1. Hello dear friend, it's good to see you at Rotten Pages Magazine. How are you doing today? Let's first review the situation. Where are you right now? Please describe your surroundings.
- Greetings, my Latino friends. I am honored to share the history and vision of the Canis Majoris project and answer questions. Well, let's go, or rather, let's fly. I am currently in my spaceship and flying over Latin America. From my porthole you can see incredibly colorful landscapes: endless Amazon jungle and snow-capped peaks of the Andes, Lake Titicaca and the mysterious ancient city of Machu Picchu, Cotopaxi National Park and the Galapagos Islands.
2. Who inspired you to become a musician and who do you think paved the way for you to become familiar with the different subgenres of extreme metal ?
- Until I was a teenager, my musical passions didn't manifest themselves until I went to a local rock band rehearsal and heard the sound of an electric guitar live. The world turned upside down overnight, and I realized that these sounds excited me, making my blood boil and my heart beat harder. That's how I gradually got involved in the local metal crowd. The first heavy band I heard was Rammstein. At that time I thought that it was the heaviest sound that could exist. I didn't realize at that time that there were extreme kinds of metal. And one day my buddy put me the album of the band Die Apokalyptischen Reiter “Allegro Barbado”. My first reaction was surprise and bewilderment. Who is that? A dragon singing? What kind of singing is that? It turned out to be scream and growl. By the middle of the album I realized that I like it a hell of a lot. That's how my love for extreme music began.
3. Before becoming a musician, did you learn music on your own, taking private lessons at a young age or did you adapt completely on your own?
- Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I have no musical background and my daily activities are not music-related. Those two months in which I tried to master the accordion (I was about seven years old) were a real torture for me, because reading from the sheet was not easy for me.
And then all that I know how to do is the result of self-education and music listening. I always justified it by saying that Varg Vikernes (Burzum) didn't need to know how to read music to create simple but brilliant melodies.
4. You sing and play guitar ? As a multi-instrumentalist you took it upon yourself to play all the instruments on the album. How did you manage to capture the essence of Doom Metal with your unique approach ?
- In my album I composed, played and recorded all the instrument parts myself, except for the vocals. First of all, I am a guitarist, of course, not of Brain Drill or Nile level, but enough to play Old Shool Death Metal. All other instruments with some diligence and understanding of the principle can be recorded at home with a minimal set of technical means. This is both a plus and a minus of the modern music industry. On the one hand, you can do everything yourself from the comfort of your own home at minimal cost, but on the other hand, it gives rise to millions of clone bands that have no authenticity. Everyone today can become a musician, which generates a lot of uninteresting musical garbage.
My approach is simple - I'm as open to any style of music as possible. In my playlist you can find everything - from European classical music, ambient, ethnic motifs from different continents, to absolutely radical extreme genres such as Trash,Black, Brutal Death, Gore Grind and others. From each genre you can emphasize something worthwhile and interesting. The main thing is to be open to everything new and unusual.
5. I can't imagine the amount of work done, but as a one-man project, it's definitely a lot of work. Is it worth it that you can realize your own ideas 100% without compromising with other band members ?
- Yes, the volume is really big. And here the problem is more in the technical side. Actually, composing a melody is not the most difficult thing. It's more difficult to glue it all together, put it together and mix it. I don't have to compromise, because this project was originally conceived as an expression of my emotions and vision of music. I make compromises, or rather musical cooperation, in my other projects, where other participants are involved. But undoubtedly I can listen to the opinion of people who can advise me on something specific.
6. How do you, as an artist, explore the balance between creating compelling stories through your lyrics and creating impressive heavy music ?
- The lyrics play an important role in the concept of the project, but still the music comes first. The balance is not difficult to find if the meaning of the lyrics corresponds to the atmosphere of the music. I think if I wanted to convey some political idea or show some serial killer's story, I would choose another musical form and I would definitely not do it in atmospheric doom style. Although... It would be something new for sure, haha.
7. Your debut studio album was released in April 2024. How did the writing process begin ?
- The songs were composed at different periods of time. There was just a realization that a certain number of tracks were needed for the album and they were born gradually. When everything was ready, I started looking for a label already with the finished material.
8. You managed to incorporate different elements into your perception of Doom Metal. You can find atmospheric and ambient elements. Is this something that came naturally or carefully planned from the beginning ?
- Yes, on the album the tracks alternate. Originally it was guitar music with keys. One night I wrote an ambient track and it really fit the mood of the album and then I got the idea to do it in the whole album. What came naturally became part of the plan.
9. Do you ever feel any pressure or lack of creating new riffs when writing new material? Does everything happen more fluidly? Do you need to be in a certain mood ?
- The peak of my creativity is during the fall-winter period. In Europe we have a pretty clear division of seasons. With this kind of music you often need a special mood and it's easier to catch it in the darker seasons. That's why the most depressive and melancholic bands, as a rule, come from northern latitudes. The more southern and sunny it is, the less depressing the music is. In spring and summer I switch to Death Metal and more upbeat music.
10. Musicians often have one favorite spot on every album they record. What moment of joy would you name in this particular album ?
- It will sound trite, but I love all the tracks on this album as they were all born in my head. Each track has its own strengths. But each listener notes for himself completely different tracks. So I can't single out any favorites.
11. Are there any external influences on your music ? Something you were listening to at the time or reading or watching ? What do you feel influenced the writing process ?
- Yes, definitely. The very concept of the project came to me after watching the National Geographic and Doscovery Channel documentary “Jornej to the Edge of Universe”. The movie shows how big our universe is and how insignificant we are against its backdrop. It's just mind-boggling. I wanted to convey that scale with my music. There is no doubt that the music of other bands also has an influence. Specifically the sound of Canis Majoris is inspired by Black, Doom of the 90s. I think the music of that period is the heyday of original extreme metal.
12. “Eternity Borns from a Moment” is a journey through the infinite space of the universe. Tell us a little bit about how you develop lyrics and then combine them to create a song.
- Every musician has a different approach to writing music. For example, Peter Tagtgren (Hypocrisy,Pain) said in an interview that he composes a melody in his head, then transfers it to notes and only then takes the instrument in his hands. I have a completely different approach. I don't compose anything in my head, my processor is overloaded as it is, ha-ha. I just catch the mood. Most often it happens after a walk in the woods or in rainy weather. I pick up my guitar and start composing. The main thing is to get hold of the main motive, and everything else builds up gradually. I send the finished demo track with the lyrics to my vocalist. All he has to do is to insert the lyrics into the existing music as he sees fit. Then I correct all the material, mix it and then release it.
13. Have you managed to travel a lot during these years? Are there any places that you think people should visit at least once in a lifetime ?
- Oh yes, I love traveling, but so far I have not been able to go further than Europe. Mostly I do it on my metal horse. My dream is to travel around the world on a motorcycle and visit all the continents of the world, including Latin America. I believe that our Earth is incredibly beautiful and there are millions of places to visit. And let everyone decide for themselves what is closer to them. But undoubtedly, it is worth traveling.
14. Poland is home to some of the most famous extreme metal bands. What makes the Polish music scene so different from the rest of the world ?
- Poland is indeed an important player in the world metal scene. There are world stars Vader, Behemoth and a lot of incredibly cool bands Lux Occulta, Hate, Dead Infection, Decapitated and others. Probably, like all other famous bands of the world, their fame is the result of hard work, love for their work and devotion to their fans. And, of course, originality.
15. That's all the questions I have for you, friend. I'll let you have the last words. What would you like to pass on to our readers ?
- To your readers I would like to wish to be open to the world and to everything new. Music is very versatile and can take many forms. Of course, each of us may have our favorite styles and preferences, but sometimes you can find gems in totally unexpected places.
I say hello to all the people of Latin America and I hope to visit you someday. From myself I would like to add - follow Canis Majoris. The second album is already in process. The journey is just beginning.
Comentarios