Mythshore

Interview date

18 Septembre 2014

Interviewer

Pelo-pelo

I N T E R V I E W

Interview Omega


Hi Omega ! Thank you very much for accepting this interview.

Hello, my good friend. I also feel honored for your interest in my work and your great review of "Ocean Dream". This interview is something I will remember for the rest of my life, as it is my first one for Mythshore. This is very important for me.

Can you present your band and your musical experience in general?

Mythshore is actually something like a spiritual child for me. I was thinking of making it since the last three or four years and I finally managed to do it now. It is the way I feel music inside of me and the way I express some of my deeper thoughts. As you know Mythshore is only me, so every single second of music and every single word of lyrics, mirror my inner world. I can’t say that I have large experience being in a band, except the one I had during my school years, back in the mid-nineties. My buddy was the bass player (by the way, I’m really thankful to him for lending me his instrument for "Ocean Dream") and I was playing guitar. The drummer is also still a special friend. Good old times back then. Before that, I spent about eight years studying classical piano. As guitarist, I am an autodidact.

‘Ocean Dream’ is the first Mythshore album. Can you explain the idea of the title and, if there is one, the main concept of the album?

The concept of "Ocean Dream" is touching various dimensions of human soul. In these four songs, I tried capturing musically some elements of the invisible world. The lyrics for "This Glance", for example, are my reaction to a photo I saw, which was presenting a bombed place. In the middle of this creepy and cruel photo, there was a child who was watching the camera in a really strong way. The world he knew was gone forever. In "Ocean Dream", I describe life’s cruise. In the beginning we feel that this will be a trip without worries, a journey of dreams and joys. Then we finally face the hard truth.

We can hear many influences : death, folk, atmospheric… What are your main inspirations in metal?

Well, I belong to a generation that grew up in the nineties. It was such a creative time. Metal bands started to combine a lot of different musical stuff. I think this is one of the reasons that our music will never die. The music is having such high standard and is so open-minded that it will likely pursue its evolution with losing its original character. In those legendary nineties were born, here in Greece, groups like Amorphis, Summoning, Orphaned Land, Sentenced, Rotting Christ and elsewhere bands such as Paradise Lost, Bal Sagoth, Therion, Angra as well as a lot of others that showed great potentials. They all guided Heavy Metal to new pathways. And there were bands coming from 80’s that triumphed in the nineties such as Death, Bathory, Sepultura, Blind Guardian. If you add on the top classical bands such as Metallica, Maiden, Slayer, Savatage, Priest, Megadeth, Manowar or Sabbath, you have nearly the biggest part of my influences. But I am sure I forgot to mention about 100 pages of other bands.

Moreover, there are many non metal sounds like this amazing classical piano in ‘Ocean Dream’. What are your favorite non metal artists?

To be honest, 99% of the stuff I listen to is Metal. The remaining bands are doing rock prog music. Those groups are Eloy, Aphrodite’s Child or Pink Floyd. My favorite nonmetal band is Eloy for sure.

Although you are a one-man band, we can hear so many instruments. Do you really play all of them?

Yes, I played all but the drums. They are programmed using a computer. I really feel lucky having had the opportunity to learn playing keyboard instruments. I will always feel greatful to my parents for that. When I was eight, they made the best choice in paying me piano lessons.

Usually, what is your personal way to compose?

As I record everything in my home studio, I could easily work the way I like. I just put my headphones and start experimenting with the guitar or the keyboard. Ideas are coming one after the other; This is the way I compose my songs. The big advantage is that I’m registering at the same time as I’m writing. This keeps the hot and spontaneous feeling alive. I doubt I would ever be able to do that in a normal studio surrounded by other people. It is quite important for me to be alone when I creating and recording music.

How did you end up with three short pieces and a much longer track called ‘The Dying Tribe’ ?

Well, when I started with this album, I planned having only one big song. "Dying Tribe" was the first title that was written. Close to the end of this first creative phase, with just the voices to record, the idea of having some more songs emerged. That was it. I don’t really know why the other three songs finally lasted between three to five minutes.

Concerning the lyrics, I understood ‘The Herd’ is very critical on the society in which we live in. Has the crisis in Greece inspired you ?

Absolutely, this "crisis" inspired me quite consciously but also unconsciously. There have been many changes in recent years here in Greece. I rarely see happy faces. Everyone is devastated. I’m not a utopist and I know there are people with worse problems in other countries: war, famine, poverty ... With all my respect for all Greek people, I prefer not commenting more on the crisis. Having said that, I understood that you’ve caught the core subject of "The Herd", my friend! I criticize the Western way of life. Money seems to be the main objective. We act like animals and we see life as a competitive game that we absolutely must win.

‘The Dying Tribe’ is much more poetic. I understood that we can’t be sure of what really happened in the past, even if it has been written and transmitted on paper. Men may prefer to wait their death with eyes closed rather than see and accept the complexity of the world they live in. Is my interpretation not that bad or am I completely out of the subject, hahaha ?

No, my friend, you are completely on topic. Nobody seems to see their real problems. We prefer to invent heroes to keep moving forward. But does the hero see himself as a hero? Nobody knows except him (or her). One of my biggest opportunities is to feel at peace with myself. I see my soul as another person who has things to say. Although these things are often simple, they are very important. And I believe it may bring us closer to the real purpose of life: to be happy. It would be criminal trying to avoid it. We must realize that nothing material remain forever and we should never underestimate the needs of our soul.

Who made the artwork ? It’s awesome!

The artwork is a painting of Thomas Moran. He was a painter from the late 19th to the beginning of the 20th century. I wanted to have a painting for my front cover and when I found this one I got excited. Its name is "Sunset in Mid-ocean".

What do you think about illegal downloading in general ?

Well, that is a very complex subject. I can’t talk about other’s works but only for mine. If a lot of people download "Ocean Dream" and find it interesting, then there will be only positive results for Mythshore.

If you want to say something more, you are welcome to tell us now !

First, I hope you did not find my English too difficult to understand. Believe me, I'm doing much better in Greek! Thank Crysella Records for giving me the opportunity to publish "Ocean Dream" world wide. I hope that people will discover Mythshore and will appreciate it. But more than anything, I wish the world to be a better place without weapons, hunger and revenge. I know it sounds like a cliché, but it's a real need for the human species.

Thank you very much ! We wish you the best and we surely can’t wait for your next creation.

I wish you the best and I thank you again ! I can’t wait to speak to you again for the next album.


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