Hello and greetings from Romania, hope my interview is finding you well. First of all, can you please tell us a little bit about Midnight Odyssey and the concept behind your band?
Midnight Odyssey is an Atmospheric Black Metal band that features only myself. It was formed in 2007, and lyrically is based on themes of death and astral journeys.
What is the meaning of Dis Pater, your nickname and does it possess a special significance to you?
Dis Pater is a Roman god of the underworld, the equivalent of Pluto or Hades. Depending on where you read and who you believe, either he was a Romanized form of a Gallic god, or just a Roman god whom had nothing to do with the Gauls. But let’s not get too technical here, to me it is a figure of death, of the afterlife. It ties in very closely to what Midnight Odyssey is about.
What do you use to listen when you want to relax and have, let’s say, a chill evening?
Anything from classical, chanting, to 80’s rock, synth pop, it’s quite mixed depending on what mood I’m in.
What are your main influences?
Musically, they are 90’s Black Metal, Neoclassical Darkwave, Folk, Funeral Doom or Death/Doom, classical music, and Goth/Darkwave music.
What is the story behind your lyrical themes? Do they have any roots in the universal literature, maybe some philosophical influences?
My lyrical themes are a mix based on personal experiences, and mythological stories, as well as setting them in a world that isn’t the world we live in. I think it’s important for my sanity to build up a fictional world, that way I can separate my real life from my music.
Are there any musicians you would like to collaborate with?
I would love to collaborate with Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance most of all. Other than that, some industrial or electronic act would be great too. Something very different to metal, something to challenge me and put me out of my comfort zone a bit.
Do we have any chances to see a live show?
Unfortunately that is not in my plans.
If you would have only 3 words to describe the album ”Shards of Silver Fade”, what would they be? And why?
Epic, Sentimental, Cosmic. Epic because it literally took everything I had for so many years to piece all these songs together. Sentimental, because it features so many riffs and passages written over the last 20 years or so, and I was so happy to get them out into the world finally. Each bit reminded me of past times. Cosmic because I truly feel this helps put things in perspective for me, in terms of really how significant/insignificant one individual can be. In terms of time, and the vastness of space, are we really that important?
What are your plans for the near future? Should we expect a new album soon?
Silhouettes of Stars has just released, which is a compilation of material (mostly unreleased) from the last 10 years of Midnight Odyssey’s existence. I am working on the next album as we speak, but I can’t reveal too much about that yet.
Thanks a lot for your time and for the kind answers; would you like to say some words for your fans?
Thanks for your support and I hope your readers can find some time.
Credits for this interview goes to a very special person who came up with this idea and made the questions set list.
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