home that feeling of water and immersion within it.
5. You have a background in biology and ecology, and you somehow incorporate your knowledge and interests into the themes of your releases. However, it would be very easy to focus on media-savvy animals like bears, tigers, blue whales, etc. Instead, you seek to highlight the value of other, less recognized species, such as bats, frogs, or, as in the case of your latest release, eels. When did you decide to create a "concept" album about them? How did you approach writing the lyrics, and how did you achieve that balance between the text and the rich atmosphere of "Lurkers of Languid Waters"?
Originally, Escaping Aghartha was not a biology-focused band. I really didn't have a central theme at first - I was meandering, exploring different themes, seeing what resonated. Eventually, on Evoke.Contrast.Evolve, my first metal album, I discovered how intensely I felt about the biological theme when I wrote the song "Imminent Extinction" (an allusion to my first project's name). I then decided to focus on environmental/biological themes primarily, as the album after E.C.E. was Oceanic Womb, which revolved around the degradation of our oceans and the life within them. Rather than focus on making concept albums about well-known animals, I wanted to focus on the animals that people didn't know were threatened. As a conservation biologist, my job and deepest desire is to conserve the life and ecosystems in this world. But in order to do that, people have to care about them. And if people don't know that frogs or bats or eels are threatened and need help, then they won't care about them. I figured I could have the greatest positive impact with my music by writing about these animals which don't have much media coverage, and which often have negative stigmas associated with them. As far as the lyrics...I oftentimes find writing them very difficult. As a scientist, I want to convey the facts about the animal and the reasons for their declines as effectively as possible through the lyrics. However, that sometimes means that the lyrics read more like a scientific pamphlet rather than dark and mysterious lyrics associated with black/doom metal. It's a difficult balance to strike, but I've become better at it over time. On Lurkers, I had some songs focused lyrically on the reasons behind their declines. Other songs lyrically revolved around the biology of eels, celebrating their incredible transformations and unbelievable migrations they take.
6. I mentioned earlier how your music evokes an atmosphere reminiscent of the deep sea, largely thanks to the sound you coax from the guitars. However, Harrison Hunt is only credited for mastering the new album. How did you approach the mixing and mastering process? How did you focus on the guitar work and overall soundscape for the new album? Which bands inspired you in developing this technique?
Harrison really outdid himself this time with the mastering! I was thrilled with how it sounded when it came back from him. As far as the mixing goes, I wanted a powerful, yet atmospheric sound. Oceanic Womb was a bit too dry and lacking in atmosphere, while Croak was too atmospheric and lacked some of that power. I feel like I finally nailed the sound this time around and achieved an ideal balance. You mention the guitars largely contributing to the deep sea sound, but I actually think the synthesizers pull a lot of the weight here. Many of these songs sounded a bit hollow until I put the synthesizers in the mix, at which point the songs flared to life. The richness and depth of the synths contrast beautifully with the relatively harsh guitars. As far as bands that inspired me for the overall sound I went for, Lethian Dreams, Ahab and Ruins of Beverast are all inspirations. I love how they have strong rhythm guitars balanced with beautiful lead guitars which are often caked in reverb, delay, and chorus. It gives the songs a very full feeling.
7. The new album will be released by Hypnotic Dirge Records on CD and vinyl. How did you decide to work with Hypnotic Dirge Records? How important is it for you to have the label's support and to have a couple of physical editions of the new album?
To me, having the support of a label is invaluable. My goal is to educate as many people as possible about eels, so the exposure that comes with being on a label is incredible. I am especially glad to be on Hypnotic Dirge Records, as they are fully on-board with the environmental themes and we share similar values when it comes to biological conservation. I do really struggle with the environmental impacts of a physical release. On one hand, creating a physical product + shipping a product creates a lot of plastic waste that I feel very conscious about and which I intensely dislike. However, some people really prefer physical media and won't buy a digital album, so for the sake of fundraising for eel conservation, I feel that the benefits outweigh the cons. It's close, though.
8. Mairead McGuinness is credited as the artist for the album cover. Who is Mairead, and when did you decide to collaborate on the album artwork?
Mairead is a lovely, kind soul that I found on Instagram. She's the best. I saw that she liked doom/black metal and also was very passionate about environmental conservation, especially with birds. I of course had to reach out and introduce myself. I told her that I donate all the profits from the first month of many album sales, and she generously volunteered to create and donate album art to reduce albums costs on Escaping Aghartha to maximize the fundraiser. She first did art for the dark ambient album Strigiformes. I was overjoyed when she agreed to do a second collab - this time for the art for Lurkers of Languid Waters. It's one of my favorite art covers within the Escaping Aghartha discography for sure!
9. Moving away from the more conventional themes within the genre, you focus on biology and defending nature. How does this theme fit within a genre like black metal? Do you see Escaping Aghartha as a way to highlight and raise awareness of important and lesser-known aspects of wildlife conservation? Are you familiar with the American project Starer, which also has a background in animal protection and rescue through the ESMA association?
I absolutely do see Escaping Aghartha as a way to highlight conservation issues! As for how Escaping Aghartha's themes fit into black metal, I think the themes of environmental degradation and wildlife conservation is a pretty good fit. You have all these black metal bands that write songs about nature (Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne Room are two that come to mind immediately), but they're mostly writing about the glory of nature and all of its splendor. Then you have a bunch of misanthropic black metal bands that write songs about their hatred for humanity. I see Escaping Aghartha's lyrics and theme as a bit of a mismash between those two sides of black metal. I haven't heard of Starer, I'll have to check them out! I do love Gojira and Ecologist for their pro-environmental themes, though.
10. Is there a possibility of performing Escaping Aghartha's music live, or will it always be a studio project? How do you envision an Escaping Aghartha concert, let's say, in the context of a music festival focused on nature conservation?
As I mentioned earlier in the interview, Escaping Aghartha actually has performed live before (the song Oceanic Womb, from my first live performance, is actually on Escaping Aghartha's youtube channel). That show I was opening for Kayo Dot which was extremely exciting. But anyway, I did live vocals and guitar, then piped in drums + guitar solos + synthesizers over the PA speakers. People seemed to really enjoy it, and it was a fun experience for me as well. The main thing stopping me from doing more shows is that it's difficult to move the amplifiers and my gear as a single person. And also my car is now too small to move my amps, so I'd need to find a friend with a van. The alternative, which I thought about, is performing keyboard and vocals live and piping in guitars, but I'm not sure how people would respond to that. Right now, my focus is on recording and putting out new music. Once I settle down in a location, I'd like to find band members for live shows and start performing again. A festival focused on nature conservation would be awesome! I'd love that.
11. How did you get started in music: the first concerts you attended, the first albums you bought? What event in your life led you to want to become a musician?
My first albums I bought were Weird Al Yankovic albums. I was OBSSESSED with Weird Al as a 10-year-old. I've seen him several times, and he was my first concert I saw. I loved it. Disturbed was the first band that got me started on the path of hard rock/metal (a band which I do not care for at all anymore), and they were my first rock/metal show. However, Machine Head also played at that Disturbed show, and they seriously changed my perspective on music. I loved the intensity to their music and how they often had songs surpassing 7 minutes in length - something that I had never been exposed to before. I still respect Machine Head immensely and still listen to their masterpiece The Blackening every now and then. I'm not sure there was any one event that made me want to become a musician. I just found myself singing along to Disturbed and other bands and thought how cool it would be to be a vocalist in a band. I tried out to be the vocalist in a couple bands in high school, but at that point my skill was far, far too low for anybody to consider me as a vocalist. I decided I'd make my own music and become my own band. I got gifted a guitar for Xmas one year, and slowly over the next 5 years, I experimented with my guitar and taught myself how to play. Eventually, I could play well enough to actually make music I was happy with.
12. Which album represents the essence of black metal for you? What are your most recent black metal albums?
For me, Agalloch's Ashes Against the Grain is hands-down my favorite black metal album. I love the wild feeling it has. You can almost feel the snow and wind in some of the songs. The songwriting is masterfully done, with each and every track being worthy of praise. Not Unlike the Waves is a standout track for me. It's hypnotic. It's gloomy. It's perfect. And the last three tracks, Bloodbirds I-III, are an incredible end to the album. As far as newer black metal albums, I've been enjoying the black metal/triphop album He Left the Temple by Foghazer (also on Hypnotic Dirge Records) and the instrumental post/black album New World by DEADTREES.
13. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add anything for Escaping Aghartha fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.
Thanks for the interview, this was fun! Anybody out there reading this, if you want to make music, you should go for it. Don't worry about your skill level. You will gain the skills over time through practice. The most important thing is that you have fun making music and enjoy the journey!
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Fen & De Arma – Towards The Shores Of The End (Gold) 29,99 €
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