:: INTERVIEW TO SVARROGH

PRESENT YOURSELVES OUR READERS...
"Greetz! I am Dimo from SVARROGH. Its my musical solo-project of Bulgarian Bitov(Folk) Black Metal since 2001. I also play in Hatred Divine and Odem Arcarum, two german melodic/raw Black Metal bands. At that time I am living in Germany."

WHO ARE SVARROGH AS BAND MEMBERS?
"Actually SVARROGH is my solo project, but sometimes I let friends of mine take a little part in it, such some members of Hatred Divine, Argus (RIP), Scarcross or Odem Arcarum. Drynwhyl is now the one who will overtake the female voices in the next releases."

WHEN DID YOU HAVE FOUNDED THE BAND?
"It was in a golden autumn of 2001."

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE VERY FIRST BEGINNING OF BAND...
"It was difficult to start to play and write songs alone. But now it works, hehe. First it was very normal and mediocre Black Metal, but slowly I searched the way I wanted to play music. Bulgarian pagan culture and folk tradition inspired me and I decided to make real Bulgarian Metal. I hate the fact that many bands just copy ideas from another bands. I wanted to create something individual."

WHAT'S ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS RECORDING-EFFORTS?
"Well, in the beginning, there were many problems - I recorded several Demos and Promos, but they were not much successful. The Debut Album in 2003 called "Baxas Xebesheth 1883" was a self-release, after that it took place on the Split CD with Ravenclaw from Lithuania released on Atlantida Prod. There are still some Ditributors of it like AMF Prod. from Bulgaria or Perverted Taste. In 2004 I recorded "Lady Vitosha" that was released on Medusa Prod. (GER) and Khaosmaster Rec. (USA) and it is also distributed in Bulgaria and Japan."

WHAT'S ABOUT YOUR FOLLOWING?
"At the moment I record the next full Album called "Kukeri", it will be finished in Juny 2005. The first Label that will release it is Shadowland Music from Bulgaria. It will be more faster and epic Black Metal, but there will be also much more folk parts than in last releases."

THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS IN YOUR HISTORY?
"The fact, that it was possible to turn this project into a live-band in February 2004, as we played with Burden of Grief and Equilibrium in Rosenheim in Germany. The long wanted deal with Medusa Prod. and to create a small Home studio and a small Distro named "Xebesheth Distribution" which are parts of SVARROGH."

PLEASE, INTRODUCE US 'LADY VITOSHA'?
"Vitosha is a mountain in the Bulgarian Balkans where I come from. It is part of my inspiration, thoughts. Its mist, its majesty are in my mind. The mountain accompains me since my birth until my death. The Album is a tribut to Vitosha. Its called "Lady" because in bulgarian language the word mountain is female."

WHY THIS INTEREST IN BALKANIC/BULGARIAN TRADITIONS?
"Well, as I am living in Germany, my sickness for my far fatherland is growing. So when I wake bulgarian music its like therapy for me. I am a patriot, and I am proud of my land (but not of its politics). I think that you can ever feel where you roots are. When I just look at the Balkan Mountains, the Black Sea or the Thracian Landscape, when I breath the Balkan air, then I feel the majesty and I can feel the ancient ones on these lands."

WHAT'S ABOUT THE PRODUCTION OF ALBUM?
"It was produced very simple, but satisfying in my Home Studio "The Shkembe Chorba" in Germany. It took nearly 4 months, but I had enough time to place the details and the mix. Now I know, that I could make a better production, but its ok."

ANY PARTICULAR CONCEPT CONCERNING THE ALBUM?
"Yes, the lyrics are old bulgarian folk tales or new tales of mine, mixed with a lot of darkness, love, solitude, sadness, hope. It's the speech of the mountain."

WHAT'S THE MOOD OF IT?
"Well, I think I have said it already."

THE SOUND IS VERY ELEGIAC AND DREAMING?
"Thank you! I want to create a sound far away from this world with help from Black Metal. You can also say that the songs/lyrics are often dreams of different persons in the past."

THE MOST SALIENT ASPECTS OF YOUR NEW ALBUM?
"This is the use of old bulgarian instruments like the Kaval Pipe (Shepherd Pipe), Kaba Gaida (Rhodopean Bagpipe) and the Tamboura (8-string instrument). The bulgarian Lyrics are also very obscure and abstract - they are old folk tales with much darkness within. There are also many irregular bulgarian folk rhythms within like 7/8 or 11/16."

WHAT'S ABOUT THE FEEDBACK?
"Hehe, on the one side there is bad feedback, people who really don't like my music (and I really like criticism to improove myself) and on the other side there are also people who really like my music. But there aren´t any people between those kinds. There is no way: love or hate it!"

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR SOUND?
"I want to present ancient bulgarian culture and ancient folklore, that is going to be forgotten in this world. The listener has to understand what the past means. Its very important to go out of this worlds horizon."

TOURING PLANS?
"In 2005 I want to put up a new live-line up and to enter many stages, because people do not know much about Bulgarian music. Yes, I plan some tours in 2006."

YOUR LIFE'S PHILOSOPHY?
"Well this is more complicated than an answer in just a view sentences. But I can say: Life is simple, the wisdom is simplicissity, which seems difficult to most of humans. I remember and hail the ancient, I want to seek into deeps of the past and the pagan (this word becomes nowadays very catchy, urgh) times. I know that time don't exists, its just a invention of humankind, but if you walk in the future, its seems that it's a circle to the past. Tangra, the old bulgarian wisdom and religion, is becoming more important in my life - I want to learn. Tangra is divinity in the sky, in the human and even in the stone. I want to remember my bulgarian roots and culture. Each nation has its divinity, but a mix between cultures can destroy this variety - and variety is very rich. Well, I would to talk with you about this in a pub with some drink. Its too much to say... "

THE FUTURE OF THE BAND?
"It grows and grows. I have no certain aim, only to improove myself as musician and composer. I want also to improove my way of thinking and to enlarge my mental horizon. And this I can do only with SVARROGH."

ANY LAST REMARKS?
"Slava, remember the ancient when you step forward in the future... IYI....and smoke bulgarian cigarettes! Thank you for this interview! Visit www.svarrogh.de.vu."

For more infos: www.svarrogh.de.vu or www.medusarecords.net

EMANUELE GENTILE

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