Saturday 17 March 2012

Days of Eclipse - Up-and-Coming artist (+ Interview)

Days of Eclipse combine experimental sounds and atmospheric music to create their own unique style of music; there really is no genre for them, they are purely Days of Eclipse. In 2010 they were voted as 'Alternative Band of the Year' in a local press and are continuing to gain recognition and popularity.
Some of the recognition Days Of Eclipse has achieved includes debuting on MTV Baltic & Coca-Cola contest Soundwave 2008 (for unsigned bands).

Their music is enchanting and very atmospheric; we found that their single 'The Rain' gradually builds up in atmosphere and progresses into deep, emphatic sounds. Their live shows seem packed full of energy; even just watching the videos (on the highest volume, of course) makes you feel like you're involved. We think that they will be recognizable because of their distinct, experimental sound and original capabilities to create such an atmospheric journey in such a small time. If you want to hear more of them, you're in luck; their latest album 'Fracture' is in late Spring 2012 and they are planning to go on an international Spring-Summer Tour. Some of their released singles from the album includes The Rain, We are Not Forsaken and MHSS (My Heart Stood Still) - you should definitely check these out and more here - http://daysofeclipse.com/tour12.

We were lucky enough to ask them a few questions and here's what they said:
1. What/who has inspired you to become a band?

At the beginning this project was an one man’s band. When my ex-metalcore act [Dark Ward] went on hiatus, I needed something to fill the emptiness. One day watching the A. Sokurov’s art-house movie “Days of Eclipse” I got the idea to transfer all the gloomy atmosphere of that movie, which also embodied my feelings of that time, to music. I think that day Days of Eclipse was born. I started composing and recording material for my new project, then a few weeks later I understood that female vocals would perfectly fit this new material. I had an idea to combine cold industrial sounds and harsh guitar riffs with the fragility and warmth of a feminine voice. Years later through many changes in the band’s line-up I finally found the perfect vocalist - Egle Naujokaityte and a team linked with mutual ideas and visions.   

2. Which artists have influenced you the most?

Everyone of us has different influences in music and arts generally. I grew up listening to alternative rock and metal bands, but my first musical love which I carried through all these years was Nine Inch Nails. I think Egle can name her influences as various art rock and post punk acts such as David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, New Order and etc. The other guys listen to a wide specter of rock music from Tool to Dir En Grey. I think the basic influence to our sound made bands that had some sort industrial feel in their music – cold mechanical sound, deep drones and noisy atmospheres.  

3. What do you do in general band session?

Anything you can imagine. From practice to generating new ideas as well as elaborating old ones. We have separate studios for rehearsing and recording, so usually we walk in the studio only when we have well elaborated ideas. 

4. What makes you different from other bands?

I think this question goes to our listeners, not to us. They can observe the whole process from the outside and then “judge”. I think that we are unable to speak about our musical identity or musical marginality. Surely I could name you a dozen of thing I think we do great, but all in all I can’t see the “whole picture” from a distance.  

5. Do you have any favourite albums?

I must admit that we are truly in love with our upcoming album. But I can name Nine Inch Nails “The Downward Spiral” and “Fragile” as one of the greatest albums I've ever heard, also I can admit that Scott Walker’s “Tilt”, Radiohead’s “Hail to the Thief” and Slipknot’s “Iowa” made a huge influence on me. Egle’s favorite albums are Japan's "Tin Drum", Beck's "Mutations", Peter Gabriel's "Us", Talking Head's "Remain in Light", PJ Harvey's "Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea" among others, as I know it.  

6. What's the best memory you've had with Days of Eclipse?

In October 2009 we took a part in alternative music festival “Sober and Free”. The idea was to show that a rock concert can happen without any drugs or alcohol. However it was an open air festival in the centre of city and it is very cold in Vilnius in late October. The backstage of this festival was a tent behind the main stage. The coffee machine wasn’t the best savior so we went to an alcohol shop on a nearby street and bought some whiskey. Coffee mixed with whiskey wasn’t the dream cocktail but it helped us not to freeze to death. At the end of the evening we took a stage drunk enough. The performance was great and Days of Eclipse got a big resonance in local press. We weren’t sober but we were so free – isn’t that the real meaning of true rock’n’roll?  

                          Alex Lipnevic - founder / songwriter / keyboards
 The single 'My Heart Stood Still' varies from 'The Rain', showing the bands capabilities to show such a range of experimental sounds. The vocals against the addictive electronic sounds are particularly impressive and explores a whole new part of Days of Eclipse. You can hear the song here and also on Just Another Radio!
If you would like to learn more about Day's of Eclipse, check out their music or support them here are all the links you need:



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