Ephilexia Interview

RavenzCraft Arts Interview with Gábor Károlyi 

of 

 EPHILEXIA

1st things first we just want welcome and thank you for being part of the RavenzCraft Arts interview project 2020

It is an honor and very interesting to meet unique artists like yourself..

1.So can you please introduce yourself, where you are from, and tell us a bit about your unique artists name "Ephilexia" and what it aims to express 

  Hey everyone and thank you for taking your time. I am Gábor Károlyi from Hungary.
 I always lived in a little village but currently I moved to a bigger city, Veszprém. I'm 24 years old and I play bass since 2008 when I was 13. To be honest, Ephilexia doesn't mean anything. 

When I was younger I had lots of ideas for future "djent" band names because I always wanted to be in a djent band. Ephilexia was the "best sounding" at that time and I used it as a nickname in video games. That's why you can find my name on other channels, which is not me, but they stole my nickname haha.

2.When did you first start seriously experimenting and creating music? 

2. In 2016, when I released the first Ephilexia. I had an acoustic guitar and MIDI keyboard only with some basses. MIDI keyboard was for modelling contrabass, this is what you can hear in my first album. It was a big milestone but I won't do that type of music anymore.

3.Can you explain a bit about the unique way you put together your music as ive seen it labled as math rock? Can you explain.

3. Ephilexia is started as a post-rock / ambient project, but as I was learning the guitar better, I realized math-rock can be really fun if it's not too much for the listeners.

 I bought a classic 1950's telecaster reissue so I started mixing the post-rock themes with math-rock vibe mainly tonally. Most importantly I use extra-clean guitar tone and I try to find a catchy riff in alternative tunings. 
I used FACGCE and DAEAC#E which are the most famous and beautiful emo/math tunings. These are used in bands like Tiny Moving Parts, American Football, Covet, This Town Needs Guns, etc... Very fun tunings but it takes some time to get used to it. 

4.Can you tell us what you use to create the unique sounds and sets in your music? 

Do you have any favorite software or instruments or brands you like to use that you have had good results with for creating music? 

4. I do everything in the opposite way if we talk about unique sounds. These bands often use clean or crunchy telecaster sound with clean bass. I use clean guitar only with destroying, driven bass tones. 
That's why the bass is so important in my songs. We have an ultra wide bridge between drums and guitars. We have the low end, but we also have the distorted, growly mid range so I don't need the rhythm guitar. 
2 telecasters together is the most beautiful thing in this world I think. For their clean tone I use a classic Line6 POD with jazzy setup.

 If I need some brightness I go to BIAS FX plugin but this is a rare option because I don't really like plugins. Bass is way more complicated. My chain is tube compression > Ampeg tube head simulation (Sansamp VT) > Mid punch EQ (Eden WTDI) > Distortion with cab simulation (Darkglass Alpha Omega Ultra). 
The last step is the reason for that growl you hear in my songs. I don't use too much distortion, maybe 20 or 30% maximum. The cab simulation in the last pedal is an old Ampeg bass cab from 1970. Best setup ever. 

 I use classic Fender basses as well. I have a few precision and jazz bass for different tunings and sounds. It depends on the song. I used one telecaster in my latest album but I used like 5-6 basses. Precision basses are for mid-punch (Dancing In The Coffin) and Jazz basses are for high-end saturation and more distortion (There Is A Ghost Behind You So I Would Run). 

Software I use is Cubase but I don't use too much plugins. Maybe a little EQ for final mix and limiter/maximizer for the best volume. Then I go for mastering with Ozone software. Nothing crazy at the final steps.

5.So this was all a bit complicated for me at first but i discovered that you are part of a very amazing crew of artists and musicians..

I know are the bassist for other music projects Silent Island and Realm Of Wolves and collaborate and are friends with another great musician

Istvan Csarnogurszky/Stvannyr, and also Ferenc Kapiller..you all are very talented ..

Can you tell us how you guys all 1st met and connected and came together to create all this amazing music? 

5. After a few years of playing in local bands I decided to step to some sort of solo project. This happened in 2016, when I was looking for post-rock bands to know how they do it exactly. I was listening to Black Hill for weeks when I noticed he's from Hungary. 

I wrote him a message and he was like "oh why don't you show me how you play, maybe you could join one of my project." - This is how current Silent Island was born. I bought the basic equipments for recording at home and started learning playing acoustic / electric guitar because playing bass is not enough for a post-rock solo project. We had some personal meetings but we work online.

6.Was it difficult at first to get your music out there ..did you have help from others to get things set up?..can you explain some things that were a challenge for you?.. and maybe some advice to other independent creators out there

6. The most challenging part is how to record yourself in good quality. I had 1-2 weeks when I was learning the softwares all day. István helped me a little at that time but I work as an IT guy so it wasn't a big deal. 

For others I'd suggest to watch a lot of YouTube videos about recording, that may help you the most and practice on the guitar all day! Another hard thing is to buy new equipments which is a lot of money for a beginner. I needed 3 years to get everything I need for the perfect sound I want.

7.I notice the artwork on your cover albums are very creative and seem to have a folklore mythology type theme to them...do you have interest in history, spiritually and mythology? 

If so do these inspire you to create music? 

7. Some of my covers are made by me. Just photographs from trips and I photoshopped them. I also had 2 Theodor Kittelsen covers. Those are kinda mythological but I'm not really into history or anything, I just liked the vibe of those paintings. 

My new cover art is from a Brazilian artist who created a custom cover while listening to the album. It was really personal this way and it truly has the vibe of the album. My true inspirations are from daily happenings. I had a lot of happenings in these years and those did most of the motivations. I think I should try to get inspiration from looking at paintings, good idea.

8.I have a question about how things have changed with how artists upload music to all the new apps and platforms,..

For example, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube etc..

Which one do you feel is the best for gaining awareness and monetizing etc..? 

8. For a little project like mine, I think Bandcamp is the best. I have a little but strong fan base and it's very good to analyze the album with them after the release. They are very supportive and nice. It's like a big family. YouTube is better for big projects like "Silent Island" where we can get enough views. 3rd place is Spotify but I don't really earn money from streaming platforms. 

9.What music do you personally listen to? Any favorite new albums or bands that are out that you really enjoy? 

9. I used to listen to "God Is An Astronaut", "If These Trees Could Talk" back in 2016, but I have to listen to my songs as well when I'm writing and recording the songs so nowadays I'd rather go with oldskool and modern metals. Some of them are: "Fear Factory, "Pulse Ultra", "Northlane", "We Came As Romans". Other favorite bands I mentioned before "American Football", "This Town Needs Guns" that I really love.

10.Any other hobbies ? 

Can you tell us what things you like to do in your city and area? Any places, clubs, bars or events you like to visit or go out to? 

10. My hobby is to play the bass to be honest. It takes a lot of time when creating music so after a new release I'll take a month long break when we go hiking nearby and hang out in pubs with my friends where we can discuss the album and the aftermath. In summer I visit some festivals but that's not really my thing.

11.Any plans or goals you are aiming for in the future? 

Where would you like to see your music and career in say 5 years ? 

11. I'm still planning to do a new sounding project beside Ephilexia. Maybe an ambient project...? I'm still not sure but I will do something else in the future. I hope we will reach some new people with Ephilexia because I love when I can help people with my music. 

12. RavenzCraft Arts also likes to bring together artists and inspire collaboration..Would you be open to collaborating with a vocal artist or another creator in the future on a special collaboration single track or project in the future? 

12. I think this is a good idea. I would join anyone for a song to see what happens when 2 different artists meet. 

13.I notice you have unique names for your albums such as"Pray for our parents" and "Sun please explode"

Do these titles mean something more and personal to you? Is there a deeper meaning behind your titles and music,? 

13.  Yes, there are different meanings. "A Pray For Our Parents" was a last-time-changed title because it wasn't that originally. My aunt got really sick at that time when I was recording the songs and she went out of this world within 2 months. Some of the songs and the title refer to her. 

We don't really love our parents enough until they gone. "Sun, Please, Explode" is a completely another theme. I had a lot of issues with people, friends... I don't really want to detail it, but sometimes I felt like people are fated to fail. There are so many bad people in this world who want you to fail without any reason. That's why I asked the Sun to explode. It sounds way more brutal this way, sorry. :)

14.So i have to say you are one of my new favorite instrumental artists out there alongside Stvannyr and Ferenc Kapiller ...it seems all 3 of you are very under rated and you do not get the credit and attention you deserve..

 all of your music is perfect and i cant believe it is not viewed and played more...

Is it your intention to sort of stay "underground" and attract a certain type of audience?  

14. I don't feel any inconvenience because of being an underground artist. This is the reason why the audience is so unique and intelligent. We're like true friends with the listeners without haters. I'm happy with the result but one day I also hope more people will listen to our music. 

15.Has your music been used or involved in other projects such as online games , short films, or any other projects before? Is that something you would be interested in? 

15. One of my secret purpose (not secret anymore) is to be in a video game or movie. There are so many good music in games and those artist are so underrated! One of my favorite is Akira Yamaoka who wrote the songs for Silent Hill games. uhuh a disturbing but awesome games those are.

16.So this last question is open for you to say anything you want to all the fans and followers and people that may read this interview..

Any closing statements or message you want to get out to the world?...

16. I just want to thank you for all the readers and listeners, I really appreciate any respect you gave to me for all these 3 years. I will do my best and try to give as many songs as I can in the future! Much love.

17.Well i just want to thank you again very much not only for taking the time to talk with us but for also creating amazing music...

To me "music is medicine" i use it to escape and relieve anxiety and clear my mind ..so i encourage you to keep creating music because you are very talented and we will be fans for life! ..

17. Thank you so much for your kind words I am very happy to hear when my music is someone's medicine.:) 

Gábor

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Special thank you to Gábor for the interview and insight into his musical career..

Special thank you to Ferenc Kapiller and Istvan Csarnogurszky for creating such amazing music and leading us to discover Ephilexia! 

Follow and hear more music from Ephilexia here on bandcamp at 

https://ephilexia.bandcamp.com/

Check out his new album Melancholia

Support Follow and Subscribe to RavenzCraft Arts for more updates and interview projects to come this season! 

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https://www.facebook.com/RavenzCraftArts/

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC95bFF-xNLMcxAzRO7rFiCQ

Interview with Michael Zann of Nemuer

RavenzCraft Arts Interview Project 2020 featuring 

Michael Zann of Nemuer

 Nemuer is a very creative and diverse group of musical artists that create a wide range of music related to ancient myths fantasy and folklore..

They have recently taken the social media stage with one of their latest and very powerful tracks 

"Yggdrassil Trembles"

We recently had the opportunity to talk with Michael Zann one of the main vocal artists and musicians from this amazing band that also includes 

Katarína Pomorská

Alex Pantea and Martin Kopl

Hello and welcome to the RavenzCraft Arts interview project of 2020!

First We just want to thank you for taking time to talk with us and letting the fans and followers get to know more about you and your career as a musician

1.So please introduce yourself,  where you are from and your band name, how did you come up with it and what does it aim to express? 

Can you give us an update about what you have been up to or working on in the past few months? 

Hello Tim! My name is Michael Zann, and I am the founder of Nemuer, an atmospheric folk project from Czechia.

Nemuer (also known as Mnevis or Mer-wer) is the name of an ancient Egyptian bull god, who is known to be a mediator between the gods and people. I like to think of our music as a channel through which such communication can be done.

We aim to take our listeners on an unusual journey to the ancient lands of myths and legends, and at the same time to help them reconnect with their inner selves. Every album of ours is connected to a specific ancient civilization, but I also like it to be open to interpretation. After all we are just the mediators.

In the past few months we were fully focused on our fourth and this time Norse-themed album Urðarbrunnr.

2.So we noticed a change in your style and energy within your music..especially with your new track yggdrasil trembles..very good by the way ..what caused this change of direction to a more dark rougher style? 

Can you tell us about the new members and changes to the band? Can you tell me a bit about the other band members..there are 4 of you total correct? 

Can you tell us about their part and what they do and how they help bring everything together?

Thank you for your kind words, Tim. Composing is a spontaneous process to me, and when I began creating Urðarbrunnr, I realized the album will be far more ambitious than my previous creations. I do not like to be limited when composing, so I ended up with a piece using more instruments and vocals than we could handle as a duo. For some time I had been considering enhancing Nemuer with new members, but just then I understood it was time.

I believe that every civilization, and in our case every album, requires a bit different approach. Norse mythology often talks about prophecies, doom, weird deeds done by the gods, and in general can seem pretty dark and cruel to a modern person. I believe it shows in our new album as an interesting combination of savage energy and mysterious darkness. Unlike our older pieces, it is now drum-driven and full of dark soundscapes.

Our live concerts are now far more intense, as Alex joined us as a percussionist, and Martin enriches the whole experience with haunting soundscapes usually played on keyboard. For the most dramatic parts of songs they also join us in vocals. 

3.What inspired your passion for music? Was there anyone or any group un particular that sparked your need to become a musician yourself ? 

Like I said earlier, I started with music in my early childhood, thankfully supported by my family. The real twist came when I first listened to Dead Can Dance, though. It quickly reached my subconsciousness and set me on the path. I had a similar reaction to the first album of Wardruna a few years later. These two projects showed me what it really means to listen.

4.What music do you listen to personally on your own time ? 

Any favorite songs or albums you can mention that you are currently a fan of? 

Currently I listen a lot to dark ambient (I love Cryo Chamber!) and game/film music soundtracks. Generally I love the kind of music that I do not need to listen to with my mind. I prefer the music that speaks to my soul or to my subconsciousness. Just to name a few of names: Philip Glass, Jeremy Soule, Jesper Kyd, various WoW composers, Dark Souls and Bloodborne composers, and, of course, Hans Zimmer.

5.Where would you like to see your career in the future? Do you have any goals or special projects or plans for the future?

I would definitely like to see us evolve even further. There are many more ancient civilizations and instruments that fascinate me, and I would love to explore them. At the same time I want to improve my current skills, especially throat singing, which I believe is a lifelong journey.

In terms of concerts, I would like to see us play live more often and in more countries. There are some specific festivals on my list where I believe we would fit really well.

I am also going to work on the official soundtrack for Archgate, a very ambitious and innovative indie VR fantasy game that will be announced soon. Making music for virtual reality environment doubtless poses a great challenge, and I am excited to face it and do my best.

6.Would you be open to doing a collaboration single track project with another artist in your genre ? 

I am generally open to collaborations, but I do not actively seek them. The artists I would like to collaborate with the most are currently beyond my reach, and I prefer to work with the people I have met at least once in person. But who knows where Nemuer will get in the future?

7.I notice you play a few different instruments ..what is one of your favorites to play on? 

I love to experiment with instruments, especially the ancient ones. For a long time I had my eye on tagelharpa, the Scandinavian bowed harp. Eventually I had it made by a great instrument maker and musician too Visy Bloodaxe (known as Viking Bending Barbells). He made me a bass version allowing me to reach very low tones that I needed for the Urðarbrunnr album. Originally I wanted it to be just an extra instrument in the album, but once it arrived, I instantly got immersed and embraced by it. For ten days I played being in the flow of fascination, trying to listen and with my hands express what the instrument had to say. It felt like getting lost in a dark forest, and when I found the way out, our most successful track so far “Yggdrasil Trembles” emerged along with it.

The bass tagelharpa’s dark and deep tones also create a beautiful contrast to Katarina’s hammered dulcimer, the instrument with a very soft and soothing sound.

8.So Please tell us about how you create music,..Do you have any certain brands or software you use for equipment and recording? 

Can you recommend any tools or things you have discovered that help make creating quality content? 

The way I look at is that I just fill my head with information, images, and feelings. Then I let it all crystalize in my head and express itself through instruments. I am basically just listening and recording what the instrument has to say. That is the most important part of creating to me: supplying myself with perceptions and allowing deeper parts of my mind to talk.

I take the part of creating you specifically asked me about as an endpoint of the whole process. For that I currently use Cubase. In my opinion, the most powerful tool for creating atmospheric music, though, is our subconsciousness.

9.I also notice that the videos to your music are very good, do you personally create those or have help filming and putting music videos together ?

Thank you. The first two official music videos (“Caves of Damnation” and “Descent to the Realm of the Dead“) were made by a good friend of mine Jakub Rehor, who also happens to like our music a lot. The “Yggdrasil Trembles” video is the first one we filmed as a band. Alex did a great job with camera, and I dared putting it all together.

What I like the most about these videos is the process. Despite some minor planning, it always ended in a spontaneous way. Friends being surrounded with all the natural elements--first caves, then rock, and now forest--it is inconceivable to me not to take the whole thing as a ritual.

10.Tell us about about your country..what do you like most about living there? Any historical places ,Anything special that you like to do or exciting events that happen in your area ? 

I like the fact it is small but diverse. My country is full of forests, mountains, and castles. And they are quite easily accessible even if you live in a capital city like I do. Prague is in the centre of Europe, and I would say it is ideal for both living and traveling to other countries for concerts.

Another thing I like a lot is that there are many handy and clever people here who are still able to recreate some medieval crafts.

What I do not like so much is the Czech’s tendency to support and be interested in mostly foreign bands at the expense of the local ones, who often become overlooked and not treated well by event organizers. So despite all the good things, it is, in my opinion, difficult to grow as an experimental pagan band, because there are not many opportunities to perform and it is too risky to organize such events. The scene is growing, though, and I believe it is getting better for the local bands, too. We saw that on October 2019, when we organized Pagan Nights with Jeden Kmen, and saw the crowds of people.

11.Has your career with music lead you to meet or make connections with any special people in your life?

I think everyone is special, when you look at a person and really get to know them. I believe meeting certain people helped me understand more about human nature and myself. While I met really arrogant people, I also met real friends and people opening my eyes. Every person can give you that, and change the way how you look at music or life in general.

12.So please tell us what gives you the urge or inspiration to create? 

What do you do to generate ideas and inspiration for your songs? 

As I said earlier, I surround myself with all kind of objects that put me in the right mood to absorb and eventually create. Sometimes, though, I like to be in completely dull surroundings, because they can trigger some urge to escape and in this way boost my imagination a great deal.

At the same time I believe my creations are a reflection of my current or past state of mind. I believe that a man who never really experienced pain or any strong emotion cannot really create the kind of music I create.

13.What do you think of todays apps and programs such as spotify , bandcamp, YouTube etc...?

 Do you think there should be a better platform for artists to create on?

Well, I take those as a good way how to get discovered. And I am very grateful for that. At the same time, though, I really hope that people realize that by listening to streaming services they will not really support the artist much. The earnings from such services are ridiculously small in comparison to buying an album. Spotify playlists can help a lot, but the official ones, I am afraid, are interested only in big names. Just like Youtube it helps those that are already known to be known even better.

Bandcamp I like, because despite taking considerable percentage from the earnings, it in fact helps the artist to get discovered. Even the obscure ones can get the attention of new listeners if properly tagged.  

I think there definitely should be a better platform for artists. It should be a platform not hungry for money and supporting less known projects over the famous ones. There should also be a good way to communicate with your fans without having to pay for what should be yours (like the Facebook boost nonsense).

All in all, I am grateful for living in these times, where we are no longer dependent on labels, but I can see how much work needs to be done to get discovered and properly rewarded. 

14.Is there Anything you personally want to add to the interview , anything you want to mention ...goals for 2020? ..or anything you want to say to all the fans and followers out there? 

I would like to thank the fans that have supported us over the years and were able to enjoy our creative variability. All the new fans that found us thanks to the “Norse/Viking” wave I would like to warn: the next album will be very different, as is our habit. We simply love to explore, and every album should be a journey of its own.

15.We just wanted to thank you again for talking with us and we will definitely be following and watching you and the band and we hope to see much more from you all in the near future!

Thank you for having me, Tim! It has been a pleasure. I wish you all the best not only in 2020!

Special Thank You to all the members and crew behind Nemuer
Follow and hear more of their music and their new album here below at these links!


Listen to the new album here 
http://hyperurl.co/ieu871




Nemuer Bandcamp:
https://nemuer.bandcamp.com/


Nemuer Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YLlSPiJ0oTTwToxWrmNVZ


Nemuer Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfR6VhsZtCH9nwoWdfwj81Q



Follow RavenzCraft Arts on Youtube for music videos and video talk presentations:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC95bFF-xNLMcxAzRO7rFiCQ



Stay Tuned for more Interviews to come this Season!