Dordeduh has carved out a formidable niche in the atmospheric folk/black metal scene, merging spirituality with expansive, cinematic soundscapes that have resonated deeply with fans worldwide.
Fresh off a standout performance at Posada Rock Festival, Dordeduh speaks exclusively with us about their journey through the atmospheric folk/black metal scene. This interview dives into their creative evolution, the deep spiritual elements that shape their music, and the ongoing challenges they face while staying true to their unique sound.
Dordeduh performing at Posada Rock Festival 2024
(c) Paul Voicu (LivePictures Ro)
My greetings! It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to talk with you today. Dordeduh has become a significant force in the atmospheric folk/black metal scene, and your unique blend of spirituality and powerful soundscapes has captivated fans around the world. To begin, when you first formed Dordeduh, what was your vision for the band?
Hello, first of all. Dor de Duh is actually what I would call a natural continuity after our work with Negură Bunget. Probably most of the audience already know that split that happened and we just went from there on with what we did before.
Also, reflecting on your early years, what initially drew you to music, and who or what were some of your earliest influences that shaped your journey as a musician?
This thing with influences is a tricky one because musically, I could not say that I had any kind of influence. It was more about, I don’t know, to be able to get out what is inside of you. Probably the only constant during our journey was spirituality. And that’s the only thing that, let’s say, was a source of inspiration.
Fascinating! And you know what? This, somehow, leads to my next question, which is about your very name. “Dordeduh” is quite unique and intriguing. Could you explain its meaning and why you chose this name for the band?
For us, yeah, it has a meaning, but as a joke. Haha… We found out how the American guys called us. They said “Dor de Duuuuh”. And that was really, really funny. I understood, we never thought about it, but for non-Romanian speaking people, it sounds a bit funny. But as a meaning, it’s a blend of words, “Dor” and “Duh”. And to not go too much into specific things, “Dor” is something that is a feeling that represents very much humanity. It’s something that humans… it’s that longing that humans have either for a place or a person, for a feeling or something. And I think it’s a main characteristic of human race. And “Duh” is the spiritual part. And both things are probably the most important things for our vision.
I know that some of your earliest riffs date back to 1992, originally written for a band called Hell Survivor, and later included in the EP released with Makrothumia in 1995. How do you feel your songwriting has evolved since those early days, and do you still draw inspiration from those first creative efforts in your current work with Dordeduh?
Since that time, a lot of things changed. I evolved as a musician, and not only as that. Technically, too. Also, my taste and my capacity to express the things changed. I would say “improved”. So now I feel, for example, with our last album, I really feel that, I don’t know, if I die tomorrow, I’m happy that I managed somehow to put into music everything what I have wanted.
I think this is the most important aspect for a musician, the capacity to be able to express musically what’s inside of you. When you have this accomplishment—this feeling of accomplishment —, that you managed to be able to express things musically—what you wanted to express musically—, it’s kind of a mission accomplished.
You always had a deep desire to create your own music. What were some of the significant challenges you faced in pursuing this passion, especially during your early years, and how did those experiences influence the direction of your artistic journey?
Oh. This is a complex one. I mean, you could say a lot of things, because… For example, now, this year we would celebrate 30 years since I have our first record. So, of course, 30 years is a long time, and there were a lot of phases, a lot of challenges. Some of them were, I don’t know, let’s say challenges that came out from human interaction. Other stuff was, I don’t know, financial challenges, like… It’s quite known that for the musicians, until they reach a certain status, it’s quite hard to be able to live out of music. So the financial aspect is quite important.
My problem is that, unfortunately, nowadays you cannot have anymore a musical career, like really a career, because things are so diluted, and there are so many bands, and so many good artists, and the money in the industry is so little, so it’s really, really hard to make a living out of it. And this is a challenge that most of the musicians have.
Yeah, because you need to have a job, and you also need to divide your time…
Yeah, and when you have a job, then you cannot be fully involved in it… This is what I call a musical career. When you’re having a career, that means that you’re fully, 100%, invested in that.
Dordeduh performing at Posada Rock Festival 2024
(c) Paul Voicu (LivePictures Ro)
I would love to gain some insight into your artistic world. What does an ideal day in your creative process look like?
For me, when I’m into creative work, the only things that I do is writing music, meditating, and making food. And that’s all. And for me, to have no other distraction is really, really important.
Meditation is also a thing that is really important for me, because I feel that when I do that, my level of creativity is just boosted.
Got you. But, ey, you know, “Dojană” from the 2012 album “Dar de Duh” is especially important to me. Could you share more about the inspiration behind this song and how you approached its composition and lyrical content?
It was… It’s probably our only non-metal or folk kind of song. And the intention behind it was… Well, I studied a lot of ethnology and… I realized somehow that in our traditional culture, there are two sides.
First of all, it’s really cool that we have preserved our traditions and we still have, I don’t know, musically, let’s say, songs that were played since 300 years ago. Yeah, it is really nice that we managed to preserve all this stuff. But on the other hand, we have no novelty in our traditional music. And I felt that I wanted to bring something different and also a different approach in this kind of stuff. We use this kind of traditional instruments, but I think we use it a bit out of the context and because of that, it creates something new. And also as a message. It’s a message… I could say, somehow, it was specially made for Romanians, because we know what “Dojană” means. It’s, I don’t know, a calling to come back to our roots, to our inner self. And that’s the story behind it.
The 2021 album “Har” was highly praised. How did your approach to songwriting and recording for this album differ from your previous releases, and what changes or innovations did you bring to the process?
First of all, it was our first album which I somehow externalized some of my duties, because usually I recorded the album and mixed it and also produced it.
Oh, that is not an easy job to do…
Yeah, and it’s… On one hand, it’s really good because you can be very focused and if you have, I don’t know, a quite tight and… If you’re following perfection all the time, it’s… It’s something… You can achieve a lot of things. But on the other hand, as a creator of music, you will always have a subjective approach. And this time we chose to put the mixing in the hands of Ian’s. And it turned out to be a very, very wise choice because some of the, I don’t know, approaches that he had, I would definitely not do. For example, with my vocals. Vocals are very much in front of the music and I always see in my band vocals more like an instrument, not something that should stand out. And that’s an option that we knew in advance that he’s going to mix it that way. Because that’s his style. But it turned out to be very, very good for our music.
And it was the same also with the cover. Costin Chioreanu, he said, “OK, I’m going to do your cover, but only if you give me 100% freedom artistically”. In the end, we could not help ourselves to put some input in it, but yeah, I’m happy.
I’m happy that we work with professional people.
So it’s important for a band to have some external opinions about their art.
From my point of view, yes. And unfortunately now we can go a bit in a more niche direction. But one of the things that is quite sad nowadays is that the producers disappeared. Because they were the people who were outside of the band and who can see the whole material as a whole and will give a certain direction. A producer usually also knows a bit of sound engineering, so he can have some options. For example, if you want a band to sound more rockish, then you choose a drum kit that sounds more rock. And this kind of stuff nowadays, it’s either at a really high-end level or at no level. Because the middle class of producers disappeared.
I strongly agree with that. And look, somehow, I feel like asking that: how do you prefer your music to be experienced on vinyl, on cassettes, on CD or on streaming and why do you prefer that?
I don’t have any kind of preference. This is why we offer all these platforms. People can, I don’t know, find what works for them, what resonates for them and just go with the flow.
Dordeduh has taken the stage at Posada Rock Festival. How did you feel about performing there, and what did the experience mean to you and the band?
First of all, we are happy that we managed to come in this part of our country, because it’s a really long time since we played in this part. I don’t even remember the last time we played in this part. So in this regard, we were looking forward. And I was personally looking forward to see how this festival developed, because we played in the 90s with the band that you mentioned, Makrothumia. Probably in 1997 or something like that. And I’m happy to see that they kept existing and the level is really nice, professional people.
I know the people from the stage, I know a lot of people involved in the festival. So it’s really nice to meet up with old friends and people who are part of the musical stage in Romania.
Dordeduh performing at Posada Rock Festival 2024
(c) Paul Voicu (LivePictures Ro)
How did the festival’s location and environment contribute to the overall experience of performing there?
Well, to be honest, for us, it was a really, really long drive. We had also some accidents on the road and we had to take a detour. So for us, it was a bit of a tiring experience to get here. But once we got here, things were really nice. We felt welcome. Everybody was really nice with us.
So you got some energy for the public.
Yeah, definetely!
Were there specific songs from your set that you particularly enjoyed performing, and what made those moments stand out for you?
I would not say that there was a special song or whatever, but for me what was really interesting was to see from the stage that people were more keen to listen and to have an experience than, I don’t know, headbanging or doing mosh pits.
Of course, our music is much more cinematic, but I was happy to see that people were paying attention and they got into our music.
Dordeduh performing at Posada Rock Festival 2024
(c) Paul Voicu (LivePictures Ro)
Looking ahead, what upcoming gigs or festivals are you most excited about?
Oh… we have a festival in Graz in Austria. I’m looking forward to that. I’m going to meet a lot of friends over there. And… it is not yet announced, but there is a festival next year in February that I’m looking forward to, but I’m not yet able to say which one it is.
Oh, so nice! Keep us updated! You’ve always mentioned that the music and lyrics together form a complete experience, with lyrics often complementing and expressing what the music alone might not convey. Is there a particular song that you admire for its exceptional integration of lyrics and music from other bands?
Yes, yes! There is one, actually! It’s a song called “Almost Again” from Strapping Young Lad. As a creative person and as a songwriter, for me it’s really, really rare to find a song where I will not change anything. And for me that song is perfect. Especially because usually there is a certain build-up in a song and it’s really hard to take the song higher than the point that was already high. And with that song the intensity is growing and growing and for me it’s, I don’t know, David Townsend is a genius!
As we wrap up, do you have a message you’d like to share with your fans and those who support Dordodur?
I don’t think that I’m in a position to give advices or stuff like that, but I don’t know. For example, our last album is somehow a journey around self-development. And I encourage people through our music, but also in daily life, to search for the power from within to, dare to transform and to, become better every day.
