Interview with Lys!

Today I am very proud to post the first interview on the Foul Feast Of Flesh blog! Here I interview both members of the atmospheric black metal band Lys. We discuss their plans of future releases, their various other projects, and the metal scene in their area.

FF: How did the two of you come to form Lys?

Vyhladit: I think I can answer that. I met Thor through his main project, Kelkum. I contacted him to purchase his self-titled demo, and after that we became contacts on MSN. We found that we had similar musical tastes, and after a while we decided to combine our talents; thus Lys was born. We spent a few months putting together the songs for the Drifting Through Despair demo, and eventually released it ourselves, after several unsuccessful attempts to find a label to do so.

Thor: I had been working on a few guitar tracks that I was possibly going to use on a new Kelkum demo, but the sound didnt fit Kelkums style. So, I figured they would go well with a new project that I could form with Vyhladit, since we share musical ideas and such.

FF: Does the fact that you both reside in different states change the way you would normally go about writing and recording?

Vyhladit: It certainly is different from the ways one would normally go about recording. Obviously, there are no live sessions, and most songs must be sent via e-mail multiple times before a final version is reached. For our debut demo, Thor would send me the guitar track, to which I would record a drum track, as well as doing a bit of mastering. This version would be sent back to Thor, and he would add vocals, finally creating the finished version of the song. As far as writing goes, I usually find writing parts to be a very personal experience, something I do on my own anyway, so there really isn't much difference as far as that goes.

Thor:  Somewhat. It seems like it would be easier to have live sessions and what not, but either way, its easy to record the music and vocals and such. To most people it would seem very difficult, and the thought of it made it seem difficult, but it seems to have come out easier than I thought it was going to. But there's also a reason why the distance makes it easier: Sometimes, I might record tracks that we can use for Lys, such as drum tracks, or guitar tracks, none now, but Im just saying, and when I do record them, Im alone. Every time I make music, its in solitude. Ive had no help, except for lyrics which Vyhladit made for me, but other than that, Ive been alone in the process, and when Im alone and have no interruptions, it makes things easier.

FF: Both of you have other projects aside from Lys, can you tell us a little about those projects?

Thor: Kelkum was originally called Uruk-Hai back in 2008 under a big influence of Burzum. As time went by, I was inspired by many other bands and started experimenting in different styles. Eventually I wanted to try DSBM, and it didnt go so well, then I tried a traditional Black Metal demo, and I liked it better than my self-titled demo. Now my style of music has changed once again and I am now playing Nihilistic Black Metal, which is where Im going to stay. I also have a Black Ambient project known as RazoR. I formed it under the influence of Nattramn of Silencer's new project, Diagnose: Lebensgefahr.

Vyhladit: My other band is Amalgamation, an experimental drone/ambient/noise project that I operate by myself. It started out as a name under which I filed my drone experimentations, until I managed to get enough songs together for a promo, which was sent to several labels, and was eventually picked up by Barren Meadows Recordings. That album is to become Qi, once it is released. There have been several delays, since the label has run into some financial issues. Thor actually provided the artwork for that release (as is the case for all of Lys's releases as well).

FF: Drifting Through Despair was released on a limited release tape. Do you plan on using the cassette format for future releases?

Thor: Possibly. A label is in the works at the moment, since Drifting Through Despair was easy enough to release, though its release date was a few months longer than we'd had expected.

Vyhladit: Yes, the tape format has great appeal to us, however, Lys's releases will not necessarily be limited to this format. For example, our newest release is tentatively scheduled to be released on Salamander Lane Productions on CD, in conjunction with the tape release it is receiving through ACHTUNG! Records.

FF: What are your future plans for the band? And can you tell us a bit about your newest release?

Thor:  Keep going with releases to help get our music around. Id like to do a few more demos, then maybe a good, solid EP. Our newest release is a split with a friends project, Gurut. I met gurut back in December 2009, and I was his inspiration to start Gurut.

Vyhladit: Yes, our most recent release also marks a bit of a change in sound. We do not want to make the same album twice, you see. We draw a wide variety of influences, so not all of our albums will be explorations into the same emotional fields. Drifting Through Despair was, as its title suggests, wrought with despair. For our newest album, we bring a slightly more warlike feel, which is reflected in the lyrics.

FF: What would you say are your main influences musically?

Thor: My biggest influence has always been Burzum, his music has the best atmosphere Ive heard in Black Metal. Immortal comes next, because I like their themes of Winter and Nature, and Im also very close to both. I could go on with influences and inspirations.

Vyhladit: Well, I've tried to develop my own playing style somewhat, but I do have quite a wide range of influences. The biggest influence on my guitar/drum playing style, on our later work at least, has been Norway's Aeternus; their early albums are amazing, and I consider "...And So the Night Became" to be one of the best albums ever written, especially in the guitar/drum department. Apart from that, I have a great respect for a great many bands in various styles of metal, many of which contribute some aspect or another to my playing style, and again, far too numerous to list.

FF: How is the local music scene where you are located? Are there many bands that play a similar style in the area?

Thor:  No. The music scene around here is shit. Its all kids who want to be rappers. Luckily I live far from any town to where I dont have to listen to that shit 24/7.

Vyhladit: Completely barren here as well. Most people in this area have no concept of metal outside of horrible radio rock bands that they deem to be "extreme". Mention black metal and you'll be met with a confused stare. The only "bands" around here are insipid indie-pop groups run by angst ridden high-schoolers. There are a few exceptions, a few death metal bands, but they're far too modern/core influenced for my tastes. There are a few dedicated musicians, but not enough to get anything serious started, sadly. Such is the greatness of the internet that we are able to share our music from these musical wastelands.

FF: Have you guys ever played a live show?

Vyhladit: No, and at the moment, as we do not have any session musicians, this would not be possible. Perhaps in the future, but it seems unlikely.

Thor: The distance makes it impossible for that to happen. Maybe one day, but its doubtful.

FF: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Thor: Look forward to future releases.

Vyhladit: Many thanks for your support of our art. Let the flames never die!