Translation loss Artist UN interview up

https://unvibes.bandcamp.com

1. To my readers UN is a newer force. Tell us how his Epic Doom/ Death  ideal came to be?

Well, we knew we wanted to play dark, introspective music with heavy emphasis on melody and cinematic build-ups. We started off as a much different band in 2012/2013, but continued to push ourselves to explore deeper territories within the spectrum. Like most bands, I think our current sound is about 50% intention and 50% accident. 

2. I truly hear bands like  Morgion, Paradise Lost, Dusk, Novembers Doom,  Early My Dying Bride,  Shape of Despair and Dolorian in what you do . What Bands made you who you are today ?

Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head. We have some obvious influences like Shape of Despair, Evoken, and Ahab, but we are also deeply influenced by film scores and atmospheric music. Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Ros are equally inspiring to me as the other bands I mentioned earlier. 

3. Seattle seems more a hot bed for Thrash, Post Black metal and Noise Sludgy Stuff like ( Tad/ Melvins). What kind of Doom scene is there currently?

Well Bell Witch is the obvious big name at the moment. There isn’t a whole lot of doom metal outside of that though. Seattle’s creative community is incredibly diverse, especially when it comes to the darker and more extreme genres. We have everything from harsh noise, to black metal, to goth industrial. It’s a really “vivid” group of artists here all trying to carve their own path. 

4. How did you come to work with Translation loss a label much more with its pulse on Post Hardcore and Proggy Side of extreme music? When Black Bow is very much a strong Doom supporter?

We were put in touch with Translation Loss through our friend Jon Campos from Primitive Man. The label’s Owner, Drew Juergens, is an incredibly passionate individual and puts so much care and attention into each of his releases which was extremely important to us. From the first time we spoke with Drew, we knew that the record had to be done with him. Given our diverse musical influences, we actually really liked that Drew works with such a huge variety of bands on his label. 

5. How Does " The Tomb of all things" better from the  new album " Sentiment" to the ears of the band?

I think Sentiment is a much more focused and intentional record. Putting both albums side by side, you can definitely see some similarities in the compositions, but we feel these songs were really fleshed out to their true potential. Looking back, there are so many things we wish we had done with Tomb, but we are totally happy and content with how Sentiment came out. We used all the tools we had at our disposal and are really happy with the results.

6. Good Doom metal needs room to breathe I feel so glad to see longer songs with that does it make it a harder sell to the world with is low attention spans when a Majestic Doom some is 14 + minutes long?

Yeah, absolutely. It’s incredibly difficult. Even I have a hard time sometimes really digging into the intricacies of some of the longer works that are being put out now. I almost always feel that experiencing it in a live situation is the best format to truly digest art like this. But in the end, I think if the music speaks to you, you are much more likely to dedicate the time and effort that is needed to fully envelope yourself in it.

7. When I listen to Sentiment i hear those early Peaceville, Avantgarde and Misanthropy Records Days. is that what the band was going for?

I don’t think we intentionally set out to do anything like that specifically, but certainly the influences are there. I think melodically we are much more inspired by European bands, especially early Opeth and My Dying Bride, so those labels have certainly left their mark on us. 

8. How does extreme underground music like this break into more of a public eye??  Or is really for those that go and look for it or experience it live only?

I don’t know, that’s a really hard question. I think all subcultures are eventually absorbed by the status quo, but people will always find ways to get weirder and more extreme with their art. There’s a constant tug-of-war between wanting mainstream success and wanting to keep these kinds of things sacred.

9. In 4 words not 3 or 5 how would you tag UN sound to someone about to listen for first time?

Oh geez. Epic Melodic Funeral Doom?

10. What Bands are currently impressing members of UN?

There are so many! Right now I’ve been really into Forn and this progressive rock band from the UK called Thumpermonkey. There’s too much to list for all four of us though, haha. 

11. How does the breathtaking art of " Sentiment" play a role into the theme of the album?

It’s a huge part of putting together the album. We wanted every aspect to be intentional and the art was no difference. Cauê Piloto did a magnificent job incorporating all of the minute details that we wanted. It’s a perfect representation of the emotions contained in the album.

12. Is  Social media  a blessing or curse for bands at your currently level of success in 2018? 

Definitely both. On the one hand, it gives small independent artists a huge platform for success, however the market tends to be so saturated that it sometimes feels like impossible to break through. Every day I wake up thinking “how can I convince someone to care about what we’re doing today?” It’s a lot and can be totally overwhelming. 

13. If you could cover any song by anyone and make it sound like UN who would it be and why?

We’ve talked about this a lot. I think eventually we will do a cover or two, so I don’t want to give up those details quite yet ;)

14.  Do the members of UN have other projects they work or record with . Would you be so kinds to let my readers know about them if so?

Well, I (Monte) also play bass in Samothrace, and Alex has another band called Wounded Giant. We’ve all been in other active, touring bands, but for now Un is the main priority.

15. The vocal are really something special a mix of Guttural, Deep and Angelic the Male and Female voices always seem to work well in Doom. Why do you think so?

I think the juxtaposition of aggressive and gentle really helps complete the world you are trying to build. Opeth did a really good job of doing this and I think it helps make things interesting, especially when you are righting songs over 10 minutes long.

16. Where do you see the future bringing the sound of UN?

That’s tough to say. Sentiment was a big step for us as a band, and we hope to make another big step with our next album as well. As artists, every piece that you create gives you a new opportunity to recreate yourself. To peer deep within to your most vital and raw sense of self and bring that to the surface. It’s often a vulnerable and scary process. For now, we will just focus on touring and seeing where Sentiment takes us.

17. Thank you for the time any cloising thoughts here

Thank you so much for your interest and support. We are humbled every day by the love that Sentiment has received and hope that we can return that tenfold through our art!