RavenzCraft Arts Interview Project 2019
presents Damian Schneider of
presents Damian Schneider of
Munknörr
Hello Damian, it is an honor and we welcome you to the RavenzCraft Arts Interview project!
We appreciate your time and willingness to share your experiences and perspectives with us
1.So first thing please, can you tell us a brief introduction about yourself and where you are from, and about your musical project Munknörr?
Hello, first of all thank you for inviting me to the project, I think it's great that you are doing these interviews with the artists of this type of music ,since it is not so easy to reach people...
Now, I introduce myself, my name is Damián Schneider Peña, I was born in Radolfzell, Germany and I lived there until I was 6 years old, I traveled to Uruguay and here I stay now.
About my music project.
The Munknörr project began when i was doing all kinds of music...orchestral, soundtrack and of course norse and celtic too. Then i realized that i was more attracted to nordic and celtic music and i started to make only nordic and celtic music. So, munknörr was born, just less then a year ago.
I think the main reason for being attracted to nordic and celtic culture was the place where i was born....beautiful landscapes , mountains, far from the city. Then i fell attracted to the vibe of shamanism so... Munknörr becomes a mix of Norse, Celtic ,Shamanic and Mongol elements with a mysterious vibe .
The Munknörr project began when i was doing all kinds of music...orchestral, soundtrack and of course norse and celtic too. Then i realized that i was more attracted to nordic and celtic music and i started to make only nordic and celtic music. So, munknörr was born, just less then a year ago.
I think the main reason for being attracted to nordic and celtic culture was the place where i was born....beautiful landscapes , mountains, far from the city. Then i fell attracted to the vibe of shamanism so... Munknörr becomes a mix of Norse, Celtic ,Shamanic and Mongol elements with a mysterious vibe .
2.Please tell us what are a few things you enjoy doing most in life and how did you get started on the idea of becoming a musical artist yourself?
I enjoy a lot of things in life, one of them is to spend time with my daughter, play with her , see how she is learning things so fast . I also enjoy stay in contact with nature and travel when i can do it of course , i wish i had more time to do that but soon . And of course one of the thing i love the most is to compose , another moment its when my daughter hum my songs haha , that is beautiful. Another thing that i enjoy a lot is to eat pizza and drink beer haha,really.....
My idea started when i was playing guitar , just for fun, guitar its my main instrument , i play guitar since 10 years old, classic music pieces, blues , neoclassical metal, i was playing alone in my home because i never felt comfortable to be in a band, thats the main reason i started to try instrumental music on my computer, i always imagined music on my mind and just with the guitar is not enough to "play it".
3.Was there any specific artist that inspired you? Or a person in your life that encouraged you to become involved in music?
The person who encouraged me was my best friend Guillermo, but he never could drag me into a band haha . Now he is playing bass in a in a power metal band called Crystal Gates (you have to listen that band, amazing!) . And my grandmother too , always telling me not to stay way from music, and of course people i have met on the way too.
About the artist who inspired me ...in this project i have many influences but not any specific artist , i have influences of all kind of music . From new age and epic music to Wardruna , Heilung. But my biggest influence is just the necessity to express my feelings about nordic and celtic culture , landscapes , runes .
In my music i do not follow any specific line for composing , music just comes from inside and i put it into my mind and then into the program.
In my music i do not follow any specific line for composing , music just comes from inside and i put it into my mind and then into the program.
4.Can you tell us some of your favorite musical artists from your past that you really liked as a child?
And today can you tell us a few artists or groups that you personally follow or listen to?
From my childhood mmm wow , a lot haha.... I used to listen to Metallica , Korn , Slipknot , Iron Maiden ,Guns and Roses, in my mtv and metal times, then when i was older i began to listen and play stuffs from Satriani ,Steve Vai , Yngwie Malmsteen , then i was bored with so many notes and i started to play and listen jazz ,blues and funk , Pat Metheny , John Scofield , Bonamassa.
Now im listening all kind of stuffs , from the nordic and celtic music ...Harald Foss, Wardruna , Heilung ,Runahild , Loreena Mckennit , etc , but i dont listen only nordic and celtic music. I also love listen piano music like Chopin , Ludovico Enaudi, Yann tiersen , other bands like Radiohead , Pink Floyd. As you see im really open to all kind of music haha , but nordic and celtic music its different, i feel attracted to this music in a different way, deeply.
5.So tell us a bit about your creative process? Your recording equipment and How you go about putting together a song?
My creative process its a little strange i guess haha, i have to feel in a composition mood and i just sit in my computer and it flows like the music always been there. I use my computer for the recordings ,i have a home studio. In my compositions i use sounds of nature that i record my self (like sticks , steps , sea, birds) and i have some microphones to record percussion and of course voices, i use vst too because there are sounds that i can make recording stuffs.
Also i use the beautiful voice of a talented singer of Greece , Aethelwyne, she record the voice there and then send it to me and i get the arrangements. Her voice fit perfect with my music and the important thing is she really enjoy to be part of this.
Also i use the beautiful voice of a talented singer of Greece , Aethelwyne, she record the voice there and then send it to me and i get the arrangements. Her voice fit perfect with my music and the important thing is she really enjoy to be part of this.
For example for Ansuz
So, i like to use sounds that i record my self , sometimes its with my hand recorder and sometimes its at home with other microphones.
When i begin a composition im thinking in the composition all the time in my mind , so when i get home i can do the arrangements and put the new things i thought in the day , until its finish. I listen my progress many times on monitors and headphones , in my home , in the bus , at my job so I can go thinking what else I want to have the song.
6.Uruguay must be a beautiful country to live in,.. Can you tell us about some of the things you enjoy most about being there? And possibly a few things you dont like?
Yes , Uruguay its a beautiful country. Here the climate is temperate , and you can enjoy parks and going to the beach in the summer , Montevideo its a beautiful city but i enjoy green spaces the most ...so...i miss the place where i was born because the landscapes , mountains, tranquility.
One of the things i enjoy the most here is being with my daughter , she is my number one fan, she hum and dance all my songs at the age of 5 years old!
7.So back to the topic of your music, i noticed and enjoyed your last few "Rune song" projects, very interesting ..can you tell us about your interest of the runes? And a bit about your spiritual following and how this plays into your music ?
I found runes full of energy , just looking at them you realize the power. When i began to be interested in reading about runes i was surprised for all that deep meanings and the use they had in norse culture. I connected quickly with my mood to compose giving music to the runes .
About my spiritual following , i believe in nature and the energy that this involves, i guess thats the reason because i love norse and celtic culture and mythology , the gods were so connected to the nature in ancient times, so i dont follow and specific path or god , i believe in many of them because they are related to nature .
From what I have read I also believe that norse people were connected to shamanism more than what is said and is well know that shamans have a deep respect for the nature, shamanism is based in nature.
From what I have read I also believe that norse people were connected to shamanism more than what is said and is well know that shamans have a deep respect for the nature, shamanism is based in nature.
8.We have just recently discovered your music and are excited to hear more, can you tell us about any upcoming projects or your new albums on the way?
My upcoming project is my next album, Futhark. I have released some songs in the EP , and as you said its about runes with a nordic-shamanic vibe . For this album i take elements from Nordic,Celtic music music and then put Shamanic sounds ,percutions, vibes , chants., even mongolian sounds .
Odin is the first composition of Futhark , like an introduction , take place when odin sacrifice himeself to acquire the knowledge of the runes, the Ansus , Laguz and Uruz are together because the meaning of ALU ,an ancient nordic ritual word used like a spell of protection .
Odin is the first composition of Futhark , like an introduction , take place when odin sacrifice himeself to acquire the knowledge of the runes, the Ansus , Laguz and Uruz are together because the meaning of ALU ,an ancient nordic ritual word used like a spell of protection .
I have been working hard on this because many of the compositions has different vibes and i used many different instruments and percutions for this album, also all the runes involve a different meaning so i have to conect with the rune there, read, think about the meaning, for example Hagalaz will have tellings about the Fimbulvetr .
And recently i become part of Fimbul Records so im happy for that , there are great artist, and probably i will be make some composition with collaborations(I was talking with Johnatan from Gealdyr about this).
9.What are your goals with Munknörr? Can you tell us some of the things you like most about being a musical artist? And some of the hardest or things you dislike or find difficult about it?
My main goal with Munknörr its just to make music that i love to make ,so the people can listen.
One of the things i like the most of being a musical artist compose (that is obvious haha) and let my imagination fly , that feeling of you dont know what is next in the song is amazing.
Refering to the people , another thing i really like is when someone tells me that my music make them feel things , that is beautiful.
One of the things i like the most of being a musical artist compose (that is obvious haha) and let my imagination fly , that feeling of you dont know what is next in the song is amazing.
Refering to the people , another thing i really like is when someone tells me that my music make them feel things , that is beautiful.
One of the things that i really find difficult is to find nordic instruments here in my country , that is near impossible, and of course a very small number of people listen to nordic music here. , but in this times is easier than before because youtube, ig , fb , you can make music about anything and share it to the world easily.
Another thing that i find difficult sometimes is to find some time when i want to compose, because my job and my daughter but im getting use to it .
Another thing that i find difficult sometimes is to find some time when i want to compose, because my job and my daughter but im getting use to it .
10.What about future collaborations? Have you or would you be open to collaborate with another artist on a single or small project?
Im always open to collaborate. At the moment im working with the amazing female singer Aethelwyne from Greece that helps me a lot in various compositions of Futhark , is really an importatn part of Munknörr. Also im making some music for her project that i think it would be finished after i release the new album.
11.So have you attended any musical events, concerts, or performances in the past that you can tell us about? Or any events that you would like to attend if you had the chance?
I attended to various concerts and musical events here in Uruguay but always related to local rock bands, there isnt nordic folks band here , only a few celtic bands with bagpipes,i have seen a celtic musical event with bagpipes this year but it was the only one.
I would like to see nordic and celtic folks band like Heilung , Wardruna , Faun , Loreeena Mckennit , Omnia, maybe next year because im planning traveling to Europe !
12.What things do you enjoy to do besides music?
Hiking, photography...any hobbies sports or interests that you would like to tell us about?
I enjoy play with my daughter , see animation movies with her( and see the movie 3 times haha), she dance with my compositions too!.
I enjoy traveling here in my country when i have the time, spend time in quiet places or the sea, i often go to a garden near to my home , its my place to escape from the city a few hours.
13.So random question here.. how do you feel about the world today ..with all the technology and all these changing laws and current events today?
Do you follow or have interest in any certain controversial topics or things happening in the world today?
We are surrounded by technology, and technology is a double-edged sword. We have to take the good part of it , in my case is the music. Today we have the great advantage of being able to make music from where we are and show it to the world easily. The bad part is when we abuse of technology and we neglect important things .
I try to not watch the news, because i believe that many times it makes people more afraid so many times i do not know what is happening but if its an important event the news is on facebook , also i often read ambiental topics on facebook .
14.Im always interested in whats happening around the world...Can you tell us of anyting unusual or interesting headline events happening in your part of the world recently ?
There were controversial political events in latino america ,and here in Uruguay the election of the president is near and everybody talks about politics but i really dont care about politics haha.
15.Are there any historical places or any of your personal favorite places to visit in your country? Any recommendations or places to not go..if anyone were to visit there?
I like to visit a place near to my home, is a museum with a beautiful nature surrounding. I go there with my daughter when i pick up her at the school. This is a very particular museum because was the house of a cruel dictator that kills a lot of people there. So this place has a special energy , but its still beautiful.
Another place that i like to visit is the Botanical Garden , is the quietest place of the city surrounded by nature, birds , water sources, this is the place where i recorded a lot of sounds for my compositions , like sticks, leaves, wind. I will recommend those places to visit , and also the beaches of Rocha department like Valizas , a beautiful place with street musician in the night an amazing landscape, i recorded the sea for Laguz there.
Another place that i like to visit is the Botanical Garden , is the quietest place of the city surrounded by nature, birds , water sources, this is the place where i recorded a lot of sounds for my compositions , like sticks, leaves, wind. I will recommend those places to visit , and also the beaches of Rocha department like Valizas , a beautiful place with street musician in the night an amazing landscape, i recorded the sea for Laguz there.
16. So we look forward to helping you promote your music and bring more awareness to your talent for sure ..and we hope we can stay in touch and create a few small projects in the future.
we are looking to do a few special projects for RavenzCraft Arts one of them being a multi episode series about personal perspectives on runes, spiritual workings and magic,
would you be interested in possibly submitting content or music to the project?
Thank you for promoting my music and of course that would be awesome!!
17.Is there anything you would like to say or mention to all the new followers and fans out there?
I want to say thank you to all , for the support , i read every comment on the social media and makes me happy to see all those comments and opinions about my music. This is just the begining of Munknörr, i have a lot of ideas on my mind so....stay in tune
18.Any words of advice or encouragement for fellow artists and musicians on the rise?
Be yourself and never stop doing music!. We live in fast times and there is a lot of music everywhere , the important thing is just constancy and to be yourself ,and then comes out the originality.
19. Well we want to thank you again for sharing a bit about yourself and your inspirations behind your music...
We look forward to seeing more from you and appreciate you taking part in this project ..We will talk again soon!
Thank you!
Special Thank you to Damian for taking part in this interview project
Follow and Support him and his musical project Munknörr and the rest of Fimbul Records crew
at these links below
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClh4dGAZyu5deTJ3pL7lxwg
https://www.fimbulrecords.com/
Listen to the full EP of Futhark here
https://youtu.be/_1TEHPmetZg
Follow RavenzCraft Arts for more Interviews and projects
Thank you!
Listen to the full EP of Futhark here
https://youtu.be/_1TEHPmetZg
Follow RavenzCraft Arts for more Interviews and projects
Thank you!
