Interview for Orcus magazine

(Orcus) - Necro Stellar isn't known in Germany yet. Can you tell me how Necro Stellar formed as a band?

(Yura Zvezdniy) - NECRO STELLAR appeared as the reincarnation of the project Dykhanie" in 1995. And if Dikhanie was oriented mainly on live performances, Necro Stellar is oriented on both live and studio work. Besides, the existence of the first project for me - is searching and experiment with styles, as well as with different sensitive conditions and mainly - with the sound. Necro Stellar is the result of this searching, outward and inward. It is the movement, indirected with current creative comprehension of life, like glare of a man, reflecting in the mirror and watching his reflecting glare reflecting into himself, in the fairy dream of the ambience.

- What are your influences - musically and lyrically?

- Yes, it is. But I also write some texts with our singer Anastasia. Besides, music and lyrics in present time is not quite a work for a band. As I see, the main point of the band is in the kind of transcendent secret, which can't be expressed to the end and isn't clear not only to listeners, but to musicians themselves. So, I'm also responsible for the secret of Necro Stellar.

- How would you describe your own music?

- I would call it clear and immovable in its red movement, shapeless and empty in the constellation of its woken up grace and sweetness.

- Was it difficult to find a label?

- No, there were no troubles of kind like this. Everything came naturally, without effort. We are very glad, collaborating with such a wonderful label as Shadowplay.

- How do you approach writing songs?

- First of all, that what makes me act, is the certain insight that in the certain time in the certain place there must appear some kind of state and mood, in the form of song or instrumental play. And I must make it by myself. Of course, the comprehension like this is somewhat dispirits. I mean, that music writing, in spite of its width and variety, is not as endless and content as, for example, space creating. But at the same time, the consoling idea is that they both are equal in their in unselfish creative work. It is very sweet to fix the instant of the beginning of new creation. It is the charm, the languor and the fatigue at the same time. Understanding of the continuousness of the creative work, makes a desire to break a ring, to stop the mechanic toy. That vacuum trance that is felt by every artist, surrounding the world with life aspects of its nature, with aspects of transformations borne in the emptiness of what was done before - not the worth time spending on earth.

- How much is Anastasia involved in writing songs and lyrics?

- Anastasia doesn't write music, but helps a lot, particulary in writing texts.

- How important are the lyrics for your music?

- I guess, as important as everything else, making integrity of any composition. Music and texts are very correlated.

- In how far do the songs reflect yourself? Do you try to integrate as much as possible of your own persona or do you clean yourself of negative emotions through music?

- I don't feel negative emotions at all, cause negative emotions badly tell on mental and physic state. But as you have noticed, I'm trying to integrate myself through the music. To my mind, it is the high sacral secret, which, I guess, is in every artist. So, I try to integrate myself through reflected world of my music. I approach the moving moment of my coming dissolving in the heaven vales of emptiness.

- Saturating Cemetery seems to be a concept album. Can you tell me what it is about?

- First of all, is the fresh view on the many-sided structure of the necro-world, developed in the constellation of the Kin Rings of the Ancestors.The saturating in this instance looks like filling and merging, where the dream of life merging with dream of death. The projection of one dream to another gives the condition of penetration. The unity orders the difference of sense of one and another. Developing the counters of the interconnection - of the Seven Angels of Reflected Day, the seventh ray of the cross-road and the Seven vales of infernal space, we come to comprehension of the earth being red nature. Most of songs have just red, furious and irrepressible beast nature, cause the saturation in this case is made up with manifestation of The Red Animal-like Genius of The Earth, being the essence of the earth nature itself. The white milk sweetness coming out of the mouth of The beast and the red gift - The Red Ruby - he gave as a gift for the Earth, is reflected in the music of Necro Stellar as benefit of the naturalness, as the sanctity of longing for only one moment. The conception of the album, at the same time, is presented by other themes - Assumption of the Graceful Soul, fascination on the end of the day before merging in the innermost eye-hole of the Awakened Grace. Wandering into body of the moon and in the womb of wolf. Peace and silence, rest on the bottom of white music in white clothes.

- In my opinion it's more the concept which makes the album a whole than the style of music which varies quite a lot. Would you agree to this view? Why did you choose to integrate such a variety of musical styles into the album?

- Yes, you are absolutely right. What puts the styles in the class by itself, is that here everything determines with the instant desire of writing danceable rhythmic song or do it by ambient sound way. But here and there must be observed the condition, the composition must direct interconnect with the mentality of listener. It must have its own drive inside, its own emotional matter and besides it, must have a gold grain of irrational substance, which can uncover on available for understanding of scores unconscious contours. As I see, the wide-range of the style soundscapes totally reflect spirit moving of this album. The condition of music must move, live, even after the 100th time listening of the album

- Because of the different styles of each song there are parts that are more song oriented followed by soundscapes. After those there are songs again which fade into ambient again. Why did you choose to structure the album this way?

- Because I wanted the mood of the album to be like water, constantly moving, hidden, always running and signal, living inside flame. Coming immersion and moving, appearing and disappearing gives possibility of reaching flying to peaces sprays. Creating the album, I wanted to let my listener go by the forest river to the temple of the deep forest of human mind, to the temple of merging manifestation, reflections and actions at the end of the day. At night in the ringing quietness of the deep forest there disappearing the reason of the mind itself, we lose our reason, running away in fear hiding in the trees, The Beast turns his head up, The Beast opens his eyes.

- Some of the songs are really danceable, while others create an atmosphere. How important is if for you that your music is danceable?

- To my mind, danceable songs have there own mood to. Correctly built danceable music appeals to the source of prehistoric rhythmus and awakening of ritual. And if this appealing reaches an addressee, rhythmus and attendant it elements has an effect of awaking and liberating effect to the mind of listener. I can't say that I want to see my music only danceable, cause monotony fatigues. I want to see my music varie, so as the moving and its absence - combine.

- What do you prefer to write - songs or ambient tracks? Where's the difference?

- I love either one or another, though ambient music has more space, but I understand that album should have so called hook-happy tracks", that's why a part of songs of the album is oriented for the dance floor. It is always pleasant to hear your song, sitting in the club. Unfortunately, I can't get rid of this weakness for it. Moreover, when I plan another song I often remember a reaction of listener at any song on concert program. As a rule, people react on the songs with the most drive, with women roar, certain rhythm and direct kick. I used to stop myself not to follow such conjunctures.

- The sounds on the album had a analogue atmosphere, like the 80s synthesizers. Do you use analogue equipment or do you produce the songs digitally?

- I use either digital or analog equipment, but prefer analog. Digital sound is too comfortable of exploitation and too unreal in the arrangement. Because of it I don't try to buy digital synthesizers and synthesizers of physical modulation, which I prefer using more on concerts, but not in studio. I buy old analog equipment. It sounds better, to my mind. Most of all I plan to order some hand-made valve-analog synthesizers, worked up by one good master. Generators principle of work in these synthesizers is based upon constant current power changing. Because of it, sound never repeats and becomes very realistic. Besides synthesizers I use a lot of percussion - scythe, guitar, human bones, old vinyl effects, noise collections, real recordings. I love sampling the atmosphere of the places I love.

- How would you describe Russian gothic music? In what way is it different from western European goth? Is there any difference?

- I think there are differences, but small. They are more certain peculiarities bounded with certain peculiarities of each country. There are labels, there are stock markets, consumers, listeners, perpetual gothic parties and discotheques. There are crowds of goths and many-day festivals. But the paradox is that living in this country, unfortunately, it is difficult to me to adequate form a correct estimate of the situation with Russian gothic stage, because I don't attend concerts, don't buy discs of first seen band, more then all, I try to keep distance from what is not necessary for me. I contact with musicians from other bands only in the chill-out room in the day of concert. Knowledge of the most of present days gothic music, and not only gothic, but western, gives nothing. As everyone in this culture circle, every week I listen through about 20-30 of new CDs. In due course, I have got a strong criteria of appreciation. If I turn on a CD and do not find anything interesting for me in 20 seconds, I stop it and never listen it again. So, I select Russian and foreign bands, whose creative work I keep up with, who is interesting to me, but their own way of music is out of bound of style and it is very important to me. In Russia there are: Starucha Mcha, Moon Far Away, Cyclotimia.

- I had the feeling that the album had a kind of Russian atmosphere - that is the way of singing (which is epic and reminded me of a choir sometimes) and the melody of the songs. Do you try to integrate Russian culture into your music rather than copying the style of established bands? How would you describe the Russian elements in the songs?

- Yes, it is. Most of all I tried not to copy the style of established bands. Russian spirit takes place. I have made a kind of little experiment with Russian folklore. I don't think the national culture is art, the national culture is not only Russian, but of any other country, is what I can call a bottomless fountain, where any idea put in this welfare ground is distorted and converted. National culture will never develop in width, as any other. National culture develops only in depth of its ground, because the creation of national culture is based upon singing about instincts of self-preservations and generation continue. To tell the truth, there is one more popular theme - is the theme of miserable love" and heroic epos, which any way connects with generation continuing. However, national culture is interesting to me from the point of watching and experiment. I'm interested in the other side of national culture, in converting of instincts. I like the nation obscurantism - and its tendention to everything natural - natural life and natural easy death. So, working at the album I first of all took a part of century national naturalness. In keeping with this naturalness, human is like a grass, cause his existence in this case doesn't really matters. I have to say, I don't disdain using any egregors, which I worked at, for my gain.

- What's the gothic scene in Russia like? What's the situation with bands? Please tell me something about it...

- I think that gothic scene in Russia is large number. But in should be kept in mind, that this situation is more typical for Moscow, than for province. In any case, organizations and producers have wide range of choice. Average gothic party is attended by 1000 - 1500 people. Organizers take only big clubs. And there is a natural competition among organizers. The biggest organizer in Russia is Russian Gothic Project. We play at there parties more often then at other. As for other bands, again, I can't say anything exact, I don't follow them, because it isn't interesting for me. I think everyone have their own way.

- I read that you did concerts supporting Das Ich? What was it like?

- The organizer invited us to perform with Das Ich. It was about2-3 years ago. We agreed. It was interesting. Lately we have declined of supporting anyone. We were invited this year to support Das Ich again, but we refused.

- Are you more of a studio musician or do you prefer to play live? Why?

- I prefer either one or another. Just when I work in studio I do not connect with the band, except Anastasia. Other band members meet me only before concerts on repetitions. You know, I don't let other band members to the process of music creating. The situation goes the way they just don't want to do, to write anything themselves.

- What plans do you have for Necro Stellar?

- At the moment I've just already finished writing the new album named "Pulsing Zero". It is dedicated to the secret of time, distorted time, and the secret circle of absolute zero. The essence of the album - is my game of time funeral. I tried to integrate general atmosphere of XX century and all its horrors on the example of different countries. One of the songs The last autumn of Hellen Griss"is dedicated to little German girl died wile Russian occupation.I used a technique of three-part and five-part compositions. Danceable and electro-trance songs take place too. Then, follow the understanding of Shadowplay label, I plan to begin to remaster our first album Dlo Kwala Manyan" with the purpose of giving to the label and representation with bonus CD of remixes from different bands. Then I will have some time for writing a series of exclusive tracks for different compilations. In the early autumn I plan to start recording the new acoustic album White serenity" and new electro-album that doesn't have name yet..